2022 FIRE cohort

[friedmmj]

I can't remember if this was an original idea or not, but a few years ago I made a spreadsheet where I represented my entire working career (which started in summer of 1989 and ending at my planned retirement date of spring 2022) in the form of a five day work week.  It is a grid with days M-F and 8 hours per day.  In each block of the grid (one hour is approx 10 months) I showed my various employers and jobs as well as marking significant life events and milestones.  it's sort of a useless diversion, but I found it thought provoking and a good distraction.

Well, this Friday represents 4:00 pm of the "Friday" of my career.  In other words, after this week I will be in the last "hour" of my career.  I can't help it, but at this stage I'm totally "watching the clock".  I remember early in my career, my bosses' boss paid me a compliment saying that I wasn't a clock-watcher.  How ironic, that I am totally a clock watcher in these waning hours....bring on the weekend baby!

[frizzywhiskers]

My target fire date is officially March 31, 2022.  337 more days to go.  It seems like time is standing still, I sure hope I can hold out until then!  I’m so ready!  Bring on the patience vibes!

[itchyfeet]

This time it for real!!!!!

After twice jumping on FIRE cohorts for 2019 and 2020, and then finding reasons not to FIRE, this time it’s on.

Friday 1 April 2022 is my day.

I have some golden handcuffs that mean I can’t (ok, won’t) resign before 1 January 2022 and I then am required to give 3 months notice.

The next year will be the year of the Fs
 - I’ll be 50
 - I’ll FIRE
 - I’ll be free; and
 - I’ll be fit......

I started on this last one this week. It’ll take me all year to get fit. I have really piled on the pounds this past 7 years. It’s ridiculous how fat, unit and inflexible I have become from sitting down do very little for 7 years, and eating and drinking with abandon.... I want to turn back the clock 10 years. I have big plans for the next decade. I was in great shape at 40 sigh.

Looking forward to sharing the journey with you all.

[friedmmj]

This time it for real!!!!!

After twice jumping on FIRE cohorts for 2019 and 2020, and then finding reasons not to FIRE, this time it’s on.

Friday 1 April 2022 is my day.

I have some golden handcuffs that mean I can’t (ok, won’t) resign before 1 January 2022 and I then am required to give 3 months notice.

The next year will be the year of the Fs
 - I’ll be 50
 - I’ll FIRE
 - I’ll be free; and
 - I’ll be fit......

I started on this last one this week. It’ll take me all year to get fit. I have really piled on the pounds this past 7 years. It’s ridiculous how fat, unit and inflexible I have become from sitting down do very little for 7 years, and eating and drinking with abandon.... I want to turn back the clock 10 years. I have big plans for the next decade. I was in great shape at 40 sigh.

Looking forward to sharing the journey with you all.

Nice!  Sounds like you're ready to kick ass in retirement!

[itchyfeet]

46 weeks to go...

Booked a winter vacation in Tasmania for a couple of weeks in July. It will be an awesome break.

Fitness regime - so far so good, but only 3 weeks in.

DW has shared that she won’t be FIREing with me... a bit of a spanner in my grand plans..... not so sure exactly how it will be with me not working and her working. I am sure we will fall into a new rhythm but I do hope she won’t be too far behind me. We will see. Maybe she will change her mind.

Actually, now that I’m being a bit more vocal about my plans most, if not all, of my friends are telling me I’m making a mistake... “you’ll be bored”, “you will miss your work”, “you’re too young” etc.

Only my parents have been fully supportive, which is surprising, but then again they have had a long and awesome retirement so share my view that there is life beyond MegaCorp.

[boarder42]

Somehow this all came full circle and we're going to be back in the 2022 group with my wife in 2021. When I joined this it really was going to be 2023. But 1/2/23 bc of benefits I get by staying til  that date then we upgraded to what mmm would describe as a mcmansion and pushed our date back 2 years. But. I didn't buy it to buy a mcmansion I bought it for location and I knew It was under market value. Due to home appreciation and cashing that in for market returns we will easily be FI in early 2022.

[2Birds1Stone]

@boarder42, welcome back!

[TempusFugit]

46 weeks to go...

Booked a winter vacation in Tasmania for a couple of weeks in July. It will be an awesome break.

Fitness regime - so far so good, but only 3 weeks in.

