'Retire early and do what?' Readers have their say

Looks like our April cover story, How to retire in 10 years - early retirement strategies whatever your age, has hit a money spot!

I was fortunate enough to discuss this story on both The Today Show and 2GB but a four-minute interview does not do justice to the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement.

On a good day I can say around 160 words per minute but that gave me only 640 words - hard to get some decent points across.

Susan Hely, who wrote the cover story (and did a brilliant job), had the luxury of about 7000 words. If you haven't yet read it, I recommend you do.

Comments posted online confirm what we at Money headquarters suspected all along - this topic hit a chord. Some will love it while others will certainly question it.

Whatever side of the fence you sit on, the fact that the story is encouraging more Aussies to discuss their saving and spending habits, their financial goals and what plans they have in place is all Money could hope for.

By no means is the FIRE movement new. We only hope that our coverage gets more Aussies thinking about their financial independence.

So just what are our readers saying?

My favourite comment comes from Noel (Noel, always a pleasure to have a new reader on board!)

Every day he's shufflin'! #Repost @life_long_shuffle ・・・ Hey guys! My story, and the story of 6 other Australians who have also been inspired by Mr Money Moustache, has been published in the latest edition of Money Mag! It's so great to see the FI/RE movement in Australia getting some traction. You can pick up a copy of @moneymagaus from your local newsagent or supermarket 📰 #retirearly #finanicialindependence #retireyoung #earlyretirement #lifegoals #moneymag #lifelongshuffle #pattheshuffler #retire

A post shared by Money Magazine (@moneymagaus) on Apr 10, 2018 at 10:54pm PDT

Here's a snapshot.

Why retire early?

Retire early and do what? I'd be bored to tears! - Tom

So what if people can afford not to work? Shouldn't they work anyway, to contribute to society? They should keep working and donate all the money to charity. - Bradley

Maybe that's because some people see work as a painful chore rather than an enjoyable part of their lives. Such people need to leave the job they are doing and find another one. Though I agree that can be extremely difficult as you get older. If you enjoy your work why would you ever want to retire? - Bill

Too late to start?

It's no good. We've already passed 35. - Matt

How good is this?

Great article! Informative and challenges the notion of not being able to attain financial freedom at a relatively young age! - Shane

I generally don't like Money mag (too beginner and sensational for mine) but I was surprised at how thorough and non-sensational this article is - they explain the key concepts quite well. I bought a copy to share with my wife and some friends we've been chatting to about this. Great work and amazing hearing inspirational stories like the single mum doing so well. - Noel

What life do you want?

It means following your passions: fitness, music, travel, family, life, etc. - Martin

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