Luck has nothing to do with it

My Store https://www.ebay.com/str/consignfordesignhometreasures

Retired from corporate America at 48… now at 69 I’m running my own antique and resale business, out at the flea markets before sunrise with a flashlight, chasing treasures and living the life I planned for as a teenager.

People look at me today and think it all just came together — early retirement, financial freedom, my own shop, my own schedule. But the truth started decades before I ever walked away from a corporate office.

When I was 17, I watched my father come home from work after yet another layoff. Same company. Same story. They’d let him go, bring him back, then let him go again. You don’t forget the look on a man’s face when he’s given everything to a company that treats him like he’s replaceable.

That’s the moment the seed was planted.

I promised myself I was never going to let a company have that kind of control over my life. If I wanted real freedom someday, I’d have to build it myself.

Acting 40 When I Was 20

When I started making real money, I didn’t live like a typical young guy.
I lived under my means.
I saved every month — even when it hurt.
Whenever I got a raise, I bumped up the savings again.

And instead of chasing hot stock tips or trying to get rich quick, I did something simple and steady:
I put my money into the S&P 500 and left it alone.

During my corporate years people often teased me about being “cheap.” I’d just laugh under my breath, knowing I wasn’t cheap at all — I was working the plan. I even told my boss once, when I was about 23, that I was going to retire at 50. He laughed and said, “Not working in retail, you won’t.” I guess the joke ended up being on him.

While my friends were buying new cars and gadgets, I was buying my future.

Most people don’t realize it, but you don’t need a huge salary to retire early. You need discipline, consistency, and time.

Climbing the Ladder — While Planning My Exit

I had a strong corporate career. I worked hard, I climbed fast, and I enjoyed the challenge. But no matter how good it got, I never forgot the plan I made at 17.

I always kept one eye on the exit.

By the time I hit 48, the pieces finally linedlined up.
I had saved aggressively.
My investments had grown.
And the company stock I held shot up to an all-time high of $72 a share.

I cashed out.
I retired.
I never stopped working — it simply meant the money I made or the position I held no longer dictated my life. I never made much money in the antique business, barely anything compared to the corporate world, but by then it didn’t matter. When I left corporate America, I moved all my money into real estate so I wouldn’t be risking my assets in the market once I was no longer adding funds.

And I never looked back.

Timing — And the Twist Life Loves to Deliver

Here’s something people don’t talk about enough:
Once you can project an income stream that will support your lifestyle all the way to full retirement — without running out — you can pull the trigger early and get out of the rat race.
That’s exactly what I did. I ran the numbers, knew they worked, and walked out that door knowing I’d never have to look back.

Today, that same company’s stock trades around $15 a share, and many of my former coworkers — great people — have faced the same layoffs my father once went through.

When I think about that, I don’t feel lucky.
I feel grateful.

Luck has nothing to do with it. I planned and sacrificed my entire life for this. People love to call it luck because it makes the discipline sound easier, but every bit of it was intentional. Honestly, the hardest part wasn’t the saving or the investing — it was keeping my plan a secret from my bosses all those years.

Grateful that I stayed disciplined.
Grateful that I trusted my instincts.
Grateful that I prepared for a future I couldn’t even fully picture yet.

I didn’t retire early by accident.
I retired early because I refused to let history repeat itself.

Living the Dream I Had All Along

Leaving corporate America gave me the chance to finally do what I always loved: open my own antique and resale shop.

And let me tell you — at 69 years old, I’ve never been happier.

Now I’m the guy out at the flea markets at 5AM with a flashlight.
I’m buying treasures, meeting characters, finding history, and enjoying the hunt every single day.

This wasn’t luck.
This was a lifetime of planning for the life I actually wanted.

The Real Answer

People always ask, “How did you retire at 48?”

Here’s how:

• I lived under my means
• I saved consistently
• I invested in the S&P 500
• I acted financially older than I was
• I cashed out at the right time
• I projected my income forward and knew it would last
• And I followed a plan that started when I was just 17 years old

Along the way I avoided taxes, interest, and insurance whenever I could, and I never paid full retail or took loans on anything that depreciated in value — that discipline alone saved me more than most people ever realize.

Retirement didn’t happen to me.

I built it — one small, disciplined decision at a time.

And the kid who made that promise at 17 would be proud.

And to any young person reading this — start now. And if you’re not young anymore, start anyway. It’s never too late to take control of your future. I didn’t get here because I was lucky; I got here by making tough choices, sacrificing things I wanted in the moment, and sticking to a plan long before it showed any payoff. If you take anything from my story, let it be this: your future self is depending on the decisions you make today. Don’t let them down.

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