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Last week, I was featured in an interview with Mr. SR on his blog, Semi-Retire Plan. That was one half of the content swap between our two blogs. Well today, it’s Mr. SR’s turn to be featured here!
About Mr. SR
In case you didn’t read my intro to Mr. SR’s interview of me, I’ll reintroduce him here:
Mr. SR writes about personal finance, decision-making, and early semi-retirement at Semi-Retire Plan. He has been featured on MSN, Yahoo Finance, and Databox and holds a master of science degree in business marketing. Mr. SR is a fan of college football, Taylor guitars, and extra-large coffee mugs.
About Mr. SR’s guest post
Over at Semi-Retire Plan, Mr. SR writes about the advantages of early semi-retirement—particularly for those who may find early retirement intimidating.
“That’s the power of early semi-retirement — it unlocks early retirement for a new segment of people. People with moderate income and savings rates can retire early!”
– Mr. SR
I have admit—I really like the idea of early semi-retirement. In truth, it’s what most FIRE seekers end up doing once they reach FI. Very few of these young, ambitious people end up lazing on beaches for the rest of their lives!
Instead, they have grand plans to keep themselves busy with paid employment, passion projects, travel, and more. However, there are some key differences between FIRE and semi-retirement.
Those differences are what Mr. SR explains and contrasts in his guest post below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Perhaps you’ll find yourself compelled to pursue early semi-retirement instead!
The FIRE Alternative You May Not Have Considered: Semi-Retirement
The FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) has been a popular topic in the personal finance blogging world for the last 10 years or so.
It’s easy to understand why FIRE is so enticing. It empowers you to take control of your finances so you can build wealth and be free from the full-time work grind.
I think the FIRE movement is valuable and can be a great fit for some people, but there’s a certain amount of exclusivity involved. The FIRE movement can be intimidating and overwhelming for people that can’t reach those high savings rates of 50% or more and pay their bills.
But there’s another, less talked about option that can unlock early retirement for an even larger portion of the population—semi-retirement.
Intensity vs moderation
The intensity of FIRE
If the FIRE movement had an official slogan, it might be “I need to get out of this office job as soon as I possibly can!” FIRE adherents are markedly intense in their pursuit of financial freedom, often achieving savings rates of 50% of their income or more.
This is an incredible exercise of both earning power and self-control. As a reward, people in the FIRE movement are able to reach financial independence after a relatively small number of years. Imagine being able to fully retire at the age of 35 or 40!
For some people, I think this strategy can be a great fit. High earners with no dependents will have more flexibility with their disposable income and can prioritize investing to reach FIRE.
Moderation and semi-retirement
However, a few years ago as a recent college grad, I found FIRE to be overwhelming and intimidating. With my entry-level marketing salary in a small city, I could never save that much of my income.
Even now, I’m earning around the median salary for American workers and I’m married — so we’re in the advantageous position of having dual incomes. We want to be able to retire early and comfortably, but we are balancing multiple priorities with our money.
For my wife and me, giving, traveling, and occasionally splurging and enjoying life are all important. We give 10% of our income to our church and we make a point to take a few trips per year. We like to eat out once per week. And we don’t feel bad about it!
Right now, we’re saving about 20% of our income towards retirement. We won’t be able to fully retire in the next 5 or 10 years, but we’re balancing our incomes with saving, giving, and enjoying life in the short-term.
So, I’ve just established that we’re not achieving FIRE-level savings rates. But here’s what’s so powerful about semi-retirement: if you’re able to work part-time doing something you enjoy, you gain significant financial flexibility.
Let’s look at 2 quick scenarios here to compare. I’m going to over-simplify a bit, but it’s just to show a rough proof of concept.
Scenario 1—FIRE in 10 years
For the first scenario, let’s say you want to reach full FIRE and you know you need $50,000 per year to cover your expenses. Let’s use the 4% rule for simplicity.
Let’s also assume that your household is currently earning $100,000 per year, you haven’t started saving for retirement yet, and you want to reach FIRE in 10 years.