DW has shared that she won’t be FIREing with me... a bit of a spanner in my grand plans..... not so sure exactly how it will be with me not working and her working. I am sure we will fall into a new rhythm but I do hope she won’t be too far behind me. We will see. Maybe she will change her mind.

Actually, now that I’m being a bit more vocal about my plans most, if not all, of my friends are telling me I’m making a mistake... “you’ll be bored”, “you will miss your work”, “you’re too young” etc.

Only my parents have been fully supportive, which is surprising, but then again they have had a long and awesome retirement so share my view that there is life beyond MegaCorp.

Hmmm... we've just had a debate about this over in another thread.  I am personally of the opinion, and its just one persons opinion not based on any personal experience, that if a couple only half REs, it is a sign of problems to come.  Was DW on board with FIRE until recently?   Do you think she was really serious about it or maybe she figured it was just a fun thing to fantasize about but wouldn't really happen? 

My thinking is that a relationship in which one person is voluntarily retired and has the financial freedom to do all the fun things, etc while the other is still working - even if by choice, not due to financial need- will tend to result in resentments on one side or the other.  Either the retired person will feel unfairly constrained in an effort to not ‘flaunt’ their freedom or the working person will begin to resent the easy lifestyle of the other while still dealing with the unpleasantness of working and  bringing in money that does provide more and more security or “status” to the relationship.  Logic and reason be damned, I think emotion would lead to that outcome in many relationships. 

Of course there are other people on the forum who very strongly disagree with my thoughts and are confident that a strong and healthy relationship will be just fine in this circumstance.  When it comes to this, I guess I’m a pessimist. 

Its your business, of course, so feel free to ignore the question.   Its just something that I do think about as I approach FI and wonder if RE might make finding a partner very much more difficult due to the imbalance of lifestyles that it would almost certainly entail. 

[itchyfeet]

I certainly think it’s not something to be ignored, and something we need to work through.

If DW works it will be because she chooses to. We are FI in any sense of the term.

I have earned more than double DW throughout our relationship (4x these days) and am 6 years older than her and came into the relationship already owning a house and having a bit of a stash underway. I doubt that she could ever feel resentment from contributing more to the stash.

DW has had to move around the world following my career and consequently has had some time out of work. Due to the disruptions to her career I think she feels a little under cooked on that front, enjoys her work, and feels she wants to expend a bit more energy working.

It would be wrong of me to stand in the way of that. Like the rest of married life some compromise will need to be made. For example, We won’t be able to travel as much as I might have wanted, but that is not such a big deal. I am sure I’ll find good ways to fill my days.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I wished she was ready to FIRE, but I do understand her desire to stretch her career legs a little.

Freedom to choose is what FI gives you.

[snowball]

Think I might OLY into the 2021 cohort and make Dec 1 my last day at work...I just spent an hour plotting this all out on my spreadsheet and organizing my to-do list for it.

That's only six more months.  :O  Wow.

Edited to add: Decision is made.  Dec 1 is a go.  Whee!

[Axecleaver]

Currently planning for March, 2021. I got a new job that I'm enjoying, and making lots of new connections for a transition into FIRE and potentially part time work. I see OMY as the biggest risk to this timeline, because I'm having too much fun in my work right now and don't want to stop. I took over a team in crisis and managed them out of what looked like a hopeless situation to them, so I'm riding a wave of popularity at the moment. Things may be different three years from now. I will be 50 in 2021.

As of 5/19/21, I am officially retired. The quote above is from December 2017.

I did solve all the problems at work and made myself redundant.
Job turned into less problem solving and more offshore and audit compliance, which I did not enjoy. I had no idea how accurate this prediction would be! I was planning to leave soon but instead got an 18 week package. Pretty great outcome!

[boarder42]

Taking FMLA thru labor day starting 6/14 - then i may cut my hours to 30 hours a week depending on how much time i get to work from home.  9/9/9/3 from 9/9/9/9.  so i only have 20 weeks of work left give or take

[ixtap]

I did our semi annual financial snapshot this weekend and we are FI, even at our current inflated expenses.

DH was miserable at work two weeks ago, excited and interested and being pushed out in front of higher ups last week. Still talking about walking away in a year. Don't know what he will say if they ask him to be a team leader on a good day.

