My 15 Minutes of Fame

Or more accurately my 1 minute and 57 seconds of fame.  I didn’t get the heads up before my commentary aired on American Public Media’s Marketplace show on Friday.  But you can listen to it on their website (just click on the orange “Listen to the Story” button.)

The segment is an excerpt version of my U.S. News Post, To Retire Early, Don’t Have Kids, which generated 600+ mostly angry comments over at Yahoo! Finance. 

For those of you visiting for the first time as a result of the piece, you’ll mostly find stories of adjusting to retirement here.  But if the topic of not having kids is what brought you over, here are a few related links:

            MSN Money:  Liz Pulliam Weston’s Will Kids Drag You to the Poorhouse

            The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College’s Do Parents Live it Up When Children Fly the Coop?

            MSNBC’s Secret to Marital Bliss?  Don’t Have Kids

            Musings on the childfree lifestyle at Childfreedom blog

            New York Magazine:  Jennifer Senior’s All Joy and no Fun

            Babycenter’s cost of raising a child calculator

 

This is a post from Retirement:  A Full-Time Job

 

Comments

[Pastor Larry]

I retired four years ago and love every moment of it. I am a Christian minister who now does ministry with out the committee meetings.

[Retired Syd]

My grandfather was a minister for the Church of Christ--your retirement sounds much like his:

http://retiredsyd.typepad.com/retirement_a_fulltime_job/2010/05/what-is-retirement-anyway.html

Thanks for your comment, it's so good to hear you're loving every moment of it!

[OurTakeOnFreedom]

Congrats!

[Matt Baxter]

Great collection of links. Too bad the Yahoo haters can't be forced to read them. You never advised anyone not to have kids, you laid out financial facts. These rah rah parents are so closed minded.

And if anyone still doubts it, you can retire early, with three kids, in California's Bay Area. It's all about choices. I'm just sayin'.

[deegee]

I always get a chuckle when someone replies with, "I had x kids but I was still able to retire early." That is not the point.

Anyone who has kids but was still able to retire early could still retire early (or earlIER) if they did not have kids, unless the kids were miraculous revenue generators and those revenues exceeded their expenses. But the converse is surely NOT true: "Anyone who retired early who did NOT have kids could still retire early if they did have kids." THAT is Sydney's point.

Although I knew at age 20 that I did not want to have kids, it was not until about 15 years later that I was able to turn that decision into an early retirement like Sydney's two years ago at age 45. But I surely endorse Sydney's advice to those who seek to retire early and are "on the fence" about having kids.

[Retired Syd]

@Matt: I know exactly what you are saying, I agree, it's about choices. Another commenter (over at the APR website) retired at 41 with SIX kids! He's in Delaware, not sure if it's as expensive as the Bay Area, but still! To your point he (or she) said they did it without the help of Disney or Lattes. Choices.

[california native]

I wonder about the stories of people who have six kids and retire early at 41. I am developing an inferiority complex because we don't have kids, are in the top 5% of income earners, and still won't be able to retire early. Our lifestyle never seemed that extravagant either. We don't even have cable. Whatever.

It is nice to see that so many unique lifestyle choices are working out well for people whether kids are involved or not.

[Bridget]

Congratulations Syd on your 15 minutes of fame!

[fred doe]

wow! you sounded great. when are you going to be on the Today show? you better watch it or your going to have to come out of retirement for a new career. but your topic, you really know how to stir the sh*t. i mean controversy:) Bloomberg or CNBC should be calling by christmas. congratulations.

[Bill Birnbaum]

Syd... Regarding the angry responses to your article, I think you struck an emotional chord. And as a wise friend once told me, "When logic and emotion collide, emotion will win every time." Bill

[Chris]

Congrats on your radio spot! I've thoroughly enjoy your commentary on the financial consequences of a child free life and I'm someone who wanted children and had one. Much as I wouldn't trade my son for anything, there are times when I think, "if only...".

[Fernando]

Sydney! Congrats on your radio spot!
Nice to meet you and hope to see you around!

[Gulliver F. Magellan]

Just heard the APMrktplc podcast and googled. I was excited to hear you suggest that to retire early foregoing parenting is an option.
Congratulations (on your radio spot and accomplished goal of retirement) and thank you for having the courage to do what many only wish(forego babies).
I hope to learn a few tricks here.