What would your savings rate need to be?
FIRE scenario—what savings rate do you need?
| Scenario 1—FIRE in 10 years | |
|---|---|
| Current annual income | $100,000 |
| Annual expenses in retirement, in 2020 dollars | $50,000 |
| Target portfolio value needed to reach FIRE, using 4% rule | $1,250,000 |
| Savings rate needed to reach this portfolio value, assuming 10% growth per year and 10 year time period (using financial calculator with annual compounding) | 78% ($78,431 per year) |
Yikes! You would need a 78% savings rate — and that’s with a solid income of $100,000 per year.
Reaching FIRE over a short time period is hard and requires some extreme saving.
I’ll admit that I used some pretty intense assumptions. We had a short time period of 10 years and a high (but not crazy-high) income of $100,000. But ultimately, that’s the heart of the FIRE movement: intense dedication for a period to achieve full financial independence.
Scenario 2—semi-retire in 25 years
Now, compare to this semi-retirement scenario. Let’s assume that you’re targeting 25 years of working full-time before you semi-retire. You’re not in as much of a hurry because you’re taking a more moderate approach and spending money on things you enjoy along the way.
You’ve also decided that you can earn about $20,000 per year in income from your semi-retirement job.
There are lots of options here. Personally, I’m planning to teach at a community college. But if you can find any job or freelance work you’re passionate about, earn $20 per hour, and work 20 hours per week for 50 weeks per year… you can earn $20,000!
This is what I call Step 2 in the Semi-Retire Plan. You’ve retired from your full-time work to do part-time work you truly enjoy.
Assume you will still need $50,000 per year to cover your expenses. Your household still earns $100,000 per year.
What would your savings rate need to be?
FIRE scenario—what savings rate do you need?
| Scenario 2—Semi-retire in 25 years | |
|---|---|
| Current annual income | $100,000 |
| Annual expenses in retirement | $50,000 |
| Semi-retirement income | $20,000 |
| Remaining expenses that need to be covered by your investment portfolio | $30,000 |
| Target portfolio value needed to reach FIRE, using 4% rule | $750,000 |
| Savings rate needed to reach this portfolio value, assuming 10% growth per year and 25 year time period (using financial calculator with annual compounding) | About 8% ($7,626 per year) |
Honestly, as a personal finance blogger, I’m almost embarrassed to advertise that 8% number. I want to encourage people to be saving more than that!
Let’s also take into account Step 3 of the Semi-Retire Plan—later in life when you’re no longer interested in or able to work part-time.
We need to build an extra nest egg so that you can eventually completely stop working.
Let’s say you saved an extra $150,000 before your semi-retirement and your Step 2 lasted 15 years. If we keep assuming that 10% annual growth rate, you’d have an extra $626,587 (plus the $750,000 that you haven’t been over-drawing on) to support you during Step 3.
What if?
You may be thinking — what if I earn less than $100,000 in income? What if I want to work fewer than 25 years at my full-time job? What if I don’t want to work 20 hours per week during my semi-retirement?
I have good news for you. The best part about semi-retirement is its flexibility. You don’t even need a fully-fledged plan, for now! If you save intentionally now, you are buying yourself flexibility in the future.
To balance the moderation of the semi-retirement approach with intentional preparation for the future, I recommend the 20-40% savings range.
Even if you can’t reach those numbers now, just start saving what you can afford to! Your biggest ally is time, so just get started now.
Absolute vs flexible
The FIRE movement says “I’m quitting and I’m not going back!” Semi-retirement affords you much greater flexibility.
Certainly, the more moderate savings rates from not pursuing FIRE grant you more financial flexibility in the short-term while you’re working full-time.
Enjoy life now! In the financial planning community we tend to assume that we’re all going to live until we’re about 85 years old. So, therefore, we need to save for the future.
I agree that we should prepare for our later years, but the fact is that we’re not guaranteed 8 or more decades of life. There’s significant value in enjoying your life now! Seize the day. You’re not guaranteed a specific number of years of life in the future.
