Car-Guy
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
+1 Completely agree. I'm glad you commented since I had not seen the other post.
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Won the game - when?
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enjoyinglife102
Recycles dryer sheets
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I feel I won the game when I was born in the United States. No matter what somebody's situation or circumstances in this country, there are countless stories of success.
38Chevy454
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Won the game when I no longer had to work, or basically FI. Working because you want to rather than have to is another way to view it.
1242Vintage
Full time employment: Posting here.
Financially we won the game this Spring when our pension crossed the $11k a month threshold, no debt, paid health care and a few dollars in investments. Retired May 1, 2020.
From a family perspective we are deep in the red zone and ready to score. The goal line where the game is won at our house is getting all three kids through university, independent and launched into their chosen profession. First two have passed that point. Last kid ... soon to be a nurse ... will graduate in May 2021 and launch into her profession during this very interesting time!
From a family perspective we are deep in the red zone and ready to score. The goal line where the game is won at our house is getting all three kids through university, independent and launched into their chosen profession. First two have passed that point. Last kid ... soon to be a nurse ... will graduate in May 2021 and launch into her profession during this very interesting time!
jollystomper
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While I felt we have "won the game", I also agree with the sentiment that it is not a 100% guarantee. I view it similar to planning for tomorrow or the future - the odds are in your favor enough that planning makes sense. But your tomorrow or the future is not 100% guaranteed.
Our planned retirement SWR (after pension) was over 2%. Before the pandemic hit, it was running closer to 1%, and we were doing everything we desired. The pandemic has pushed our SWR lower. So, mathematically, a 2% SWR will never run out in our lifetime. In the remote situation that I lose my pension, our SWR will still be under 3%.
There is also the emotional component. The downturns since June 2018 reassured us that we would be fine, even at prolonged lower levels of the market. I do not need to work for earnings, so the job offers I get, while interesting *IF* I needed work, just seem like a chore. DW is still pinching herself that I have told her to stop her part-time work when she wants, it does not matter to us financially. We are more than content with what we have achieved and my lot in life. There is another thread where someone laments that, in retrospect, had they had a more aggressive AA they could afford a $1.5M house instead of "just" a $1M house. Discontent can be more of a threat to "winning the game" than anything else.
Our planned retirement SWR (after pension) was over 2%. Before the pandemic hit, it was running closer to 1%, and we were doing everything we desired. The pandemic has pushed our SWR lower. So, mathematically, a 2% SWR will never run out in our lifetime. In the remote situation that I lose my pension, our SWR will still be under 3%.
There is also the emotional component. The downturns since June 2018 reassured us that we would be fine, even at prolonged lower levels of the market. I do not need to work for earnings, so the job offers I get, while interesting *IF* I needed work, just seem like a chore. DW is still pinching herself that I have told her to stop her part-time work when she wants, it does not matter to us financially. We are more than content with what we have achieved and my lot in life. There is another thread where someone laments that, in retrospect, had they had a more aggressive AA they could afford a $1.5M house instead of "just" a $1M house. Discontent can be more of a threat to "winning the game" than anything else.
daylatedollarshort
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I grew up in a paycheck to paycheck kind of household, where every big car repair bill or the water heater needing replacing was a crisis. It is nice now to not have to work and not have to worry about money. A lot of our neighbors seem pretty puzzled on how we could retire so early, but what we don't tell them is that we retired early and spend half of what we could. I get a kick out of looking for bargains and optimizing expenses.
DH and I kept most of our blue collar habits we grew up with, so except for having a nice house, we just don't spend a lot on travel, entertainment or consumer goods. I don't compare myself to our neighbors. I compare how I'm doing now compared to the neighborhood I grew up in and life is pretty good. Every day is like winning the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. Some of our most fun days are doing cheap things like going to Napa wineries with Groupon passes or attending a foodie event at a fancy ballroom at the top of a skyscraper in San Francisco with Michelin restaurant booths on $20 seat filler tickets.
I think I have the post Medicare budget down to a 0% withdrawal rate, being able to live well on SS, modest pensions and some odds and ends hobby income, and that is with living in an expensive house in a HCOL area and going out several times a week to events like wine tastings, plays and concerts (post pandemic).
DH and I kept most of our blue collar habits we grew up with, so except for having a nice house, we just don't spend a lot on travel, entertainment or consumer goods. I don't compare myself to our neighbors. I compare how I'm doing now compared to the neighborhood I grew up in and life is pretty good. Every day is like winning the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes. Some of our most fun days are doing cheap things like going to Napa wineries with Groupon passes or attending a foodie event at a fancy ballroom at the top of a skyscraper in San Francisco with Michelin restaurant booths on $20 seat filler tickets.
I think I have the post Medicare budget down to a 0% withdrawal rate, being able to live well on SS, modest pensions and some odds and ends hobby income, and that is with living in an expensive house in a HCOL area and going out several times a week to events like wine tastings, plays and concerts (post pandemic).
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RetireAge50
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When I realized we could live comfortably on our pension alone. The 50% stock market gain over the last 2 years hasn’t hurt either.
WyomingLife
Recycles dryer sheets
I will have achieved nirvana when (if?) the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup again and I’m in the arena for their Game 7 victory. Everything else remaining in life is basically “bleh, yeah, whatever.”
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Let's hope for no "Pick 6".
Montecfo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
.
Car-Guy
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
You would be in good (or rich) company... Looks like Musk and Bezos aren't satisfied with a hundred billion+ either.
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Hmmm, now that you mention it, Rocco does sound like it would be a good name for a new handle.
Spanky
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"won the game" = Ability to live on 1.5% SWR.
NW-Bound
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It's a different game these guys are playing. One has to define the game first.
When taking a course on Optimal Control Theory in school, I learned first thing that there are infinitely many optimal control strategies. It's because there are infinitely many ways one can define what optimum is.
Here's a simple example. What is the optimal speed for driving a car? If you are shooting for "minimal time", then pedal to the metal. If you are shooting for "minimum fuel", then the optimal speed of course will be a lot lower. In real life, we are all having our own compromise between the above two extremes.
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Sojourner
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For me, it was when I got a 100% historical success result from FIRECalc after entering the most ultra-conservative numbers possible for my situation. For example, I entered an annual spending number about 50% higher than my real world number, no SS, no inheritance, living to the age of 100, and not ramping down my spending as I age. I figured if FC was at 100% even with all those extremely conservative numbers and assumptions, I was good to go.
pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
That is sort of where I was going... a target WR but probably lower than 3%... I was thinking below 2% omce pensions and SS are going.
Or alternatively when your expenses are 80% or less of FIRECalc spending level at 100% success rate.
IOW, a lot of redundancy and overfunding.
Bryan Barnfellow
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It is not so complicated.
You have won the game when you have enough money that you no longer have to rely on investments and work.That amount will vary widely amongst different people.
Mr. Tightwad
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I think if you can live off your investments then thats a big win.
Exwallstguy
Dryer sheet wannabe
My take
Felt like I won the game when I got laid off at 42, realized I didn’t care to keep doing what I was doing, had 35x annual expenses of a decent living expenditure of 170k, healthy kids and parents (for now), and plenty of time to spend crossing off bucket list items and doing volunteer work.
Felt like I won the game when I got laid off at 42, realized I didn’t care to keep doing what I was doing, had 35x annual expenses of a decent living expenditure of 170k, healthy kids and parents (for now), and plenty of time to spend crossing off bucket list items and doing volunteer work.
