What did you successfully downshift to?

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JacobTeach
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What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by JacobTeach »

I saw a handful of early retirement and coast FIRE threads pop up lately and am in the same boat myself. I’m seriously considering downshifting, and am looking for advice from those who have successfully done it. What did you downshift to? Any thing you would do differently if you could? Any advice/warnings to someone that’s considering it?

I specifically want to avoid answers like “I do the same job but part time” or “I consult for my old company.” These are most definitely fine examples of downshifting, but unfortunately they don’t generate stimulating discussion and may not be universally applicable.

Personally, I’m pondering downshifting to becoming a tutor or real estate agent. Would be great to make $20-40k a year.

What other jobs should I consider downshifting to?


Collating some interesting ones from previous threads: bus driver, dog walker, the quintessential barista, surf/ski/dive/yoga/etc instructor.
manatee2005
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by manatee2005 »

JacobTeach wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:37 am I saw a handful of early retirement and coast FIRE threads pop up lately and am in the same boat myself. I’m seriously considering downshifting, and am looking for advice from those who have successfully done it. What did you downshift to? Any thing you would do differently if you could? Any advice/warnings to someone that’s considering it?

I specifically want to avoid answers like “I do the same job but part time” or “I consult for my old company.” These are most definitely fine examples of downshifting, but unfortunately they don’t generate stimulating discussion and may not be universally applicable.

Personally, I’m pondering downshifting to becoming a tutor or real estate agent. Would be great to make $20-40k a year.

What other jobs should I consider downshifting to?


Collating some interesting ones from previous threads: bus driver, dog walker, the quintessential barista, surf/ski/dive/yoga/etc instructor.
Why did you start a new thread and not continue the previous threads?
Cruise
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Cruise »

OP, I'd think that that you could only get some useful advice if you disclosed what is your skill set and interests.
Kookaburra
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Kookaburra »

Cruise wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:37 am OP, I'd think that that you could only get some useful advice if you disclosed what is your skill set and interests.
That would help.
jarjarM
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by jarjarM »

I know several former coworkers who retired after 1999/2000 and became high school teachers.
Wannaretireearly
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

Thanks for starting this thread OP. I wanted to spur a similar discussion.
A few of my ideas:
1. sommelier for local restaurant, wine shop, winery etc🍷.
2. Park ranger/helper, get outside, fresh air, etc.
3. Ski instructor, I'm not good enough.
4. Help local community College. Fill in teacher, tutor? Not sure if this is possible without going full time.
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
BogleFan510
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by BogleFan510 »

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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by BogleFan510 »

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Wannaretireearly
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

BogleFan510 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:09 pm
Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:51 pm Thanks for starting this thread OP. I wanted to spur a similar discussion.
A few of my ideas:
1. sommelier for local restaurant, wine shop, winery etc🍷. (should read Cork Dork)
2. Park ranger/helper, get outside, fresh air, etc. (always looking for volunteers..great health benefits)
3. Ski instructor, I'm not good enough.
4. Help local community College. Fill in teacher, tutor? Not sure if this is possible without going full time. (a friend is doing this part time, one class..remote teaching a hot topic...need credentials though)
Thanks! Will check out cork dork.
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
stoptothink
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by stoptothink »

BogleFan510 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:05 pm I went for a short stint in public service, which can be quite satisfying, as the people there tend to be less competitive and more warm hearted than those attracted to higher paying work at top tier public corporations, though it had its own frustrations (slower pace, more focus on fairness and equity, service to poor and disabled vs focused on efficiency). Overall, well worth the 1/3 to 1/2 corporate pay. Reasonable hours.
Not there yet, but wife and I always thought someday we'd downshift to such jobs (college teaching for me, working with disabled for her). We dipped our toes in that water with side gigs, 4yrs for me and a year for her, and the lack of emphasis on production and efficiency drove us insane. In particular, the waste of resources (in the case of my wife's side-gig working with the disabled) resulted in her coming home angry most of the time. Just not our environment, I'd feel more productive and less stressed not working at all then going back to those fields; so, that's likely what we'll do.
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Godot
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Godot »

JacobTeach wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:37 am I saw a handful of early retirement and coast FIRE threads pop up lately and am in the same boat myself. I’m seriously considering downshifting, and am looking for advice from those who have successfully done it. What did you downshift to? Any thing you would do differently if you could? Any advice/warnings to someone that’s considering it?

