anothercog
Recycles dryer sheets
Sounds fantastic. We bought SUPs this year for paddling around our lagoon but your water looks clearer and warmer than ours. Enjoy!
Hi, I am..... FIRED!
- Thread starter FLSUnFIRE
- Start date
Sounds fantastic. We bought SUPs this year for paddling around our lagoon but your water looks clearer and warmer than ours. Enjoy!
FLSUnFIRE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
This first year FIRED has flown by and I keep pretty busy – like summer as a kid. The last year working felt like the longest of my adult life.
I visited out of state family several times and it is wonderful to not have to try to schedule travel with others. I’ve been on two leisure trips domestically as well and hope to do more. I postponed a spring roadtrip as gas prices spiked and, more relevantly, was feeling pressured to fit it in with so much else going on. I’ll hopefully do it in the fall.
I’ve fallen into/created a typical “normal” daily routine of waking when I wake, enjoying coffee or tea, practicing guitar, strength workout, running/biking/or paddling and walking on days I don’t. Afternoons are a bit more varied but I usually have some activity in the evenings (several Euchre groups I play with, running groups, guitar lessons, meeting with friends, etc). Sleep has been sporadic with periods of good and bad. My mind is pretty active and being FIRED and being able to do anything I want at times causes some distress as I want to do so much and I have FOMO/mental gymnastics trying to fit everything in. I also do bike tours (paid fun!) on an ad hoc basis. I’m asked if I’d like to take the tour usually a few days out and I haven’t turned one down yet except for when traveling. There has only been one tour in each of the previous two months and none this month yet (hot!). Depending how the fall goes I might earn ~$1,500-2K doing tours for the year so it’s not for the money but is fun getting paid to show off my city.
Personally, I am calmer and less stressed than working and drive slower unless I really need to make time. I also started growing my hair out –ended up going for a mullet as I hate hair falling in my face. It is fun and I can, so there! I have a goal to get to a certain BF% and other than travel and occasional injury/need to rest have been pretty consistent but I need to be a bit more disciplined with diet especially when traveling and socializing (craft beer is yummy but not good for me)!
Socially, I never socialized at work and I’m still off when my working friends are so there has been little change. I do more in the day and meet more people older than me during those times. My primary circle is evolving (not due to FIRE but internal dynamics/cliques breaking off) so I know I need to meet new friends to maintain a healthy level of friendships. I’m still an introvert and like/need my own time but am getting a bit more gregarious as I age. I think it’s more of an age thing (I see some of my grandfather and father in me) but FIRE has accelerated the trend as having more time and less stress makes me more open to engaging with others.
I’m not particularly lonely (probably because I am so busy) but having things so great really makes me want a partner to share it with –especially travel. Recently dipped my toe in online dating…. What a sewer but it might lead to meeting someone interesting.
Financially…. Well, not the best time to retire. NW is down by about 17% from a year ago. I haven’t sold anything yet. I watch the markets but am seasoned enough that it causes no emotional reaction. I’ll liquidate up to MAGI threshold in Nov/Dec and set aside funds for 2023 and reinvest the difference at stepped up basis if there is excess. Inflation is more scary to me than the market; I do find myself balking at some purchases but also stocking up on some things so net spending is fairly even with my expectations.
I am planning on traveling a bit more frequently especially to visit my family and am going to try to build a social network up there (or at least find groups to do stuff with) as sitting around the house is not all that fun. It’s not unlikely that I’ll be spending more time up there in the coming years as my parents enter their 80s and will start needing help. I’ve recently started entertaining the idea of being a “sun bird” (heading north in the dog days of summer) but not sure where and not in a position to fund two homes so just a daydream for now.
Absolutely no regrets!!!
I visited out of state family several times and it is wonderful to not have to try to schedule travel with others. I’ve been on two leisure trips domestically as well and hope to do more. I postponed a spring roadtrip as gas prices spiked and, more relevantly, was feeling pressured to fit it in with so much else going on. I’ll hopefully do it in the fall.
I’ve fallen into/created a typical “normal” daily routine of waking when I wake, enjoying coffee or tea, practicing guitar, strength workout, running/biking/or paddling and walking on days I don’t. Afternoons are a bit more varied but I usually have some activity in the evenings (several Euchre groups I play with, running groups, guitar lessons, meeting with friends, etc). Sleep has been sporadic with periods of good and bad. My mind is pretty active and being FIRED and being able to do anything I want at times causes some distress as I want to do so much and I have FOMO/mental gymnastics trying to fit everything in. I also do bike tours (paid fun!) on an ad hoc basis. I’m asked if I’d like to take the tour usually a few days out and I haven’t turned one down yet except for when traveling. There has only been one tour in each of the previous two months and none this month yet (hot!). Depending how the fall goes I might earn ~$1,500-2K doing tours for the year so it’s not for the money but is fun getting paid to show off my city.
