I'm in my early 30s, and sometimes even thinking about being able to FIRE at 40 seems like a lifetime away (even though I know in my head that it's not all that far away, and that it's a very early retirement age).
One thing I just realized today, while playing around with FIREcalc and Financial Engines (through Vanguard) is that as of today I could retire when I'm 58, with 100% success in FIREcalc/Financial Engines, without saving another penny from here on out. And completely discounting any possibility of Social Security income.
Not too shabby!
To me, 58 doesn't seem like very much of an "early" retirement, but there are quiet a few among us who plan to FIRE in their 50s or later, and my opinion will likely change with age. It made me feel like I've already achieved some level of "success" instead of only focusing on how far I still have to go.
It's also kind of cool to know that I could seriously downshift, live a semi-FIREd life, and not derail a traditional retirement, since we're living on essentially half of my income right now.
Anyway, nothing earth-shattering, but to me it was a new way of looking at things. Now the challenge is to just keep plugging away until I get that "age 58" number down low enough to where I'm satisfied.
One thing I just realized today, while playing around with FIREcalc and Financial Engines (through Vanguard) is that as of today I could retire when I'm 58, with 100% success in FIREcalc/Financial Engines, without saving another penny from here on out. And completely discounting any possibility of Social Security income.
Not too shabby!
To me, 58 doesn't seem like very much of an "early" retirement, but there are quiet a few among us who plan to FIRE in their 50s or later, and my opinion will likely change with age. It made me feel like I've already achieved some level of "success" instead of only focusing on how far I still have to go.
It's also kind of cool to know that I could seriously downshift, live a semi-FIREd life, and not derail a traditional retirement, since we're living on essentially half of my income right now.
Anyway, nothing earth-shattering, but to me it was a new way of looking at things. Now the challenge is to just keep plugging away until I get that "age 58" number down low enough to where I'm satisfied.
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