I specifically want to avoid answers like “I do the same job but part time” or “I consult for my old company.” These are most definitely fine examples of downshifting, but unfortunately they don’t generate stimulating discussion and may not be universally applicable.

Personally, I’m pondering downshifting to becoming a tutor or real estate agent. Would be great to make $20-40k a year.

What other jobs should I consider downshifting to?


Collating some interesting ones from previous threads: bus driver, dog walker, the quintessential barista, surf/ski/dive/yoga/etc instructor.
Join the Peace Corps.
"The day you die is just like any other, only shorter." | ― Samuel Beckett
alfaspider
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by alfaspider »

I once uncessessully downshifted into third gear. Bent valves, motor toast. Meant to hit 5th gear.
moneyman11
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by moneyman11 »

Downshift to doing your own thing, in your own time.

There’s no need to enumerate it for anyone beyond that.
matti
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by matti »

Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:51 pm Thanks for starting this thread OP. I wanted to spur a similar discussion.
A few of my ideas:
1. sommelier for local restaurant, wine shop, winery etc🍷.
2. Park ranger/helper, get outside, fresh air, etc.
3. Ski instructor, I'm not good enough.
4. Help local community College. Fill in teacher, tutor? Not sure if this is possible without going full time.
I haven't downshifted yet, but item 2 has always appealed to me.
megabad
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by megabad »

jarjarM wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:42 pm I know several former coworkers who retired after 1999/2000 and became high school teachers.

Out of curiosity, are they still doing this? They happy?
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Doom&Gloom
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Doom&Gloom »

Card counting at blackjack and playing other casino games with an advantage.

I would not recommend as it is much more difficult now than ca. 2000 when I changed "jobs." Occasionally it was more time consuming and stressful than my previous occupation.

Still, it is out there ...
marc in merrimack
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by marc in merrimack »

alfaspider wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:31 pm I once uncessessully downshifted into third gear. Bent valves, motor toast. Meant to hit 5th gear.
Wasn’t there a redline limiter?
alfaspider
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by alfaspider »

marc in merrimack wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:37 pm
alfaspider wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:31 pm I once uncessessully downshifted into third gear. Bent valves, motor toast. Meant to hit 5th gear.
Wasn’t there a redline limiter?
Rev limiters only cut fuel/timing at a certain RPM. They can't prevent a mechanically caused over-rev condition caused by a bad downshift. This is what is commonly known in car circles as the "money shift." Much more common on track (where this happened) where you are trying to shift quickly and driver workloads are much higher.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by marc in merrimack »

alfaspider wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:40 pm
marc in merrimack wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:37 pm
alfaspider wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:31 pm I once uncessessully downshifted into third gear. Bent valves, motor toast. Meant to hit 5th gear.
Wasn’t there a redline limiter?
Rev limiters only cut fuel/timing at a certain RPM. They can't prevent a mechanically caused over-rev condition caused by a bad downshift. This is what is commonly known in car circles as the "money shift." Much more common on track (where this happened) where you are trying to shift quickly and driver workloads are much higher.
I see, so, in effect, the drive train forced the engine through the low gearing into a damage causing over-rev condition.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by jarjarM »

megabad wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:27 pm
jarjarM wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:42 pm I know several former coworkers who retired after 1999/2000 and became high school teachers.