[TempusFugit]

Currently planning for March, 2021. I got a new job that I'm enjoying, and making lots of new connections for a transition into FIRE and potentially part time work. I see OMY as the biggest risk to this timeline, because I'm having too much fun in my work right now and don't want to stop. I took over a team in crisis and managed them out of what looked like a hopeless situation to them, so I'm riding a wave of popularity at the moment. Things may be different three years from now. I will be 50 in 2021.

As of 5/19/21, I am officially retired. The quote above is from December 2017.

I did solve all the problems at work and made myself redundant.
Job turned into less problem solving and more offshore and audit compliance, which I did not enjoy. I had no idea how accurate this prediction would be! I was planning to leave soon but instead got an 18 week package. Pretty great outcome!

Wow, congrats!  Sometimes things work out better than we anticipate.  What are your immediate plans for your post-work life? 

[Axecleaver]

Check out my journal! Selling condo (we were doing this anyway but timing is perfect), moving DD from NY to our farm in SC, because there are no jobs in NY, and getting caught up on all the farm maintenance that hasn't gotten done yet. Then when the pasture fence is repaired, next spring we are getting some chickens and dairy goats, and I get to plant my retirement vegetable garden I never made enough time for while I was working.

[TempusFugit]

Check out my journal! Selling condo (we were doing this anyway but timing is perfect), moving DD from NY to our farm in SC, because there are no jobs in NY, and getting caught up on all the farm maintenance that hasn't gotten done yet. Then when the pasture fence is repaired, next spring we are getting some chickens and dairy goats, and I get to plant my retirement vegetable garden I never made enough time for while I was working.

Farming (even small "hobby" farms) is definitely a time consuming endeavor. There is always something that needs doing.  Best undertaken when no other full time job competes for you attention.   My family had a small (36 acre) farm back when I was a young kid just as a 'hobby'. It was more work than they anticipated, I think, but still created some awesome memories.  Wouldn't trade the experience, but I also wasn't the one doing all the work! 

[luckyme13]

I'm in.  I was in the 2019 but got one-year-itis and then Covid hit and I figured why walk away from a good paying job right now?  I'm fried and we have big plans to move internationally.  So my resignation is slated for 5-2-2022 with my last day on 5-13-2022.  Let's see if I can make it that long. 

[shadesofgreen]

I believe that I have firmed up my leave date. I will notify in early May and be done by the end of May. I will have been with my company 25 years and I will offer to train the person/people they find to replace me. But I will be out by the first week of June 2022. I have travel plans, Location drives, and several other things I need to deal with before I can move. I don't want to be working while attempting to do it.

[boarder42]

Current plan is up to 7 weeks notice on Jan 3 2022. We're heading to Hawaii in February and I won't be coming back to work after that.  After many conversations with people I've decided to not tell my company I'm retiring but to tell them I'm leaving to work in teaching personal finance and financial literacy. Which is what I'm most passionate about.

Wife has started a photo business and is putting in her 2 weeks mid June.

[skip207]

Moving into final stages of my plan now. Sold one of our cars - so we now have just 1 car.  Will be managing like that for a while to check we are ok with just the one.

Trying to downsize the house, but the property market is hot right now and there is a stock shortage so whilst we could sell ours easily we are struggling to find the house to move too - but we are looking every day.

We are taking a long trip this winter, this will be a trial run for our future trips once FIREd.  So I am keeping a very close eye on the budget for that.

My pension pot target at FIRE is 300k and we are sitting at 250k at the moment, so on track.

Our ISA pot target is also 300k and currently at 180k.  So a bit of work to do there - we are limited to 40k conts a year so April 2022 will be 220k and April 2023 will be 260k.  Not a lot we can do to speed that up unless we see 20% returns in the next 2 years! (we had been 2025 for FIRE so we are going 3 years early hence the missed target).

Exciting and frustrating times so close but so far!

[boarder42]

Current plan is up to 7 weeks notice on Jan 3 2022. We're heading to Hawaii in February and I won't be coming back to work after that.  After many conversations with people I've decided to not tell my company I'm retiring but to tell them I'm leaving to work in teaching personal finance and financial literacy. Which is what I'm most passionate about.