Personally, I am calmer and less stressed than working and drive slower unless I really need to make time. I also started growing my hair out –ended up going for a mullet as I hate hair falling in my face. It is fun and I can, so there! I have a goal to get to a certain BF% and other than travel and occasional injury/need to rest have been pretty consistent but I need to be a bit more disciplined with diet especially when traveling and socializing (craft beer is yummy but not good for me)!
Socially, I never socialized at work and I’m still off when my working friends are so there has been little change. I do more in the day and meet more people older than me during those times. My primary circle is evolving (not due to FIRE but internal dynamics/cliques breaking off) so I know I need to meet new friends to maintain a healthy level of friendships. I’m still an introvert and like/need my own time but am getting a bit more gregarious as I age. I think it’s more of an age thing (I see some of my grandfather and father in me) but FIRE has accelerated the trend as having more time and less stress makes me more open to engaging with others.
I’m not particularly lonely (probably because I am so busy) but having things so great really makes me want a partner to share it with –especially travel. Recently dipped my toe in online dating…. What a sewer but it might lead to meeting someone interesting.
Financially…. Well, not the best time to retire. NW is down by about 17% from a year ago. I haven’t sold anything yet. I watch the markets but am seasoned enough that it causes no emotional reaction. I’ll liquidate up to MAGI threshold in Nov/Dec and set aside funds for 2023 and reinvest the difference at stepped up basis if there is excess. Inflation is more scary to me than the market; I do find myself balking at some purchases but also stocking up on some things so net spending is fairly even with my expectations.
I am planning on traveling a bit more frequently especially to visit my family and am going to try to build a social network up there (or at least find groups to do stuff with) as sitting around the house is not all that fun. It’s not unlikely that I’ll be spending more time up there in the coming years as my parents enter their 80s and will start needing help. I’ve recently started entertaining the idea of being a “sun bird” (heading north in the dog days of summer) but not sure where and not in a position to fund two homes so just a daydream for now.
Absolutely no regrets!!!
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
^^^^^^^
Thanks for the update. So glad things are falling into place. Keep us posted.
Thanks for the update. So glad things are falling into place. Keep us posted.
anothercog
Recycles dryer sheets
Sounds great! 5 more years to go for me.
FLSUnFIRE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Met a former coworker (one of the few "good guys" and the closest to a friend I had at work when I left) this evening for happy hour/dinner for the first time since I FIREd. Not that I need it but certainly added validation. Interesting what I'd already forgot and what I didn't in the last 14 months.... and how distant it all seems. I don't live in that world anymore and it is absolutely wonderful.
skyking1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
i bet that was a nice check on your decision. It sounds like you made a good break from it.
FLSUnFIRE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I'm way overdue for an update and hope to post a 2 year update next month.
Until then, I got an out of the blue email from my former supervisor asking if I could meet for lunch this week as there is something they would like to discuss with me. I am super amused and intrigued and should get a free lunch! My anal glaucoma has really flared up since I quit but if asked I might consider some super flexible short term arrangement if I can dictate the terms but I don't think my terms would be acceptable to the organization. It's been 23 months so seems too long to ask me back... perhaps they want to pick my brain on FIRE?
Until then, I got an out of the blue email from my former supervisor asking if I could meet for lunch this week as there is something they would like to discuss with me. I am super amused and intrigued and should get a free lunch! My anal glaucoma has really flared up since I quit but if asked I might consider some super flexible short term arrangement if I can dictate the terms but I don't think my terms would be acceptable to the organization. It's been 23 months so seems too long to ask me back... perhaps they want to pick my brain on FIRE?
It would be great if you could work out a consulting-type gig where you're in control and they are using your talents. You should be able to name your price if you are valuable to them. Nothing wrong with staying connected. This lunch might be a boon to your ego )
Good luck, hope you come out on top. Let us know.
)Good luck, hope you come out on top. Let us know.
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Keep us posted and I hope your glaucoma clears up.
FLSUnFIRE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
So, they floated the idea of a part time (pretty much half-time) position as a SME 100% fully remote. The work is cyclical so in reality it would probably be more like seasonal full-time employment. I warned them that I'm probably damaged goods as I've tasted freedom and could disappear again. I'm leaning towards no but will wait to get more information and see if I can get it scoped to where I am providing minimum time/maximum value for good compensation (I think the odds of that are not very high). I don't want to lead them on but I don't have enough details to definitively answer.
I got a free lunch and it was fun chatting!
I got a free lunch and it was fun chatting!
