Greetings

[Sgare]

I found my way here after searching for ideas to help me step up our game. The desire to retire early is getting stronger.

[Dtail]

Welcome to our wonderful site.
Hope to see more posts from you.

[rodi]

Welcome Sgare!

Feel free to ask questions/advice. Granted the answers are from 'some guy on the internet (SGOTI). But it's a pretty educated, financially literate, group of members here.

There are a couple paths to early retirement:
- Earn so much money that it's easy to save a bunch.
- Live below what you spend (even if it's not a lot), save and invest the difference.
- Work a job with a great pension... or if you can stack pensions (military then government contractor for example).

Or some combination of the above.

[Out-to-Lunch]

Welcome aboard!

[HI Bill]

Welcome! Having the desire is the first step. Living below one's means is the second. Let us know if you have questions, and where you are on your path!

[Koolau]

Welcome.

Be sure to let us know a bit about yourself.

[Sgare]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HI Bill Living below one's means is the second.

We have been doing that for a while.

So we did get a late start due to life stuff, errors etc.
We have been debt free except for the house for years. We just bought a home again 4 years ago. We have been concentrating on paying that off more so than investments. We had home issues in the past and wanted to be secure our home. We have been living/spending a little while paying down the home. We are have paid off more than 1/2 in less than four years.
I am 56, the wife is older. Been thinking that we need to increase retirement amounts now instead of waiting 2.5 years till the house is paid off. Figured you can only put so much in a year and we will benefit more from the tax savings now.
I increased my Deferred Comp today quite a bit while still leaving enough to pay down the house. We will just have to spend a little bit less.

[SpinDoctorTX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sgare I found my way here after searching for ideas to help me step up our game. The desire to retire early is getting stronger.

Welcome Sgare! I found so much information in here after I ERd. I wish I'd been an active user much sooner! Enjoy the journey on the way to ER. And, who knows- you might inspire some people in your circle!

[Bryan Barnfellow]

Welcome, Sgare. Lots here to help you up your game. I started to seriously plan for FIRE when I was 37. I remember around that time talking about our thinking with a visiting friend, who was about a decade younger. His response: "I would never think to ask that much from life." My response: "Why not?!"

We never looked back. We made mistakes, and made a lot of course corrections over the years; but always stayed true to our goal and our commitment to it. I always like to say that "The Plan" became like a third person in our marriage...one which had veto power over many other decisions (usually about spending).

Now that we have been happily FIRE'd for 5.5 years, we are glad for the power of "The Plan." I hope yours is just as satisfying.

-BB