Wife has started a photo business and is putting in her 2 weeks mid June.

wife resigned effective july 7th.  I'm not sure i'm going to give my company 7 weeks.  Hell i'm not sure i'm coming back from FMLA! which starts in Tminus - 3hours

[ixtap]

My parents asked us to join them on a cruise next year and we said yes, but don't expect us to make a habit of it (they generally go once a year and Dad has already picked out the likely destination for 2023). I mentioned to DH that we could think of it as a sabbatical celebration. If he embraces that idea, it might get him focused on leaving, rather than his current focus on just making it to the next RSU.

[countdown]

Anyone else on track to hit FI in 2022? I'm 7 yrs and 1m out from my date and it seems so far away! DH and I are continuing to look for fat to trim, but no matter how I rerun the scenarios, I can't safely RE before 2022. Anyone else in a similar boat?

How do you stay in the moment and enjoy life while also keeping focused on optimizing your savings rate? Lately, I've been baking more and hiking with the kids and scheduling the occasional morning or afternoon off work.

It's been 5 years since our founder 'countdown' started this thread!  I've noticed he hasn't posted since 2015.  I wonder what happened to him/her.

Hi! Just checking in on this thread for the first time in years. After both my mother and father-in-law died of cancer at 72 within 6 months of each other in 2014/15, hubby and I decided to go on glide path FI, move to a lower cost of living area in a small college town and I took a 50% pay cut supposedly for a much more relaxed, low stress job and better environment to raise a family.

We did that for about 2 years before I realized that I hated small town life and that no full-time job is actually low stress. I was working just as many hours and had just as much stress, just for half the money! So, in late 2018, we moved again to a metro area with a higher cost of living and higher pay. It was a great move, but so many relocations within a short period of time took a chunk out of our savings and savings rate. By mid 2019, I was back on the mustachian way, but now my date is looking like 2027 rather than 2022. No regrets over trying something different, and I love the area that we landed in.

Also, kid 1 was diagnosed ASD with anxiety, and the schools and support here for neurodiversity are amazing! Staying in an area that provides support for kids with differences is part of my 2027 date. I'm willing to work longer too stay in an area with better support.

Funnily enough, I hit subsistence FI about 6 months ago, and have been playing around with the idea of a sabbatical in Fall 2022. So, in a way I'm still on track for 2022, but RE went down a windy road.

It's great reading through the thread and catching up on everyone's journey!

[ghsebldr]

My current business partner is finishing his buyout on 1/1/22. Woohoo
  He did ask if I wouldn't answer the phone for him for a couple of months (100% of our business comes in over the phone). What the hell that's not retirement.
  No he's had 2 years to learn how to answer the phone. I'm already packing the motorhome. See ya.

[ixtap]

This probably sounds like a broken record that compiles some of my previous posts, but it turns out that as it comes right down to it, we are moderately terrified.

We have reached all except the stretchiest of stretch goals, DH is not feeling particularly productive at work, but those golden handcuffs are just our long vacation plus 4 months away...Going to make some decisions a few weeks after we get back from vacation. If he doesn't quit on the spot, I might try to talk him into putting in notice as soon as he gets his bonus and working with his manager on a smooth transition. Put a stop to this OMY crap and make sure we are out well before we can feel the pull of the 2022 year end bonus + RSUs...

It doesn't help that we are only half way through a two year lease and our roommate is talking about moving out, plus we have put a deposit down on a river cruise with my parents, so the next 12 months are expected to be on the high side compared to our usual spending. Not exactly the ideal way to begin drawing down. Whereas, bonus + RSUs that come late in the Fall would cover all of that. But, I subtracted out our expected upcoming spend (ie take year 1 as a lump sum, rather than part of the stash), then subtracted out our "transition fund" that will allow us to change up our lifestyle whenever we want (in case we don't enjoy cruising full time as much as we expect or he physically can't handle it), then multiplied the remainder by 3% and still came up with a very reasonable number. We can do this. But the lure of a whole year's spending, plus 4 month's salary sitting right over the horizon...

We have looked into disability in the past and again recently. It is fine for us that he probably couldn't qualify, but what if someone who had not saved so diligently found themselves in so much pain that sitting at the computer for more than a couple of hours a day is debilitating? We drove by some road construction the other day, and he got a little frustrated that he couldn't even be the guy waving a little flag to get the traffic to go around the construction. I think part of his reluctance is he wanted to leave on his own terms and feels like his body is forcing him out, instead.