Out of curiosity, are they still doing this? They happy?
A couple that I kept in touch are now retired. They found it quite enjoyable, less office politics since it's a job they know they can walk away and the administration knows they can walk away. Parents can be a bit tough since they can be quite pushy but they don't really hold much power since it's extremely difficult to fire a teacher in CA. One even taught his own kid, which I'm sure it's a painful experience for the kid but great for the dad.
onmyway33
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by onmyway33 »

Agreed that one's existing (or aspiration) skill set and general interests are extremely important to determine a good downshift job.
I am still relatively young and getting close to my FIRE # and find myself thinking of downshifting to a job that will provide insurance and allow me to develop new skills. I love working with my hands and learning more about tools, woodworking, and the trades.
A job at a hardware or building supplies store or a lumberyard is particularly appealing to me.
"When the market's going up, we think it's going to go up forever. When the market goes down, we think it's going to go down forever. Neither of those things actually happen" - John C. Bogle
megabad
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by megabad »

jarjarM wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:04 pm
megabad wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 3:27 pm
jarjarM wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:42 pm I know several former coworkers who retired after 1999/2000 and became high school teachers.

Out of curiosity, are they still doing this? They happy?
A couple that I kept in touch are now retired. They found it quite enjoyable, less office politics since it's a job they know they can walk away and the administration knows they can walk away. Parents can be a bit tough since they can be quite pushy but they don't really hold much power since it's extremely difficult to fire a teacher in CA. One even taught his own kid, which I'm sure it's a painful experience for the kid but great for the dad.
Thanks for the info. I have thought about this path myself.
Wannaretireearly
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

onmyway33 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:06 pm Agreed that one's existing (or aspiration) skill set and general interests are extremely important to determine a good downshift job.
I am still relatively young and getting close to my FIRE # and find myself thinking of downshifting to a job that will provide insurance and allow me to develop new skills. I love working with my hands and learning more about tools, woodworking, and the trades.
A job at a hardware or building supplies store or a lumberyard is particularly appealing to me.
Yep. Good call
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
Wannaretireearly
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

I'll hazard a guess that most of the suggestions here will not involve sitting in front of a computer all day!

My mum just went back to work after 3 months as a loan officer at a local bank. She really missed her work, prospecting & talking to clients etc. She's not doing it for the $.
“At some point you are trading time you will never get back for money you will never spend.“ | “How do you want to spend the best remaining year of your life?“
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by JPM »

Among friends and acquaintances, some engineers and a pharmacologist became substitute math and science teachers for HS and Jr High schools. They liked it a lot.

A couple of the engineers have done handyman work and geek squad type work for the old old people in town. Made a little money and enjoyed helping their clienteles.

Several tradesmen, engineers, and teachers have clerked at hardware stores and Home Depot.

One salesman went to nursing school and had a 15 year encore career as a registered nurse, mostly in home health. Another salesman got certified as a special education teacher and lasted 11 years to age 75 doing that.

These people were enthused about their encore careers.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Carguy85 »

Have thought this but didn’t know what it was called... 8 years of school/training and 10 years in to my profession and I am more and more thinking how nice it would be to put in my earbuds and get on a mower. I mowed for many years growing up as a farm hand and while in school and even at the beginning. Of my profession. Some think I’m crazy for thinking this.. to me would be glorious to no longer worry about if tomorrow was going to be a good or bad work day and wondering will everything go as planned. Teetering on FI and thinking into the future a bit. Do I cut back to 2 days a week or “downshift”.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by LilyFleur »

Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:04 pm I'll hazard a guess that most of the suggestions here will not involve sitting in front of a computer all day!

My mum just went back to work after 3 months as a loan officer at a local bank. She really missed her work, prospecting & talking to clients etc. She's not doing it for the $.
I love sitting in front of a computer quietly working.

Perhaps this is why I only lasted a few years as a high school teacher in my 20s :oops:
Valuethinker
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Valuethinker »

Carguy85 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:20 pm Have thought this but didn’t know what it was called... 8 years of school/training and 10 years in to my profession and I am more and more thinking how nice it would be to put in my earbuds and get on a mower. I mowed for many years growing up as a farm hand and while in school and even at the beginning. Of my profession. Some think I’m crazy for thinking this.. to me would be glorious to no longer worry about if tomorrow was going to be a good or bad work day and wondering will everything go as planned. Teetering on FI and thinking into the future a bit. Do I cut back to 2 days a week or “downshift”.
True blue collar jobs are hard fought for. (I mean not plumbers etc). I assume you are talking commercial garden work? Mowing peoples' lawns.

