I don’t want to retire
January 18, 2010
and I’m aiming to be rich. Like, filthy never have to worry about money again rich. (Except maybe not the filthy part -can’t you be uberrich without being dirty? That might be a discussion for another day.)
The two go hand in hand- I don’t want to retire in the traditional sense of the word: work until 65 or 70, then creak back to a paid-for home with a modest financial cushion to live out your days.
I do like a little of that picture, the paid for home and the comfortable cushion, to be sure. But I want much more than just moderate wealth because I have a huge goal. I want to have boatloads of money by developing many income streams so that I can concentrate on what really matters to me which, incidentally, will cost a lot of money and would probably never break even.
I’m a huge fan of adoption: children and animals alike. I’ve witnessed the tearing difficulties of adopting a child and am under no illusion that it’s all rainbows and kittens, but I still believe in the principle of giving an orphan a home. There’s something about bringing someone into your family by choice that resonates deeply with me. I think everyone should have a place to call home, and someone to remember their birthday. But that’s a different discussion for another day.
My far-off, one-day-some-day dream is to open a pet rescue/adoption ranch. Ideally, my family would be supportive of this as well, and be hands-on in the place, but you never know. I kind of always dreamed that my family would be composed of fostered and adopted kids, and a love of animals is more nature than nurture. (Especially when it comes to allergies.)
It would be a nice facility, clean but not sterile, not soulless like some animal shelters can feel sometimes. They do good work, and I used to volunteer for the Humane Societies, but there was something so dismal about the place knowing that every animal brought in was on a timeline.
The ranch would have wide open spaces for the dogs to play during the day, room for the cats to roam, a paddock or two for any potential horses or pigs.
I don’t know how big it would be- after all, the bigger the place, the harder it is to maintain. And we’d need grooming facilities, of course. But even when money was no object, I’d have to find the balance between taking in everyone and providing the best possible care for each.
I want all those boatloads of money to support not just the ranch, but medical facilities on the ranch. Perhaps employing several full time veterinarians would be unsustainable, but I think that sponsoring a year of a veterinarian’s education in exchange for a year or two of commitment to the ranch in some form or another would be reasonable. Same thing for animal technicians, they could exchange work time for tuition payment. I really like the idea of the ranch being a home for animals and fostering education at the same time.
This ranch would just bleed money, it could never be self-sustaining even with reasonable parameters on spending and fundraising so it stands to reason I’d just have to be trust-fund wealthy.
Yep. I want to be rich (pass on the famous) someday so I can spend my life working with animals.
What’s your dream?
Related posts from ’round:Mrs. Micah doesn’t want to retire either
Since writing this, I watched Animal Planet’s Pitbulls and Parolee‘s show and my heart was breaking. The work is hard, and may seem thankless, but that’s exactly what I want to do.
Daily Exercise Update: Held an 18 pound baby in my arms for more than 20 minutes. More efficacious than lifting weights!
Do you work with any animal organizations now? My sil spends hours volunteering with “Forgotten Felines.”
Yes, this sounds good to me! I always wanted to have several big dogs.
It’s amazing how much babies weigh! I held my newborn niece (8 lbs) and after about 5 minutes was looking for someone to pass her to!
My dream is to be a stay-at-home mom / freelance writer. Working on both parts!
I think there are lots of people who want to donate to look after animals in this way if someone else will do the hard work. The question is how much effort you’d want to put in/how good you’d be at the fundraising. And you’d need some track record with working in that setting for someone else I guess or funding it yourself before people will really be willing to give you money.
I’m pretty much pursuing my dream in my career sometimes more successfully and sometimes less as far as doing what I want rather than what someone else wants and getting the money…
OMG, that used to be my dream job too. I think I’m really jaded now and all I want to do is retire early so I can be a perennial student like Chevy Chase in Community. 😛
I want to retire, buy I have a different definition than most. To me retire means able to quit any job at any time just because I don’t like being there. To me, that means a lot of cash in the bank.
I don’t ever want to stop “working.” I like making money and being productive. I just hope my work gives me the freedom to do it where and when I want. I guess that means being my own boss.
I talk about what retirement means to me at my Intro to Investing article. I want a combination of the Jimmy Buffet/Warren Buffet lifestlye. http://www.narrowbridge.net/2008/10/intro-to-investing/
I like your vision. Personally, I don’t have a solid goal for retirement (it seems so far off!) and I honestly just can’t imagine what I might want to do. Probably some form of writing, without the pressure of making a living.
