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Comment by throwaway0255 | Hacker News Reader

He gets the minimum standard hate that all financial gurus get. I wouldn't say that makes him divisive, at least not any more divisive than the others (Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, Jim Cramer, etc).

He's actually probably the least divisive, unless we're including people nobody's ever heard of.

Also not sure what difference it makes whether he fits anybody's definition of "retired" or not. I don't think anybody actually cares if he's still saving money by doing his own yard work, or earning passive income from his blog. The point is that he attained the option of retiring at 30, which is true.

Whether you consider how he chose to live his life after that point "retirement" is kind of subjective and irrelevant.

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It's a long time since I've ever read any of his stuff, but I remember reading his early stuff and he said how he'd "retired" and then started doing handyman jobs and his wife did x, y and z to make some extra money.

That's not retired.

That's just changing your career. Of course it's relevant. He's still earning to make money to do more stuff, he just changed the way he does its.

Now he makes money off blogging. That's, again, just changing your career.

My definition of retirement increases the number of options how to spend a normal day. Your definition reduces it by prohibiting activities that generate revenue.

You can define the term any way you want for yourself, but it seems arbitrary to exclude those who enjoy doing things that others happen to be willing to pay them to do.

Doesn't matter what your personal definition is. Retirement means not needing to work.

He still needed to work to support his lifestyle as far as he explained it, he just did a different job. At very best you might term it semi-retirement.

I've never seen the definition of retired meaning do nothing or not accept money for something done. Retirement means doing what you want to do.

I know multiple people who are retired, but still do random jobs because they are bored or just like to have a bit more cash at the time. I still consider them retired because when they work, they are doing it on their own terms.

Err, here you go:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement

Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.

It's laid out pretty clearly in his annual budget posts that he doesn't need to do any of that to live. He and his wife simply like doing those things. That's a big difference and I think you're being disingenuous not to give him that credit.

Retirement is financial independence. He has the luxury through financial independence to decide to do whatever activities he wants each day.

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