Retiring (Early) in 5 Days. Am I Ready?

[@TwoSidesOfFI]

Does this mirror your own experience with getting ready to retire? Let us know what it was like for you

[@jinsiudu440]

I always love when Laura is on. I love hearing such an intelligent woman/wife/mum that juggled a successful career unpack this phase of life. So helpful to prepare myself but also so refreshing to hear you don’t need to have a ‘project’ and take time to rest and that you are more than your chosen career. Many congratulations Laura on graduating. 🎉

[@BrBr980]

I really appreciate the mature way you two communicate with one another!

[@tracygmaine3252]

40 working days left for me, Having similar experiences feeling like I am fading to the background and sitting in meetings disconnected from the conversations. I get to retire at 55 at the height of my career. Trying to keep a lid on my joy and excitement to respect others. So happy my goal is so close. Thank you for sharing, really resonates with my current state. Best of luck!

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Congratulations!

[@RFIFRetireFIFun]

I’m in a similar boat. 85 days before I retire. Hard to stay focused on work and stay engaged when it feel like I’m fading into the background. Looking forward to get retirement started!

[@Jfhelwig]

For me it was black and white. I gave my all to career for 34 years. Almost never sick and always adding value behind the scenes. But I sacrificed so much personal time and pursuits. When i walked away at 56, I had very few regrets and wouldn't go back for any amount of money. No hatred, just feel like I broke free. Not from prison, but free to be me in every way all the time.

[@danielstusnick6011]

Totally agree. I broke free at 57 from 37 years where I sacrificed much, and I have no regrets, or desire to go back.

[@laurareinholdt8819]

I am encouraged by this - thank you!

[@darrenmatthews1667]

I called it quits a couple years ago when the things I didn't like about my job outweighed the things I did like. People talk about retiring to something. I didn't do that but I'm pretty busy and happy. Spending after retiring is like breathing after jumping into a cold lake. You'll panic for a bit but eventually you will be able to get back to normal.

[@dolgon2002]

This was definitely one of my favorite episodes so far. Your willingness to share these very personal details about something so important is definitely giving back to the world! Thank you both so much!

[@TwoSidesOfFI]

Cheers, we appreciate the support and kind words!

[@laurareinholdt8819]

This is nice to hear - thank you!

[@TejanaDama]

“Graduation” is exactly how it felt for me! I felt 18 again!! This outlook is for YOU to define. “Don’t get sad, get on a plane!”

[@ImmersiveCat]

That was an amazing conversation. It was really thought-provoking when Laura said we have always been told how much our hour is worth, but it comes a time when we realize it is worth SO much more, regardless of how much u make, simply because we have things so easily taken for granted, but they are surely limited, which makes them priceless..and sooner or later we must face and accept that

[@lulucly]

I say, "When I graduated..." all the time. It just pops out, and that is exactly how I feel about retirement! Two years into the graduate program and I still don't have an agenda for what I plan to do post work. I am not stressing so I guess a plan is unnecessary for me.

[@Academic9999]

As a fellow academic, I have been so interested in Laura’s experience with early retirement! I am excited to watch this.

[@Academic9999]

I completely understand what you mean about not needing a project. As a high-powdered academic and mother, I am looking forward to having unscheduled open time as you say. Eventually I will land on something, but just the experience of having the time of day sounds like a much-needed remedy.

[@Academic9999]

Terrific show! THANK YOU so much for sharing.

[@michaelmartz9270]

Congratulations! I am also retiring at the end of this year at 54. So much of what you discussed is similar to how I am feeling and what I am thinking about. It is refreshing to hear others having a similar experience navigating this milestone in life.

[@Lazirus951]

This is one of the most mature, transparent and genuine conversations I've ever heard. Truly a pleasure to listen to you two talk and be vulnerable to each other.

[@pauladosch7062]

As a fellow super-responsible person, I went through many of the same emotions when I left my career in October 2023. Since I have left, I have not thought about financial considerations or my work at all. Hope Laura gets there.

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Me too and Congratulations to you!