There are a lot of people out there without any skills but can do those jobs. They stand on streetcorners at 530am waiting for a guy with a pickup to come by and offer them a day's work.

Colleague paid his way through college by full time drywalling. God, in 90 degree heat or freezing cold. Shows he had real "gumption" or "character" as my father would have said. You show you are reliable, show up and do a solid days work, and not off your head on booze or drugs, and you'll get called by the prime contractor every time there is work. But then it's drop everything and do that work 8, 10 hours a day. Go home, have a couple of beers and crash in front of TV. Rinse and repeat. Doing full time college at the same time?

I might have had the stamina (if not the shoulder muscles) for that job at 20, at 59?

I imagine lawn work is full on, and highly competitive to get. Plus you get to be bossed around by some very low grade people - power freaks (some of them).

(You will know how hard farmers work. In harvest season, those big combines, the crews migrate southwards from Canada - work 14 hour days, sleep in motels. )
Last edited by Valuethinker on Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Valuethinker
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Valuethinker »

JacobTeach wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:37 am I saw a handful of early retirement and coast FIRE threads pop up lately and am in the same boat myself. I’m seriously considering downshifting, and am looking for advice from those who have successfully done it. What did you downshift to? Any thing you would do differently if you could? Any advice/warnings to someone that’s considering it?

I specifically want to avoid answers like “I do the same job but part time” or “I consult for my old company.” These are most definitely fine examples of downshifting, but unfortunately they don’t generate stimulating discussion and may not be universally applicable.

Personally, I’m pondering downshifting to becoming a tutor or real estate agent. Would be great to make $20-40k a year.

What other jobs should I consider downshifting to?


Collating some interesting ones from previous threads: bus driver, dog walker, the quintessential barista, surf/ski/dive/yoga/etc instructor.
Real estate agent is not a downshift? I am not sure how offices work - is it simply you keep a share of the commission you earn? A lot of showing homes and meeting with prospective clients will be outside of normal office hours?

Tutor. Well there's definitely a market in big cities w highly competitive schools. However you will be competing against ex High School teachers (one around the corner from me, MS in Math, taught High School for 20 years, knows the exam system).

I think it's an illusion that lower paying jobs are necessarily less stress. Yes, if you can find a Union job you may have greater ability to stick to the defined limits of your job. But Union jobs are hard to get for that very reason - I think only about 11% of US workforce is unionized?
Last edited by Valuethinker on Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
stoptothink
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by stoptothink »

Carguy85 wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:20 pm Have thought this but didn’t know what it was called... 8 years of school/training and 10 years in to my profession and I am more and more thinking how nice it would be to put in my earbuds and get on a mower. I mowed for many years growing up as a farm hand and while in school and even at the beginning. Of my profession. Some think I’m crazy for thinking this.. to me would be glorious to no longer worry about if tomorrow was going to be a good or bad work day and wondering will everything go as planned. Teetering on FI and thinking into the future a bit. Do I cut back to 2 days a week or “downshift”.
Several members of the facilities crew at my office are retired and formerly quite successful men; the three I know well were an aeronautics engineer, chief of police for a nearby city, and a CPA.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by DJZ »

JacobTeach wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:37 am I saw a handful of early retirement and coast FIRE threads pop up lately and am in the same boat myself. I’m seriously considering downshifting, and am looking for advice from those who have successfully done it. What did you downshift to? Any thing you would do differently if you could? Any advice/warnings to someone that’s considering it?

I specifically want to avoid answers like “I do the same job but part time” or “I consult for my old company.” These are most definitely fine examples of downshifting, but unfortunately they don’t generate stimulating discussion and may not be universally applicable.

