Some people are so obsessed with their work that they can never envision chucking everything to begin a life of leisure, while others have spent most of their work lives counting the days until they no longer have to clock in. If you opt to jump the gun and call it a career before you hit your golden years, you’re taking a calculated risk, hoping to make your savings stretch out longer rather than spending more time to build it up before you take the plunge.

A post penned by an early retiree on Financial Samurai explains how he’s made the lifestyle choice work, despite seeing half his stock portfolio slashed in 2008.

Here’s an excerpt:

We dialed back our spending for a year or two, continued to rent out the un-sellable house, and I even made a point of doing some extra work so I could afford to buy some of the stocks that had been beaten down to bargain levels.

Eventually, the economy recovered. Stocks rebounded, my rental income went up and I started working less again. Meanwhile, my little boy has made it to six years old now, and hanging out and learning with him continues to be my biggest job by far, just as it has been since he was born.

Many retirees will tell you that retirement is a temporary status. You may have to go back to work now and then, but if you dedicate yourself to hitting your savings goals, you have a decent shot at attaining your dreams of travel, daiquiris and shuffleboard in middle age.

Early Retirement: It’s Not As Risky As You Might Think [Financial Samurai]

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