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I added some money to a real estate mutual fund earlier in the summer. Mostly based on gut impression and anecdotal evidence that stocks had "come back" but real estate hadn't. Sometimes when I have new money, I'll look at what is down most from its recent highs, to identify and buy what's...

"Retirement" to me means having the freedom to choose my activities, every day. I will be able to reinvent myself whenever needed with minimal outside constraints. If that leads to dissatisfaction, then it's pretty clear that only I will be to blame, and it will be in my power to do something...

I find it ironic that conservative top executives, who probably loathe the idea of any sort of national health plan, are happy to offer a high-end corporate health plan, free flu shots, health screenings, corporate "wellness officer," wellness site on the intranet, etc, etc. In other words, no...

Related thread: Did You Find the Part-Time Work You Wanted after FIRE

I spend 1-2 hrs/week entering data in Quicken. I agree with others that this gives me an intuitive feel for our financial situation. I hope for the day when I feel financially secure enough to stop tracking expenses to the penny. Until then the benefits I see of using Quicken are: 1...

FWIW, I've been using Quicken for more than 20 years. I'm a software engineer, so I'm pretty critical of software. Quicken began as a stellar application (fast and reliable), and has steadily, in my opinion, degraded over the years as it's gotten larger. However, I'd still rank it in the top...

Being in a very similar situation to the OP, I appreciate this thread. It has struck me as ironic that problem employees get a generous severance while loyal long-term employees get none. But that's how the world works. Having considered the options for some time, I've decided against the...

Progressive (or their service provider) was very specific in asking me about the weight and length of my rig. The driver showed up with the appropriate size big truck. (And he had a bigger one he could have brought if needed.) I doubt any tow operator would stay in business for long using the...

I have the Roadside Assistance on our 20 ft. Class B RV through Progressive (referral from USAA). It's $44/year. Called the number when an alternator went bad this spring and a tow truck was there in 45 min. and took good care of me. No complaints. Speculation, but I have the impression that...

I'm approaching FIRE and pondering the best way to turn my investments into an income stream. Currently I have a well-diversified portfolio of low-cost mutual funds: about 45% stocks, 55% bonds/cash. The current yield across my portfolio is about 3%. I assume I could take a total return approach...

We split between Schwab (taxable) and Vanguard (retirement), with all banking at USAA. Happy with all three. Some of my preferred funds (like Vanguard) cost $50 a trade at Schwab, but if you trade little that isn't a big deal.

I too favor simplicity and low expenses. Started investing in my mid-30's, now in early 50's. My holdings have steadily progressed from individual stocks/bonds to a handful of low-expense mutual funds, about 1/2 Vanguard. I currently have only 9 holdings and hope to reduce even that by several...

We have the makings of a new gag, though it's a bit subtle, and I'm not clever enough to phrase it. Basically it's not good enough any more to retire a millionaire. You have to stay a millionaire (not outlive your assets). A million net worth isn't what it used to be, especially without health...

I faced a similiar situation recently, and decided to take the job. I had direct reports long ago and had some idea of the people issues to expect. A primary motivation was that I wanted to control my destiny: I could have declined, as several others did, but that likely would have led to me...

Yes, I agree that's a useful distinction between putting the career vs. job on "cruise control." Most of us who are fortunate enough to be in a FIRE position probably have some combination of integrity and work ethic that precludes doing explicitly lousy work. I often view this as "living up to...

I jumped out of a management/ownership position in a growing company and took a 15-year hiatus working remotely to raise a family. My career went nowhere but they were some of the best years of my life. Don't regret a thing. Ironically, I was recently promoted to a difficult management position...

Ditto those who say the root cause is the public. Until we are collectively smart enough to elect honest politicians who can speak realistically about what government services cost, then we will continue to see "back door" taxation through debt, inflation, and low growth rates. I am continually...

I'm still interested in people's real-world experiences. Were you able to find or create the part-time work you wanted after retiring from your main line of work? Here is my informal count of replies so far: Stay until fully FI, hard to find part-time work: 4 Go, easy to find agreeable...

Thanks for the helpful reply Nords. Spot on.

I'm close to FI, but with no safety margin. I've gotten depressingly good at enduring my current high-paying job, and could possibly eke out a few more years. But I feel exhausted, unproductive, and uncreative. And I'd have to work quite a while longer to absolutely guarantee financial security...

Our only son went off to college last Fall and it's been one of the hardest years of our lives, adjusting. I wasn't doing any retirement planning for the first 10 years of his life. My first reaction is to say that having him delayed retirement a lot. But it's not so clear now. I actually...

I was 33 when net worth crossed $100K, probably several years later before actually had that in investments. Thanks to a high-paying profession which I loved at the time. The last few years have been tough slogging for us all. I've been close to ER for several years: that "last" $100K is feeling...

We live in an upscale neighborhood surrounded by dogs. At one time or another we have had barking problems on each of our 3 sides. When I say 'problem' I'm talking about several hours of continuous, loud barking which we've documented in a written log spanning weeks. This kind of barking made it...

Texting proved by far the best way to get through to our teenage son, now at college. My wife and I use it fairly frequently when we are apart and want to trade information without interrupting each other.

My frequent breakfast/lunch: 12 oz. plain, nonfat soy milk 1 banana 1 cup frozen berries (raspberries or strawberries usually) 1/2 scoop protein power 1 heaping Tbsp. wheat germ