Pros & cons of Early Retirement

Originally written on 05 Sep 05

Over the last couple of years I have been periodically gathering information on the internet about early retirement. One common advice is that one should ‘actually write down’ the pros and cons from one’s point of view. Let me make an attempt to do so today :

Pros

1. Freedom from the shackles of employment and office routine.
2. Freedom to indulge much more (and when I feel like) in my hobbies / interests like traveling, photography, reading, socializing, physical fitness, etc.
3. Likelihood of doing better on my investments owing to better monitoring.
4. Likelihood of starting my own financially rewarding activity or business.
5. In the event of premature death a year or more after early retirement, I’d have the satisfaction of having enjoyed ‘total freedom’ for sometime.
   

Cons

1. Loss of pay and perks over next 7.5 years – a substantial amount at the fag end of my service career.
2. After indulging in everything that I ‘wanted to do all along but couldn’t because of office routine’ I might start getting bored after a year or two. Time may hang heavy.
3. Comparison with contemporaries, in terms of status enjoyed by them in their respective jobs and their pay / perks may give rise to an inferiority complex.
4. The quality of medical treatment (for self & family) is likely to be better as long as I’m employed.