I hope to be on that path. I’m in my 40s and tired of the grind. Nowhere close to retirement yet, but I am likely on track to pay off my house early in the next two years (maybe 7 years into a 30 year mortgage) which will go a long way.
I’m saving as much as I can and hoping I can retire lean in my mid or late 50s.
Right now though all I can think of is that I need a sabbatical after my current job ends (either layoffs or just quitting) because I really need a break.
quote: "Otteson and his wife plan to sell their home in Redmond and move somewhere with lower costs of living, such as Vancouver, Wash., or Hillsboro, Oregon".
Not surprised one bit as this has been an ongoing trend for techies in the SF Bay area to Seattle for decades.
It'll be less a problem with small offgrid farms and more an issue for rural to suburban areas with full utilities because most of these people have no clue how to farm.
As someone who has never farmed, I don't understand why people think they'll retire through farming, arguably one of the most back breaking jobs with least pay to produce stuff that costs the least out of anything... And is due to become more and more difficult as climate change gets complex.
This is not the type of manual labor you want to learn how to do and invest in as you're older?
But yeah maybe managing some chickens and an herb farm, whatever that's not a big deal. I just would expect to only be supplementing what groceries you buy as a hobby, not homesteading. Don't get fucking acres of farmland that you won't know how to use... Grow some rosemary and thyme, maybe potatoes. Fuck even one fruit tree is a lot of work. Try that out first. Potatoes! Try stuff you can do with a balcony first. Maybe a goat if you're really wild.
I think most people think about it more if the second way you described (as kind of a small retirement hobby, not to earn much money).
Tech workers spend all of their time working on abstract problems that have no end and spend all their energy to produce something intangible that must indefinitely be maintained.
They see farming as the exact opposite of this: something they can work on with their hands in the dirt, that eventually bears fruit that you can hold in the palm of your hand, and even eat yourself and personally benefit from.
This is much more an urge to return to nature and the feeling of actual accomplishment rather than an actual business plan. It doesn't really matter how it goes financially because they already have enough money to retire.
Absolutely this. It's why I love working on my old cars as a hobby. There's just something therapeutic about getting your hands dirty for a tangible outcome that you can then enjoy after a week of daily standups
I'm absolutely looking to retire at the earliest possible time. I am looking to move to Europe for semi-retirement once we get a couple things paid off here. I have no interest in being one of those guys in my office who are 80, even 90!!, and still working.
Yeah 30 years at Microsoft, with bonus and stock options etc can give you retirement at 55yo, but all the others programmers like me that went through some companies (that where bought by bigger one and stripped out), forget it, it will be 65yo or more.
Sounds like someone who was stuck in a comfortable position.not really adding any value to tge world, but rewarded plenty. Unwilling or unable to adapt to a changing industry and too affraid to find out what their career future holds. I say let them farm. Make room for new talent that is capable of handling the new ways.
I hope to be on that path. I’m in my 40s and tired of the grind. Nowhere close to retirement yet, but I am likely on track to pay off my house early in the next two years (maybe 7 years into a 30 year mortgage) which will go a long way.
I’m saving as much as I can and hoping I can retire lean in my mid or late 50s.
Right now though all I can think of is that I need a sabbatical after my current job ends (either layoffs or just quitting) because I really need a break.
Dammit, they’re gonna buy up all the remote small farms.
quote: "Otteson and his wife plan to sell their home in Redmond and move somewhere with lower costs of living, such as Vancouver, Wash., or Hillsboro, Oregon".
Not surprised one bit as this has been an ongoing trend for techies in the SF Bay area to Seattle for decades.
It'll be less a problem with small offgrid farms and more an issue for rural to suburban areas with full utilities because most of these people have no clue how to farm.
As someone who has never farmed, I don't understand why people think they'll retire through farming, arguably one of the most back breaking jobs with least pay to produce stuff that costs the least out of anything... And is due to become more and more difficult as climate change gets complex.
This is not the type of manual labor you want to learn how to do and invest in as you're older?
But yeah maybe managing some chickens and an herb farm, whatever that's not a big deal. I just would expect to only be supplementing what groceries you buy as a hobby, not homesteading. Don't get fucking acres of farmland that you won't know how to use... Grow some rosemary and thyme, maybe potatoes. Fuck even one fruit tree is a lot of work. Try that out first. Potatoes! Try stuff you can do with a balcony first. Maybe a goat if you're really wild.
But these are hobbies, not retirement income.
They are taking early retirement. Shit, I'd be on a hobby farm now if I could afford it.
I assume people just mean having a small garden maybe a few chickens not full blown farming.
I think most people think about it more if the second way you described (as kind of a small retirement hobby, not to earn much money).
Tech workers spend all of their time working on abstract problems that have no end and spend all their energy to produce something intangible that must indefinitely be maintained.
They see farming as the exact opposite of this: something they can work on with their hands in the dirt, that eventually bears fruit that you can hold in the palm of your hand, and even eat yourself and personally benefit from.
This is much more an urge to return to nature and the feeling of actual accomplishment rather than an actual business plan. It doesn't really matter how it goes financially because they already have enough money to retire.
Absolutely this. It's why I love working on my old cars as a hobby. There's just something therapeutic about getting your hands dirty for a tangible outcome that you can then enjoy after a week of daily standups
Hillsboro has a pretty high cost of living
Yup. They should go to 'Methford', Oregon instead...
Even worse: They’ll turn the small farms into suburbs.
I'm absolutely looking to retire at the earliest possible time. I am looking to move to Europe for semi-retirement once we get a couple things paid off here. I have no interest in being one of those guys in my office who are 80, even 90!!, and still working.
Yeah 30 years at Microsoft, with bonus and stock options etc can give you retirement at 55yo, but all the others programmers like me that went through some companies (that where bought by bigger one and stripped out), forget it, it will be 65yo or more.
You could say the same of aerospace companies
It's never been a better time to cash out those 401ks full of tech stocks.
Well, maybe six months ago. Or pretty much any time before March.
DOW is back over 51k. That means everything is good and nobody is allowed to complain.
FYI, DOW doesn't stand for anything. "Dow" is commonly used to refer to the "Dow Jones Industrial Average."
And yet, you knew what they meant.
Sure, this time I managed to figure it out. Next time they screw up an acronym, somebody else might not.
They weren't implying it was an acronym. They were just shouting DOW at you.
NNNNNAAAAASSSSDDDDAAAAAAQ!!!!
Sounds like someone who was stuck in a comfortable position.not really adding any value to tge world, but rewarded plenty. Unwilling or unable to adapt to a changing industry and too affraid to find out what their career future holds. I say let them farm. Make room for new talent that is capable of handling the new ways.