[@LoriLWorden]

To realize that you needed this big change to keep growing as a person -- I LOVE that!!! Also, I love your hair color! (I've been watching for 3 years. I've clocked countless hours with Eric and Jason. Excellent of course, but THIS is what I can sink into all the way:)

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Thanks - Aveda (and I made sure to add it to the post-RE budget)!

[@ChildofGod888]

By far one of the most impactful episodes that you’ve done. Bringing the real emotion of the day-to-day is invaluable. I thought I was the only one feeling the same thing she was. Thank you for sharing.

[@ouroldcheyennehouse]

I started my pre-retirement vacation Nov 4, retirement date in early Spring. Also a scientist for 33 years. I will miss the people I work with and am still mentoring/talking to. I do not miss the bureaucracy of funding and administrative challenges at all. That is already such a huge relief.

[@tootietatum8737]

This was great. It also makes me think someone should host "scientist retirement support groups" - especially for those of us who decide to walk away early. I feel like it's a unique situation. On the one hand, there aren't really many careers where you spend more time in training and preparation than in your independent working life. I think this is what baffles colleagues when you tell them you're going to peace out. On the other, you're perceived by people who punch a clock all of their lives as exceptionally privileged and therefore spoiled when you retire early. That doesn't leave you much of a peer group to understand the experience of making that transition. In any case, I really appreciated this particular video.

[@laurareinholdt8819]

The support group is a great idea - sign me up!

[@tqpro]

This hits at the right moment, I was watching one of your other videos when this one popped up. Just a few points, you both have amazing thoughts on identity, validation and unpacking the complexities of this new journey, you are both so incredibly well worded and articulate. I very much resonated with both your vibes - I 'retired' at 45 but the exit was rather unceremonious, also Biotech, but lab couldn't get the funding it needed and I was part of a group lay off. I had already been planning my exit by April 2025 but the circumstances just moved that timeline forward a few months and you know what ... I'm okay with that. I am already FI so it's interesting for me and very insightful to learn about others similar and somewhat parallel journeys in life. Looking forward to the next insight! :)

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Congratulations and thank you for your comments!

[@rayanderson3164]

Awesome. Walking out myself, actually feeling done but still "employed" until after my 55th in late March. Got to work about six more weeks between now and early April. It's been a long time coming and I would like to credit your channel and several others for helping long the way. Congratulations and thank you.

[@matthewwood2057]

Congratulations on this major milestone. Have been watching over two years and appreciate the conversations. During this time my own journey unfolded not as I had planned but gratefully for my early planning. The fact that you did the planning and put it into action led to this achievement. Congrats Grads!

[@4040smokey]

Outstanding conversation. This was a big help to me as I am days away from my own departure. Thank you.

[@mikesurel5040]

Laura's take on "why do i need a project?" Rings so true to me. Love it. Good for her and good luck on your next steps.

[@jonathandaniels9910]

Dr Reinholdt...so very happy for you and I hope you find peace, tranquility, and wonderful new adventures!

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Thank you!

[@DrawingroomMutineer]

Your candor is so helpful. Thank you both. I am in a similar space in a different industry and this resonated. Also- on a light note-laughing re PJ Harvey, edibles and trees comments. Exactly what I feel at this juncture. You choose when to rest and when to pick up projects and explorations again. It is a quiet and personal process. Happy Holidays and congrats on graduation.

[@kevinandmerrandaalbert2026]

Great discussion. Love Laura's honesty. Enjoy your graduation and travel without guilt or accountability. Your hard work made this possible. Savour no longer trading your time for money. We've hit our FI numbers. My husband retired at 51 like you two 3 years ago. I'm 8 years his junior and currently planning my graduation date for age 48 or 49. Maybe even earlier. Thanks again for sharing your journey.