Even during your semi-retirement phase, if your investments perform poorly, you’ll have greater flexibility with a semi-retirement approach. You can increase your part-time working hours! Or cut your expenses.
Life is unpredictable, and semi-retirement gives you the flexibility to adjust.
Immediate vs gradual
One of the most frequent regrets I see on forums and blogs from people who reach FIRE is that it was so sudden. You’re working full-time for a decade or two, then suddenly one day you’re not.
If it’s not carefully planned for, FIRE can cause a real identity crisis—even boredom.
Not working sounds like the dream when you’re stressed and stuck in a cubicle. But after a few weeks or months, you may find that you want something to do to fill your time.
Some people who reach FIRE end up going back to work. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, but if they had planned for this future income they could have left their full-time jobs even sooner!
Semi-retirement offers a balanced solution. Work part-time, but do something you enjoy. You don’t have to be stuck in a cube and you don’t have to be stressed out from long hours.
What’s best for your family and your goals?
The FIRE movement has done great things for the personal finance community and for people around the world. The hope and financial autonomy that it offers is exciting and has generated significant awareness and enthusiasm for investing. And for some people, FIRE is the best strategy available for their goals.
But I want to reach the people that feel how I felt. If you feel intimidated or excluded by the FIRE movement, you don’t have to be. If you can’t reach a 50% savings rate, you’re not unqualified for early retirement.
There are different retirement paths available, and you can choose what’s best for your family’s core values and goals.
I believe that millions of people could retire 10 or more years earlier than they realize, with some strategic planning and intentional saving.
Share your thoughts
What did you think of Mr. SR’s guest post? For me, it was pretty darned compelling—especially the focus on financial flexibility and enjoying your life now. Whether you’re pursuing FIRE, early semi-retirement, or traditional retirement, how could you not get behind that?
I’d love to hear your opinions—are you Team FIRE or Team Early Semi-Retirement? It’ll be fun and interesting to get a discussion going about this, so share your thoughts in the comments below!
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44 Comments
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 21, 2020 at 5:12 amWhether it’s FIRE or semi-retirement, I hope this helps readers find the best option for their circumstances. Ultimately, I hope everyone feels empowered to invest and make a difference for their future!
Thanks for including me, Chrissy!
Chrissy
July 21, 2020 at 10:04 amHi Mr. SR—I’m so glad you suggested the content swap. This is a great article, and a topic I don’t cover here. I’m sure my readers will get a lot of value from it. Thank you for writing such a helpful post!
Court @ Modern FImily
July 21, 2020 at 8:00 amGreat post! Love hearing about different ideas and strategies. You have to build a life you enjoy along the way. It won’t just suddenly happen if you grind, grind, grind towards your FIRE number with your head in the sand and then poof eternal bliss just because you reached a specific number. The journey is part of the process!
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 21, 2020 at 9:11 amHey Court, I agree! We have to try to enjoy the journey along the way. I have to intentionally remind myself of that too.
Chrissy
July 21, 2020 at 10:08 amHi Court—I couldn’t agree more. Whether pursuing FIRE or semi-retirement, you have to live a life that’s meaningful all along the way.
There’s so much to be lost if you just grind it out. I feel like this mindset is becoming more the norm in the FIRE community, which is fantastic.
Torrie @ To Love and To Learn
July 21, 2020 at 8:24 amGreat post! Although I’ve been a bit obsessed with the FIRE movement for years, semi-retirement is really our only option, since I’m a stay-at-home mom with three kids and my husband makes a typical middle-class income. We do dream of the day when he can go part-time though so we can pursue some of our other dreams!
Chrissy
July 21, 2020 at 10:11 amHi Torrie—Semi-retirement is a fantastic choice to balance competing life choices.
I’m also a SAHM, so we also couldn’t pursue FIRE with the intensity I’d like! However, it’s been well worth it to take a slower path.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 21, 2020 at 9:12 amHey Torrie, that’s great to hear! I think even semi-retirement can be a truly fulfilling option. I hope you and your husband can find part-time work you are passionate about — then you’ll be living the dream for sure!
