Sometimes it feels weird to think about spending the weekends making freezer meals, hummus and homemade bread when i could be relaxing on the couch with my wife and baby, particularly when we have a high AGI at the moment. Something about that doesn't feel right, almost feels selfish although i know that FIRE = more time with family during the "RE" part.
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I give you credit for coming so far and I 100% can understand your wife's conservative and motherly tendencies. Those are assets.
With respect to that last part, I think you have it a bit wrong. A frugal lifestyle can mean more time now? I feel sorry for people who work overtime, never see their children, and they are so depressed over the last two that they get convenience food for their lunch. Never realizing the latter has a feedback loop with the priors.
Also, concerning bread. We eat one loaf of bread a week at my house (myself, one child). I like baking and my daughter likes cooking with me. Cooking loaves myself saves me 0.50$ (I buy ethical eggs). Given the time it takes me, the ROI is too low to bake bread for any reason but pleasure occasionally. The only way I could make it work economically would be to buy a set-and-forget bread maker or stand mixer to slice down the time invested. (Even then, the break even point for me would be 2-4 years.)
Always put a value on your time and enjoyment. If buying two two-dollar whole grain loaves of bread a week costs you two extra dollars, saves you an hour, is about as healthy, and you don't find baking fun.......play with baby and baby.
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What I meant by the frugal lifestyle "taking time" was that it's faster and easier to eat out, or buy processed food, or pay a landscaper, rather than to do it yourself. Luckily, a) i really enjoy cooking and b) i am the type to really commit, perhaps borderline obsessive at times. So knowing that doing these things myself will save us $ and let us retire earlier, i don't want to give in and go back to excessive spending on restaurants or buying things one at a time from the corner grocery store.
Regarding my job, due to a tremendous amount of luck and a little hard work, i am blessed to work pretty easy hours and still earn enough to not really have to worry about $ for the time being.
Good point on the bread though - all things in moderation, even frugality. i won't be line drying my clothes or riding my bike to work, at least not in the South FL summer heat.