[@sunnyaz1508]

Laura, take the time to just 'be'. Everyone expects us to 'do' even when it comes to our leisure/free time. Allow yourself to get rest and then to get bored. Boredom is extremely underrated, but our being needs it. It can inspire great ideas, spark creativity and joy in your life. Or it can open up your eyes to things that you couldn't see before (outside and inside). I am afraid that all the travelling yoru are planning will replace the previous business and you won't have time to get bored. You are doing a great job pushing away everyone and Eric's 'doing' energy :) No offence, Eric, but leave her be and allow for boredom to exist for awhile :) You can learn something from this too. By the way, therapy could be a great new activity for you two - individual for sure, and if you feel you need it - couples too. All these feelings and motions you are going through can spark a lot of self learning and a therapist can help you uncover what's behind it. Congratulations with your retirement, Laura! What a great Christmas present to gift yourself :)

[@MarcD-ze6yt]

My partner and I retired Jan 4th, 2024 and the biggest shock for me was the realization that our paychecks weren't there anymore. I was surprised at how much value I tied to what I was earning and that has taken time to accept. We are now in our twelfth month of retirement and we have never been happier and excited that we are free to do whatever we want. I think its very normal to feel the way you both are feeling regarding the value we associate to what we earn. My partner had projects to focus on almost immediately upon retirement, and I'm like Laura, I don't need any big project so far, and I'm okay with that. Congratulations to both of you!

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Congratulations on your retirement as well! It really helps to hear from you and others about this transition.

[@NoRegertsHere]

Which languages can you speak? Language schools in other countries I’ve found a great thing to enjoy and focus on. Meet really interesting ppl too

[@Austinrkr]

Congratulations on your graduation. Over time I’ve thought less and less about my former academic career. I still don’t have a definable project to replace the career now months after my last PhD student graduated, but I’m not worried about it either. On another note: if you haven’t received your shingles shot yet, do that. My Mom has it and it’s awful. I’m getting my shot today.

[@alexl266]

Excellent conversation. Thank you for joining, Laura. I'm in a similar boat, where I and my wife are in different places in our careers even as we hit financial milestones. You two are a great case study on aligning plans and goals as a couple.

[@duanermoyer]

Nice segment of honest digesting a major transition. I do love the idea of graduating from work.

[@PowerfulMoneyHabits]

I’m counting down. 1841 days! Can’t wait!

[@holdencawffle626]

Same....driving to work right now...and the first thing I'm doing when i get to work is calculating exactly how many more days left. Congrats 2 u!

[@ImmersiveCat]

@@holdencawffle626 Im also eager for that day, but Im wondering how you can calculate it and countdown if we depend on how the markets will perform until then? I have a wished date but I cant say for sure if the market will collaborate for that

[@EBsDenStudio]

Great conversation, thanks for sharing And Yes, this looks kind of similar to my personal experience, but during the last part of the "Covid working from home" period. I can relate to what Laura says, enjoy your graduation from working, and have a great next stage!

[@radioactivemike1]

Great discussion. It’s wonderful your company will let you use all that vacation time. When I left, my last day was on a weekend due to low staffing, lost hundreds of hours of vacation time, and only 2 people have contacted me. It’s amazing how I was “part of the wood work” until I gave notice. Oh well, on to better things!

[@wendytodd9673]

Congratulations, I promised myself I would not make any decisions for 6 months. Just hit the 6 months mark and it has been wonderful. Now is when I will think about next. Enjoy

[@aboromand9617]

Thank you for a brilliant segment. Retiring from a long successful career and the sense of “losing” that identity is something that most successful professionals struggle with. Would love to hear more from Laura specifically on this point. The part on packing up your office and looking at all the data/files kept the resonates with my own experience when I retired from a 30 year high flying legal career this year, it is hard to let go.

[@ShiningDawn904]

Love this conversation! Already listened to it in Spotify, jump here again to leave comments. Last year I retired at 56 from an industry R&D position as a Ph.D scientist, Laura’s experience really clicked with me. Look forward to hearing about your post retirement travels, we checked off two bucket lists in the first year (trekking in Patagonia and Kayaking in Antarctica), life has never felt fuller!

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Such an inspiring comment - thank you and congratulations!

