[quote=AN]
To me, early retirement does not mean I’ll be quitting my job. For me, retirement is the day I have enough FU money. It just doesn’t mean I have to use that FU money. I’ll probably find an easy job that have health insurance and work part time. My wife right now works 4 days a month and her company is still paying for her health insurance.[/quote]

That’s not early retirement. That’s financial independence. You need FI in order to ER… but if you still need a job to make it work, you’re still working. What you describe is semi-retirement. Something I’m considering.

Having enough FU money changes your BS level… in other words – once you have enough FU money, you may not tolerate the BS anymore… or it may roll off your back more. It’s interesting how different people discuss it. One of the descriptions I heard was that you carry two buckets – one is the BS at work, and the other is the money you’re saving for retirement. Once the money one is full enough – it’s easier to drop the BS bucket.