LateToFIRE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2023
- Messages
- 1,171
I only recently joined, so late to the party here. Was fascinated to read your FIRE journey. Congrats and thanks for providing the detail. Indeed, impressive to accumulate $2M so quickly on your income. It's notable that the jump from $1M to $2M was reasonably quick - perfectly illustrating how that 1st $1M is truly the hardest.
I too went back and added up my accumulated lifetime earnings, but never occurred to me to compare it to my NW. I haven't been as efficient as you, my NW is only about 70% of my lifetime earnings. I attribute that to a couple of things:
1) I'm a late starter, really did not begin saving in earnest until I was in my mid 30's, after repaying huge student loans.
2) Lived in a VHCOL city most of my adult working life.
3) Occupied a high tax bracket for much of my career. Crazy to think about how much of my earnings have been appropriated by the gubment.
4) Partly as a consequence of the above, lifestyle creep has been more like lifestyle leap, so I had (have) pretty high expenses. I'm a disciplined spender relative to my very flush peers, buuutttt... it's truly all relative.
5) I'm very late to the FIRE concept, so did not prioritize RE, though I have been FI for some time now (and finally ready to take the plunge).
No complaints, far from it. Just really interesting to see how others have gone about achieving FI and truly RE well ahead of the pack thru discipline and frugality. For me, it's a bit of a "duh... dude you could have taken a totally different path and not practically killed yourself swinging a pick-ax in the salt mines." Not sure that would have satisfied by inflated ego, but maybe in my next life I'll go about this very differently ;-)
FLSUnFIRE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
You are welcome. Throughout my journey I always appreciated other's journeys and found them motivating. I'd like to get back to $2M
Retired at the high-water mark! Would be more fun if I was at $3M now -although I don't think it would improve my happiness much over where I am now.
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Thomas J Stanley of "Millionaire Next Door" fame included in his book a formula to determine how you have performed in the wealth accumulation game. It's basically (your current age X your current salary)/10.
THEN he suggests looking at multiples of that IIRC. 1/2 that is sort of "not too good"
And twice is pretty good I think. Anyway, its' a place to start from "THE guy" who wrote Millionaire Next Door (which is sort of our King James version of the financial Bible here.)https://www.shortform.com/blog/millionaire-next-door-formula/
FLSUnFIRE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Hello, so today is the 2-year anniversary of my last day at work. On that day, I wore a T-shirt with one of the Bob’s from Office Space that said “What would you say you do here” under a blue sport coat. I always wore polos so until people noticed the T-shirt I looked like I had something important that day. I guess I did, an appointment with the rest of my life! It was kind of fun to wear that day and a fun memory to have. This post will probably be bit wordy recap and random thoughts after my first two years of freedom.
My life has stayed pretty busy since FIRE. It seems to go in spurts of lots of activity and then a few down weeks. It’s not designed that way but sort of how life and my energy goes. I’ve partially fallen into and partially designed a daily routine that I follow most weekdays (and some weekends but I keep weekends open to do things with my working friends). I typically wake fairly early, enjoy coffee or tea, practice guitar, and workout. Afternoons are a bit less regular but usually include something active or going out when most are working to accomplish any chores. I live in a walkable/bikable area and drive little except for a weekly grocery run or if I’m paddling or otherwise need to transport more than myself.
I didn’t pick the ideal time to FIRE as the market peaked shortly after and inflation continued to be relatively high. I keep an eye on the markets but have never worried. I do think I’m a bit more frugal as I don’t feel flush with cash and have spent less than I anticipated without any feeling of deprivation. I don’t budget but do track my expenses. The current market (S&P anyway) is now slightly higher than my FIRE day and my liquid net worth is hovering around 95% of the starting balance after living off it for 2 years. My WDR has averaged 2.18% (trailing 12 month expenses/current month’s ending balance) which is mostly impacted by market fluctuations over spending.
Since retiring, I took up learning guitar as an adult with no musical experience. I took lessons for about 18 months with a private instructor but decided to take a break. I think I have the basics and my limiting factor right now is just practice. –I shoot for an hour a day. It is rewarding and frustrating. I’m not very good but I’m enjoying it and it’s a mental challenge to keep me in learning and growing mode. I also paddle quite a bit, read, and socialize more than I thought I might –mostly group activities during the week and seeing my friends most weekends.
I do find myself drifting away from my friends a bit –not related to FIRE but so much of their activities revolve around alcohol and I’m not into that as a focus as much as I enjoy a good craft beer or bourbon. I’m semi-actively looking to expand my network. My best friend also moved out of state this year. I’d really like to find a romantic partner so share my life with and am intentionally looking –mostly on firedating.me.