Nice mindset, I can completely relate. Retirement seems like such a waste. Especially when you’re 60-70 and have all that wisdom from life that you could apply towards something meaningful. I’d much rather spending my time working with charaties and non profits when I’m older so that I stay active.
People who are active also tend to live longer, so I may also want to work til I die simply so I don’t croak at age 60 the day after I retire from a life I hated… seems pointless to do what you hate your whole life then just go sit on a beach somewhere.
@Frugal Scholar: Since I’m not sure where my next major move will take me, I haven’t been able to resume my volunteer work with the local SPCA yet. They prefer a long term (6+ months) commitment from their on site volunteers. In the meantime, I’ve been researching other organizations I’d like to spend time with.
@paranoidasteroid: I use the babysittees as a measure of my stamina. 🙂
I love having a small herd of dogs and really miss it.
@RainyDaySaver: Keep us posted on your progress!
@mOOm: Part of the reason I want to be self-funded is because people usually need to see proof that you know what you’re doing and can handle it. I hope you’re right about how giving they are, though.
@Shtinkykat: Well, when this becomes a reality, you’re welcome to come help out. 🙂
@Eric: That was my previous definition of retirement, and I still like it as a basis for the journey to wealth. But I needed something else to follow the freedom: a place to go after I left the place I didn’t want to be.
@eemusings: I sure wouldn’t mind it if I were able to execute the plan before age 40 (or thereabouts).
@Ryan: Good point about more activity = longer lifespan. Staying active also helps you form new relationships as you age and your longtime friends move off or … you know. Pass on.
Hmmm… This might seem impractical, but maybe not: you ever thought of going to veterinary school? Vets don’t get rich, but it would keep a roof over your head while you earn a living doing what you dream of.
LOL! Retirement does not consist of sitting in a rocking chair until you die. Most retirees will tell you they’re busier by far than they ever were when they were chained to a 9-to-5 job. 🙂
I agree.
My dream is to live in a state of “awesome” as much as possible.
By this, I mean not having to worry about money. Be able to run my own business or at least work for one that I really like. Flexibility is a huge key for me.
When I have to make a decision, I don’t want it to be based on money.
100 years ago people didn’t retire — they worked until they dropped. 50 years ago people worked 30 years, and then retired for 10, since the life expectancy was about 60.
Today, with life expectancies reaching into the 70’s or (soon) 80’s, it will not be sustainable to work 30 years and retire for another 30 years. You just can’t earn enough money in the first 30.
I think we’re going to see many more people adopt an alternative “retirement.” It will likely mean ending formal employment, while starting a side business or working part-time. Hopefully in some work they also find fulfilling.
I think we’ll start seeing more 50-yr-old and 60-yr-old entrepreneurs.
I can’t wait to retire and not worry about being stuck somewhere I don’t want to be. To have the freedom to travel, to lunch with my friends, to work out and just do what I want to do. I am so looking foward to retiring!
I respect your dream and hope you’ll make it a reality some day! I have “retired” from working outside the home and am currently a stay-at-home mom with 2 boys who are 16 months apart. Taking care of the children, teaching them as best as I can and watching them grow is wonderful and tiring at the same time. Now that they’ve started school, I began volunteering at the library & school events/activities. I think of retirement this way ~ be financially secure and stay active in something you care about.
I don’t ever want to fully retire, I plan on going out with my boots on! I enjoy work and would really feel bored without it, I will probably just gradually cut back as get older.
@Funny About Money: I had considered vet school but practical considerations stopped me. [Arthritis/debt/chemisty/I hate math]
@Ryan: State of awesome? Totally.
@Helen: My grandmother, deceased these past two years, was of that generation so I witnessed that evolution through the generations.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see 50-60 year old entrepreneurs. As Funny says, retirees (at least the ones I know) keep quite busy.
@Anon1: Best of luck on your journey!
@Anon2: That’s a great definition of retirement.
@Louise: Having the freedom to go out the way we prefer is good enough for me.
Hi Revanche! Still working my way through your archives. Has your dream changed in the years since you wrote this? What are your long LONG term goals and dreams now?
Some of it has, some of it hasn’t. I’m pretty sure I wrote about it in recent years but I’ll have to hunt to find it.