Race from $2M to $4M...and Beyond!

[frugalecon]

Joining the race...

[BeanCounter]

That sounds suspiciously like market timing to me.

On the other hand, I have to agree with the feeling that this bull market has to stop sometime.  But if the next bear market and/or recession is due to QE then I can't see how to avoid inflation that will make the '70's look like the good old days.

And if inflation does go off like a volcano the last things I want to be in is cash or bonds.  I'll just stick with equities and go with the MMM mantra of riding out the storm.

My 2 cents (in today's dollars).

Maybe, the low inflation is because people put their money in stock market. If they pull the money out of the stock market and start buying things, you will see inflation rise quickly.

I like your theory.  Starting to convince myself to work till 55 in 2023.  If that's the case, I'm keeping the fire hose flowing into stocks and REITs.

I don't know what you expect to spend in a year but honestly at $2.25M your risk of being dead is outweighing your risk of being broke!

I'm in a similar situation so I'm saying this to myself as much as I am you!

I’m with ExFlyboy! Life is way too short to spend your time trying to save for every possible scenario. Just a few short months ago I thought like that too. I was extremely risk adverse. But I’ve seen the light and realized that the worst thing that could happen is that we end up dead with a pile of money and not have time to do the things we love and with the people we love.
Just think about that.

[Bateaux]

Joining the race...

Welcome to the old farts club. 

[Bateaux]

That sounds suspiciously like market timing to me.

On the other hand, I have to agree with the feeling that this bull market has to stop sometime.  But if the next bear market and/or recession is due to QE then I can't see how to avoid inflation that will make the '70's look like the good old days.

And if inflation does go off like a volcano the last things I want to be in is cash or bonds.  I'll just stick with equities and go with the MMM mantra of riding out the storm.

My 2 cents (in today's dollars).

Maybe, the low inflation is because people put their money in stock market. If they pull the money out of the stock market and start buying things, you will see inflation rise quickly.

I like your theory.  Starting to convince myself to work till 55 in 2023.  If that's the case, I'm keeping the fire hose flowing into stocks and REITs.

I don't know what you expect to spend in a year but honestly at $2.25M your risk of being dead is outweighing your risk of being broke!

I'm in a similar situation so I'm saying this to myself as much as I am you!

I’m with ExFlyboy! Life is way too short to spend your time trying to save for every possible scenario. Just a few short months ago I thought like that too. I was extremely risk adverse. But I’ve seen the light and realized that the worst thing that could happen is that we end up dead with a pile of money and not have time to do the things we love and with the people we love.
Just think about that.

Love the opinions you guys shared.  Very true, very valuable advice.   It's possible I'm just too dang lazy to FIRE.  It's easy to just stay in accumulation mode. 

[DavidAnnArbor]

I'm kind of in a halfway house. I'm still working some, and I enjoy the work I do. It gives some structure to my life, and it's partly my social life as well. 
So I don't mind my work. As a consequence of it, I'm also accumulating some money, though not as much as when I was full time.

One of my part time jobs is teaching yoga and I'm hoping that job will enable me to receive a subsidized premium retiree health insurance when I'm 60 years old.

[EscapeVelocity2020]

I’m with ExFlyboy! Life is way too short to spend your time trying to save for every possible scenario. Just a few short months ago I thought like that too. I was extremely risk adverse. But I’ve seen the light and realized that the worst thing that could happen is that we end up dead with a pile of money and not have time to do the things we love and with the people we love.
Just think about that.

I know that the bolded part is just shorthand, a black and white argument for ER, but there is so much gray in there.  That right balance is the hardest thing to predict (and maybe it is good that we don't get to know too much), the trade-off of future free time vs. financial security.  We know where we are today - doing well with the money - but it is impossible to know exactly how much future time we need.  If we are employees, then we might not need 100% retirement just to be a lot happier right away; like maybe 50% more time is enough.  Especially if 50% more time could come with some dependable income and somewhat full benefits (retirement, insurance, healthcare, paid expenses like travel or higher education...). 

I'm hoping that future generations get a more flexible solution to this employment / ER conundrum.  We seem to be the unfortunate generation that gets stuck with the legacy working situation from the past which doesn't really fit what can be efficient and effective.

[Exflyboy]

Of course the Healthcare trap is a uniquely US barrier to walking out the door or to work say half time where you presumably wouldn't get HC bennies.

The obvious way around this is to have of a stash to fully fund your desired level of Care. For us (a couple of 58 and 54) this is about $15,000/year in premiums plus an extra $15k for the coinsurance for every year you might get sick.

So roughly half a million$ in extra stash should do it for right now and one hopes that half mil would grow to keep pace with increasing HC costs up age 65.

Emigration is another option of course.

[Bateaux]

It really is health care that is scaring me right now.  My wife just had surgery on a hand and elbow.  She's not been able to work for a month now.  She's going to try to go back next week.  The recovery will be one year plus and she needs surgery on the other hand.  Our 26 year old cancer survivor son, needs a second hip replacement.  He's had one side done already.  He's off our insurance and just received notice, that he'll be laid off from his job as a local news producer.  New technology just wiped away 50 percent of the employees.  With his health liability he was on the cut list.  He's on the ACA with decent subsidy.  We'll soon see how well that works.  So yeah, medical bankruptcy fear in the good old USA is why I'll be working till 2023.  It just seems foolish to quit my good paying job when we've already lost the healthy and lucky lottery.  I'm going to knock the shit out of the next asshole that bashes Obamacare or Medicare for all. 

[DavidAnnArbor]

It seems like a Democrat could win the election by just running a campaign on preserving and improving the health care safety net.

[flyingaway]

Health insurance is also a problem for us. We could retire and buy my employer's health insurance for about $16,000 per year, adding co-pay and deductibles would push us to $20,000 per year. I know we might get cheaper health insurance with ACA, but neither my employer nor ACA could be counted to last us until medicare 10 years away. Even medicare may be underfunded in the future.

[flyingaway]

It seems like a Democrat could win the election by just running a campaign on preserving and improving the health care safety net.

IMHO, they would not win with health care only. Because most Americans have private health insurance with their jobs. They don't want to pay additional taxes for other people's health insurance.
Unless, of course, all employers are not allowed to provide health insurance. That would be a dramatic change.

[Exflyboy]

Health insurance is also a problem for us. We could retire and buy my employer's health insurance for about $16,000 per year, adding co-pay and deductibles would push us to $20,000 per year. I know we might get cheaper health insurance with ACA, but neither my employer nor ACA could be counted to last us until medicare 10 years away. Even medicare may be underfunded in the future.

Thats about what we are paying for a Bronze plan for two of us of a similar age under the ACA with about a $7500 each coinsurance.

So the plan itself would not likely be cheaper, prior to subsidies at least.

[pecunia]

- SNIP -

IMHO, they would not win with health care only. Because most Americans have private health insurance with their jobs. They don't want to pay additional taxes for other people's health insurance.
Unless, of course, all employers are not allowed to provide health insurance. That would be a dramatic change.

If someone could just get them to sit down to look at the numbers, it could be seen that they are paying the health care via government for a good many now.  The numbers should show a net savings to most individuals.

I'm trying to do what Ex-Flyboy suggests and have a stash available. 

[dogboyslim]

Unless, of course, all employers are not allowed to provide health insurance. That would be a dramatic change.

At the risk of going off topic, this is what needs to happen if you want a robust private market that can handle risk appropriately.  Right now, the healthier risks are in the employer provided plans, so the individual plans face a higher risk, and makes them more expensive.  That these are also the folks less able to pay is why ACA funding is so high.  Dump the employer provided plans and make the health insurance market operate more like the auto insurance market, then provide for a residual market that is subsidized for people with pre-existing conditions and other high risk health conditions, and I think it becomes much more workable for people.  It would be great if companies also put that $10k back into people's pockets so they can pay for those plans, but I doubt that would happen.

[pecunia]

At the risk of going off topic, ,.......ople's pockets so they can pay for those plans, but I doubt that would happen.

As another brief aside, would national health insurance help save on auto insurance?

[dogboyslim]

As another brief aside, would national health insurance help save on auto insurance?

It could - if medical injury were paid primarily by national health insurance and you stopped the health insurance companies from recovering against auto insurance.  The standard of care could drop for an injured person, as BI funded cases typically pay higher rates than other health insurance and provide fewer restrictions on care.  Healthcare facilities are more attuned to these cases.  I do not know if outcomes are any better based upon funding, but it would be interesting to see if similar injuries were presented to compare outcomes between Auto Insurance funded care and Healthcare funded care.  Healthcare companies already go after the auto insurers in accidents if they can.  Its why anytime you go to the ER they ask you if this injury was as a result of an accident that may be covered by other insurance.

I suppose if we want to talk much deeper we should probably take it to a different thread.  Many possibilities exist to make things better.  Sadly, many of the cures are worse than the current situation, and unfortunately, many people both familiar with insurance and those not, cannot readily predict which ones are going to be better than others.  Put on top of that partisan politics, and the whole thing is just a heaping pile.

[flyingaway]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I can think of two or three overseas trips per year, play cards with friends once every week, have fun going out to eat (or party) or visit casinos once every week. What do you do to keep your retirement life interesting?

(I am semi-retired and have a teaching job. I could do the above mentioned activities with my current job. I am not looking for volunteering opportunities, as many consider teaching as a good volunteering activity. But I prefer not to work at all, if my retirement life could be interesting and not boring.)

[Exflyboy]

I would argue that winning the race is not so much about a number of course. There are some whos spending habits mean they will need $5M+ and some at less than 1$1M.

As for me at somewhere between those two posts I have a current WR of about 1.5%.. not by design, it just happened thanks to Mr Market.

We take a couple of trips abroad each year and I spend a lot of time in my shop doing stuff on my lathe and welding etc. We have a small farmette so thaer is always something that needs fixing/re-engineering/modifying..:)

[2sk22]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

• Complete my N-scale model train layout. I am writing the control software myself.
• Start a model railroad club in my town
• Get a 3D printer and come up to speed with CAD. I'm really rusty as I haven't done any serious design in a while.
• Resume active membership in the cognitive science society.
• Learn to fly FPV drones and also develop drone control software

Nothing very expensive :-)

[Dicey]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I can think of two or three overseas trips per year, play cards with friends once every week, have fun going out to eat (or party) or visit casinos once every week. What do you do to keep your retirement life interesting?

(I am semi-retired and have a teaching job. I could do the above mentioned activities with my current job. I am not looking for volunteering opportunities, as many consider teaching as a good volunteering activity. But I prefer not to work at all, if my retirement life could be interesting and not boring.)

Due to having a MIL with ALZ who lives with us, our FIRE life looks nothing like we planned. It's one of the reasons DH keeps working. I fill my free time with volunteer activities. Some are small, some are big. All are rewarding to varying degrees, and I adore feeling like a valued member of my community. In my small way, I make things better for myself and the world around me. It is nothing like teaching. My volunteer activities reflect my personal interests. Not saying teachers don't make the world a better place*, buy it is not the same.

* Since the topic is teaching, apologies for the double negative :-)

[2sk22]

For some reason, @flyingaway 's question suddenly reminded me of the cheesy 80s show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous :-)

https://youtu.be/rjM2TOplSco

For a while, group of us impoverished grad students used to watch this show every week while drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. I used to love Robin Leach's nasal voice. I have hunch more than one of you here has watched this show :-)

[Exflyboy]

As an immigrant in the late 90's I had never seen this show.. It seems pretty tacky from the Youtube clip. Most millionaires I know look like me... Stealth wealth!..:)

[trashtalk]

As an immigrant in the late 90's I had never seen this show.. It seems pretty tacky from the Youtube clip. Most millionaires I know look like me... Stealth wealth!..:)

Fun facts about the guy featured in this episode:

* Adnan Khashoggi was an uncle of Jamal Khashoggi who was tortured and killed by the Saudis last year
* Donald Trump once bought Adnan Khashoggi's old yacht but only kept it for about a year on account of yachts being too expensive for fake billionaires to maintain successfully

[nancyfrank232]

Any computer geek working on salary is doing it wrong. Go contracting. Work from home. Bill by the hour.

