Vicki Robin

I’m not doing a newsletter here anymore. but if we do one again, you are on the list.

I am an Old Asocial Fogey. As an OAF, the title of an old play came to mind when all this started, “Stop the World – I want to Get Off”. I am so grateful to be retired and have been for a couple years now. My wife, who continues to work, is worried that I am borderline agoraphobic because I have stepped off and have been happily watching the world go by. So, I guess I am naturally self-quarantining or self-isolating, your pick.

Your “There’s a dark side to FI and FIRE when society gets rattled. We develop a learned selfishness in the hyper-saving years” _stings_ a bit because it hits a little too close to home.

I do expend quit a bit of time and energy in a little corner of the internet helping (I hope) people realize what their “enough” is. But, there is more I could do for those around me. And being an OAF, helping folks from afar is really satisfying. But, I could give more,locally both monetarily (not a whole lot more – I’m LeanFire) and temporally.

It’s just that I have become so damn happy not being chained to an income producing job. Like you,we own our home and vehicles free and clear and we have no debt whatsoever. I love not having a schedule, working at things that truly interest me, working at my own pace, and hanging around the house with my dogs. While I don’t particularly enjoy cooking, laundry, and cleaning doing these things gives my wife & I more quality time on the weekends (she calls me her house-elf).

If being happy here in my little hidey-hole watching the world go by is selfish then I’m guilty. I guess I could ease that guilt by looking for opportunities around me to which I can contribute with being *too* uncomfortable.

Renee, can i share this on my facebook feed, with or without attribution. it’s a stellar example of what’s possible for anyone with applied consciousness and a capacity to weather ups and downs with foresight.

This is IT! I am on the same journey and it’s so satisfying, creative and giving. Yours is not about holing up and protecting what you have, but about growing food and building community. Bravo.

Briefly on a fixed income post social security you can consider purchases as % if income ie is this worth 5% of my monthly income. Many ways to approach it do what works for you