Chris @ Mindful Explorer
July 21, 2020 at 9:56 amThe “semi-retirement works so well for me and is pretty much what I am doing. Left my job to make less than 20% off what I paid in taxes annually alone, never mind my income. I work a couple hours a week at our small business and then make a bit of side money writing about hiking, mountain biking and road trips in the outdoor sphere. No office, all fun and enjoying my life now rather than waiting for the future.
Chrissy
July 21, 2020 at 10:15 amHi Chris—you’re always one of the first people that comes to mind when I think of happy, intentional living.
Your transformational FIRE story was so inspirational to me. I’m now continuing to enjoy following you in your semi-retired life. It really is an ideal lifestyle!
GYM
July 21, 2020 at 11:19 pmFunny. Recently, I met an acquaintance (friend’s friend) and I asked her what she did the past week. She replied “I’m semi-retired so every day is the same and a blur”. Her husband and her have a business and they take turns parenting their 3 year old.
It made me think about what the definition of semi-retirement is.
I guess there’s a grey area with semi-retirement, working part-time, and being a stay at home parent!
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 22, 2020 at 5:15 amHey GYM, that’s a good point. I suppose a lot of it is a matter of perspective. Hopefully that acquaintance enjoys their part-time work and getting to parent — at least in a big picture sense!
Chrissy
July 22, 2020 at 11:25 pmHi GYM—that’s a unique form of semi-retirement for sure! It’s funny how we each interpret retirement differently.
For example, some men who become stay-at-home dads (their wives still work) say that they’ve retired.
I don’t think they’re wrong. But I would feel very odd saying that of myself! It just doesn’t seem right to say I’m retired, since my husband is still working and we’re not FI yet.
Based on all this, I wonder if maybe there’s no clear definition of retirement or semi-retirement? Perhaps, as Mr. SR says, it is a matter of perspective.
Ana
July 23, 2020 at 11:42 amI love this post! FIRE doesn’t have to be a race to reach a set number, turning the process into a painful chore. I’ve seen family members work hard to save for that dream retirement at the expense of enjoying their lives. With a thoughtful plan, you can invest and live a little, too. The idea of some flexibility in the planning is so important given how we’re living with so much uncertainty today.
Thank you for the encouraging message to carve your own path.
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 23, 2020 at 12:37 pmHey Ana, I completely agree with you. I agree that flexibility helps to take the sting away from uncertainty! I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
Chrissy
July 23, 2020 at 3:43 pmHi Ana—I think many of us in the FIRE community start out racing to the end as fast as we can. But as the community grows, the more experienced among us are sharing this message of enjoying life along the way, and not just at the end. That’s so important!
Teresa MIL
July 23, 2020 at 7:56 pmWhether it is FIRE or SR, the plans help people save towards their later years which is important. It is like a road map to guide you to the day you can work less or not at all! For someone like 70 year old me, it is so uplifting to connect with a group of young people that have a game plan and still able to enjoy life while saving for the future!
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 24, 2020 at 8:19 amHey Teresa, I’m really glad this was encouraging!
Chrissy
July 24, 2020 at 3:26 pmHi Mom—you’re absolutely right that the most important thing is that people are planning for their later years. Even better, they also have a plan to enjoy life along the way! You have always lived your life to the fullest, whether you were working or not, so you’ve set a wonderful example for us.
Maria @ Handful of Thoughts
July 24, 2020 at 7:41 amWhen I first learned of the FIRE movement it seemed very rigid and intense (like you mentioned).
But the deeper I go down the rabbit hole, the more I’m learning about so many other options. It seems that FI is the key component.
What I like about FI is the options for autonomy it brings. I really enjoy “working” just on my own passion projects.
Some form of semi-retirement is definitely in my future.
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 24, 2020 at 7:53 amHey Maria, I agree! I don’t think early retirement needs to have any gatekeepers. I love that semi-retirement lets early retirement be a tool that fits more flexibly into our lives.
