I'm in a very similar situation except looking for career change instead of FIRE...
43, Single, no dependents.
Net worth:
Retirement Accounts $356,509
HSA $6,298
Taxable $23,664
Taxable Cash (SHV + Cash) $2,878
Cap 360 MM $63,209
Checking $9,814
Total: $459,494
Budget:
Rent $780
Car $221 (But I pay $400) Remaining Balance loan ~2.65% interest is $4568. I'd rather be cash rich right now than pay off the loan. 2014 Corolla, low miles.
Car insurance $46
Gas $30
Utilities $60
Target $80
Food $565
Internet/Cable $42
Cell Phone $52
Savings $0
Ent.,Netflix, Pandora, X $43
Total: $2,098
Without car payment Total: $1698
My personal portfolio: $63K cash @1.60%, 10K checking, 10K Total bond (AGG) 14K stocks Total Intl., Total Domestic (IXUS, ITOT)
My 401K has 105K cash and growing in SHV (short term treasury fund @ ~1.6%), rest Vanguard 2035 fund and small tilt towards international small cap and emerging markets.
I am making the same behavioral mistake by waiting for a bear market to deploy my cash into the 2035 fund and some of my taxable funds into ITOT. I know it's not technically correct but that's where I've put myself. Plus my personal funds depend on where my life takes me- Emergency/FU fund, house down payment, stocks when they're cheaper, time off for career change (graduate school, certification, etc.)
I'm living in Appleton WI (hate it) and am trying to engineer a move back to SoCal (Orange County - Irvine area).
My income has been just shy of 90K here for the last three years, saving approximatley 45K year between 401K, HSA, company match, Taxable accounts.
I can confidently say that it is possible to live/FIRE on about 2K in a low cost of living area because I have been, and could continue to do so.