As I mentioned before, I got an out of the blue offer to return to work on a PT basis. I really didn’t think I’d accept it unless the terms were good and my plan was to counter with something acceptable to me and let them say “no” so as not to burn any bridges. When I was sent the task list they expected my stomach churned at the thought of it! No way! I politely declined. I am most definitely damaged goods as far as working in a corporate/gov’t environment goes. I do enjoy the bike tours and hope to continue to do them. –Although, there is still a part that doesn’t even like that minimal commitment of my time!
Overall, since my FIRE date, I am happier, healthier, full of gratitude, more generous, more tolerant/less irritable, and more empathetic (that was a surprise). I think all of these are due to the increased bandwidth the freedom of FIRE allows me. I really like FIRE’d me and feel like I’m the best version of myself and on a trajectory of further growth and improvement.
Life is good!
My life has stayed pretty busy since FIRE. It seems to go in spurts of lots of activity and then a few down weeks. It’s not designed that way but sort of how life and my energy goes. I’ve partially fallen into and partially designed a daily routine that I follow most weekdays (and some weekends but I keep weekends open to do things with my working friends). I typically wake fairly early, enjoy coffee or tea, practice guitar, and workout. Afternoons are a bit less regular but usually include something active or going out when most are working to accomplish any chores. I live in a walkable/bikable area and drive little except for a weekly grocery run or if I’m paddling or otherwise need to transport more than myself.
I didn’t pick the ideal time to FIRE as the market peaked shortly after and inflation continued to be relatively high. I keep an eye on the markets but have never worried. I do think I’m a bit more frugal as I don’t feel flush with cash and have spent less than I anticipated without any feeling of deprivation. I don’t budget but do track my expenses. The current market (S&P anyway) is now slightly higher than my FIRE day and my liquid net worth is hovering around 95% of the starting balance after living off it for 2 years. My WDR has averaged 2.18% (trailing 12 month expenses/current month’s ending balance) which is mostly impacted by market fluctuations over spending.
Since retiring, I took up learning guitar as an adult with no musical experience. I took lessons for about 18 months with a private instructor but decided to take a break. I think I have the basics and my limiting factor right now is just practice. –I shoot for an hour a day. It is rewarding and frustrating. I’m not very good but I’m enjoying it and it’s a mental challenge to keep me in learning and growing mode. I also paddle quite a bit, read, and socialize more than I thought I might –mostly group activities during the week and seeing my friends most weekends.
I do find myself drifting away from my friends a bit –not related to FIRE but so much of their activities revolve around alcohol and I’m not into that as a focus as much as I enjoy a good craft beer or bourbon. I’m semi-actively looking to expand my network. My best friend also moved out of state this year. I’d really like to find a romantic partner so share my life with and am intentionally looking –mostly on firedating.me.
As I mentioned before, I got an out of the blue offer to return to work on a PT basis. I really didn’t think I’d accept it unless the terms were good and my plan was to counter with something acceptable to me and let them say “no” so as not to burn any bridges. When I was sent the task list they expected my stomach churned at the thought of it! No way! I politely declined. I am most definitely damaged goods as far as working in a corporate/gov’t environment goes. I do enjoy the bike tours and hope to continue to do them. –Although, there is still a part that doesn’t even like that minimal commitment of my time!
Overall, since my FIRE date, I am happier, healthier, full of gratitude, more generous, more tolerant/less irritable, and more empathetic (that was a surprise). I think all of these are due to the increased bandwidth the freedom of FIRE allows me. I really like FIRE’d me and feel like I’m the best version of myself and on a trajectory of further growth and improvement.
Life is good!
Last edited:
Lewis Clark
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2018
- Messages
- 1,030
Glad to hear things are going so well for you!
anothercog
Recycles dryer sheets
All sounds great. Im currently in Japan and having an amazing time. I also just got the news that one of my older cousins has died. This just doubled down on my interest to retire in 5 more years after my youngest kid graduates high school. There is too much I want to see and do.
I told my Japanese friend I planned to retire in soon and she was shocked. She wants to work as long as possible. Granted she works a lower stress job and works on contract for a few years at a time, but still. She said I would get bored traveling the world. Different strokes for different folks.
As my daughter would say, “you do YOU, man.”
I told my Japanese friend I planned to retire in soon and she was shocked. She wants to work as long as possible. Granted she works a lower stress job and works on contract for a few years at a time, but still. She said I would get bored traveling the world. Different strokes for different folks.
As my daughter would say, “you do YOU, man.”
It must have been a little tempting to take the part time offer to ride out the time to MRA for the better health insurance. Good on you for saying no! Was it hard to find a place that is very walkable? Are you in an urban area?
Last edited:
