Author Topic: 2018 FIRE cohort  (Read 738216 times)

Lews Therin

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Magnum Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 3898
  • Age: 34
  • Location: Gatineau
  • Fee-only Financial Planner
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1850 on: August 01, 2018, 12:12:31 PM »

I'm going to apply for a credit card while I've still got an income. I don't intend to use it - I haven't had any credit cards since 2005, when the cashback benefits stopped justifying the inconvenience of paying off my balance every month - but it would be a good thing to have.

Auto-pay?

Mr Griz

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 47
  • Location: Texas
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1851 on: August 01, 2018, 07:51:49 PM »
I’ve known for a while that I wouldn’t make it out in July but I’ve waited to change my date until I knew for sure when it would be. Still don’t know but should be sometime in September. I really want to finish up my last project but the end has been elusive. I’ve had “the talk” with my boss now so he clearly understands and is supportive.

mjr

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 490
  • Age: 58
  • Location: Brisbane, Qld
  • Retired at 52
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1852 on: August 01, 2018, 10:51:57 PM »
You can add me to the list. 

Retiring tomorrow, 3rd August, at 52 !!

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5351
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1853 on: August 02, 2018, 07:32:12 AM »
You can add me to the list. 

Retiring tomorrow, 3rd August, at 52 !!
Congrats!!

aperture

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 475
  • Location: Colorado
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1854 on: August 02, 2018, 07:43:39 AM »
You can add me to the list. 

Retiring tomorrow, 3rd August, at 52 !!

Awesome! Welcome to the group.

CowboyAndIndian

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Location: NJ, USA
    • KOWines: Deep discount wine/spirits store.
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1855 on: August 02, 2018, 08:16:04 AM »
@mjr, Welcome to the cohort and congratulations on achieving FIRE!

01/01/18  CowboyAndIndian (at 59) CONFIRMED
01/04/18  Gimesalot (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/06/18  Monkey Uncle (at 49) CONFIRMED
01/26/18  PizzaSteve (at 53) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  patches (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  Wintergreen78 CONFIRMED
01/31/18  MomCPA  CONFIRMED
02/01/18  DTaggart (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/05/18  Mrbeardedbigbucks CONFIRMED
02/09/18  JLTinVA (at 42) CONFIRMED
02/14/18  Gimesalot DH (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/28/18  Caoineag (at 36) CONFIRMED
03/01/18  Clean Shaven (at 45) CONFIRMED Part Time
03/02/18  brooklynguy (at 37) CONFIRMED
03/07/18  Aegishjalmur (at 35) CONFIRMED
03/16/18  Cherry Lane (at 43) CONFIRMED
03/27/18  Mrs. Honeyfill CONFIRMED
03/28/18  Target2018 CONFIRMED
03/28/18  homestead neohio (at 39) CONFIRMED
03/30/18  Moxie (at 58) CONFIRMED
03/31/18  msilenus (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/01/18  Mother Fussbudget (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/03/18  lostformars (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/04/18  OzBeach (at 54) CONFIRMED
04/20/18  moneytaichi CONFIRMED
04/25/18  Modernaimend DH (at 39) CONFIRMED
04/25/18  ZiziPB (at 50) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  NinetyFour (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  SwordGuy (at 60) PART TIME. (Just 1-2 months.)
04/27/18  poppydog and DW CONFIRMED
04/27/18  andkar (at 41) CONFIRMED
05/01/18  wordnerd and DH (at 30 and 36) CONFIRMED
05/03/18  Modernaimend (at 35) CONFIRMED
05/08/18  SwordGuy DW (SwordGuy isn't saying.   He wants to live.) CONFIRMED
05/11/18  Desert (at 52) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  CheapskateWife (at 42) and CheapskateHubs (at 49) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  Gyosho (at 55) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  CodeZed (at 40) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  Markbike528CBX (at 53.5) CONFIRMED
06/08/18  SwissMister CONFIRMED (at 50)
06/13/18  Mr Mark (at 54) CONFIRMED
06/15/18  DavisGang90 (at 49) CONFIRMED
06/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache (at 42) TBD, working thru options
06/29/18  Acastus (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/29/18  aperture (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/30/18  HenryDavid CONFIRMED
06/??/18  step_away
06/??/18  FernFree
06/??/18  Agent Rosenflower
06/??/18  dbtx
06/??/18  Omalley
06/??/18  randomgiraffe
07/06/18  Honeyfill  (at 60)  CONFIRMED
07/09/18  CHF (at 51) CONFIRMED
07/??/18  AussieGirl
07/??/18  Mr Griz
07/??/18  BackAndForth
07/??/18  cerat0n1a
07/??/18  Fresh Bread
07/??/18  SnidelyWhiplashStache
08/01/18  SugarMountain In a holding pattern, debating between OMM/OMY.
08/03/18  mjr (at 52) CONFIRMED
08/20/18  sui generis
08/24/18  sol (at 41)
08/31/18  JerseyGrrrl
08/??/18  NorCalistache
08/??/18  Mogadishu
09/01/18  Vegasgirl (at 49)
09/21/18  Ottawa
09/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache
09/30/18  SwissMiss (at 50)
10/05/18  JumboShrimp
10/25/18  PhilB (at 52)
10/??/18  Fire1018
10/??/18  Happy
10/??/18  Irishtache
11/??/18  DeSteeg
11/??/18  Kris
12/21/18  LateStarter
12/31/18  DavidAnnArbor (at 53) (Won't renew my office lease)
12/??/18  EnjoyIt  Parttime.
12/??/18  yoda34
12/??/18  RunningWithScissors
??/??/18  Blindsquirrel
??/??/18  FLStache
??/??/18  Michread
??/??/18  Minnesota_mom
??/??/18  MiserlyMiser
??/??/18  pecunia
??/??/18  Badblackgirl
??/??/18  Sofa King
??/??/18  PKate and DH
??/??/18  Calvin
??/??/18  HappyMargo
03/??/19  ChasesFish  OMY
??/??/19  RetireAbroadAt35  05/??/18, now OMY.
??/??/20  Gooki   2MY or 3MY
??/??/18  Alim Nassor (Cannot find in members list)

Mogadishu

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 7
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1856 on: August 02, 2018, 09:27:22 AM »
Also my last day is tomorrow.   Have a dinner tonight with Co workers.  Will be shifting to stay at home dad.  Have reached FI.  Age 40.  Never had a high income.  Mostly from rental properties and lots of savings.
 Congrats to all who are striking out on their own this year.


TartanTallulah

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 592
  • Location: The Middle of Scenic Nowhere
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1857 on: August 02, 2018, 02:09:35 PM »

I'm going to apply for a credit card while I've still got an income. I don't intend to use it - I haven't had any credit cards since 2005, when the cashback benefits stopped justifying the inconvenience of paying off my balance every month - but it would be a good thing to have.

Auto-pay?

Yes, I'd set up an auto-pay arrangement this time. Previously, I opted to have statements coming in so that I could query any irregular transactions in advance of payment, but it was never necessary.

CowboyAndIndian

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Location: NJ, USA
    • KOWines: Deep discount wine/spirits store.
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1858 on: August 02, 2018, 03:18:02 PM »
Congratulations Mogadishu!

...  Never had a high income.  Mostly from rental properties and lots of savings...
That makes you a serious badass in my book. Way to go!