Being on retainer is better

[nancyfrank232]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I can think of two or three overseas trips per year, play cards with friends once every week, have fun going out to eat (or party) or visit casinos once every week. What do you do to keep your retirement life interesting?

Have over $5m

Tried all that

Still in our 40s

Don’t enjoy gambling

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f26/hello-from-canada-99808.html

Basically do whatever

[soccerluvof4]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I can think of two or three overseas trips per year, play cards with friends once every week, have fun going out to eat (or party) or visit casinos once every week. What do you do to keep your retirement life interesting?

Have over $5m

Tried all that

Still in our 40s

Don’t enjoy gambling

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f26/hello-from-canada-99808.html

Basically do whatever

Continue to work a part time gig 20-25 hours a week to protect stash as much as I can until I physically cant anymore.
Spend as much time on the lake as possible
Spend as much time watching my kids grow up and be around them.
Workout and get to the gym as much as possible
Self Improvement on my weakness
Continue to educate my self and learn new things
some travel, mostly in the winter months.
Spend time with friends

[SwordGuy]

If the stock market stays at average returns for the next 3 years we should arrive at the $3M mark, even after giving a house away.      Not bad for a couple of folks who were living in poverty the first 6 years we were together!

[flyingaway]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I can think of two or three overseas trips per year, play cards with friends once every week, have fun going out to eat (or party) or visit casinos once every week. What do you do to keep your retirement life interesting?

Have over $5m

Tried all that

Still in our 40s

Don’t enjoy gambling

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f26/hello-from-canada-99808.html

Basically do whatever

We don't have that much money and are older. However, I did some online calculations. If we worked until 70, then the combined social security would cover our living expenses, which would make all savings and investments less meaningful.

Furthermore, if we could live to 101 years old, we might have $82M in our investment account. Maybe I could use that money to transform 101 years old me into a 20 years old handsome man at that time.

(I am only semi-retired. Like you, I am afraid of a boring retirement life, so I am actively looking for ways to spend money and to retire to).

[Car Jack]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I can think of two or three overseas trips per year, play cards with friends once every week, have fun going out to eat (or party) or visit casinos once every week. What do you do to keep your retirement life interesting?

My next attainable target number is $2.75M.  I'm already at over 50 times spending, so am certifiably financially independent.  Not yet retired, still working.

I don't like to travel.  Why?  I traveled for a job for too long.  I absolutely HATE getting on an airplane now.  I'd rather drive from Massachusetts to Florida than fly.  (I'm actually driving my mom's car to Florida in a week...but flying back with point, free, first class).  Anyways, have less than zero interest in gambling.  I'm too logical.  I'm an engineer.  I can figure out that casinos need to keep all those lights on, need to pay all those employees.  Nobody wins.

My plans are fairly simple.  I'll do more offroading with my Wrangler (the most favoritest vehicle of the MMM crowd, right?  I get nearly 13 mpg....weeee).  Probably start doing a bit of mountain biking again.  Perhaps add an electric assist mt bike since I'm no longer 17.  I forest manage my property, so can certainly do more work outside in the woods.  What else?  I'll likely buy a toy car and start going to car shows again.  My last car was a Lotus Elise that I sold to pay a semester of tuition for one of my sons.  Note again that I'm already over 50 times spending in liquid assets (plus paid off house and 5 paid off cars) so I will have the cash available.  Something along the lines of a Lotus Evora, 911, maybe something more practical like a BRZ or Miata.