Personally, I’m pondering downshifting to becoming a tutor or real estate agent. Would be great to make $20-40k a year.

What other jobs should I consider downshifting to?


Collating some interesting ones from previous threads: bus driver, dog walker, the quintessential barista, surf/ski/dive/yoga/etc instructor.
I think the key would be finding a setting where you will meet interesting people. I didn’t downshift to a job, but have started to be more intentional about how my DAF funds will be invested (hence, learning about impact investing) and used (learning about effective altruism, philanthropy, etc). Some new ideas plus lots of very interesting people.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by alfaspider »

I would suggest that you probably don't want to work for someone else in a downshift situation. As mentioned above, most hand-on jobs are very hard work, and lack autonomy. The only way to get autonomy is to be the business owner. But then, you have to do all the back-end work that goes with being a business owner.

Closest thing I can think of that allows you to work with your hands without outside pressure is more of an artistic endeavor. If you are FI and have the means to build a workshop/studio, you could build artisan furniture, make sculptures, etc. on your own time and sell pieces when you feel like it. But unless you are particularly talented or entrepreneurial, I wouldn't counter on an endeavour like that to pay any bills.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by almostretired1965 »

So this is something I've been thinking about of late since the, and hopefully firm, plan is to resign from my day job by May, 2022. I have a couple of personal projects that I'd like to pursue after that. One is to get back up to speed on the state of the art in finance theory and financial engineering. Haven't really read the literature since grad school 30 years ago (and even then I focused on game theory and IO; finance was more of a sideline), but it would be intellectually stimulating and who knows, maybe I'll find some inefficient corner of the market to exploit. Second is building a simulation model to explore long term demographic trends in the developed world and the resulting political, economic, and military implications. Personally, I think this and the emergence of AI will be, looking back 25 years from now, the two most important, fundamental, factors in how the rest of the 21st century evolves. Third, I might hang out a shingle as an independent consultant for modeling and data analysis. I like to think I have a decent reputation among former colleagues and employers and this might be a way to attract interesting projects that do not require a long commitment, etc.

Who knows if I will actually get this done. I may just end up pulling the hundreds of board wargames off the shelf in my library and actually start playing them, in between travels to keep DW happy.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by beyou »

I did it mid career, left a top job in fintech to go to a smaller firm, managing smaller team, but with short commute in lower pressure situation. Still good pay and benefits, more lateral in that regard. But more free time for family. Now 20 years later ready to downshift again to almost zero. Want to really retire, though if the right appealing thing came along part time opportunities would be a consideration.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by smitcat »

Our own business about 20 years back - just fully retired recently.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by JBTX »

I'm not sure downshifting to a different career would be less stressful. I generally liked most of the work I did(finance and accounting), it was dealing with other parties and managing expectations that was frustrating. In other words other human beings. I suspect I'd encounter the same stress in a different career.

On the instances I did do part time/consulting as a general rule I enjoyed that more and was less stressed than full time work.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by btenny »

I took a year off after early retirement from my Mega Corp. Then I became a ski instructor for five winters. I did mostly part time work except holidays and kids ski week specials when everyone worked. Job is physically demanding and harder than it looks. Teaching people to ski is physically complex and you need to do mind games to help people do things they are not naturally good at. Side benefits like free ski training and free skiing and fun activities and good conversations when you work are cool.

I quit after five winters as I missed skiing with my wife and kids on holidays and the ski company changed how they handled teaching.

I could have easily gone back to engineering but that seemed like real "work".

Good Luck.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by alfaspider »

btenny wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:32 pm I took a year off after early retirement from my Mega Corp. Then I became a ski instructor for five winters. I did mostly part time work except holidays and kids ski week specials when everyone worked. Job is physically demanding and harder than it looks. Teaching people to ski is physically complex and you need to do mind games to help people do things they are not naturally good at. Side benefits like free ski training and free skiing and fun activities and good conversations when you work are cool.

I quit after five winters as I missed skiing with my wife and kids on holidays and the ski company changed how they handled teaching.