01/01/18  CowboyAndIndian (at 59) CONFIRMED
01/04/18  Gimesalot (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/06/18  Monkey Uncle (at 49) CONFIRMED
01/26/18  PizzaSteve (at 53) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  patches (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  Wintergreen78 CONFIRMED
01/31/18  MomCPA  CONFIRMED
02/01/18  DTaggart (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/05/18  Mrbeardedbigbucks CONFIRMED
02/09/18  JLTinVA (at 42) CONFIRMED
02/14/18  Gimesalot DH (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/28/18  Caoineag (at 36) CONFIRMED
03/01/18  Clean Shaven (at 45) CONFIRMED Part Time
03/02/18  brooklynguy (at 37) CONFIRMED
03/07/18  Aegishjalmur (at 35) CONFIRMED
03/16/18  Cherry Lane (at 43) CONFIRMED
03/27/18  Mrs. Honeyfill CONFIRMED
03/28/18  Target2018 CONFIRMED
03/28/18  homestead neohio (at 39) CONFIRMED
03/30/18  Moxie (at 58) CONFIRMED
03/31/18  msilenus (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/01/18  Mother Fussbudget (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/03/18  lostformars (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/04/18  OzBeach (at 54) CONFIRMED
04/20/18  moneytaichi CONFIRMED
04/25/18  Modernaimend DH (at 39) CONFIRMED
04/25/18  ZiziPB (at 50) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  NinetyFour (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  SwordGuy (at 60) PART TIME. (Just 1-2 months.)
04/27/18  poppydog and DW CONFIRMED
04/27/18  andkar (at 41) CONFIRMED
05/01/18  wordnerd and DH (at 30 and 36) CONFIRMED
05/03/18  Modernaimend (at 35) CONFIRMED
05/08/18  SwordGuy DW (SwordGuy isn't saying.   He wants to live.) CONFIRMED
05/11/18  Desert (at 52) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  CheapskateWife (at 42) and CheapskateHubs (at 49) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  Gyosho (at 55) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  CodeZed (at 40) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  Markbike528CBX (at 53.5) CONFIRMED
06/08/18  SwissMister CONFIRMED (at 50)
06/13/18  Mr Mark (at 54) CONFIRMED
06/15/18  DavisGang90 (at 49) CONFIRMED
06/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache (at 42) TBD, working thru options
06/29/18  Acastus (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/29/18  aperture (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/30/18  HenryDavid CONFIRMED
07/06/18  Honeyfill  (at 60)  CONFIRMED
07/09/18  CHF (at 51) CONFIRMED
07/??/18  AussieGirl
07/??/18  Mr Griz
07/??/18  BackAndForth
07/??/18  cerat0n1a
07/??/18  Fresh Bread
07/??/18  SnidelyWhiplashStache
08/01/18  SugarMountain In a holding pattern, debating between OMM/OMY.
08/03/18  mjr (at 52) CONFIRMED
08/03/18  Mogadishu (at 40) CONFIRMED
08/20/18  sui generis
08/24/18  sol (at 41)
08/31/18  JerseyGrrrl
08/??/18  NorCalistache
09/01/18  Vegasgirl (at 49)
09/21/18  Ottawa
09/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache
09/30/18  SwissMiss (at 50)
10/05/18  JumboShrimp
10/25/18  PhilB (at 52)
10/??/18  Fire1018
10/??/18  Happy
10/??/18  Irishtache
11/??/18  DeSteeg
11/??/18  Kris
12/21/18  LateStarter
12/31/18  DavidAnnArbor (at 53) (Won't renew my office lease)
12/??/18  EnjoyIt  Parttime.
12/??/18  yoda34
12/??/18  RunningWithScissors
??/??/18  Blindsquirrel
??/??/18  FLStache
??/??/18  Michread
??/??/18  Minnesota_mom
??/??/18  MiserlyMiser
??/??/18  pecunia
??/??/18  Badblackgirl
??/??/18  Sofa King
??/??/18  PKate and DH
??/??/18  Calvin
??/??/18  HappyMargo
03/??/19  ChasesFish  OMY
??/??/19  RetireAbroadAt35  05/??/18, now OMY.
??/??/20  Gooki   2MY or 3MY
??/??/18  Alim Nassor (Cannot find in members list)
??/??/18  step_away
??/??/18  FernFree
??/??/18  Agent Rosenflower
??/??/18  dbtx
??/??/18  Omalley
??/??/18  randomgiraffe
« Last Edit: August 02, 2018, 03:19:40 PM by CowboyAndIndian »

Irishtache

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 145
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1859 on: August 02, 2018, 05:00:59 PM »
I emailed my boss my resignation today and sent the form to HR. Will retire on 31st October. Will start working with a former colleague in November, probably a few days a month. Boss was surprised even though l had told him last year. IT.

SwordGuy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8955
  • Location: Fayetteville, NC
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1860 on: August 02, 2018, 06:52:01 PM »
Changed my status to confirmed.   Ended up working 4 days and got paid for 8, plus health insurance for the month. 


01/01/18  CowboyAndIndian (at 59) CONFIRMED
01/04/18  Gimesalot (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/06/18  Monkey Uncle (at 49) CONFIRMED
01/26/18  PizzaSteve (at 53) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  patches (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  Wintergreen78 CONFIRMED
01/31/18  MomCPA  CONFIRMED
02/01/18  DTaggart (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/05/18  Mrbeardedbigbucks CONFIRMED
02/09/18  JLTinVA (at 42) CONFIRMED
02/14/18  Gimesalot DH (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/28/18  Caoineag (at 36) CONFIRMED
03/01/18  Clean Shaven (at 45) CONFIRMED Part Time
03/02/18  brooklynguy (at 37) CONFIRMED
03/07/18  Aegishjalmur (at 35) CONFIRMED
03/16/18  Cherry Lane (at 43) CONFIRMED
03/27/18  Mrs. Honeyfill CONFIRMED
03/28/18  Target2018 CONFIRMED
03/28/18  homestead neohio (at 39) CONFIRMED
03/30/18  Moxie (at 58) CONFIRMED
03/31/18  msilenus (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/01/18  Mother Fussbudget (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/03/18  lostformars (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/04/18  OzBeach (at 54) CONFIRMED
04/20/18  moneytaichi CONFIRMED
04/25/18  Modernaimend DH (at 39) CONFIRMED
04/25/18  ZiziPB (at 50) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  NinetyFour (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  SwordGuy (at 60) CONFIRMED
04/27/18  poppydog and DW CONFIRMED
04/27/18  andkar (at 41) CONFIRMED
05/01/18  wordnerd and DH (at 30 and 36) CONFIRMED
05/03/18  Modernaimend (at 35) CONFIRMED
05/08/18  SwordGuy DW (SwordGuy isn't saying.   He wants to live.) CONFIRMED
05/11/18  Desert (at 52) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  CheapskateWife (at 42) and CheapskateHubs (at 49) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  Gyosho (at 55) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  CodeZed (at 40) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  Markbike528CBX (at 53.5) CONFIRMED
06/08/18  SwissMister CONFIRMED (at 50)
06/13/18  Mr Mark (at 54) CONFIRMED
06/15/18  DavisGang90 (at 49) CONFIRMED
06/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache (at 42) TBD, working thru options
06/29/18  Acastus (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/29/18  aperture (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/30/18  HenryDavid CONFIRMED
07/06/18  Honeyfill  (at 60)  CONFIRMED
07/09/18  CHF (at 51) CONFIRMED
07/??/18  AussieGirl
07/??/18  Mr Griz
07/??/18  BackAndForth
07/??/18  cerat0n1a
07/??/18  Fresh Bread
07/??/18  SnidelyWhiplashStache
08/01/18  SugarMountain In a holding pattern, debating between OMM/OMY.
08/03/18  mjr (at 52) CONFIRMED
08/03/18  Mogadishu (at 40) CONFIRMED
08/20/18  sui generis
08/24/18  sol (at 41)
08/31/18  JerseyGrrrl
08/??/18  NorCalistache
09/01/18  Vegasgirl (at 49)
09/21/18  Ottawa
09/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache
09/30/18  SwissMiss (at 50)
10/05/18  JumboShrimp
10/25/18  PhilB (at 52)
10/??/18  Fire1018
10/??/18  Happy
10/??/18  Irishtache
11/??/18  DeSteeg
11/??/18  Kris
12/21/18  LateStarter
12/31/18  DavidAnnArbor (at 53) (Won't renew my office lease)
12/??/18  EnjoyIt  Parttime.
12/??/18  yoda34
12/??/18  RunningWithScissors
??/??/18  Blindsquirrel
??/??/18  FLStache
??/??/18  Michread
??/??/18  Minnesota_mom
??/??/18  MiserlyMiser
??/??/18  pecunia
??/??/18  Badblackgirl
??/??/18  Sofa King
??/??/18  PKate and DH
??/??/18  Calvin
??/??/18  HappyMargo
03/??/19  ChasesFish  OMY
??/??/19  RetireAbroadAt35  05/??/18, now OMY.
??/??/20  Gooki   2MY or 3MY
??/??/18  Alim Nassor (Cannot find in members list)
??/??/18  step_away
??/??/18  FernFree
??/??/18  Agent Rosenflower
??/??/18  dbtx
??/??/18  Omalley
??/??/18  randomgiraffe

[/quote]

EnjoyIt

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1386
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1861 on: August 05, 2018, 07:19:07 AM »
    Is adding 2% to your stash worth 8 more months at megacorp? We are FI now but another bonus and LTI vesting would be nice. KInda thinking of it, kinda just thinking of turning in my notice ASAP and just retiring.

I'm making almost this exact decision, except it's closer to 5%of stash for me, and 7 months max. I'm really torn.  Even torn on how to go about deciding.

Once you reach "enough" what is $1 more really worth?


Sol,
I have been thinking about this line for several days because on the face of it, it holds 100% accuracy.  $1 more than what you need is useless.  But, how much does one need?  Sure ~4% of expenses is what we try to do around here and this is not a discussion of SWR because it has been discussed ad nauseam.  But what is enough is a much better question?  How do we know that 5,10, 20 years from now we won't need or want more?  Personally I have struggled with "enough" because I am not 100% sure what that is.  It gets even harder predicting enough when we consider what that will be 20 years from now on top of the extra free time we will have once retired.  This is just one more reason for us to go part time and get a our toes wet before we dive right in.