[epritch7]

Reached FI Q3 of 2020, planning to RE sometime in 2022.

[frugalecon]

I have vacillated on what my goal for transitioning to my next stage of life should be, and I have contemplated everything from 2021 to 2027. 2021 would be kind of bare bones, 2027 would be hyper-responsible, with 2025 as just prudent in a way that I could explain to most people. But looking at the numbers, I have realized that September 6, 2022 is the day. I was thinking about mid-August, but then I realized it would make sense to stretch and pick up Labor Day as a paid holiday. (And things are usually pretty slow around my office in August.)

Having a little over a year to prepare will be useful, I think, both for structuring things at work and fine-tuning the financial side of things. So, happy to join you all in the 2022 cohort!

[TomTX]

I have thought about the holiday schedule when trying to figure out when to retire.

[couponvan]

I have thought about the holiday schedule when trying to figure out when to retire.

And don’t forget the flexible spending accounts and/or 401(k)/dependent cares spending contribution/ACA subsidies in the final year strategic planning.

[Zinsch]

Still plan to quit next summer. I probably won't call it retirement, though. I'm definitely more on the lean fire side and also still not that old. Who knows what the future will bring. I'm thinking about a nomadic lifestyle (lots of hiking and budget travelling) for a few years until I got that out of my system and I'm ready to stay in a single place again, wherever that may be.

[salt cured]

Last day of work is officially set for 6/30/22.

[itchyfeet]

39 weeks to go.

7 weeks since I last checked in here, which have flown by.

Exercise has fallen away, which is super frustrating. Maybe tomorrow....

Stash is piling up. By the time I FIRE, assuming no major market disruption, we will be well ahead of our number.

I’ve been tempted to bring the FIRE date forward, but I have a sizeable retention bonus payable to me if I don’t resign before 1 Jan, and then I have to give 3 months notice after my bonus is secured.

We don’t really need the retention bonus, and it’s only 2% of our stash so pretty marginal in the grand scheme of things, but I feel I have earned the money and don’t want to leave without being paid.

I do feel like I’m just biding time this year a bit, waiting for next year. This is very frustrating as life is short. I definitely want to make 2021 be about more than a mere waiting room for 2022.

Enough slothing on the sofa!!!

[RainyDay]

I'm envious of all you early-mid year 2022 retirees!  My date is 12/13/2022, and even then I'll be moving to part time.  The waiting!!!

[friedmmj]

Down to 145 working days.  I'm starting to get more anxious and nervous about the whole thing which must mean it's actually getting close.  I've been selectively leaking the news to a few friends and they mostly react with surprise and ask me what kind of work I will do after retiring.  What? 

[MrThatsDifferent]

39 weeks to go.

7 weeks since I last checked in here, which have flown by.

Exercise has fallen away, which is super frustrating. Maybe tomorrow....

Stash is piling up. By the time I FIRE, assuming no major market disruption, we will be well ahead of our number.

I’ve been tempted to bring the FIRE date forward, but I have a sizeable retention bonus payable to me if I don’t resign before 1 Jan, and then I have to give 3 months notice after my bonus is secured.

We don’t really need the retention bonus, and it’s only 2% of our stash so pretty marginal in the grand scheme of things, but I feel I have earned the money and don’t want to leave without being paid.

I do feel like I’m just biding time this year a bit, waiting for next year. This is very frustrating as life is short. I definitely want to make 2021 be about more than a mere waiting room for 2022.

Enough slothing on the sofa!!!

Btw, I read your previous post about DW not retiring with you and that affecting travel: I wouldn’t stress right now. You won’t be able to do meaningful travel for about 2-4 years anyways, which is plenty of time for DW to get sick of feeling restrained and wanting to stretch her wings with you. Play it by ear. Outside of travel, what else will you do with your life and days?

[friedmmj]

39 weeks to go.

7 weeks since I last checked in here, which have flown by.

Exercise has fallen away, which is super frustrating. Maybe tomorrow....

Stash is piling up. By the time I FIRE, assuming no major market disruption, we will be well ahead of our number.