I have been "practicing" being retired with days off to burn vacation days for no reason.  I've done spectacular things like hooked up my trailer full of scrap steel to cash in and dropped off a gift of a check for college from my mom at the bursar's office at my son's college (it's only 15 miles from my house....and 2 miles from the scrap yard).  I have no big driving, focused things that I want to do.  I actually do plan to take jobs I'd like to try.  If I get to a point I don't like one, it'll be very easy to just quit.

[cloudsail]

Hi everyone! Our LNW passed $2.15M yesterday, so I am joining you all in this thread. Here's to the next million!

[Dicey]

Hi everyone! Our LNW passed $2.15M yesterday, so I am joining you all in this thread. Here's to the next million!

Welcome!

[2sk22]

Hi everyone! Our LNW passed $2.15M yesterday, so I am joining you all in this thread. Here's to the next million!

Great to have you here. You seem to have reached this point way sooner than I did!

[soccerluvof4]

Hi everyone! Our LNW passed $2.15M yesterday, so I am joining you all in this thread. Here's to the next million!

Great to have you here. You seem to have reached this point way sooner than I did!

Welcome! more the merrier...!

[EscapeVelocity2020]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I still enjoy overseas travel and look forward to going back to the places we lived overseas.  I speak a few languages, so I'd hope to improve on that.  Will also try out slow travel, both domestic to National Parks and international.  Japan is high on the list.  Also want to do active travel - hiking, biking, running, sailing, scuba, skiing, exploration (Antarctica, Galapagos, Israel and difficult to reach destinations (Svalbard))...  But we have to get the kids off to college first.  I'm not planning to leave a pile of money behind, so the work will be to slowly spend down the principal as well as the gains in to our 70's, then we'll think about slowing down.  I'm probably trending more toward a traditional retiree than most here - I look forward to using the combination of time and money to have a higher quality of life early on in retirement, then trending more toward family time / being grandparents later in life.  But who knows what the future actually has in store for me - maybe there is a tech breakthrough or financial collapse that changes everything.

[RWD]

I'll likely buy a toy car and start going to car shows again.  My last car was a Lotus Elise that I sold to pay a semester of tuition for one of my sons.  Note again that I'm already over 50 times spending in liquid assets (plus paid off house and 5 paid off cars) so I will have the cash available.  Something along the lines of a Lotus Evora, 911, maybe something more practical like a BRZ or Miata.

You have 5 cars? Wow. Would your toy car replace one of them?

I have a BRZ and I can confirm it is surprisingly practical (until you try to fit a third person in it). When I bought it in 2013 I took it to a Cars & Coffee where a decent number of people were interested in it. Today though I doubt anyone would give an unmodified BRZ a second glance at a car show.

[Car Jack]

4 drivers in the house.  One a community college student, one a final year 4 year college student, one "extra" vehicle is a 2009 Ford Fusion that my mom gave to me when she bought a new car.  Son #2 side swiped a truck (only been driving a couple months) which totaled the car, which I bought back ($4800 check to me), bought a mirror for $25 out of a junkyard and pretended to do paintless dent removal to the fender.

My mom is currently in Florida, so I have her new car.....so 6 on the property. 

[MiserlyMiser]

For those who have won this race, i.e., reached $3M, and retired or plan to retire soon, what are your activities (or planned activities) in retirement?

I still enjoy overseas travel and look forward to going back to the places we lived overseas.  I speak a few languages, so I'd hope to improve on that.  Will also try out slow travel, both domestic to National Parks and international.  Japan is high on the list.  Also want to do active travel - hiking, biking, running, sailing, scuba, skiing, exploration (Antarctica, Galapagos, Israel and difficult to reach destinations (Svalbard))...  But we have to get the kids off to college first.  I'm not planning to leave a pile of money behind, so the work will be to slowly spend down the principal as well as the gains in to our 70's, then we'll think about slowing down.  I'm probably trending more toward a traditional retiree than most here - I look forward to using the combination of time and money to have a higher quality of life early on in retirement, then trending more toward family time / being grandparents later in life.  But who knows what the future actually has in store for me - maybe there is a tech breakthrough or financial collapse that changes everything.

