How I Retired at Age 50
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
19h ago
About ten years ago I hatched a plan to quit Corporate America and abandon my cubicle by the spring of 2020. I was oh-so-ready to hang it up in March of that year, but as soon as the pandemic lock-downs swung into place, an uncertain world put the “big plan” on hold. Much bigger fish to fry with a deadly virus in circulation… But after plugging away for another three years, I finally had my fill of the scene, and resigned in June of 2023. The original six year plan wound up becoming a nine year plan. Oof. It seems in retrospect like a cubicle prison eternity, but when there are two amazing lit ..read more
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Is There an Airbnb Bust?
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
1w ago
One of the very best vehicles for growing wealth is real estate. In recent years, short term rentals have proven a lucrative strategy within the real estate category. Since the boom of 2022, however, things aren’t as ducky as old Cubert would like… After several months of lower-than-expected bookings, I’m left wondering if there’s a real Airbnb bust going on. Let’s dive in!   From Airbnb Cash Cow to Skinny Cow The chart below illustrates the beginning of “the slide”. Granted, it’s too early to be a trend, but the numbers so far in 2024 don’t bode well for even matching 2023. As of this po ..read more
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Adjusting to an Early Retirement Lifestyle
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
2w ago
So much for the notion that time slows down in retirement. It’s been nine months since I quit my corporate cubicle job last spring, but it doesn’t feel nearly that long to me. I had a laundry list of adjustments to make leading up to my last day as an at-will employee: tweaks and such that I’ll cover off here in this long-overdue post. There have also been some unanticipated adjustments too. Turns out, it’s not just tactical stuff like where to invest money or make money or any of that Nerd Wallet jazz…   Cubicle FOMO Is Non-sense (Or Is It?) I’ve discovered as a newly minted retiree (tha ..read more
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You Can Retire Early, But Never Stop Being Useful
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
4M ago
You can plan all you want for a life in retirement, but the change still comes with a sudden force that you won’t be ready for. If you’ve spent over twenty years in Corporate America like I did, you get grooved in hard to a certain lifestyle. After all, someone or some organization thought you were useful enough to deserve a paycheck. In addition to that paycheck, you get instant camaraderie, with colleagues you generally enjoy connecting with each day in the break room, or during the typical conference call. The “hard groove” also comes with built-in mentors and surrogate parental figures cal ..read more
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News Flash: Early Retirement Doesn’t Suck
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
4M ago
What’s it been, almost four months since I left the Corporate Beast? I thought it’d be easy to jump back into writing blog posts with a sudden void in my calendar. It turns out there are lots of things to distract an early retiree, and it’s not all roses. Despite some bumps in the road, the overall picture is very good so far. Early retirement in fact does not suck, and I am enjoying the freedom to take on different challenges and focus more on areas that need attention. What’s not to love? I no longer have to put on a show several times a day in meetings where little is accomplished or worse ..read more
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Should I Keep Working to Support Charitable Giving?
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
1y ago
What if you were on the cusp of leaving cubicle life behind, only to stumble upon this question: If you could save thousands of lives through effective charitable giving, would you delay retirement? At first, this scenario feels, quite naturally, like a royal buzzkill. All that effort to achieve financial independence and build up your F-you stash in Vanguard IRAs and 401ks, Tesla stock, etc. But then most of us would return quickly to our better angels and realize the weight of this question. In the past, I’ve written about finding purpose as the foundation of the “why” behind all of this fin ..read more
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How to Renovate a Small House (& Accommodate Growing Kids)
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
1y ago
We have two kids about to turn 10 in less than a year. One is a girl, the other a boy (twins – no, not identical.) Having one of each is amazing. Disparate gender kids widen the scope of our parental responsibilities in myriad ways. We wouldn’t trade it. As frugal-minded parents, of course we recognized the benefit of having either two girls or two boys. In that scenario, the kids could share a bedroom until 18, saving us the trouble of figuring out how to carve another bedroom out of a small 1,400 square foot home. As easy as same-sex twins would be on the pocketbook (and our minimalist dispo ..read more
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What Students Need to Know About Credit
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
1y ago
For most college students, credit won’t be a topic that’s too high up on their list of priorities. And it’s true, there are more important things to worry about during this time of your life – but understanding this complex topic now will stand anyone in good stead to manage their finances going forward. During their time at college, students will naturally become more financially literate. Not only will they have to figure out for themselves how to budget their money, but they’ll also have to deal with more general financial responsibilities, potentially for the first time, such as organizing ..read more
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Quiet Quitting: Are You Ready to Downshift at Work?
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
1y ago
It’s all the rage now. Quiet Quitting. You’ve put in a few hours of actual work for the day, now it’s time to sit back, do a little online shopping, take a nap, go for a walk, or take a two hour lunch. And not just on Fridays either. What led us to this new […] The Post Quiet Quitting: Are You Ready to Downshift at Work? appeared first on Abandoned Cubicle ..read more
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Should I Keep Working in Order to GiveWell?
Abandoned Cubicle
by Cubert
1y ago
What if you are within a few years or less of hitting an elusive early retirement goal, only to stumble upon a question like this: If you could save hundreds or even thousands of lives, would you keep working? At first, this scenario feels, quite naturally, like a royal buzzkill. All that effort to achieve […] The Post Should I Keep Working in Order to GiveWell? appeared first on Abandoned Cubicle ..read more
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