I’ve been tempted to bring the FIRE date forward, but I have a sizeable retention bonus payable to me if I don’t resign before 1 Jan, and then I have to give 3 months notice after my bonus is secured.

We don’t really need the retention bonus, and it’s only 2% of our stash so pretty marginal in the grand scheme of things, but I feel I have earned the money and don’t want to leave without being paid.

I do feel like I’m just biding time this year a bit, waiting for next year. This is very frustrating as life is short. I definitely want to make 2021 be about more than a mere waiting room for 2022.

Enough slothing on the sofa!!!

Btw, I read your previous post about DW not retiring with you and that affecting travel: I wouldn’t stress right now. You won’t be able to do meaningful travel for about 2-4 years anyways, which is plenty of time for DW to get sick of feeling restrained and wanting to stretch her wings with you. Play it by ear. Outside of travel, what else will you do with your life and days?

What is this 2-4 years that you speak of?

[boarder42]

Just chilling over here on FMLA. Still not sure if I'll make it back to work in September. May bump up to 2021 but I have similar end of year ties that might keep me around

[itchyfeet]

39 weeks to go.

7 weeks since I last checked in here, which have flown by.

Exercise has fallen away, which is super frustrating. Maybe tomorrow....

Stash is piling up. By the time I FIRE, assuming no major market disruption, we will be well ahead of our number.

I’ve been tempted to bring the FIRE date forward, but I have a sizeable retention bonus payable to me if I don’t resign before 1 Jan, and then I have to give 3 months notice after my bonus is secured.

We don’t really need the retention bonus, and it’s only 2% of our stash so pretty marginal in the grand scheme of things, but I feel I have earned the money and don’t want to leave without being paid.

I do feel like I’m just biding time this year a bit, waiting for next year. This is very frustrating as life is short. I definitely want to make 2021 be about more than a mere waiting room for 2022.

Enough slothing on the sofa!!!

Btw, I read your previous post about DW not retiring with you and that affecting travel: I wouldn’t stress right now. You won’t be able to do meaningful travel for about 2-4 years anyways, which is plenty of time for DW to get sick of feeling restrained and wanting to stretch her wings with you. Play it by ear. Outside of travel, what else will you do with your life and days?

I don’t exactly have a clear plan for the next incarnation of my life, but am convinced that I can find things to do that are more enjoyable than working at a desk in MegaCorp for 50 hours a week.

I have been looking at enrolling in university to study wildlife conservation... maybe
I would like to join a 4x4 off road club to make friends and spend some time camping etc and exploring the great national parks we have here in Australia.
I would like to join a conservation group - it will depend where we end up living as to what it is.
I have some home improvement projects in mind if we don’t move for a few years while DW keeps working.
I want to get back to regular consistent daily exercise.
I will read a lot and maybe join a book club
I want to get a dog for company and have the time to train it properly (as opposed to our last dog)
I am thinking of buying, and toying with, a classic car.... maybe... but not till we move and have more space.
I want to spend some time helping my elderly parents until we move as I expect we will move too far away to provide regular weekly help.
I will probably get involved in the administration of a sports club I used to compete with.
DW has plans for growing a lot of food. I’ll be a willing participant in both the growing and eating.
I might start a small side hustle for beer money. I have a few ideas.
I might get a part time job doing something completely different to my current career - money isn’t important.

[MrThatsDifferent]

39 weeks to go.

7 weeks since I last checked in here, which have flown by.

Exercise has fallen away, which is super frustrating. Maybe tomorrow....

Stash is piling up. By the time I FIRE, assuming no major market disruption, we will be well ahead of our number.

I’ve been tempted to bring the FIRE date forward, but I have a sizeable retention bonus payable to me if I don’t resign before 1 Jan, and then I have to give 3 months notice after my bonus is secured.

We don’t really need the retention bonus, and it’s only 2% of our stash so pretty marginal in the grand scheme of things, but I feel I have earned the money and don’t want to leave without being paid.

I do feel like I’m just biding time this year a bit, waiting for next year. This is very frustrating as life is short. I definitely want to make 2021 be about more than a mere waiting room for 2022.

Enough slothing on the sofa!!!

Btw, I read your previous post about DW not retiring with you and that affecting travel: I wouldn’t stress right now. You won’t be able to do meaningful travel for about 2-4 years anyways, which is plenty of time for DW to get sick of feeling restrained and wanting to stretch her wings with you. Play it by ear. Outside of travel, what else will you do with your life and days?

