Grainiac
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2010
- Messages
- 102
Hi all! I think it has come the time I introduce myself and start getting some friendly advice from the awesome members of this forum, so here we go (sorry this is probably going to be long):
We are a DINK couple both 46 years old. We have been fortunate enough to achieve relatively well compensated management level positions with our megacorp employers (separate companies). While our employers and industries are not overly sensitive to economic swings, we currently feel far from secure in our jobs due to the predominant meat grinder cultures and abusive political climates in the companies. Especially I am at the point when every Friday going home and still employed feels like a big achievement. Add average 12 hour working days and difficulties to schedule vacation time more than just couple of random days at the time, I feel I am getting close to a burnout. DW's situation may be a little less difficult most of the time anyways, but at times she is dealing with some similar feelings.
I constantly ponder various career change options including but not limited to ER. Simply finding new jobs for DW and I would be difficult because we are both highly specialized within our fields, and there is nothing else available at least for me in this part of country, if I were to leave my current job. At the same time we absolutely love living here and if things would just work out we would love never having to move again.
After one decade of financially very tough years while getting our degrees, LBYM has been a natural philosophy in our lives, and we have been entirely debt free for some time now. During recent years both DW and I have advanced well in our careers putting our joint annual income over 300k (actually way over the years when bonus and option payouts are good). At the same time we still enjoy fairly simple life style in a relatively inexpensive area of the country. We are currently spending only about 40k per year for non-discretionary expenses (company cars and company sponsored health plans help). Even with all discretionary spending included we currently use total of 55k - 70k per a year. Not forgetting that the average household income in our town is less than 40k, we could obviously get by with much less if we had to, and having been there before I know that we would be just fine.
We currently have about 800k sitting in several 401k and IRA accounts, and another 200k in stock EFTs and cash (efund). Our house (our only indulgence so far) should bring about 4-500k if we sold in the current market (definitely not in our plans).
One apparent option I have is to simply quit my job and ER next time I have a bad day, since DW's income alone would cover all of our living expenses and we could still add nicely to our retirement savings. But honestly this option worries me because DW is not all that happy in her job either, and seeing how I would enjoy my new life as a full time gardener and home maker might cause some major strains in our marriage. Besides, DW and some of my friends, to whom I have mentioned about the ER option keep telling me that I would be bored silly in two weeks. After all, I have only taken a full week of vacation twice over the past 16 years, and most people would probably consider me a workaholic based on just how things appear on the surface (they are wrong though). Another option of trying to hang on to both of our jobs for a few more years until we both could FIRE is probably not feasible either, since DW and I both have some pre-existing conditions and other health history that would make a private health insurance very difficult to get.
All this makes me feel conflicted in so many different levels. DW and I have been truly fortunate in many ways. We worked extremely hard first to achieve world class education, and finally achieved more in our careers than we had ever even dreamed about. I guess I actually feel guilty that all this did not make me happier in my life - quite an opposite. It feels like we have built our life into a virtual maze but forgot to leave a way out.
Any advice, anyone?
We are a DINK couple both 46 years old. We have been fortunate enough to achieve relatively well compensated management level positions with our megacorp employers (separate companies). While our employers and industries are not overly sensitive to economic swings, we currently feel far from secure in our jobs due to the predominant meat grinder cultures and abusive political climates in the companies. Especially I am at the point when every Friday going home and still employed feels like a big achievement. Add average 12 hour working days and difficulties to schedule vacation time more than just couple of random days at the time, I feel I am getting close to a burnout. DW's situation may be a little less difficult most of the time anyways, but at times she is dealing with some similar feelings.
I constantly ponder various career change options including but not limited to ER. Simply finding new jobs for DW and I would be difficult because we are both highly specialized within our fields, and there is nothing else available at least for me in this part of country, if I were to leave my current job. At the same time we absolutely love living here and if things would just work out we would love never having to move again.
After one decade of financially very tough years while getting our degrees, LBYM has been a natural philosophy in our lives, and we have been entirely debt free for some time now. During recent years both DW and I have advanced well in our careers putting our joint annual income over 300k (actually way over the years when bonus and option payouts are good). At the same time we still enjoy fairly simple life style in a relatively inexpensive area of the country. We are currently spending only about 40k per year for non-discretionary expenses (company cars and company sponsored health plans help). Even with all discretionary spending included we currently use total of 55k - 70k per a year. Not forgetting that the average household income in our town is less than 40k, we could obviously get by with much less if we had to, and having been there before I know that we would be just fine.
We currently have about 800k sitting in several 401k and IRA accounts, and another 200k in stock EFTs and cash (efund). Our house (our only indulgence so far) should bring about 4-500k if we sold in the current market (definitely not in our plans).
One apparent option I have is to simply quit my job and ER next time I have a bad day, since DW's income alone would cover all of our living expenses and we could still add nicely to our retirement savings. But honestly this option worries me because DW is not all that happy in her job either, and seeing how I would enjoy my new life as a full time gardener and home maker might cause some major strains in our marriage. Besides, DW and some of my friends, to whom I have mentioned about the ER option keep telling me that I would be bored silly in two weeks. After all, I have only taken a full week of vacation twice over the past 16 years, and most people would probably consider me a workaholic based on just how things appear on the surface (they are wrong though). Another option of trying to hang on to both of our jobs for a few more years until we both could FIRE is probably not feasible either, since DW and I both have some pre-existing conditions and other health history that would make a private health insurance very difficult to get.
All this makes me feel conflicted in so many different levels. DW and I have been truly fortunate in many ways. We worked extremely hard first to achieve world class education, and finally achieved more in our careers than we had ever even dreamed about. I guess I actually feel guilty that all this did not make me happier in my life - quite an opposite. It feels like we have built our life into a virtual maze but forgot to leave a way out.
Any advice, anyone?