Count Down With Me...

[Sheryl]

Thanks to the latest market moves, and the completion of our 2006 401(k) contributions, and the updating of some accounts that my non-financially oriented S.O. never bothers to check, we are now only

...... drum roll please.....

$4,630 shy of our FIRE goal.

We won't quit working sooner than 9/07, probably 12/07 - but since I've been watching this number tick away for 2 years now I feel the need for some fanfare - so bear with me if I use this forum to celebrate.

But if the market goes south after the elections, don't bother checking this thread.

 

[Jane_Doe]

Yeah, Sheryl!

Congratulations (almost, anyway)! That is really exciting. As a fellow close to FIRE, I am glad to see you post this milestone. My DH and I are slowly closing in, too!

Plan to do something special to celebrate - you deserve it!

Jane

 

[yakers]

I sure will countdown with you as Nov 07 is my target date. I use this countdown clock on my computer (http://www.timeanddate.com/counters...nth=11&day=3&year=2007&hour=&min=&sec=&p0=137)

See you around the water cooler for a while, we can talk of ER, quietly though, don't want to upset the others...

 

[ladelfina]

Best of luck Sheryl & yakers and also Jane... so close you can taste it!!
It must feel great now that you know it's only a matter of weeks or months...

 

[Dawg52]

Best of luck Sheryl & yakers and also Jane... so close you can taste it!!
It must feel great now that you know it's only a matter of weeks or months...

It does.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

We won't quit working sooner than 9/07, probably 12/07 - but since I've been watching this number tick away for 2 years now I feel the need for some fanfare - so bear with me if I use this forum to celebrate.

But if the market goes south after the elections, don't bother checking this thread.

Awesome - sounds exciting and just around the corner.

Your comment about the market going south reminded me of how vulnerable those without a little margin can really be in that touchy phase. Mind if I ask what steps you have taken to be "volatility-resistant" for those first few years?

I am about 18-24 months out, but have started stashing some cash away to last maybe 5-7 years; the rest will be in diverse equities. Of course, a pension would be nice, but not so here.

Anyhow, enjoy the anticipation and the liberation.

 

[My Dream]

I like reading posts like this.

 

[Outtahere]

Congratulations, it has to be a wonderful feeling

 

[cube_rat]

You go girl!!! I can't wait to read about your ER milestone.

 

[Martha]

I like reading posts like this.

Me too.

Sheryl, did you check your pockets? Under the mattress?

Maybe today will be a good day in the market.

 

[astromeria]

I'm so happy for you---WooHoo!! yeah.

I looked back at your first few posts to see if you posted your asset allocation--didn't find it, but I did see that you're a young near-ER <deep bow here>. If you care to share your info, I'm sure we'd be happy to drool with envy snark admire your prowess

 

[bosco]

I sure will countdown with you as Nov 07 is my target date.

Oct 1, 07--at the latest!

Party!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Callie]

How exciting! Good luck to you!

 

[Sam]

...... drum roll please.....

$4,630 shy of our FIRE goal.

Is that 0.001% or 0.0001% of your goal?

Congrats.

 

[Mach1]

Sheryl, That is realy great.

Mach1

ps. Yakers, thanks for the counter link.

 

[shiny]

Nothing like those real number goals to keep you motivated!

Congrats Sheryl!

 

[Sheryl]

Me too.

Sheryl, did you check your pockets? Under the mattress?

Maybe today will be a good day in the market.

'fraid not - the current total already includes every penny we could find in the sock drawer.

Thanks for the well-wishes, I am excited to be getting this close! (Whispered, as I am still at w*rk).

Your comment about the market going south reminded me of how vulnerable those without a little margin can really be in that touchy phase. Mind if I ask what steps you have taken to be "volatility-resistant" for those first few years?

Well... (a) the target number is already 15% higher than what we really intend to live on (b) we have about 3 yrs. of expenses in cash, and quite a bit more in bond funds, T-bonds. No TIPS yet but working on it. (c) diverse assets including real estate, equities, equity funds, balanced funds, international funds, etc. I'm not sure what else we could do.

Also, if the market looks shaky, and even if it doesn't we may do a little freelancing or our own development projects when we are done with the "regular" jobs. This is our idea of fun.

I am generally following Lucia's "Buckets" theory, though not as formally as he lays it out. (Lazy).

 

[Sheryl]

I'm so happy for you---WooHoo!! yeah.

I looked back at your first few posts to see if you posted your asset allocation--didn't find it, but I did see that you're a young near-ER <deep bow here>. If you care to share your info, I'm sure we'd be happy to drool with envy snark admire your prowess

Did you mean my age or my asset allocation?

The latter is here somewhere.....

http://early-retirement.org/forums/index.php?topic=3700.0

That didn't include the real estate, however. I was just looking at the "portfolio." 20% of our total nest egg is in the two rental homes we own. I don't include the $275k equity in the house we live in, as I don't intend to become a PT any time soon.

 

[saluki9]

Congrats Sheryl

This is a lot more exciting and uplifting that the threat I thought about starting about being oh.... around $1.5M shy of my FIRE goal.

 

[Alex]

SWEEEEEEEEETTT!!! it is wonderful to hit milestones, aint it? Especially when you get there ahead of your goal. Congratulations.

 

[Sheryl]

Congrats Sheryl

This is a lot more exciting and uplifting that the threat I thought about starting about being oh.... around $1.5M shy of my FIRE goal.

Don't despair. You might be surprised how quickly it will happen, as long as you're saving and investing, the money will grow while you're busy doing other things.

SWEEEEEEEEETTT!!! it is wonderful to hit milestones, aint it? Especially when you get there ahead of your goal. Congratulations.

Yeah, it's a little scary. 4 years ago I had been hoping to RE in 13 years... Two LBYM misers finding each other was some sort of miracle but it sure accelerated our time line.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Well... (a) the target number is already 15% higher than what we really intend to live on (b) we have about 3 yrs. of expenses in cash, and quite a bit more in bond funds, T-bonds. No TIPS yet but working on it.

Sounds like you won't need to worry too much about the market gyrations, so just enjoy.

 

[Sheryl]

$2,257 to go....

 

[youbet]

$2,257 to go....

My projection is that the market will take you there tomorrow. Or next week at the latest. Congrats!

 

[Mwsinron]

Just caught the thread! GL and keep going! Market looks pretty solid up till 2007 summer but you know how summers are..