Hopefully Sol will excuse me for butting into the conversation here.  You are correct that defining "enough" is a difficult and highly personal decision.  Most of us spent a lot of time and effort to come up with that number.  Given the impossibility of predicting the future, there is nothing wrong with two people in the same situation coming up with a different answer.  But once you have put in that effort and developed a number with which you are comfortable, moving the goal posts becomes problematic.  Sure, we are all allowed to change our minds in the face of new evidence, but if you reach your number, and without the benefit of substantial new evidence you suddenly decide that number is no longer adequate, you're just giving in to irrational fear.

That's the problem. For us I am not yet sure what enough really is. Work clothes are scrubs and practically free. Also they feed both of us at work which means our food costs will go up a little once retired. Our commute to work is about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. Therefor car expenses won't go down that much. But, with the added free time we will travel a bit more which will increase expenses. We are also looking to take some classes that are not free.  This is one of the reason why we will go part time at the end of this year. It will allow us to see what we will do with the extra free time and how our expenses will change.

I presume you're tracking your expenses?  Sounds like you might have some relatively minor changes once you FIRE, unless there is something major that you haven't mentioned, like a relocation.

I tracked expenses pretty closely for a few years pre-FIRE.  I, too, had very low expenses for transportation, work lunches, clothes, etc., so I just assumed my expenses would stay about the same.  Being the conservative type, I added about a 12%/yr buffer to account for travel and the occasional unexpected large expense.  And given the age of the current bull market, I required a 100% success rate in historical simulations, such that something worse than the worst market declines in U.S. history would need to happen to cause a portfolio failure.  Because of the market run-up in my last year at work, I actually ended up with an almost 30% buffer instead of my planned 12% buffer. 

Of course nothing is certain, and there are still plenty of ways my FIRE could fail, most of which involve unexpected expenses (e.g., the U.S. health care/insurance system gets much worse than it already is, I get disabled and can no longer cut firewood, which causes my electric bill to quadruple - the list of potential calamities is endless...).  But with those kinds of numbers, I had reached the point where I felt pretty certain it was going to work out, and I could no longer justify slowly killing myself at work.  If I do run into unexpected expenses that upend my numbers, I figure I can find a way to make enough money to offset the extra expense.  I don't need to make the kind of money I was making in my previous career; I just need to make up the difference between expected expenses and actual expenses.

Yup. We have been tracking our expenses every year. One thing I have noticed is that as I have been cutting back on work, we have had more free time and therefor travel more and spend more. This year alone we did/will do 8 weeks of traveling two of which are out of the country. That's not cheap. Travel has become 40-50% of our budget. 

Our current home is face punch worthy and downsizing is always an option if we ever want to cut our expenses. Living in a smaller house we have enough to retire today with a potential lifestyle creep cushion. We are in the process of a remodel to make the house sellable since all the windows are old, single pane, and the frames are rotting in some areas. We will likely move out in about 5 years though depending on how we like part time. I really hope working 8 days a month will rejuvenate my desire to practice medicine. I would hate to give up something I really used to love and does so much good in the world, for my friends, and my family. I will give part time at least 1 year to give it a decent chance. During that year the remodel will be finished and we could move out if need be.

Monkey Uncle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1740
  • Location: West-by-god-Virginia
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1862 on: August 05, 2018, 08:33:35 AM »
    Is adding 2% to your stash worth 8 more months at megacorp? We are FI now but another bonus and LTI vesting would be nice. KInda thinking of it, kinda just thinking of turning in my notice ASAP and just retiring.

I'm making almost this exact decision, except it's closer to 5%of stash for me, and 7 months max. I'm really torn.  Even torn on how to go about deciding.

Once you reach "enough" what is $1 more really worth?


Sol,
I have been thinking about this line for several days because on the face of it, it holds 100% accuracy.  $1 more than what you need is useless.  But, how much does one need?  Sure ~4% of expenses is what we try to do around here and this is not a discussion of SWR because it has been discussed ad nauseam.  But what is enough is a much better question?  How do we know that 5,10, 20 years from now we won't need or want more?  Personally I have struggled with "enough" because I am not 100% sure what that is.  It gets even harder predicting enough when we consider what that will be 20 years from now on top of the extra free time we will have once retired.  This is just one more reason for us to go part time and get a our toes wet before we dive right in.

Hopefully Sol will excuse me for butting into the conversation here.  You are correct that defining "enough" is a difficult and highly personal decision.  Most of us spent a lot of time and effort to come up with that number.  Given the impossibility of predicting the future, there is nothing wrong with two people in the same situation coming up with a different answer.  But once you have put in that effort and developed a number with which you are comfortable, moving the goal posts becomes problematic.  Sure, we are all allowed to change our minds in the face of new evidence, but if you reach your number, and without the benefit of substantial new evidence you suddenly decide that number is no longer adequate, you're just giving in to irrational fear.

That's the problem. For us I am not yet sure what enough really is. Work clothes are scrubs and practically free. Also they feed both of us at work which means our food costs will go up a little once retired. Our commute to work is about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. Therefor car expenses won't go down that much. But, with the added free time we will travel a bit more which will increase expenses. We are also looking to take some classes that are not free.  This is one of the reason why we will go part time at the end of this year. It will allow us to see what we will do with the extra free time and how our expenses will change.

I presume you're tracking your expenses?  Sounds like you might have some relatively minor changes once you FIRE, unless there is something major that you haven't mentioned, like a relocation.

I tracked expenses pretty closely for a few years pre-FIRE.  I, too, had very low expenses for transportation, work lunches, clothes, etc., so I just assumed my expenses would stay about the same.  Being the conservative type, I added about a 12%/yr buffer to account for travel and the occasional unexpected large expense.  And given the age of the current bull market, I required a 100% success rate in historical simulations, such that something worse than the worst market declines in U.S. history would need to happen to cause a portfolio failure.  Because of the market run-up in my last year at work, I actually ended up with an almost 30% buffer instead of my planned 12% buffer. 

Of course nothing is certain, and there are still plenty of ways my FIRE could fail, most of which involve unexpected expenses (e.g., the U.S. health care/insurance system gets much worse than it already is, I get disabled and can no longer cut firewood, which causes my electric bill to quadruple - the list of potential calamities is endless...).  But with those kinds of numbers, I had reached the point where I felt pretty certain it was going to work out, and I could no longer justify slowly killing myself at work.  If I do run into unexpected expenses that upend my numbers, I figure I can find a way to make enough money to offset the extra expense.  I don't need to make the kind of money I was making in my previous career; I just need to make up the difference between expected expenses and actual expenses.

Yup. We have been tracking our expenses every year. One thing I have noticed is that as I have been cutting back on work, we have had more free time and therefor travel more and spend more. This year alone we did/will do 8 weeks of traveling two of which are out of the country. That's not cheap. Travel has become 40-50% of our budget. 

Our current home is face punch worthy and downsizing is always an option if we ever want to cut our expenses. Living in a smaller house we have enough to retire today with a potential lifestyle creep cushion. We are in the process of a remodel to make the house sellable since all the windows are old, single pane, and the frames are rotting in some areas. We will likely move out in about 5 years though depending on how we like part time. I really hope working 8 days a month will rejuvenate my desire to practice medicine. I would hate to give up something I really used to love and does so much good in the world, for my friends, and my family. I will give part time at least 1 year to give it a decent chance. During that year the remodel will be finished and we could move out if need be.

Yeah, that much travel will really do a number on your numbers.  But it sounds like you have a good plan in place for easing into FIRE while still keeping up your skills.  If it doesn't work out, you can always go full-time again.

EnjoyIt

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1386
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1863 on: August 05, 2018, 08:37:31 PM »
    Is adding 2% to your stash worth 8 more months at megacorp? We are FI now but another bonus and LTI vesting would be nice. KInda thinking of it, kinda just thinking of turning in my notice ASAP and just retiring.

I'm making almost this exact decision, except it's closer to 5%of stash for me, and 7 months max. I'm really torn.  Even torn on how to go about deciding.

Once you reach "enough" what is $1 more really worth?


Sol,
I have been thinking about this line for several days because on the face of it, it holds 100% accuracy.  $1 more than what you need is useless.  But, how much does one need?  Sure ~4% of expenses is what we try to do around here and this is not a discussion of SWR because it has been discussed ad nauseam.  But what is enough is a much better question?  How do we know that 5,10, 20 years from now we won't need or want more?  Personally I have struggled with "enough" because I am not 100% sure what that is.  It gets even harder predicting enough when we consider what that will be 20 years from now on top of the extra free time we will have once retired.  This is just one more reason for us to go part time and get a our toes wet before we dive right in.

Hopefully Sol will excuse me for butting into the conversation here.  You are correct that defining "enough" is a difficult and highly personal decision.  Most of us spent a lot of time and effort to come up with that number.  Given the impossibility of predicting the future, there is nothing wrong with two people in the same situation coming up with a different answer.  But once you have put in that effort and developed a number with which you are comfortable, moving the goal posts becomes problematic.  Sure, we are all allowed to change our minds in the face of new evidence, but if you reach your number, and without the benefit of substantial new evidence you suddenly decide that number is no longer adequate, you're just giving in to irrational fear.