I could have easily gone back to engineering but that seemed like real "work".

Good Luck.
I love skiing, but having taught friends, I'm not sure I would enjoy teaching. Would be really grating to have to teach on the bunny hill on a perfect powder day.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Normchad »

JBTX wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:22 pm I'm not sure downshifting to a different career would be less stressful. I generally liked most of the work I did(finance and accounting), it was dealing with other parties and managing expectations that was frustrating. In other words other human beings. I suspect I'd encounter the same stress in a different career.

On the instances I did do part time/consulting as a general rule I enjoyed that more and was less stressed than full time work.
I agree with you. There are a few folks who love work. For the rest of us, I think all jobs are a grind. A change of pace could be nice, but I think it would start sucking before too long.....
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by UpperNwGuy »

I downshifted to full, complete, total, and absolute retirement. No part-time work, no consulting, no volunteer work, nada. Just walking, reading, listening to music, working out, and (before covid) traveling frequently to Europe. I don't understand the posts by bogleheads who say that they can't imagine life without some type of work. I think such an outlook is very, very strange. And I can assure you that the younger folks in your company or your field would prefer that you say adios and make room for them to advance.
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Carguy85 »

stoptothink wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:51 am Several members of the facilities crew at my office are retired and formerly quite successful men; the three I know well were an aeronautics engineer, chief of police for a nearby city, and a CPA.
Interesting....this is the type of thing I was thinking...a corporation, school, or city/town where things could be chill and I be left alone or just work with a very few...NOT working with the general public. I think being a waiter or a barista at Starbucks (as has been mentioned before) would be a great way to have to deal with irrational, hateful, ridiculous people on a daily basis. I wouldn’t last a week.
btenny
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by btenny »

Alfaspyder, The way ski teaching kids is different than a normal job. You come to work 5-7 days a week at 8 am. You help the kids select skis and boots and helmets for that day. First timers go in age selected groups to the bunny hill. Beginner- intermediate skiers go to the beginner lift to take a run and show how they ski and get ski graded. Supervisors sort the kids into skill and age groups. They assign ski instructors to each group. Instructors who do not want to work that day (powder day) you back line. Most of the young instructors need money so they work whenever they can. Us old guys work when it is so busy everyone has to work. So we go play and ski after 10am and only get paid for two hours. Teaching adults works similarly.

On many days the ski hill sponsors senior instructors to "train" low skill instructors for 2-6 hours. This is usually done 2 days or more per week. Trainees do not get paid for this time. Trainers get paid. Thus beginner instructors get better at teaching skiing. They take tests and become Level 2-4 instructors and get pay raises. This incentivizes them to come back next year and teach. This training is really a great way to spend ski days. You follow a person who shows you all the special ski spots on the hill and you ski with people who can keep up and ski fast.
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anon_investor
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by anon_investor »

I am sure this does not count, but I "downshifted" from biglaw associate to in-house attorney. I work half as many hours a week, no more working weekends or late. Technically I make more per hour now... :beer
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JacobTeach
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by JacobTeach »

Valuethinker wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 11:51 am
JacobTeach wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:37 am I saw a handful of early retirement and coast FIRE threads pop up lately and am in the same boat myself. I’m seriously considering downshifting, and am looking for advice from those who have successfully done it. What did you downshift to? Any thing you would do differently if you could? Any advice/warnings to someone that’s considering it?

I specifically want to avoid answers like “I do the same job but part time” or “I consult for my old company.” These are most definitely fine examples of downshifting, but unfortunately they don’t generate stimulating discussion and may not be universally applicable.

Personally, I’m pondering downshifting to becoming a tutor or real estate agent. Would be great to make $20-40k a year.

What other jobs should I consider downshifting to?


Collating some interesting ones from previous threads: bus driver, dog walker, the quintessential barista, surf/ski/dive/yoga/etc instructor.
Real estate agent is not a downshift? I am not sure how offices work - is it simply you keep a share of the commission you earn? A lot of showing homes and meeting with prospective clients will be outside of normal office hours?

