Poll:How many FIRE devotees have kids?

[523HRR]

I retired 7 years ago at 49 when our son was just going into 9th grade. He’s in college now, so we moved to Florida and life is good. Raising a child does not preclude FIRE.

 

[Free]

4 grown kids, youngest is 30. 3 married, all on their own, gainfully employed, 3 with homes. 2 grandkids so far. All kids graduated college debt free, no doubt us paying tuition delayed our retirement. But I still made it out by 60.

 

[Michael Moore]

None, but that was a decision we made before the FIRE efforts started to even form the outlines of a plan.

Same for us, both retired at 52.

 

[Canoeboy]

2 darling kids (DK’s). Retired at 57 five months ago. Last year the oldest finished grad school and the youngest started college. Was in my late 20’s before 401k started (always at max), DW a little earlier. Funded 529’s heavily early on and socked most windfalls (small inheritance and bonuses) into investments. DW stopped working 20 years ago. Living/spending the same now as we did while working and on track to go indefinitely (from a financial perspective).

Agree that we could have reached FIRE earlier without DK’s - have zero regrets.

 

[FIREarly]

My wife and I retired when I was 38 and she was 40. We have 2 kids. (When we retired they were 5 and 3 years old) They are 7 years older now.

Troy

Congratulations, that is awesome!

 

[mickeyd]

We have 2 kids, both adults and living away from home. Parenthood has been a great success here.

 

[pacergal]

2 kids, could have left working world at age 55, stayed for health insurance until 60.

 

[nash031]

I started a thread about no kids several years ago. Since then: two daughters, now 2.5yo and 10 weeks. Born at 39/41 and 36/38. We aren’t RE yet, but are at the cusp of FI. Probably done before 50. So count us in.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I started a thread about no kids several years ago. Since then: two daughters, now 2.5yo and 10 weeks. Born at 39/41 and 36/38. We aren’t RE yet, but are at the cusp of FI. Probably done before 50. So count us in.

Congratulations on your new baby girl! Both of them actually. I bet your life has changed in 3 short years...[emoji3]

 

[LastOfTheBoomers]

We don’t have kids - but I do have a view from the other side - my dad retired at 59 just as I started high school - since only one of my siblings took the free tuition offer - there was plenty for me - I did my part by finishing college in 4 years.

 

[NgineER]

Four kids 3, 6, 9 and 11. Age 44 and 42, achieved FI this year and will keep working for another 5-11 years.

 

[DireWolf]

I’m 50 and plan to FIRE within next 2-3 years. Oldest is out of grad school already. Youngest is just going in middle school. We should look relatively poor to FAFSA when that one goes off to college. Decided awhile ago it made more sense for us to contribute more to our retirement accounts and just deal with college as another expense instead of doing a 529.

 

[foxfirev5]

Managed to retire just before 60. DW at 54. Three kids off to college. Two graduated. No loans for anyone. I should have retired at 55 but was too conservative after weathering '08/'09.


I honestly think that having kids helped me with my FIRE plans. We had our first at 21/20 years old and this provided a great stimulus to succeed. I worked at the corp for 36 years and endured all the crap. Meanwhile while on the road I spent many hotel nights working investments and outside deals to add to our assets. DW went back to school at 38 and became a nurse (one of our best financial moves, community college paid off in a year and saved all her income for the next 13 years). Everybody choses their own path. I don't think that having kids is as big a factor as some would think. Having them with the right partner is a much greater consideration.

 

[dtbach]

Retired at 58 with 2 kids still in HS. Down to my last 2 college tuition payments. Didn't worry me at all.