That's the problem. For us I am not yet sure what enough really is. Work clothes are scrubs and practically free. Also they feed both of us at work which means our food costs will go up a little once retired. Our commute to work is about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. Therefor car expenses won't go down that much. But, with the added free time we will travel a bit more which will increase expenses. We are also looking to take some classes that are not free.  This is one of the reason why we will go part time at the end of this year. It will allow us to see what we will do with the extra free time and how our expenses will change.

I presume you're tracking your expenses?  Sounds like you might have some relatively minor changes once you FIRE, unless there is something major that you haven't mentioned, like a relocation.

I tracked expenses pretty closely for a few years pre-FIRE.  I, too, had very low expenses for transportation, work lunches, clothes, etc., so I just assumed my expenses would stay about the same.  Being the conservative type, I added about a 12%/yr buffer to account for travel and the occasional unexpected large expense.  And given the age of the current bull market, I required a 100% success rate in historical simulations, such that something worse than the worst market declines in U.S. history would need to happen to cause a portfolio failure.  Because of the market run-up in my last year at work, I actually ended up with an almost 30% buffer instead of my planned 12% buffer. 

Of course nothing is certain, and there are still plenty of ways my FIRE could fail, most of which involve unexpected expenses (e.g., the U.S. health care/insurance system gets much worse than it already is, I get disabled and can no longer cut firewood, which causes my electric bill to quadruple - the list of potential calamities is endless...).  But with those kinds of numbers, I had reached the point where I felt pretty certain it was going to work out, and I could no longer justify slowly killing myself at work.  If I do run into unexpected expenses that upend my numbers, I figure I can find a way to make enough money to offset the extra expense.  I don't need to make the kind of money I was making in my previous career; I just need to make up the difference between expected expenses and actual expenses.

Yup. We have been tracking our expenses every year. One thing I have noticed is that as I have been cutting back on work, we have had more free time and therefor travel more and spend more. This year alone we did/will do 8 weeks of traveling two of which are out of the country. That's not cheap. Travel has become 40-50% of our budget. 

Our current home is face punch worthy and downsizing is always an option if we ever want to cut our expenses. Living in a smaller house we have enough to retire today with a potential lifestyle creep cushion. We are in the process of a remodel to make the house sellable since all the windows are old, single pane, and the frames are rotting in some areas. We will likely move out in about 5 years though depending on how we like part time. I really hope working 8 days a month will rejuvenate my desire to practice medicine. I would hate to give up something I really used to love and does so much good in the world, for my friends, and my family. I will give part time at least 1 year to give it a decent chance. During that year the remodel will be finished and we could move out if need be.

Yeah, that much travel will really do a number on your numbers.  But it sounds like you have a good plan in place for easing into FIRE while still keeping up your skills.  If it doesn't work out, you can always go full-time again.

Going full time is out of the question that is for sure....I hope... We would sell the home and downsize before going full time.  You have no idea how much I can't wait to hit part time.  I am just have a few months away and can't stop counting.

Still, we worry that we are not sure how much enough really is.   I guess the part time years will help us get closer to understand how much we spend and if we need to make any cuts.  No need to spend money if it purchase little to no additional happiness.  I think part time will give us the time to take a closer look at ourselves and what we value the most.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2018, 08:40:44 PM by EnjoyIt »

NinetyFour

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 6875
  • Age: 62
  • Location: Southwestern US
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1864 on: August 07, 2018, 10:40:01 AM »
Quick update:

My last day of classes (college professor) was April 19, my last official day of employment was June 30, and my last paycheck rolled in on July 13.

Since my last official duties (grading exams and turning in final grades) ended on April 26, I have hiked in Utah with @Cherry Lane , backpacked in Utah with a friend, spent a week near Austin (training for a work-related thing), spent a few days in Seattle (and met up with a few Seattle MMMers), spent two weeks in Japan (partly for a work-related thing, and partly for fun), helped out with two week-long Math Camps for kids in New Mexico, did more hiking in Utah with Cherry Lane, and am now about half way through a Big Road Trip (from Colorado up to the Vancouver area).

Thanks to a lump sum payout that I received at the end of June (and happy stock markets), I hit the double comma club in early July.  That was a very welcome retirement present.  :)  But my travel budget has sort of been a little nuts.  And I have splurged a bit in other areas as well.  Will be interesting what my expenses in 2019, the first full calendar year of FIRE, will look like.

After looking at a few options, I decided to go with COBRA for July and August.  Will look at things again in September and see what options are available then.

I guess I am sort of settling into retirement, although since I have been on the academic calendar for the last 20 years, this sort of just feels like a regular summer break to me.  I suspect I will feel differently once the school year commences and I am out hiking in the mountains.  :)

Also, I really over-scheduled myself this Spring and Summer, and haven't been able to enjoy long stretches of being at home, choosing between hiking, mountain biking, napping, doing yard work, walking by the river, etc.  Once my travel slows down in September, I look forward to making those tough choices on a daily basis.  :)

cap396

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 55
  • Age: 51
  • Location: FIREd and Traveling the World
    • Snail Travelers - Traveling the World at a Snail's Pace
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1865 on: August 08, 2018, 07:16:14 AM »
Tomorrow is my confirmed FIRE day!  (Age 46)

I will actually miss my job.  I work with great people and really enjoy what I do.  But my wife and I want to travel while we are still (relatively) young.  We have sold, donated, or thrown out just about everything we own.  In 10 days we leave to spend a year in South America, and plan to visit the rest of the world in the following years.  We are starting a new phase of our lives that we think will bring many adventures and experiences.

FIRE@50

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 553
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Maryland
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1866 on: August 08, 2018, 07:27:26 AM »
Congrats and thanks for the updates!

sui generis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3104
  • she/her
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1867 on: August 08, 2018, 09:49:14 AM »
Tomorrow is my confirmed FIRE day!  (Age 46)

I will actually miss my job.  I work with great people and really enjoy what I do.  But my wife and I want to travel while we are still (relatively) young.  We have sold, donated, or thrown out just about everything we own.  In 10 days we leave to spend a year in South America, and plan to visit the rest of the world in the following years.  We are starting a new phase of our lives that we think will bring many adventures and experiences.

Sounds wonderful.  Congrats and bon voyage!

CowboyAndIndian

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Location: NJ, USA
    • KOWines: Deep discount wine/spirits store.
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1868 on: August 08, 2018, 10:17:51 AM »
Congratulations cap396!


01/01/18  CowboyAndIndian (at 59) CONFIRMED
01/04/18  Gimesalot (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/06/18  Monkey Uncle (at 49) CONFIRMED
01/26/18  PizzaSteve (at 53) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  patches (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  Wintergreen78 CONFIRMED
01/31/18  MomCPA  CONFIRMED
02/01/18  DTaggart (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/05/18  Mrbeardedbigbucks CONFIRMED
02/09/18  JLTinVA (at 42) CONFIRMED
02/14/18  Gimesalot DH (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/28/18  Caoineag (at 36) CONFIRMED
03/01/18  Clean Shaven (at 45) CONFIRMED Part Time
03/02/18  brooklynguy (at 37) CONFIRMED
03/07/18  Aegishjalmur (at 35) CONFIRMED
03/16/18  Cherry Lane (at 43) CONFIRMED
03/27/18  Mrs. Honeyfill CONFIRMED
03/28/18  Target2018 CONFIRMED
03/28/18  homestead neohio (at 39) CONFIRMED
03/30/18  Moxie (at 58) CONFIRMED
03/31/18  msilenus (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/01/18  Mother Fussbudget (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/03/18  lostformars (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/04/18  OzBeach (at 54) CONFIRMED
04/20/18  moneytaichi CONFIRMED
04/25/18  Modernaimend DH (at 39) CONFIRMED
04/25/18  ZiziPB (at 50) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  NinetyFour (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  SwordGuy (at 60) CONFIRMED
04/27/18  poppydog and DW CONFIRMED
04/27/18  andkar (at 41) CONFIRMED
05/01/18  wordnerd and DH (at 30 and 36) CONFIRMED
05/03/18  Modernaimend (at 35) CONFIRMED
05/08/18  SwordGuy DW (SwordGuy isn't saying.   He wants to live.) CONFIRMED
05/11/18  Desert (at 52) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  CheapskateWife (at 42) and CheapskateHubs (at 49) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  Gyosho (at 55) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  CodeZed (at 40) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  Markbike528CBX (at 53.5) CONFIRMED
06/08/18  SwissMister CONFIRMED (at 50)
06/13/18  Mr Mark (at 54) CONFIRMED
06/15/18  DavisGang90 (at 49) CONFIRMED
06/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache (at 42) TBD, working thru options
06/29/18  Acastus (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/29/18  aperture (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/30/18  HenryDavid CONFIRMED
07/06/18  Honeyfill  (at 60)  CONFIRMED
07/09/18  CHF (at 51) CONFIRMED
07/??/18  AussieGirl
07/??/18  Mr Griz
07/??/18  BackAndForth
07/??/18  cerat0n1a
07/??/18  Fresh Bread
07/??/18  SnidelyWhiplashStache
08/01/18  SugarMountain In a holding pattern, debating between OMM/OMY.
08/03/18  mjr (at 52) CONFIRMED
08/03/18  Mogadishu (at 40) CONFIRMED
08/09/18  cap396 (at 46) CONFIRMED
08/20/18  sui generis
08/24/18  sol (at 41)
08/31/18  JerseyGrrrl
08/??/18  NorCalistache
09/01/18  Vegasgirl (at 49)
09/21/18  Ottawa
09/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache
09/30/18  SwissMiss (at 50)
10/05/18  JumboShrimp
10/25/18  PhilB (at 52)
10/??/18  Fire1018
10/??/18  Happy
10/??/18  Irishtache
11/??/18  DeSteeg
11/??/18  Kris
12/21/18  LateStarter
12/31/18  DavidAnnArbor (at 53) (Won't renew my office lease)
12/??/18  EnjoyIt  Parttime.
12/??/18  yoda34
12/??/18  RunningWithScissors
??/??/18  Blindsquirrel
??/??/18  FLStache
??/??/18  Michread
??/??/18  Minnesota_mom
??/??/18  MiserlyMiser
??/??/18  pecunia
??/??/18  Badblackgirl
??/??/18  Sofa King
??/??/18  PKate and DH
??/??/18  Calvin
??/??/18  HappyMargo
03/??/19  ChasesFish  OMY
??/??/19  RetireAbroadAt35  05/??/18, now OMY.
??/??/20  Gooki   2MY or 3MY
??/??/18  Alim Nassor (Cannot find in members list)
??/??/18  step_away
??/??/18  FernFree
??/??/18  Agent Rosenflower
??/??/18  dbtx
??/??/18  Omalley
??/??/18  randomgiraffe