[@RFIFRetireFIFun]

Thank Eric, Jason and Laura! This channel is a big reason why I felt more confident in retiring early. Would you consider doing an update on “My Next Phase of Early Retirement…”. Maybe Jason can give an update and Eric/Laura speak of your current phases? Happy New Year!

[@TooMuch3835]

I sooooo enjoy hearing her perspective!!!! Congrats 🎉🎊

[@rpguitar]

Wonderfully reflective, philosophical conversation here. I'm 3.5 years into FI and can relate to all of it. Congratulations Laura and good luck!

[@jamies6534]

Great talk guys & congrats on the graduation. Every bit of savings is like taking a point in the future that would have been owned by someone else and giving it back to yourself. Having more control over your time and options is becoming one of the most valuable currencies in the world.

[@timothy-holt]

Really enjoyed this perspective. You guys are awesome. Happy graduation!

[@TwoSidesOfFI]

Thanks, Tim...appreciate the support!

[@unskilledelder1391]

I wish I could “thumbs up” this more than once.

[@AmyGrams-z9b]

Laura, I am also retiring 12/31 and can totally relate to everything you shared! I've spent my career as a CPA and it's tough to walk away from something that was so challenging and validating (and yeah, well paying). But it has also drained me and I know in every fiber of my being that retiring is the right choice. Here's to 2025 as a year of decompression for us both!

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Congratulations!!

[@amandascharf3870]

Congratulations!!! I'm so, so excited for both of you! You are inspirations.

[@sixstringsdaddy2477]

I loved the highschool graduation analogy! Congrats Laura!

[@Lmessimer1567]

I’m an Aveda girl, too! We reached FI 2 years ago, and I ran through a number of cheaper options as I had trouble justifying the cost. Honestly, there is nothing better. And I just wasted money on all the other options. Stick with what you know and like. There’s value in that, too. Best wishes to you both. You are not alone in all these feelings. We left very high paced jobs in supply chain and aviation. It took us a good year to get settled into our new normal. And we are still adjusting. But the days are great either way.

[@careym8437]

Great conversation, thank you ❤

[@danielstusnick6011]

Congrats Laura! Time freedom is the ultimate wealth, and I'm sure you will enjoy it once your new phase gets underway! Two things especially resonated with me in this episode - the challenges of exercising the spending muscle, and guilt pangs when it comes to my adult kids. On the former, I'm focusing on tracking my budget (using Quicken) and training myself to accept that I can in fact spend what I budgeted. Seems silly, but it really can be hard to reprogram your brain, and the transparency I get from Quicken helps me see that I am operating within a plan that has been vetted every which way. As for the latter, I do help with cell phones, car insurance etc, and I probably could continue to do so for the foreseeable future, but watching them struggle financially living in NYC while I am enjoying my freedom is tough. No real answers yet for this issue other than recognizing that working a few more years wouldn't change anything

[@mylor1066]

Valuable content. Love the bounce off each other.

[@livingfinanciallywell]

Great episode! I love the inside view of the lead up to graduation!

[@DonBurke1]

Congratulations! I walked away from an amazing career that was filled with tremendous people and unbelievably unique opportunities. I am who i am because of those people and what the career gave me. Even more than most jobs, when I handed in the badge, a whole world closed behind me. Still, it was the right decision. I spent 40 years buying my right to time freedom and no boss. No one gets to judge me for that. I have never felt more comfortable in making the decision to leave at the earliest possible moment. I now get to spend all my time on the people and causes i care about most. I try to be a role model and guide for others who can envision following a similar path.

[@pyishay]

loved this. all the things i'm dealing with thinking about my retirement, and in such an honest and open conversation. thanks

[@Amak197010]

Great insights, I started making changes at work to begin full exit in 2-4 years. Focusing more time on health and personal growth.

[@Optionstradingteacher]

I agree about your two retiring and not helping your kids with every little financial burden, we struggle to think of how to handle that when we finally retire and they come and ask for help.

[@Mr.T98765]

This resonates big time. Congrats!