Your travel plans sound like mine--I'm dying to go to Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kamchatka, etc.  I'm looking forward to being able to travel slowly to make the most of these places. 

[nancyfrank232]

Your travel plans sound like mine--I'm dying to go to Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kamchatka, etc.  I'm looking forward to being able to travel slowly to make the most of these places.

Out of curiosity, what is the appeal of those places? What are you looking forward to seeing/doing/experiencing there? Thanks

[deborah]

Greenland is magic, particularly if you go there as the season is changing from autumn to winter. As someone from Australia, where you can often be the only person in a national park, remote places where you are practically alone have a lot of appeal. Our visit to northern Canada this year was epic. Nahanni, Tombstone Park, the Dempster Highway, tuktoyaktuk, iqaluit... amazing scenery, unbelievable autumn colours, wide open spaces. Just beautiful!

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Your travel plans sound like mine--I'm dying to go to Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kamchatka, etc.  I'm looking forward to being able to travel slowly to make the most of these places.

Out of curiosity, what is the appeal of those places? What are you looking forward to seeing/doing/experiencing there? Thanks

I was just remembering this morning our trip to Thailand.  My wife had booked an elephant ride in the jungle and boat tour.  On the way home, my son had to use the restroom desperately and the guide stopped at a local home just off the road.  The people were really nice and welcoming, even though we didn't speak the language and we were probably the last thing they expected.  They would not take any gesture of gratitude and my kids both talked a lot about that.  Although the whole day was amazing, that little stop off and interacting with locals was a highlight.

That is the magic of slow travel, you maybe have a loose plan of things to do, but once you are there all sorts of things can happen.  It was the same when we lived overseas, travel without a rigid plan is much more meaningful than 'vacationing'.  It also makes being at home doing routine stuff a lot more fun.

[MiserlyMiser]

Your travel plans sound like mine--I'm dying to go to Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kamchatka, etc.  I'm looking forward to being able to travel slowly to make the most of these places.

Out of curiosity, what is the appeal of those places? What are you looking forward to seeing/doing/experiencing there? Thanks

Lately I've been drawn to places of wild, natural beauty where I can be alone.  I've traveled extensively in Europe (I lived there for a while) and some in Asia, mainly places where I was surrounded by people and the attractions were arts and culture.  Maybe it's partly a reaction to an overload of those experiences that I now try to get away from people. 
But specifically for the places I mentioned: Svalbard captured my interest from The Golden Compass books.  A friend of mine visited the Faroe Islands and I fell in love with the stark landscape in her photos.  In the summer it's green, with steep, high cliffs and waterfalls, and there's a lake perched 40m over the sea that I'm dying to see in person.  Greenland--wild and desolate, plus Smilla's Sense of Snow piqued my interest in the people.  And Kamchatka--Russia has always fascinated me, and Kamchatka is the most remote (and I suspect) untouched part of it.  I studied Russian history in college, but we only covered Eurasian Russian history--from St. Petersburg to the steppes.  I've always been curious about the far eastern part.

[MiserlyMiser]

Greenland is magic, particularly if you go there as the season is changing from autumn to winter. As someone from Australia, where you can often be the only person in a national park, remote places where you are practically alone have a lot of appeal. Our visit to northern Canada this year was epic. Nahanni, Tombstone Park, the Dempster Highway, tuktoyaktuk, iqaluit... amazing scenery, unbelievable autumn colours, wide open spaces. Just beautiful!

I would LOVE to hear more about your experiences in Greenland--how long did you stay?  Did you travel around?  What was it about the season changing that was so beautiful? 

[markbike528CBX]

Your travel plans sound like mine--I'm dying to go to Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kamchatka, etc.  I'm looking forward to being able to travel slowly to make the most of these places.