DavidAnnArbor

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2266
  • Age: 58
  • Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1869 on: August 08, 2018, 09:09:25 PM »
Those of you who've retired feel free to post pictures.

JLTinVA

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 23
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1870 on: August 09, 2018, 02:45:36 PM »
Today is my 6 month FIRE anniversary! It has been absolutely marvelous. We have traveled a lot--Florida, Hawaii (for 3 weeks!!), Tennessee, Ontario, Minnesota, and Georgia so far, and we have 4 weeks in Ireland coming up in September! We've gone to a lot of theater and concerts (and have more on the calendar for the rest of the year). I've read 54 books. I've memorized all 3 movements of Chopin's Mazurka Op 59 and can play them all decently. I've cooked a ton, including trying my hand at Indian food (my samosas are just so-so, but I'm having fun trying to make them better). I've lost 5 pounds (despite all the samosa eating). I sleep well. I love spending time with my husband, feeling like every day could lead to an adventure, but having the freedom to just read and snooze in a hammock if that's what the day brings.

I have never once missed being in a meeting, sending a status report, or submitting a time sheet :-)

We are running well below budget, but I don't feel like we are depriving ourselves of anything. We're cooking a lot more at home and  traveling cheaply (Air B&Bs instead of hotels, making our own lunches and dinners on the road, etc.). Because we've been out of town a lot, we haven't spent a lot of the budget we earmarked for classes, lessons, or other "academic enrichment." We've also found a lot of free things to do in our area, which we've taken advantage of.

For those who have FIRE'd in 2018: Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

For anyone on the fence: DO IT. If you've run the numbers and it all adds up, take the plunge.

sui generis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3104
  • she/her
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1871 on: August 09, 2018, 02:58:28 PM »
Today is my 6 month FIRE anniversary! It has been absolutely marvelous. We have traveled a lot--Florida, Hawaii (for 3 weeks!!), Tennessee, Ontario, Minnesota, and Georgia so far, and we have 4 weeks in Ireland coming up in September! We've gone to a lot of theater and concerts (and have more on the calendar for the rest of the year). I've read 54 books. I've memorized all 3 movements of Chopin's Mazurka Op 59 and can play them all decently. I've cooked a ton, including trying my hand at Indian food (my samosas are just so-so, but I'm having fun trying to make them better). I've lost 5 pounds (despite all the samosa eating). I sleep well. I love spending time with my husband, feeling like every day could lead to an adventure, but having the freedom to just read and snooze in a hammock if that's what the day brings.

I have never once missed being in a meeting, sending a status report, or submitting a time sheet :-)

We are running well below budget, but I don't feel like we are depriving ourselves of anything. We're cooking a lot more at home and  traveling cheaply (Air B&Bs instead of hotels, making our own lunches and dinners on the road, etc.). Because we've been out of town a lot, we haven't spent a lot of the budget we earmarked for classes, lessons, or other "academic enrichment." We've also found a lot of free things to do in our area, which we've taken advantage of.

For those who have FIRE'd in 2018: Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

For anyone on the fence: DO IT. If you've run the numbers and it all adds up, take the plunge.
Wow, so awesome, good for you!  I'm so looking forward to posting a similar status report in 6 months.  Thanks for sharing and inspiring!

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5351
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1872 on: August 09, 2018, 03:08:13 PM »
Today is my 6 month FIRE anniversary! It has been absolutely marvelous. We have traveled a lot--Florida, Hawaii (for 3 weeks!!), Tennessee, Ontario, Minnesota, and Georgia so far, and we have 4 weeks in Ireland coming up in September! We've gone to a lot of theater and concerts (and have more on the calendar for the rest of the year). I've read 54 books. I've memorized all 3 movements of Chopin's Mazurka Op 59 and can play them all decently. I've cooked a ton, including trying my hand at Indian food (my samosas are just so-so, but I'm having fun trying to make them better). I've lost 5 pounds (despite all the samosa eating). I sleep well. I love spending time with my husband, feeling like every day could lead to an adventure, but having the freedom to just read and snooze in a hammock if that's what the day brings.

I have never once missed being in a meeting, sending a status report, or submitting a time sheet :-)

We are running well below budget, but I don't feel like we are depriving ourselves of anything. We're cooking a lot more at home and  traveling cheaply (Air B&Bs instead of hotels, making our own lunches and dinners on the road, etc.). Because we've been out of town a lot, we haven't spent a lot of the budget we earmarked for classes, lessons, or other "academic enrichment." We've also found a lot of free things to do in our area, which we've taken advantage of.

For those who have FIRE'd in 2018: Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

For anyone on the fence: DO IT. If you've run the numbers and it all adds up, take the plunge.
Wow, so awesome, good for you!  I'm so looking forward to posting a similar status report in 6 months.  Thanks for sharing and inspiring!

Totally agree with @sui generis - thanks for posting @JLTinVA ! I'm hoping to have something similar soon. This week has really taken the air out of my plans to think I can work part time. Maybe it's just a bad week, but . . . it's been some of my roughest work time ever, and I've been in the industry for 20+ years. This post is like having a preview of the light at the end of the tunnel

cap396

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 55
  • Age: 51
  • Location: FIREd and Traveling the World
    • Snail Travelers - Traveling the World at a Snail's Pace
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1873 on: August 09, 2018, 06:14:42 PM »
Today is my 6 month FIRE anniversary! It has been absolutely marvelous. We have traveled a lot--Florida, Hawaii (for 3 weeks!!), Tennessee, Ontario, Minnesota, and Georgia so far, and we have 4 weeks in Ireland coming up in September! We've gone to a lot of theater and concerts (and have more on the calendar for the rest of the year). I've read 54 books. I've memorized all 3 movements of Chopin's Mazurka Op 59 and can play them all decently. I've cooked a ton, including trying my hand at Indian food (my samosas are just so-so, but I'm having fun trying to make them better). I've lost 5 pounds (despite all the samosa eating). I sleep well. I love spending time with my husband, feeling like every day could lead to an adventure, but having the freedom to just read and snooze in a hammock if that's what the day brings.

I have never once missed being in a meeting, sending a status report, or submitting a time sheet :-)

We are running well below budget, but I don't feel like we are depriving ourselves of anything. We're cooking a lot more at home and  traveling cheaply (Air B&Bs instead of hotels, making our own lunches and dinners on the road, etc.). Because we've been out of town a lot, we haven't spent a lot of the budget we earmarked for classes, lessons, or other "academic enrichment." We've also found a lot of free things to do in our area, which we've taken advantage of.

For those who have FIRE'd in 2018: Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

For anyone on the fence: DO IT. If you've run the numbers and it all adds up, take the plunge.

Such a great and encouraging post.  Thanks for sharing JLT!

EnjoyIt

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1386
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1874 on: August 09, 2018, 09:33:28 PM »
Today is my 6 month FIRE anniversary! It has been absolutely marvelous. We have traveled a lot--Florida, Hawaii (for 3 weeks!!), Tennessee, Ontario, Minnesota, and Georgia so far, and we have 4 weeks in Ireland coming up in September! We've gone to a lot of theater and concerts (and have more on the calendar for the rest of the year). I've read 54 books. I've memorized all 3 movements of Chopin's Mazurka Op 59 and can play them all decently. I've cooked a ton, including trying my hand at Indian food (my samosas are just so-so, but I'm having fun trying to make them better). I've lost 5 pounds (despite all the samosa eating). I sleep well. I love spending time with my husband, feeling like every day could lead to an adventure, but having the freedom to just read and snooze in a hammock if that's what the day brings.

