What defines early retirement? Is it what Im currently living? Who determines when early retirement begins?
For me, I consider myself early retired because I am before the retirement age set by the United States Social Security Administration.
Social Security sets the ages as to when a person can begin to draw earnings from their retirement savings accounts. It's a whole mess of rules, laws, and regulations that govern the Social Security system. That could be an encyclopedic blog all alone bu itself.
The SSA has determined the age of 67 as my preset age that would allow me a monthly fixed income. I am well before the age of 67. However, because of fulfilling my work career and being disabled I qualified for early withdrawal of my retirement earnings.
Every month I get a direct deposit to my bank with my monthly benefits. These benefits were determined by law according to my work history logged into the federal government system.
As you all know I'm currently living in Tampa. Tampa has been dumped on by mother nature over the past week. We had more water pushed out of the bay by the winds of Hurricane Helene. And now for this recent storm, the bay waters were pulled out to sea. This has happened before in 2017. It was a wild occurrence then and it's an even Wilder one today.
I'm originally from thr tri-state area of NYC. I survived the multiple blizzard of 1996. And there are other storms of the winter and summer that have hit that region when I lived there. To me there is nothing different. Weather is weather. You either survive it or let it take you down.
For me, I would gladly keep rolling the dice in Florida. I enjoy my freedoms and the entire lifestyle of living in a tropical climate. I have ZERO inclinations of heading back to NYC. And I'm damn sure not heading to the land of California socialists. Earthquakes and wildfires are even more scary to deal with when living in dry ass California.
This next quote is from one of the followers of my Facebook page ...
"I doubt it! I still want to move there , hurricanes and all. United States has plenty of hazardous weather! Can’t run from it. And when you compare icy roads and blizzards to hurricanes it’s all bad weather!
We all wish there was more space in United States with tropical weather but unfortunately there isn’t!
So those who live there should not only know they will face hurricanes but always know newcomers are going to come too! It’s part of living in the best weather 99% of the time."
I've attempted to write my own blogs in the past. I owned a domain. Paid for hosting services and even attempted to promote a site with Google's marketing tools.
After trying and failing for several attempts, Ive come to the conclusion that Google's blogging platform will have to work for me know.
This is me after a rough day of contemplating this service. So here begins my journey.
I'll attempt to bring you a daily or even weekly glimpse of my early retirement activities while living here in Tampa.
Living in Tampa as an early retiree is a daily conundrum. Finding something to do isn't hard. Many outdoor spots here in Florida usually has a recreation background to them. Riding bikes, walking, and if physical feasible, running is on excellent few ways to get exercise. The by-product of the daily movement of muscles brings a refreshing release to daily life.
Pictured above is one of the unique condominium buildings that dot my bayside walking trail. Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa is lined with those multimillionaire buildings. To live in one with that wonderful view shining from the east must be a daily reminder of the inhabitants' success in life.
I'm Wang Wenming, the product manager of FEEKAA. We're excited about your social media style and would love to collaborate with you.
We have an amazing hair dryer we believe you'll love. It’s a 5-in-1 multifunctional styling set that includes a hair dryer, automatic curling irons, a volumizing blow dryer brush, and a hair straightener. This all-in-one tool caters to various styling needs, saving you time and money on multiple devices.
Here’s what sets our hair dryer apart:
1. Negative Ionic & No Heat Damage: It releases 200 million high-concentration negative ions, reducing hair static and frizz while enhancing shine. Our intelligent heat control system ensures your hair is protected from overheating.
2. Ultra-Fast Drying & Low Noise: With a high-speed brushless motor clocking in at 110,000 RPM, it delivers a powerful airflow that cuts drying time in half and operates at a quiet 59dB.
3. 9 Modes & Magical Coanda Effect: Customize your styling with 3 temperature modes and 3 wind speed settings. The Coanda effect attracts and wraps hair around the curling iron automatically for salon-quality results.
We’d love for you to try it out and share your experience on your social media. Here’s what we’re offering:
1. Place an order on Amazon and leave a 5-star review with photos.
2. Share a product video or post on your social media.
3. Once your review is approved, we will refund the full amount via PayPal, including taxes and shipping.
If you're interested, just reply with "I'm in," and we’ll provide further details!
Being a faceless video creator has become increasingly popular due to the ease of content creation with AI and other digital tools, privacy concerns, or simply because showing your face isn't necessary for your content's message. Here's how you can become a faceless video creator:
### **1. Choose Your Niche**
- **Identify a Topic:** Pick something you're passionate about or knowledgeable in. This could range from tutorials, DIY projects, educational content, storytelling, or even comedy like HowToBasic's approach with bizarre, destructive visual gags.
### **2. Conceptualize Your Content**
- **Scripting:** Even if you're not appearing on camera, having a script or at least bullet points ensures your message is clear. AI tools can help generate scripts based on topics.
- **Visuals:** Since you won't be on camera, your visuals become key. Think animations, text overlays, screen recordings, illustrations, or stock footage. AI can help generate or match visuals with your script.
### **3. Tools for Content Creation**
- **AI Video Generators:** Tools like Kapwing, invideo, VEED, and Revid.ai allow you to create videos from text prompts, offering AI-generated visuals, animations, and voiceovers. These platforms can be particularly useful for creating content quickly without needing to appear on camera.
- **Voice Overs:** Use text-to-speech tools or, if you prefer, record your voice. Some platforms offer voice cloning or a variety of AI-generated voices to keep your identity private.
- **Editing Software:** Even if you're using AI for the bulk of your video creation, software like Audacity for audio editing or more comprehensive tools like Adobe Premiere for video can refine your output.
### **4. Engage with Your Audience**
- **Community Building:** Even without showing your face, building a community around your content through comments, polls, or social media can be crucial. Your unique style or the content's nature can become your brand.
- **Consistency:** Maintain a regular upload schedule. Consistency helps in keeping your audience engaged.
### **5. Monetization**
- **Ad Revenue:** Platforms like YouTube can monetize faceless videos as long as they meet the general guidelines, including copyright ownership of all content within the video.
- **Merchandising or Sponsorships:** Once you have a following, you could sell merchandise or get sponsored content, focusing on your content's theme rather than your persona.
### **6. Legal and Copyright Awareness**
- **Content Ownership:** Ensure all images, music, or any material you use is either yours or you have the rights to use them. AI-generated content might simplify this, but always check if there's a need for additional licenses.
### **7. Marketing and Growth**
- **SEO and Thumbnails:** Optimize your video titles, descriptions, and thumbnails for search engines. Since your face won't draw clicks, your titles and thumbnails need to be compelling.
- **Cross-Promotion:** Use other social platforms to promote your videos. Engaging content on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram can funnel followers to your video content.
### **8. Stay Updated**
- **Tech Trends:** The field of AI in video creation is evolving. Keeping up-to-date with new tools and features can give you an edge in creating more engaging content.
By focusing on content quality, creativity in visuals, and engaging storytelling, you can thrive as a faceless video creator, leveraging technology to manage your privacy while still connecting with an audience globally.