Out of curiosity, what is the appeal of those places? What are you looking forward to seeing/doing/experiencing there? Thanks

Lately I've been drawn to places of wild, natural beauty where I can be alone.  I've traveled extensively in Europe (I lived there for a while) and some in Asia, mainly places where I was surrounded by people and the attractions were arts and culture.  Maybe it's partly a reaction to an overload of those experiences that I now try to get away from people. 
But specifically for the places I mentioned: Svalbard captured my interest from The Golden Compass books.  A friend of mine visited the Faroe Islands and I fell in love with the stark landscape in her photos.  In the summer it's green, with steep, high cliffs and waterfalls, and there's a lake perched 40m over the sea that I'm dying to see in person.  Greenland--wild and desolate, plus Smilla's Sense of Snow piqued my interest in the people.  And Kamchatka--Russia has always fascinated me, and Kamchatka is the most remote (and I suspect) untouched part of it.  I studied Russian history in college, but we only covered Eurasian Russian history--from St. Petersburg to the steppes.  I've always been curious about the far eastern part.

I've been to Zheleznogorsk (formerly Krasnoyarsk-26, a "secret city" in the middle of Siberia) and stayed in a place on the edge of town.  Out my window I could see birch trees and snow.  I'm a warm-weather person, so I didn't do any hiking (plus it is a restricted town).  In mid-March the ice on the local lake was still a meter thick.  The Sunday before I arrived they had a car race on the ice.  Nice place, but pretty cold.  TL;DR- my boss sent me to Siberia.
On topic for MMM forum, I saw no 4x4 pickups at all, just mostly normal cars.

[cloudsail]

For myself, I'd love to spend some time in southeast Asia, but DH is paranoid about tropical diseases. Oh well, maybe Taiwan or Hainan is still a possibility.

[flyingaway]

Are you much more relaxed at $3M than you were at $2M?

Do you consider yourself (and your family if applicable) financially independent at $3M?

[EscapeVelocity2020]

Are you much more relaxed at $3M than you were at $2M?

Do you consider yourself (and your family if applicable) financially independent at $3M?

Nothing seemed any different once we passed $2M, other than maybe a burden to do more (especially for others).  It took a long time to get to $1M (I graduated and started investing in 1996) and I thought that was a lot of moolah.  I was a bit scared to ER at $1M but my DW quit her job and things were significantly better day-to-day.  The run from $1M to $2M took place roughly from 2009 to 2014, so much quicker and while things were good in Houston (until 2015).  $3M happened even sooner, despite the downturn in the local economy...  thank you compounding and US markets.

I considered our family 'lean-FI' at $1M investments and fat-FI at $2M.

[nancyfrank232]

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[2sk22]

Are you much more relaxed at $3M than you were at $2M?

Do you consider yourself (and your family if applicable) financially independent at $3M?

This is a trick question :-) I have been an obsessive expenditure tracker since 1994 when I bought my first copy of Quicken. But, it somehow never occurred to me to calculate my household's net worth until 2016 - at which point we were about $3M!  That said, I am absolutely more relaxed now than I was in 2016.

More than net worth, the feeling of employability (ie being able to find a job quickly) has been a bigger source of comfort for me in recent years. Things did look a bit dicey about 15 years ago. But round about 2010, the corporate world, suddenly woke up to the possibilities of AI, my field of work. Since then, I have not really been worried about being unemployed.

[soccerluvof4]

Are you much more relaxed at $3M than you were at $2M?

Do you consider yourself (and your family if applicable) financially independent at $3M?

I would say more from a psychological point of view knowing that if you had a 50% drop 1.5 million is easier for me to live on than if it dropped and I ended up with 1 million BUT each year that becomes less the case because i know in either case I would be fine. Time for me has at least been my friend in feeling comfortable  in being able to do things to earn extra cash if need be or maneuver some not if but when shit hits the fan.

[Bateaux]

I was being a whiney little bitch a week ago.  As treatment, I took off with my bicycle.  I went bikepacking for 200 Mississippi miles.  Soul and body lighter now.  Love you bitches.