I have never once missed being in a meeting, sending a status report, or submitting a time sheet :-)

We are running well below budget, but I don't feel like we are depriving ourselves of anything. We're cooking a lot more at home and  traveling cheaply (Air B&Bs instead of hotels, making our own lunches and dinners on the road, etc.). Because we've been out of town a lot, we haven't spent a lot of the budget we earmarked for classes, lessons, or other "academic enrichment." We've also found a lot of free things to do in our area, which we've taken advantage of.

For those who have FIRE'd in 2018: Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

For anyone on the fence: DO IT. If you've run the numbers and it all adds up, take the plunge.

Congrats and thanks so much for sharing.  For us, our most expensive line item is travel which includes, flights, car rentals, and lodging as well as eating out while one the road, and we do tend to cook depending on the capabilities of a particular trip. I suspect that when we FIRE completely our travel budget will increase even more.  If you don't mind me asking, how much are these trips running you and how are you keeping the costs down.  Sure Air b&b can be less than a hotel but it is still pretty expensive when adding it up over so many trips.  Congrats again and I hope you share a 1 year anniversary FIRE post as well.

chasesfish

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4376
  • Age: 41
  • Location: Florida
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1875 on: August 10, 2018, 06:46:41 AM »
Today is my 6 month FIRE anniversary! It has been absolutely marvelous. We have traveled a lot--Florida, Hawaii (for 3 weeks!!), Tennessee, Ontario, Minnesota, and Georgia so far, and we have 4 weeks in Ireland coming up in September! We've gone to a lot of theater and concerts (and have more on the calendar for the rest of the year). I've read 54 books. I've memorized all 3 movements of Chopin's Mazurka Op 59 and can play them all decently. I've cooked a ton, including trying my hand at Indian food (my samosas are just so-so, but I'm having fun trying to make them better). I've lost 5 pounds (despite all the samosa eating). I sleep well. I love spending time with my husband, feeling like every day could lead to an adventure, but having the freedom to just read and snooze in a hammock if that's what the day brings.

I have never once missed being in a meeting, sending a status report, or submitting a time sheet :-)

We are running well below budget, but I don't feel like we are depriving ourselves of anything. We're cooking a lot more at home and  traveling cheaply (Air B&Bs instead of hotels, making our own lunches and dinners on the road, etc.). Because we've been out of town a lot, we haven't spent a lot of the budget we earmarked for classes, lessons, or other "academic enrichment." We've also found a lot of free things to do in our area, which we've taken advantage of.

For those who have FIRE'd in 2018: Congratulations! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.

For anyone on the fence: DO IT. If you've run the numbers and it all adds up, take the plunge.

This is awesome!  Thank you for sharing

JLTinVA

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 23
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1876 on: August 10, 2018, 01:24:51 PM »
Thanks for the responses! I was so nervous prior to actually retiring, and OMY has such a strong pull. It wasn't easy to actually go through with it, but in retrospect, it is the best decision we ever made (you know, in addition to all the decisions (and luck) that led us to get here in the first place).

Congrats and thanks so much for sharing.  For us, our most expensive line item is travel which includes, flights, car rentals, and lodging as well as eating out while one the road, and we do tend to cook depending on the capabilities of a particular trip. I suspect that when we FIRE completely our travel budget will increase even more.  If you don't mind me asking, how much are these trips running you and how are you keeping the costs down.  Sure Air b&b can be less than a hotel but it is still pretty expensive when adding it up over so many trips.  Congrats again and I hope you share a 1 year anniversary FIRE post as well.

Travel is the biggest line item in our budget, too. I don't have it broken out by trip, but we've spent about $8000 on roughly 12 weeks of travel so far (not including our upcoming trip to Ireland).

Transportation: The biggest way to save money is to drive, not fly, wherever possible (unless you can get a great deal). We've spent a lot of time in the car :-) We also both signed up for credit cars that gave us incentive miles, and use those cards exclusively. We used miles to buy one set of plane tickets. I also have an eRewards account where I answer surveys and get airline miles in return. Right now, we have over 200K miles to use. For flights, we always search for flexible dates, and are willing (and able!) to fly at off hours or mid-week, or to accept longer layovers if needed.

Lodging: Air B&Bs can add up over time, but I think it still is a cost savings as long as you can get one with a kitchen (and use it!). We also aren't really picky. As long as it's clean and safe, it doesn't have to be big or fancy, so ours have averaged around $65 per night. We stay with friends and family whenever we can. We were really lucky with Hawaii--we were cat-sitting for an old high school friend of my husband's, so we had a free place to stay in Honolulu and a car to use as well. Without that, it would have been a lot more expensive! (I'm allergic to cats, but for 3 free weeks, I bought some Allegra and packed my bags.)

Food: We cook on the road all the time. We pack a cooler in the car, and stop at rest stops and make sandwiches rather than eating out (it's so much healthier, too!). We grocery shop when on the road, and pack a lunch and snacks for our day trips. We have a box of must-haves for the kitchen that we travel with since some kitchens aren't well stocked: spices, vegetable peeler, can opener, cork screw, a good sharp knife, non-stick electric skillet, etc. I'd guess during a week of travel, we might go out for a meal once (lunch if we can, which tends to be less expensive). We also love hitting happy hours for cheaper food and drinks. We are never afraid to ask for doggie bags for leftovers to make the cost per meal lower.

Ireland in September is really the first trip where we both can't drive and aren't staying at least a portion of the time with family or friends. RT direct flights, rental car for 24 days, and Air B&Bs for 28 nights is $4300 so far. It's a lot, but one of the primary reasons we wanted to retire early was to travel while (relatively) young and healthy, so I'm trying to keep that in mind as we plan. All of the Air B&Bs have kitchens, so we plan on grocery shopping there and cooking as much as we can (of course there will be pub expenses!). Many also have laundry, so we're packing light and not checking any bags. We saw a good deal on Aer Lingus, and jumped on it. Our credit card offers Auto Rental CDW coverage in Ireland, so that helped keep the car cost down.

markbike528CBX

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1899
  • Location: the Everbrown part of the Evergreen State (WA)
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1877 on: August 10, 2018, 04:15:25 PM »
I had a breakthrough, I did my first withdrawal of the FIRE stash, 0.4% of the stash (from VTSAX).
Not really needed, but the TOP was IN. <--- see thread of that name for details.

Dang, that felt weird after all the years of accumulation.

In all, it is best described as an asset allocation move, as I have ready cash to use before I dip into the new stuff (now VMMXX).

Monkey Uncle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1740
  • Location: West-by-god-Virginia
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1878 on: August 11, 2018, 07:36:45 AM »
Those of you who've retired feel free to post pictures.


That's about 13 or 14 pickup loads of firewood.  For the first time ever, I had my entire winter's worth of wood cut, split, and stacked before August 1.

The glamorous travel comes next month. ;)

TartanTallulah

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 592
  • Location: The Middle of Scenic Nowhere
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1879 on: August 12, 2018, 01:39:01 AM »
Changed my ticker. Looking better now :-)

My boundaries have been getting pushed. It was inevitable. I was ready. I already know that the "one more month" I turned down at the start would have become "two more months and counting" and would have spanned the festive period, which my remaining colleagues are fighting over because they had both decided to take leave at the same time even though we have a policy of no annual leave at Christmas and New Year so that everyone can have a small block of days off. No, thank you. My husband did suggest that I might, if they fail to find a compromise, offer to provide a bare bones service for a few days in exchange for an exorbitant sum of money. Maybe ...

I said I would not work in the practice building in any capacity after I finish, but agreed to work the 40 hours a month that we currently provide for another organisation, as a contractor. It's work I don't mind doing and it's an efficient way of keeping the travel jam jar topped up. This suddenly turned into, "become an employee". Nope, I can see the thick end of that particular wedge and it's the opposite of what I want.

My remaining colleagues are digging in to be as uncooperative as possible with one another. They have no concept of partnership. I understand that the entire town is sitting quietly on the sidelines and popcorn is selling well.

davisgang90

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1360
  • Location: Roanoke, VA
    • Photography by Rich Davis
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1880 on: August 12, 2018, 05:19:49 AM »
Those of you who've retired feel free to post pictures.

Retired life is pretty good.  Did have a quick morning meeting to discuss the days events.

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5351
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1881 on: August 12, 2018, 07:57:02 AM »
Love the pictures @davisgang90 @Monkey Uncle !