Tutor. Well there's definitely a market in big cities w highly competitive schools. However you will be competing against ex High School teachers (one around the corner from me, MS in Math, taught High School for 20 years, knows the exam system).

I think it's an illusion that lower paying jobs are necessarily less stress. Yes, if you can find a Union job you may have greater ability to stick to the defined limits of your job. But Union jobs are hard to get for that very reason - I think only about 11% of US workforce is unionized?
I think if I’m not under pressure to max income, real estate would be definitely a downshift. It could certainly be a far less than 40 hour a week job.

Tutor - yes, that’s true, but there’s competition in any profit making endeavour.
SRenaeP
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by SRenaeP »

btenny wrote: Tue Mar 16, 2021 3:32 pm I took a year off after early retirement from my Mega Corp. Then I became a ski instructor for five winters. I did mostly part time work except holidays and kids ski week specials when everyone worked. Job is physically demanding and harder than it looks. Teaching people to ski is physically complex and you need to do mind games to help people do things they are not naturally good at. Side benefits like free ski training and free skiing and fun activities and good conversations when you work are cool.

I quit after five winters as I missed skiing with my wife and kids on holidays and the ski company changed how they handled teaching.

I could have easily gone back to engineering but that seemed like real "work".

Good Luck.
Do you have any insight into how the other positions operate? Spouse and I have contemplated doing something similar. Wintering in CO and working at a resort though not necessarily as an instructor, maybe liftie or customer service. We want to be quasi ski bums with the free pass and meager pay helping to offset our expenses.
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JoeRetire
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by JoeRetire »

JacobTeach wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:37 am Personally, I’m pondering downshifting to becoming a tutor or real estate agent. Would be great to make $20-40k a year.
Have you ever been a tutor or real estate agent? What appeals to you in these two roles?
What other jobs should I consider downshifting to?
Consider anything that seems enjoyable to you and where you could make an income that you feel is sufficient. It's not possible to provide more specific recommendations unless you disclose more about yourself - what you do, what you like, what you don't like, how much you need to earn, etc.

My wife left an allied health field she worked in for 40+ years.
She is now working part-time in an Italian-themed boutique shop sampling and selling wines, cheeses, dips, etc. And she does a bit of cooking while demonstrating the use of some of their products.

She loves it.
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JoeRetire
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by JoeRetire »

Wannaretireearly wrote: Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:04 pm I'll hazard a guess that most of the suggestions here will not involve sitting in front of a computer all day!
When you preclude the "consult for my former company" choice, that may eliminate a lot of the downshifts that involve sitting in front of a computer.
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Wanderingwheelz
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

You’d be amazed how easy it is to buy things and then sell them for more than what you paid for them. I don’t mean as a retailer, either.

I “flipped” a bicycle two weeks ago for a $1200 profit, a tent for a $250 profit yesterday and this sort of thing happens through the year. When you see something that’s 60%-70% off you have to buy a lot of it.

As long as you’re truly FI, but generating an additional side income according to how hard you want to work at it is pretty awesome. If your expenses are $60,000 and you’re able to generate $10,000 of “side-hustle“ income that makes a real difference. Now excuse my while I go off the purchase the rest of the tents that I didn’t buy yesterday...
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ClevrChico
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by ClevrChico »

I transferred to a non-operations role at the same company. No more after hours/weekend change management. No on call. No putting out other people's fires. No drama or politics. Work life balance is so much better and pay is similar.

I'm sitting on a FIRE fund that I won't be using in the near future, which isn't a bad problem to have.
Wannaretireearly
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Re: What did you successfully downshift to?

Post by Wannaretireearly »

ClevrChico wrote: Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:57 am I transferred to a non-operations role at the same company. No more after hours/weekend change management. No on call. No putting out other people's fires. No drama or politics. Work life balance is so much better and pay is similar.

I'm sitting on a FIRE fund that I won't be using in the near future, which isn't a bad problem to have.
Haha. Isn't this a smart lateral move vs. a downshift 😉
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