I don’t exactly have a clear plan for the next incarnation of my life, but am convinced that I can find things to do that are more enjoyable than working at a desk in MegaCorp for 50 hours a week.

I have been looking at enrolling in university to study wildlife conservation... maybe
I would like to join a 4x4 off road club to make friends and spend some time camping etc and exploring the great national parks we have here in Australia.
I would like to join a conservation group - it will depend where we end up living as to what it is.
I have some home improvement projects in mind if we don’t move for a few years while DW keeps working.
I want to get back to regular consistent daily exercise.
I will read a lot and maybe join a book club
I want to get a dog for company and have the time to train it properly (as opposed to our last dog)
I am thinking of buying, and toying with, a classic car.... maybe... but not till we move and have more space.
I want to spend some time helping my elderly parents until we move as I expect we will move too far away to provide regular weekly help.
I will probably get involved in the administration of a sports club I used to compete with.
DW has plans for growing a lot of food. I’ll be a willing participant in both the growing and eating.
I might start a small side hustle for beer money. I have a few ideas.
I might get a part time job doing something completely different to my current career - money isn’t important.

All good stuff. Keep in mind that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Focus on what you’re passionate about and what matters to you and see what you can start doing now. You don’t have to wait until retirement to start most of those things. If you care, truly care, you’ll put real energy into it. If you don’t, they’ll just be things you delude yourself with. All the best.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

So excited to be in the home stretch for my FIRE date (planning on 2/25/22, but some flex there depending on an upcoming stock grant. Won't know details of vest schedule until EOY). For the February date, I've got ~228 days to go. Woohoo! Not that I'm counting.

We recently sold our vacation house. It had never factored into our retirement plans, as it wasn't worth much. The current real estate market changed that, and we got a full price offer the first week. All of that money will now be used to pay off our giant bay area mortgage. Our plans are to have our house paid off by EOY. We bought in Feb of 2017, so we will have the house paid off in less than five years. VERY excited about this milestone.

No mortgage frees me up to finally execute on my FIRE plans. My husband has no desire/plans to keep working. He'll cover the health care costs, as well as cover all of our (non-mortgage) expenses, including giving us flex for plenty of travel, remodeling, etc. We're both fully saved for actual retirement, so I feel comfortable not adding additional money to the investments, and just letting them grow.

I'll be 46 when I FIRE, and it will be the anniversary of my 25th year in tech. I never planned to go into tech, and one well paying job after another led me here. I'm going to use the first year to decompress, and then figure out a bit more about what I want to do with my  life. I'm fine volunteering, consulting, whatever, but never want to need a big tech salary & career.

I've also got some health issues that will only be helped by less stress, more sleep, and better life balance. 2022 - here we come!

[SAfAmBrit]

Joining the group. FIRE date will be 5/31/22. I will wait for the bonus and I will be fully vested in all my stock options by then. I am currently very burnt right now and would love to quit and walk away and go work at Safeway as a cashier but that would not be contusive in the long run.

[lollylegs]

I find myself constantly thinking about retirement now and about how good its going to feel to have the time to do what I please. There are so many projects around the house that are in need of attention and I have no energy to start any of them.

I'm halfway through this year of management - it's tiring and I'm doing long hours, but it's worth it on payday.

 I've been getting information ready for the financial planner and thanks to updated real estate valuations I can now say we've already exceeded our target retirement number. That's excluding our PPOR as we need somewhere to live so I don't include that in calculations.

I remember when I joined this thread three years ago and it felt like such a big goal to achieve, but we have done it!!   Now it's just working out this years management contract, then going part-time, and deciding on a date near the end of 2022 to leave. I can't tell anyone else but I have to admit since I found out we hit our number this week I feel a lot less stressed about work. Knowing I could actually just walk away now is an incredible feeling :)

[Axecleaver]

@MaybeBabyMustache - Taking a year to decompress matches the advice I see here among those who retired. I worked in tech for 28 years. We had hit our number in March when our bonuses paid out, but I wanted to wait until January to give notice, so I could shift my non qualified stock options into a year where I'd not have much income, and spread out the taxes. My position was eliminated in May, to my immense surprise.  But, they paid me 22 weeks of severance, which took me almost to end of September. Very fortunate!