2Birds1Stone

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7916
  • Age: 1
  • Location: Earth
  • K Thnx Bye
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1882 on: August 12, 2018, 07:32:54 PM »
Love the pics as well folks! You make it look so tough ;)

RunningWithScissors

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 149
  • Location: Victoria, BC Canada
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1883 on: August 13, 2018, 03:26:40 PM »
Update:  we've decided not to rent the house but to take the plunge and sell it.  It was listed yesterday and there's been a steady stream of viewings.  If it sells quickly, I might pull the rip cord and retire in mid-September before my planned month long holiday.  We're also closer to hiring someone to fill the multiple vacant positions by the end of August, however, two weeks of training won't be enough so I'll likely come back after my holiday and retire on December 20th as planned.  Then, pulling out the commuted value of my pension should put a decent size chunk of money in my hands in early 2019 when my income is zero, and my taxes low.

chasesfish

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4376
  • Age: 41
  • Location: Florida
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1884 on: August 13, 2018, 05:03:41 PM »
Interesting work update from the traitor who decided to wait until early 2019...

The consultants are coming!!

I can't tell you how exciting it is to be FI and know the consultants are coming.   I give it a less than 1% chance I can pull off a severance/layoff package out of this, but I am going to sit back and watch a lot of people who need to get their cheese moved be disrupted, all with the comfort of being FI and not caring what happens to me.  My direct reports are revenue producers, they always end up fine to better off in these moves.

Hoping for some fun for my last six months

FernFree

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 75
  • Age: 55
  • Location: Austin, TX
  • On my way!
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1885 on: August 13, 2018, 11:38:25 PM »
It's official!!  Last day was 8/10/18.  I'm enjoying just being lazy and sleeping in for now while I figure out what my routine will be like.  Heading to Arizona on a camping/road trip on 9/10/18.

Bad news is I heard on 8/9 that we're going to be having some layoffs.  I sure would have liked to leave with a severance package on my way out the door since we don't have any retirement benefits, and my boss would have helped me line it up.  Oh well. :)

CowboyAndIndian

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Location: NJ, USA
    • KOWines: Deep discount wine/spirits store.
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1886 on: August 14, 2018, 07:34:59 AM »
Congratulations FernFree! So glad to move someone from MIA to FIRE!!

01/01/18  CowboyAndIndian (at 59) CONFIRMED
01/04/18  Gimesalot (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/06/18  Monkey Uncle (at 49) CONFIRMED
01/26/18  PizzaSteve (at 53) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  patches (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  Wintergreen78 CONFIRMED
01/31/18  MomCPA  CONFIRMED
02/01/18  DTaggart (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/05/18  Mrbeardedbigbucks CONFIRMED
02/09/18  JLTinVA (at 42) CONFIRMED
02/14/18  Gimesalot DH (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/28/18  Caoineag (at 36) CONFIRMED
03/01/18  Clean Shaven (at 45) CONFIRMED Part Time
03/02/18  brooklynguy (at 37) CONFIRMED
03/07/18  Aegishjalmur (at 35) CONFIRMED
03/16/18  Cherry Lane (at 43) CONFIRMED
03/27/18  Mrs. Honeyfill CONFIRMED
03/28/18  Target2018 CONFIRMED
03/28/18  homestead neohio (at 39) CONFIRMED
03/30/18  Moxie (at 58) CONFIRMED
03/31/18  msilenus (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/01/18  Mother Fussbudget (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/03/18  lostformars (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/04/18  OzBeach (at 54) CONFIRMED
04/20/18  moneytaichi CONFIRMED
04/25/18  Modernaimend DH (at 39) CONFIRMED
04/25/18  ZiziPB (at 50) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  NinetyFour (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  SwordGuy (at 60) CONFIRMED
04/27/18  poppydog and DW CONFIRMED
04/27/18  andkar (at 41) CONFIRMED
05/01/18  wordnerd and DH (at 30 and 36) CONFIRMED
05/03/18  Modernaimend (at 35) CONFIRMED
05/08/18  SwordGuy DW (SwordGuy isn't saying.   He wants to live.) CONFIRMED
05/11/18  Desert (at 52) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  CheapskateWife (at 42) and CheapskateHubs (at 49) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  Gyosho (at 55) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  CodeZed (at 40) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  Markbike528CBX (at 53.5) CONFIRMED
06/08/18  SwissMister CONFIRMED (at 50)
06/13/18  Mr Mark (at 54) CONFIRMED
06/15/18  DavisGang90 (at 49) CONFIRMED
06/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache (at 42) TBD, working thru options
06/29/18  Acastus (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/29/18  aperture (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/30/18  HenryDavid CONFIRMED
07/06/18  Honeyfill  (at 60)  CONFIRMED
07/09/18  CHF (at 51) CONFIRMED
07/??/18  AussieGirl
07/??/18  Mr Griz
07/??/18  BackAndForth
07/??/18  cerat0n1a
07/??/18  Fresh Bread
07/??/18  SnidelyWhiplashStache
08/01/18  SugarMountain In a holding pattern, debating between OMM/OMY.
08/03/18  mjr (at 52) CONFIRMED
08/03/18  Mogadishu (at 40) CONFIRMED
08/09/18  cap396 (at 46) CONFIRMED
08/10/18  FernFree at 49) CONFIRMED
08/20/18  sui generis
08/24/18  sol (at 41)
08/31/18  JerseyGrrrl
08/??/18  NorCalistache
09/01/18  Vegasgirl (at 49)
09/21/18  Ottawa
09/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache
09/30/18  SwissMiss (at 50)
10/05/18  JumboShrimp
10/25/18  PhilB (at 52)
10/??/18  Fire1018
10/??/18  Happy
10/??/18  Irishtache
11/??/18  DeSteeg
11/??/18  Kris
12/21/18  LateStarter
12/31/18  DavidAnnArbor (at 53) (Won't renew my office lease)
12/??/18  EnjoyIt  Parttime.
12/??/18  yoda34
12/??/18  RunningWithScissors
??/??/18  Blindsquirrel
??/??/18  FLStache
??/??/18  Michread
??/??/18  Minnesota_mom
??/??/18  MiserlyMiser
??/??/18  pecunia
??/??/18  Badblackgirl
??/??/18  Sofa King
??/??/18  PKate and DH
??/??/18  Calvin
??/??/18  HappyMargo
03/??/19  ChasesFish  OMY
??/??/19  RetireAbroadAt35  05/??/18, now OMY.
??/??/20  Gooki   2MY or 3MY
??/??/18  Alim Nassor (Cannot find in members list)
??/??/18  step_away
??/??/18  Agent Rosenflower
??/??/18  dbtx
??/??/18  Omalley
??/??/18  randomgiraffe
« Last Edit: August 14, 2018, 07:36:57 AM by CowboyAndIndian »

sui generis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3104
  • she/her
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1887 on: August 14, 2018, 09:34:27 AM »
Congratulations, FernFree!

I gave my notice last Monday and wanted to give some time for a partner who was on vacation to hear about my departure when she got back and offer her an extra day or two, if she felt her matters would benefit.  And no good deed goes unpunished.  After being mostly nice on the phone when I told her, she is now ignoring all my calls and emails, so I finally told her yesterday I needed to set my departure date that day, but would still offer her the extra day or two if she needed it.  She continued to ignore me (she is one of the most prompt people to return calls and emails I've worked with, so it's definitely not that) so fine, I'm set for this Friday 8/17 (small change from my predicted 8/20 on the list).

And I'm so annoyed with her lack of professionalism and reminded that that environment here is a not-small part of why I am leaving, and I'm gonna be so happy to be gone!  It's a shame to end on a less than stellar note for what should be my last paid employment ever, when I've had other jobs I left on a much better note.  But it is what it is and a week from now this will have no bearing on my life.  4 days left!

P.S.  I am (and will still be on Friday) 41yo.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2018, 10:17:25 AM by sui generis »

sol

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8433
  • Age: 47
  • Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1888 on: August 14, 2018, 10:01:29 AM »
You can go ahead and move me to CONFIRMED too.  I've officially given notice and my paperwork is filed.  I'm on approved leave for the duration of my career, and am only going to the office to wrap up a few IT things and empty out workspace.

Cookie78

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1888
  • Location: Canada
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1889 on: August 14, 2018, 11:45:28 AM »
Tomorrow is my confirmed FIRE day!  (Age 46)

I will actually miss my job.  I work with great people and really enjoy what I do.  But my wife and I want to travel while we are still (relatively) young.  We have sold, donated, or thrown out just about everything we own.  In 10 days we leave to spend a year in South America, and plan to visit the rest of the world in the following years.  We are starting a new phase of our lives that we think will bring many adventures and experiences.

That sounds amazing! Congrats!

CowboyAndIndian

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Location: NJ, USA
    • KOWines: Deep discount wine/spirits store.
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1890 on: August 14, 2018, 12:04:30 PM »
Congratulations sui generis and sol! @sol l, I am so looking forward to your blog, no pressure ;-)

01/01/18  CowboyAndIndian (at 59) CONFIRMED
01/04/18  Gimesalot (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/06/18  Monkey Uncle (at 49) CONFIRMED
01/26/18  PizzaSteve (at 53) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  patches (at 33) CONFIRMED
01/31/18  Wintergreen78 CONFIRMED
01/31/18  MomCPA  CONFIRMED
02/01/18  DTaggart (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/05/18  Mrbeardedbigbucks CONFIRMED
02/09/18  JLTinVA (at 42) CONFIRMED
02/14/18  Gimesalot DH (at 40) CONFIRMED
02/28/18  Caoineag (at 36) CONFIRMED
03/01/18  Clean Shaven (at 45) CONFIRMED Part Time
03/02/18  brooklynguy (at 37) CONFIRMED
03/07/18  Aegishjalmur (at 35) CONFIRMED
03/16/18  Cherry Lane (at 43) CONFIRMED
03/27/18  Mrs. Honeyfill CONFIRMED
03/28/18  Target2018 CONFIRMED
03/28/18  homestead neohio (at 39) CONFIRMED
03/30/18  Moxie (at 58) CONFIRMED
03/31/18  msilenus (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/01/18  Mother Fussbudget (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/03/18  lostformars (at 38) CONFIRMED
04/04/18  OzBeach (at 54) CONFIRMED
04/20/18  moneytaichi CONFIRMED
04/25/18  Modernaimend DH (at 39) CONFIRMED
04/25/18  ZiziPB (at 50) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  NinetyFour (at 56) CONFIRMED
04/26/18  SwordGuy (at 60) CONFIRMED
04/27/18  poppydog and DW CONFIRMED
04/27/18  andkar (at 41) CONFIRMED
05/01/18  wordnerd and DH (at 30 and 36) CONFIRMED
05/03/18  Modernaimend (at 35) CONFIRMED
05/08/18  SwordGuy DW (SwordGuy isn't saying.   He wants to live.) CONFIRMED
05/11/18  Desert (at 52) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  CheapskateWife (at 42) and CheapskateHubs (at 49) CONFIRMED
05/25/18  Gyosho (at 55) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  CodeZed (at 40) CONFIRMED
06/01/18  Markbike528CBX (at 53.5) CONFIRMED
06/08/18  SwissMister CONFIRMED (at 50)
06/13/18  Mr Mark (at 54) CONFIRMED
06/15/18  DavisGang90 (at 49) CONFIRMED
06/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache (at 42) TBD, working thru options
06/29/18  Acastus (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/29/18  aperture (at 56) CONFIRMED
06/30/18  HenryDavid CONFIRMED
07/06/18  Honeyfill  (at 60)  CONFIRMED
07/09/18  CHF (at 51) CONFIRMED
07/??/18  AussieGirl
07/??/18  Mr Griz
07/??/18  BackAndForth
07/??/18  cerat0n1a
07/??/18  Fresh Bread
07/??/18  SnidelyWhiplashStache
08/01/18  SugarMountain In a holding pattern, debating between OMM/OMY.
08/03/18  mjr (at 52) CONFIRMED
08/03/18  Mogadishu (at 40) CONFIRMED
08/09/18  cap396 (at 46) CONFIRMED
08/10/18  FernFree (at 49) CONFIRMED
08/17/18  sui generis (at 41) CONFIRMED
08/24/18  sol (at 41) CONFIRMED
08/31/18  JerseyGrrrl
08/??/18  NorCalistache
09/01/18  Vegasgirl (at 49)
09/21/18  Ottawa
09/25/18  MaybeBabyMustache
09/30/18  SwissMiss (at 50)
10/05/18  JumboShrimp
10/25/18  PhilB (at 52)
10/??/18  Fire1018
10/??/18  Happy
10/??/18  Irishtache
11/??/18  DeSteeg
11/??/18  Kris
12/21/18  LateStarter
12/31/18  DavidAnnArbor (at 53) (Won't renew my office lease)
12/??/18  EnjoyIt  Parttime.
12/??/18  yoda34
12/??/18  RunningWithScissors

MIA/Date not confirmed
??/??/18  Blindsquirrel
??/??/18  FLStache
??/??/18  Michread
??/??/18  Minnesota_mom
??/??/18  MiserlyMiser
??/??/18  pecunia
??/??/18  Badblackgirl
??/??/18  Sofa King
??/??/18  PKate and DH
??/??/18  Calvin
??/??/18  HappyMargo
??/??/18  Alim Nassor (Cannot find in members list)
??/??/18  step_away
??/??/18  Agent Rosenflower
??/??/18  dbtx
??/??/18  Omalley
??/??/18  randomgiraffe

OMY/2MY/3MY etc.
03/??/19  ChasesFish  OMY
??/??/19  RetireAbroadAt35  05/??/18, now OMY.
??/??/20  Gooki   2MY or 3MY
« Last Edit: August 14, 2018, 12:17:34 PM by CowboyAndIndian »

DavidAnnArbor

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2266
  • Age: 58
  • Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1891 on: August 14, 2018, 01:48:32 PM »
Someone take a picture of their emptied out office desk. Slightly messy I hope with some paperclips or something lying around.

markbike528CBX

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1899
  • Location: the Everbrown part of the Evergreen State (WA)
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1892 on: August 14, 2018, 07:38:01 PM »
Someone take a picture of their emptied out office desk. Slightly messy I hope with some paperclips or something lying around.
The red stapler may be blurred out to protect its innocence/privacy.

chasesfish

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4376
  • Age: 41
  • Location: Florida
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1893 on: August 14, 2018, 08:38:50 PM »
You can go ahead and move me to CONFIRMED too.  I've officially given notice and my paperwork is filed.  I'm on approved leave for the duration of my career, and am only going to the office to wrap up a few IT things and empty out workspace.

Congratulations Sol!

marty998

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7372
  • Location: Sydney, Oz
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1894 on: August 15, 2018, 05:00:45 AM »
You can go ahead and move me to CONFIRMED too.  I've officially given notice and my paperwork is filed.  I'm on approved leave for the duration of my career, and am only going to the office to wrap up a few IT things and empty out workspace.

Ok so the sun is not going to rise tomorrow?


(Sorry Sol, I always wanted to write that!)

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22319
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1895 on: August 15, 2018, 07:22:33 AM »
Congratulations, FernFree!

I gave my notice last Monday and wanted to give some time for a partner who was on vacation to hear about my departure when she got back and offer her an extra day or two, if she felt her matters would benefit.  And no good deed goes unpunished.  After being mostly nice on the phone when I told her, she is now ignoring all my calls and emails, so I finally told her yesterday I needed to set my departure date that day, but would still offer her the extra day or two if she needed it.  She continued to ignore me (she is one of the most prompt people to return calls and emails I've worked with, so it's definitely not that) so fine, I'm set for this Friday 8/17 (small change from my predicted 8/20 on the list).

And I'm so annoyed with her lack of professionalism and reminded that that environment here is a not-small part of why I am leaving, and I'm gonna be so happy to be gone!  It's a shame to end on a less than stellar note for what should be my last paid employment ever, when I've had other jobs I left on a much better note.  But it is what it is and a week from now this will have no bearing on my life.  4 days left!

P.S.  I am (and will still be on Friday) 41yo.
Sorry she's being an asshat. She's probably a teeny, tiny bit jealous. Since you have nothing to lose, you could sent an email saying you're sorry she's not returning your messages because you really wanted to leave things in tip-top shape.. If she's really a jerk, you should copy her boss. It's possible that she's behind on something or knows of a looming problem that she's planning to pin on you. Even if that's true, you'll be long gone, having won the big prize.

Dicey

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 22319
  • Age: 66
  • Location: NorCal
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1896 on: August 15, 2018, 07:26:16 AM »
...and sol! @sol l, I am so looking forward to your blog, no pressure ;-)
Wait! What? Is this true? I want to be a charter member, please. Congratulations, sol!

CowboyAndIndian

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1934
  • Location: NJ, USA
    • KOWines: Deep discount wine/spirits store.
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1897 on: August 15, 2018, 07:34:13 AM »
...and sol! @sol l, I am so looking forward to your blog, no pressure ;-)
Wait! What? Is this true? I want to be a charter member, please. Congratulations, sol!

I remember reading something by sol that said that he wanted to write a blog when he FIRE'd. Could have been wishful thinking also, since I like reading what he writes :-)

MaybeBabyMustache

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5351
    • My Wild Ride to FI
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1898 on: August 15, 2018, 07:45:25 AM »
I've had a record breaking series of awful work weeks. My manager & i have been trying to find part time options, but at this point, I'm incredibly close to just taking my sabbatical & bailing.

Lews Therin

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Magnum Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 3898
  • Age: 34
  • Location: Gatineau
  • Fee-only Financial Planner
Re: 2018 FIRE cohort
« Reply #1899 on: August 15, 2018, 08:04:53 AM »
...and sol! @sol l, I am so looking forward to your blog, no pressure ;-)
Wait! What? Is this true? I want to be a charter member, please. Congratulations, sol!

I remember reading something by sol that said that he wanted to write a blog when he FIRE'd. Could have been wishful thinking also, since I like reading what he writes :-)

Just check through his previous posts. Only 6.7k of them.