Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: Unlike most on CD, I'm not afraid to give my location: Milwaukee, WI.
1,794 posts, read 4,165,348 times
Reputation: 4105
Advertisements
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
A free mind is nothing to take lightly so please don’t envy me too much. I respect the wisdom freedom allows such a young mind to harvest so early in life. I also appreciate the patterns and connections in the fabric of life it allows me to see.
I will say though - I don’t think extreme early retirement is the path for everyone. There’s still a battle to prevent the brain from consuming itself.
we charge our normal living expenses and the points are a rebate .
I get that, you likely just have very high "normal" living expenses. Even if we got 3x points on every dime we spent outside of daycare and our mortgage and it all went to travel on a travel card we'd get about $1,800 in airline credits. That's basically just enough for our family of 4 to take 1 round trip to visit the in-laws.
Well maybe it because he has gamed the system by not working and having benefits like medical paid for by the government. That was an intentional plan. Taxpayers that he laughs at for working while he doesn’t are paying for this. Did you intentionally look for loopholes at taxpayers expense to retire?
I’d rather see that money and aid go to someone who really needs it.
He says everyone can do it if they were as clever as him. But if they did, who would pay for all the benefits they would all get for free including his.
Do you think that someone as young as him and fully capable of working should be able to take benefits someone else could use?
Now if he pulled his own weigh by paying for things like medical like everyone else does and can still do it, I have no problems with it. But instead while someone else has to pay for their medical expenses out of pocket, he uses that money to buy a brand new car every year.
So I have to ask, are you ok with how he does this? Do you really think it’s jealousy that their should be fairness?
Also note he was the one bringing up travel as an “I’m better than the rest of you”.
Do you think him mentioning going on three cruises when many can often afford just one?
I retired in 2004, so the medical “loophole” wasn’t available then. At the time I retired, I had a mortgage of about 25k per year, and as best I can guess (I didn’t get serious about tracking expenses until 2008) I spent about 60k per year, so yeah, I was paying federal and CA income taxes. I had much more than 800k at the time I retired, so it didn’t matter.
Once I became mortgage free and the ACA doubled my premiums, I decided to use the rules to my advantage. Why shouldn’t I? I didn’t make the rules. I don’t have any income tax liability and qualify for free medical because I have both the financial education and discipline to do so.
It doesn’t bother me at all that he does it at that age. Blame our government, not him.
As a person you can know how your mind progresses mentally/spiritually/philosophically - my mind is in a different place since I’ve had so much time to be inside it thinking. Time becomes something you don’t sense like the average human so I could spend days or weeks dedicated to reading about a single topic from multiple viewpoints. I now have a different relationship with those around me. I’m more at peace with everything. Spiritually rooted. Perhaps it’s something you wouldn’t know unless you experience your brain working in this context at a young age.
A prisoner, homeless person, or hell even a career nighttime security guard could say this too. Everyone gains different perspectives as they live and age, you're just taking them and attributing to something it isn't, and you have no proof to back up your theories because obviously your only data point is yourself. You might have experienced the exact same changes in perspective holding a job.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
Congrats on being the first person to pull the seasoned traveler “I’m better than you” card
Congrats on playing victim and reading into things nobody said. No comparison was made with your travels to anyone on this forum, but it is damned funny that you think your little day trips are such a hectic travel schedule you have trouble remembering how many cruises you took.
When someone is willing to spend this much energy detailing all this stuff but refuses to divulge such a basic component of his story, the truth either isn't in line with the vibe he's trying to portray or what he says won't stand up to scrutiny.
I can’t figure out why he even keeps bringing this discussion up about himself and then arguing with everyone who comments ... I just don’t get it .
He has nothing else to do...and he has no money to amuse himself with or pursue hobbies...so he posts on here and argues. Easier to just not respond to such drivel.
I understand you are doing cheap travel because of your points - no flight or hotel cost. I'm curious if you can keep up your current rate of travel with the points you accrue every month. I'm making an analogy between the "investment" in your points versus your "withdrawals" traveling, that's all.
I understand you are doing cheap travel because of your points - no flight or hotel cost. I'm curious if you can keep up your current rate of travel with the points you accrue every month. I'm making an analogy between the "investment" in your points versus your "withdrawals" traveling, that's all.
Not every month but every year ...we accumulate the points over each year and then use them the following year either on a bunch of small local trips or a bigger trip . We charge a lot ...I had 15k alone in dental work I just charged ..last year my wife was 7500 ...we eat out a lot so it really adds up
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
10,370 posts, read 8,615,741 times
Reputation: 16731
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cabound1
I retired in 2004, so the medical “loophole” wasn’t available then. At the time I retired, I had a mortgage of about 25k per year, and as best I can guess (I didn’t get serious about tracking expenses until 2008) I spent about 60k per year, so yeah, I was paying federal and CA income taxes. I had much more than 800k at the time I retired, so it didn’t matter.
Once I became mortgage free and the ACA doubled my premiums, I decided to use the rules to my advantage. Why shouldn’t I? I didn’t make the rules. I don’t have any income tax liability and qualify for free medical because I have both the financial education and discipline to do so.
It doesn’t bother me at all that he does it at that age. Blame our government, not him.
Well I guess we will just disagree. At least you contributed by paying taxes so getting something back later doesn't bother me at all. He is just taking without having put anything in.
It's too easy to blame the government for everything and not hold ourselves accountable. That attitude does not help the country nor does it help someone else who could use the aid, but obviously you are okay with that.
I know a person who has a house in Ca, has 7 rentals, 3 Porsches, a Jeep, and a few other cars. He gets free healthcare, discounted utilities, and other low income benefits.
It reminds me of Sec 8 renters that drive really nice cars that don't need to be sec 8. Sure blame the government, but does it make it right?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
