I am 41. I've never been rich, but I've never been poor either. I am married with 2 kids. I am a teacher and have an OK salary for our lifestyle. I like my job, so I don't really have reasons to want to retire early.
But the other day, a co-worker was talking about how he realized that he would only retire at 67 years old. I decided to check my retirement age also, and the result was shocking. I will have the possibility to retire at the age of 68! And the government is expecting me to retire after the age of 70! Like I said, I am 41. That means I would still have about 30(!) years of work in front of me. I cannot imagine still going to school every day 30 years from now. I can't believe I will be fit for it, physically or mentally!
So I got on my computer, created an Excel worksheet, and started cranking up the numbers! How much do we have? How much do we own? What assets and liabilities do we have? How much do we need to retire? The result of the equation was 10 years! So, I will enjoy the last 10 years of being employed and take the steps that will take me to a position where I am financially independent and will quit my job.
I will be posting the calculations, the rough plan I have, and how I will deal with anything that comes our way during this journey. It will be a very personal story but might be of use for others seeking the same goal.
