Could we get by on half our current income?
That’s a decision point our family faced when my husband, Tim, retired from a 25-year career as a military officer in 2013. His retirement pension would equal approximately half the income he’d earned on active duty.
Although many of his contemporaries were taking on second careers after their military retirements, Tim wanted to spend his “second half” learning, doing, and exploring — instead of working for yet another boss. And I knew, after years of frugal spending as the spouse on the home front, that I could help manage our income in order to make that option a reality.
It’s a pathway not a lot of people choose while still in their 40’s
It is an inspiration to know that you found it was possible to find a new mission after the military, working for what you need and being helpful to others. Thats life. The years pass by and before we know it, they’re gone. You are spending your time well. I am encouraged to to the same. Thank you for contributing your story.
Thank you for those words of confirmation. A legacy of service is a fulfilling one to leave.
Awesome distillation of your experiences! Following the Rohrers is like reading about neo pioneers, with beautiful photos and witty commentary.
So happy you’re following along. I enjoy your traveling tales too!
Emily, I’m a friend of Jen Cohen’s. I have really enjoyed following along on your adventures. I am in the process of setting out on the road, myself. Hopefully will be able to hit the road at the end of this year. Perhaps we will cross paths someday!
Thanks, Brooke! I remember you! Jen has all my contact info; feel free to reach out with questions. Sounds like you’ve got a big adventure ahead.
I must endorse what Emily has said. We chose to take early retirement from private industry that did include health care but a limited income. What we chose to do was volunteer work-camping positions in national wildlife refuges, state & national parks, and a long list of other interesting places. By doing that we cut our expenses dramatically since the host agencies supplied us an RV site with utilities and often other amenities. In return, we saw many new parts of the country and usually did work that we enjoyed doing and had many experiences that we could never have had in any other way. If you have never considered the RV volunteer lifestyle, take a look at the site volunteer.gov and check out the many places that are available.
Well said, Kirk. And thanks for the tip on volunteer.gov!