[@DrakeJStone]

"To what end?" I enjoyed the talk and the insights. My wife will retire on Jan 16, 2025 (25 days, including weekends and holidays). Laura's and my wife's journeys are VERY similar. We don't have a big FI number. In fact, I always think I should do more to reach a higher number. That said, after reams and reams of calculations and even living to 99, we can still make this work. The ultimate question is, "To what end? " This question actually pushed her to decide last January. I appreciate your frank and open discussion, and my wife will appreciate watching you two describe what it's like to take the next step.

[@dtownbabe7028]

Excellent video. I "retired" at the end of September, fortunately was able to "volunteer" for a lay off. I can totally relate to the ideal of not wanting a project after Laura "graduates". I signed up for a winter golf league and now every Sunday I dread having to "go play golf tomorrow" but once I'm there I really enjoy the day. It's just something else I "have to do" and after working for 41 years, I don't want to have to do anything.

[@SimonEllwood]

The point of hitting FI is that you do not need to make money anymore. In this new world there is NO need to maximise money earned or measure your worth based on remuneration. It will take time to find a new way to both spend your time and value your worth.

[@beaglebrigade]

Great discussion. Best of luck in retirement!

[@a012345]

Looking forward to the next episode in Laura’s update and how she is feeling now.

[@josephkeith6954]

Love the video. Congrats.

[@holdencawffle626]

I made the decision over this weekend that I will retire early (at 46) on June 30th, 2026.

[@homesteadnoob4326]

Lmao "take alot of edibles and sit and stare at trees" oh got me with that

[@Crazyreseller]

As far as timing goes, I think you nailed it. With the new administration coming in with the cost cutting measures being discussed, IMO the grant money will become much thinner and alot more competitive.

[@TejanaDama]

Become a flight attendant. That’s what I did at 60✈️Now I’m retiring for real at 70! With flight benefits for life‼️

[@NoLegalPlunder]

It's funny, I gave my notice in March as well and this Friday is my last day. I had to stick around because my role is apparently difficult to fill. Unlike Laura, I utterly loathe my job. It's nothing but high stress and long hours. I'd rather be poor at this point, which I'm 95% sure I won't be. All that matters to me at this point is being happy and healthy. If it's sunny outside, that's where I'll be. No more 4 walls smothering me.

[@TwoSidesOfFI]

Congratulations on your graduation!

[@laurareinholdt8819]

Congratulations on breaking free!

[@NoLegalPlunder]

@@laurareinholdt8819 Thank you. Congratulations to you as well.

[@jonathancope2712]

Congratulations We referred to my retirement as ‘Commencement’. Enjoy your next chapter(s).

[@andreawill9017]

Get a gown, hat, and scroll, graduations cake. Congratulations to you both. You worked for it, you should enjoy it.

[@Suburbanoasis]

I agree with your comment of I wish people would have said thise nice things to me more before.

[@jeremyeckhause1747]

Congratulations. "I'd like to have a beer and some pretzels.". That's a great answer for "what are you doing next?"

[@goldstandardaviation1667]

The best life is to reach FI and then step back and continue your career path part-time earning enough to cover the basic expenses. This way you will always be FI and continue to enjoy the rewards of a stimulating career.

[@christinab9133]

❤❤❤

[@nunuvyurbiz123]

We need to have a candid acknowledgment of the different experiences between men and women. If a woman retires, if she ends up in dire straits then society will rally to help her. And if she's married, then she can fall back to relying on her husband. If a man ends up in dire straits, no one will come to rescue him - and he knows it. Of course this isn't 100% but it is why over 75% of homeless are men.

[@dagobaker]

PJ HARVEY !!!!!!!!!! shes my fav

[@ReesesPieces81]

What a plot twist! Eric sets out for FIRE and his wife ends up doing it.

[@se7390]

🎉 Congratulations Laura. It's time to conjure up some wild, but just about believable, alternative career to save yourself from the otherwise ad infinitum question of "but what do you do with yourself ALL day?" 🙄 Enjoy the decompression!!!

[@rx911S]

Congratulations Laura. Now that FI and RE has been achieved, you need to treat yourself to a nice sports car (Porsche Carerra?). You won’t regret it.