Chrissy
July 24, 2020 at 3:35 pmHi Maria—it’s so true that the further along we go, the more we realize that there doesn’t HAVE to be one single path. I too enjoy ‘working’ on passion projects, as do most people in the FI community!
I believe, with these more approachable interpretations of FI, we’ll help more people to engage and take control of their finances. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Tara
July 24, 2020 at 1:46 pmGreat post! This explained a few different options very well. I like how the FIRE community (which I’ve noticed in FI Groups on Social Media) thinks outside of the box and has several different ideas / ways to achieve FI (and different levels of FI). We had an aggressive savings rate (67 percentile) on normal salaries, and we were able to FIRE in 5 years (although yes, we had money saved prior from other jobs). So that savings rate does make a difference! I’m very new into retirement (retired from teaching this year!), but I still keep thinking of ways to make $ / side hustle (even if we don’t need it). Quite a bit to adjust to – retirement!
-Tara at Four Take Flight (www.fourtakeflight.com)
Chrissy
July 24, 2020 at 3:52 pmHi Tara—that’s an incredible saving rate, wow. I am really impressed, especially since you had kids that entire time, right?
I think it was Jillian at Montana Money Adventures that you’re going from a mindset of saving and watching your accounts grow, to a mindset of spending and no longer adding to your accounts. It’s NOT an easy transition!
Then there’s all the emotional and identity stuff that goes with it too. There’s a lot to contend with, and it takes some time to get used to it.
Of all the times to retire as a teacher, I’d say this year was a great time to do it. It sure makes life a lot simpler.
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 25, 2020 at 12:50 pmHey Tara, I’m glad you enjoyed this post. Congrats on the savings rate and early retirement, that’s impressive and well deserved! How has retirement compared to your expectations?
Jessica (Mrs. Fioneer)
July 25, 2020 at 11:22 amHey! I love the idea of semi-retirement! That’s ultimately what I think we’d like to do – depending on how much “enjoyable active income” we can generate. If we can generate enough, then we can go full Coast FI sooner. If not, it’s semi-retirement for us. We know we can generate income doing things we love, so 1) why not do that earlier? And 2) why try to reach full FIRE if we plan to continue to work.
Great post!
Chrissy
July 25, 2020 at 12:07 pmHi Jessica—I like the idea of “enjoyable active income”. It keeps life interesting, rewarding, and requires continual growth and learning.
All things that lead to more happiness, which is what we’re all going for, right? Thanks for sharing your Slow FI message, including Coast FI and semi-retirement. It’s resonating with so many!
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 25, 2020 at 12:51 pmHey Jessica, I agree completely! It’s exciting to meet other families with similar plans. I hope more people can learn about this option!
Gruff403
July 26, 2020 at 6:56 amFantastic article. Fire concepts have value but living in the moment and enjoying the ride is so important. Semi retired at 56 and love the freedom to work when I want. I also had a job I enjoyed for 29 years.
Chrissy
July 26, 2020 at 8:18 amHi Gruff403—I absolutely agree. Early semi-retirement opens up a lot of options. It takes the pressure off, and allows for a more comfortable journey. It’s easy to see the appeal!
Congrats on reaching semi-retirement at 56!
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 28, 2020 at 5:26 amHey Gruff403, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I love hearing from people who are living the semi-retirement dream!
Rey
July 27, 2020 at 10:12 amI think it’s important not to get too hung up on labels. What some people call semi-retirement others would call self-employed, and what some call retirement others would still call self-employed. Generally speaking, the goal is to save so that you have the financial situation that allows you to live the life you want. There are so many ways to do that, but what is essential is that you not wait to live it, as mentioned above.
We’ve lived a reasonably simple (as in, easy-going) life, and some would say that I’ve been retired/semi-retired most of my adult life. I was a stay-at-home dad and part-time freelancer for all the growing up years, and in the midst of that we took a year off and travelled the world with our kids (Europe, Middle East, India, Southeast Asia). That was the best year of my life, and it is a year of memories that we can share with our kids for the rest of our lives. Had we been too focussed on saving and waited a few years, it would have been more difficult to organize with our oldest at high-school age. It may not have happened at all, and that would’ve been a shame.