What I'd tell you is that the decompression is real and takes time. I'm only two months into my retirement, but I've already lost 30 pounds, drinking less, eating better (no more convenience takeout, everything I make from scratch now), completely unstressed about anything at all, sleeping better, and can't seem to wipe the smile off my face. We bought a 25 acre farm near my wife's parents in October last year in preparation for retirement, just came a bit sooner than we expected. We sold our waterfront condo in May, listing it before I got my notice. Everything just came together perfectly.

The first 30 days after retirement were very disorienting, and I had trouble adjusting. I was sad at first and missed my team, who really appreciated me and all got in touch to tell me how much I was missed. But gradually, day by day, the fog began to clear. Today my days are filled with home improvement projects, visiting with my family and friends, and gradually catching up on the deferred maintenance around the farm. I really did not realize how much stress the job was exposing me to. My health has improved, my attitude has improved, and every new day has new adventures I'm excited to explore. I don't know what things will be like in a year but everything is trending up for me. I also have some health challenges, and those have all improved dramatically from less stress and less weight. Working for the man will kill ya! Good luck!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

@Axecleaver - that is a fantastic story! Thanks for sharing. I'm very excited about the future, and also trying to be a bit more comfortable with the "unknown". That's not my sweet spot, but I know that I don't have all of the answers for the future, and that's part of the adventure. . . to take advantage of opportunities that arise, and have the flexibility to make choices that are interesting, vs just what's "in the plan" or "required to fit the budget".

[friedmmj]

I feel like I'm living in a sort of suspended animation waiting for the doors to freedom to open.  It's really strange trying to plow through daily work life without any desire to perform or achieve.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I feel like I'm living in a sort of suspended animation waiting for the doors to freedom to open.  It's really strange trying to plow through daily work life without any desire to perform or achieve.

Amen, @friedmmj

[Glenstache]

Unexpectedly joining this cohort. I had expected to be about 4 to 6 years years out, but due to the strong market and some recent changes at work, I have just reached my leanFI amount this week. I was out on a bike ride when I realized it and spent most of the ride in a bit of a daze as I began to slowly process it. I currently enjoy my job and, to be honest, am not mentally prepared to have the option to stop working. In that light, I intend to keep working and want to process a bit before making any decisions. I think that I will likely wait a month or two and then ask about reducing to half or other reduced time arrangement and see about adjusting project load to the "fun" stuff. This would smooth the mental transition, and allow me to coast to my full FIRE target.  Updates to follow as I process and sort this all out.

[2KidFIRE]

I feel like I'm living in a sort of suspended animation waiting for the doors to freedom to open.  It's really strange trying to plow through daily work life without any desire to perform or achieve.

I so relate to this!  I've been in the same industry for 15+ years now and while my job isn't "bad" and the hours are actually very reasonable compared to what they have been in the past, I'm just so done.

[friedmmj]

Unexpectedly joining this cohort. I had expected to be about 4 to 6 years years out, but due to the strong market and some recent changes at work, I have just reached my leanFI amount this week. I was out on a bike ride when I realized it and spent most of the ride in a bit of a daze as I began to slowly process it. I currently enjoy my job and, to be honest, am not mentally prepared to have the option to stop working. In that light, I intend to keep working and want to process a bit before making any decisions. I think that I will likely wait a month or two and then ask about reducing to half or other reduced time arrangement and see about adjusting project load to the "fun" stuff. This would smooth the mental transition, and allow me to coast to my full FIRE target.  Updates to follow as I process and sort this all out.

What percentage of your full target are you at?  What's the new projection on hitting that if you keep working full time?

[TempusFugit]

@Axecleaver nice update.  You make it sound very nice indeed. I’m closing in on the financial targets for RE but I’m not sure I’m gonna be ready psychologically.  Wondering how i will fill my time. It sure does sound nice though to have the days for whatever I choose to do rather than someone else's agenda. 

@2KidFIRE  @friedmmj  I’m totally with you guys on this.  I’ve found myself very much slacking off recently, still getting done what needs to get done but not really worrying anymore about impressing anybody.  When projects are discussed with timelines of 2024 and out, I kind of stop listening altogether and start daydreaming.