FIRE and marital status

[tightasadrum]

Interesting angle on the question, Grizz.

I too had a number of business opportunities early in my career. I passed on each one without a whole lot of consideration. Not because it was riskly though, but mostly because they didn't interest me at the time. Oddly enough, I wasn't motivated by money. I had trained to be an engineer, and by gum I was going to be one. Of course the irony of that was that once I started in engineering, I was only "doing" engineering work for about two years. I was promoted quickly into management, doing for others what I had rejected for owning my own business earlier. Go figure. As it turned out, I was a much better manager than I was an engineer anyway.

Life offers up many roads not taken.

"I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

Indeed

 

[Eyerishgold]

I haven't FIRE'd yet. Sadly, I still have a looooong way to go. It would be an even longer journey without my wife there to help us achieve our goal. We split most of the work evenly for the most part and we both have our strengths. I handle most of the macro issues like long term planning, fund/stock/ETF picking, etc. and she handles ost of the the micro issues like coupon cliping and shopping around for the best deals on whatever we need. It's a combination of these two that will make it possible for us to retire early.

Why, as a society do we discuss our religious beliefs, sexual desires, etc. with our potential spouses but not our monetary beliefs and spending habits? Why is it taboo to talk about money and debt and planning with the person you chose to spend the rest of your life with?

Maybe I just got lucky to find someone who is as frugal as I am with the same desire to leave the workplace as early as possible. Or, maybe that's one of the reasons I was attracted to her in the first place.

 

[Grizz]

Why, as a society do we discuss our religious beliefs, sexual desires, etc. with our potential spouses but not our monetary beliefs and spending habits? Why is it taboo to talk about money and debt and planning with the person you chose to spend the rest of your life with?

Well said, and why do we not spend time learning about the myriad of investment opportunities out there while in high school? Why is it inappropriate to discuss money matters in polite company? I don't give a damn how much money you have, but talking about ROI in terms of percentages and taxes and the like is very productive, and if it weren't a social no-no to talk about such things with friends and family perhaps lots more people would become aware of the quality of their investment choices.

 

[aenlighten]

As I read the personality profiles

the odds of being a FIRE type are only about 5%, so if uncorrelated, the odds of two both being that would only be 0.25%. Two could do it much easier, but the odds are heavily weighted against them. There are probably others that could do so if they wanted to and worked towards that, but really don't give it a thought. Retirement isn't usually on most peoples minds until middle age.

 

[tightasadrum]

the odds of being a FIRE type are only about 5%, so if uncorrelated, the odds of two both being that would only be 0.25%. Two could do it much easier, but the odds are heavily weighted against them. There are probably others that could do so if they wanted to and worked towards that, but really don't give it a thought. Retirement isn't usually on most peoples minds until middle age.

.25% probability for both partners having a FIRE mental state! That's lower than I would have thought. In fact, that's so low as to almost be statistically irrelevant. Where did you come up with the 5% figure? I rarely mention my retirement plans to anyone but my closest friends, so I wonder if there might be more out there suffering in silence. DW seems to mention my plans (and hers) continuously to her co-workers. Their reaction is always shock and disbelief, which I find to be a combination of amusing and just a little bit irritating.

DD text messaged me last week that she was considering finishing up her undergrad degree early. I tried not to respond the way I actually felt.
Seems she received some strong interest from an investment banking outfit (whatever that is) that got her all charged up. This from a girl who only last year tried to convince me that money was not important to her.

I guess not, when Dad is footing most of the bill. Well I hope she asks the right questions of any future potential husband so she can get into the .25%-5% range of FI thinking, leading to financial choices instead of financial imperatives.

 

[Moemg]

Was married ,Was divorced ,Was remarried ,Was widowed ! I've weathered all these storms and have ended up FI .I atribute it all to being really cheap .I mean living below my means.

 

[aenlighten]

The 5% figure

is from looking at the Retire Early Personality Poll for percentage of people that have personalities consistent with early retirers out of universe of possible personalities. Some of these may not discover or seek it out but these would be the ones most likely to do so. Now given you are interested in FIRE, there is only the probability of your spouse being so at 5% or 1 in 20. Sounds like there should be a dating thread around here .

 

[SecondCor521]

"Hey, want to have coffee sometime? Oh, but first, just fill out this Myers-Briggs test. If you're not INTJ, forget the coffee."

2Cor521

 

[Eyerishgold]

"Hey, want to have coffee sometime? Oh, but first, just fill out this Myers-Briggs test. If you're not INTJ, forget the coffee."

2Cor521

Better test.

Ask WHERE they want to have coffee sometime. If it's Starbucks, run for the hills!

 

[FinanceDude]

. Sounds like there should be a dating thread around here .

Who would moderate that, Ha or lazy??

 

[Janet H]

Who would moderate that, Ha or lazy??

uh... not me. maybe we could do a moderator exchange deal with The Loveshack Forums

 

[Nords]

Who would moderate that, Ha or lazy??

If we move fast, JG might still be available...