Chrissy
July 27, 2020 at 11:24 amHi Rey—I LOVE your story. The flexibility and freedom you’ve given yourself and your family are priceless.
You’re absolutely right that we need to be careful with labels. They may be helpful at first to galvanize us and get us working towards a goal. But they may become limiting and unhealthy if we follow them too doggedly.
This is why I embrace all paths to financial independence—whether it’s fast, slow, or somewhere in between. In all honesty, I think the meandering paths are just as valid (and often more meaningful).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your life experience. It sounds like a life well-lived.
Andrew
July 28, 2020 at 5:22 amChrissy, cool idea doing a content swap and who better to do it with them MR SR.
Also, congrats on This article getting featured in PFB newsletter today 🙂
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
July 28, 2020 at 5:28 amHey Rey, that’s awesome to hear! I’m glad the simplicity and flexibility in your life enabled you to travel with your kids — what a great opportunity to make some really unique memories.
Chris@TTL
July 28, 2020 at 6:51 amWe’re in the early retirement transition right now and it’s been a form of semi-retirement. We’ve been logging our hours worked each month. In June, Jenni put in about 90 or so and I logged around 40. Considering a normal person’s full-time work month is about 173 hours, that’s pretty good!
We’ve been pretty happy with this middle ground since about May when we started posting. Jenni should end up cutting things down to about the same 40 hours/month as I am by September or so.
I think we’ll probably be at that level for a while. That’ll leave us with nothing but fulfilling/satisfying/meaningful projects — generally the sort of thing we’d do for free.
Early retirement doesn’t have to mean you never do satisfying work again, and I think that’s the most important part.
Thanks for sharing Chrissy & Mr. SR. 🙂
Chrissy
July 28, 2020 at 7:19 pmHi Chris—it sounds like an ideal setup for you and Jenni! 40 hours/month would be a perfect amount of work for me. I’m jealous, and hope that we can find positions that’ll allow us to do this later on.
I totally agree that early retirement doesn’t mean the end of satisfying work. In fact, it could mean the beginning of the most satisfying work of your life. We’re excited for the possibilities. 🙂
Leif Kristjansen
July 28, 2020 at 6:11 pmOh wow I thought I was Mr semiretirement! (Without the actual name)
Flexibility is nice but he didn’t mention the best parts of semi-retirment. Health coverage, work is fun when there are no consequences, zero stress during a recession and work friends! 😛
Chrissy
July 28, 2020 at 7:23 pmHi Leif—thanks for coming by to read and comment! I’ve come across your blog before. Were you interviewed by Millennial Revolution on their blog? Wherever it was that I discovered you, I loved your story!
I also love the best parts of semi-retirement that you mention. All of those perks appeal very much to my husband, which is why he’s nearly certain that he won’t be quitting, even after we reach FI.
Latestarterfire
July 30, 2020 at 5:58 pmJust finished a 2 week staycation and first week back at work. Made me realise I really, really, really want to work part time but the numbers don’t add up at the moment, sigh! That’s why you need to start this FI journey when you’re younger, lol! Semi retirement sounds fabulous 🙂
Chrissy
August 1, 2020 at 11:37 pmLatestarterFIRE—semi-retirement does sound fabulous. Even if it’s not possible right now, it might be an option later. Things always change, and you never know—you may receive a windfall or promotion that’ll get you there!
Mr. SR @ Semi-Retire Plan
August 2, 2020 at 8:24 amI agree! I think semi-retirement can be a great transition period option into full retirement, even if it’s not “early” in your 40s or 50s. I’m happy you enjoyed the post, LSF!
Bill Wilson
August 1, 2020 at 4:39 amI agree that this is a good alternative.
Chrissy
August 1, 2020 at 11:52 pmIt sure is! Thanks for the comment, Bill!