Author Topic: I am already 60% FIREd!  (Read 2695 times)

hoping2retire35

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1398
  • Location: UPCOUNTRY CAROLINA
  • just want to see where this appears
I am already 60% FIREd!
« on: October 21, 2016, 10:53:41 AM »
No, I don't have $100k's of money invested or multiple apartments that cover a portion of our living expenses; I am talking about time.

There are 168 hours in a week and about 56 of those are spent sleeping which leaves 112 to do stuff. Of course myself and others spend about 45 of this working and commuting; ie stuff we would rather not do. So now we have 67 hours out of 112 to do whatever; 60%. Is this time spent sitting in front of a TV or complaining about work? Nope. It is doing those exact things I'll be doing once FIRE'd.

Building a deck in our barn so the kids have a place to experiment with tools; building cabinets to hold equipment in our 'beer hall'; making beer in the beer hall; building a fort in the woods with our kids...

You don't have to wait until you have a giant bank account to have fun. It's Friday folks, go out there and do it right now!

HappyMargo

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 119
  • Location: Colorado
Re: I am already 60% FIREd!
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2016, 11:07:12 AM »
Agreed.
I keep an on-going list on my phone, compiling ideas of "Stuff I Want to do Once Retired."

Then one day while adding another "some day" activity, I caught myself & asked, "Why am I waiting? Start now!"   Been having fun working thru my list already!




Spiffy

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 286
Re: I am already 60% FIREd!
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2016, 11:10:28 AM »
well said!

Kansas Beachbum

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 182
  • Location: Kansas City Metro
Re: I am already 60% FIREd!
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2016, 11:26:40 AM »
Great perspective!  What a healthy way to look at life.  Thanks, and have a great weekend!

stasherus-maximus

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 32
Re: I am already 60% FIREd!
« Reply #4 on: October 21, 2016, 12:22:00 PM »
Well said. Interesting way to look at it. Since becoming obsessed with FIRE I find myself concentrating on the future too much and neglecting the present. Playing with spreadsheets, reading articles, etc. I have to now train myself to relax and realize things are on auto-pilot. Time to free up all that spreadsheet tweaking time for things that are more fun (not that spreadsheets aren't fun in their own special way).

bestideaever

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 85
  • Location: San Francisco, CA
Re: I am already 60% FIREd!
« Reply #5 on: October 21, 2016, 12:38:10 PM »
YES! With a focus on FIRE, we must ensure we don't just transfer the "living for vacation" mentality to "living for FIRE", rather than living in the now content with our life and not hankering for that final escape. You have to work on enjoying life as it is now, and I personally find the way to do that is to set goals for myself, and to try new things. Those things make me happy and make me feel that I am growing. FIRE principles are a big part of that, but it can't be the only thing. No future is guaranteed.

Thanks for the healthy reminder!

Langer83

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 29
Re: I am already 60% FIREd!
« Reply #6 on: October 21, 2016, 12:42:08 PM »
It's a great attitude to have, but it doesn't reflect my reality (maybe I should work on this). There are a lot of non-work, but not so fun things that I need to do--commute, cook meals and clean, exercise, home maintenance, errands, etc. I feel like my true free time is roughly 8:30-10:30pm on weekdays, one full weekend day, and two weekend nights. And I don't even have kids. Plus, I'm normally pretty beat by 9pm after work, so I'm more likely to veg out than work on some fun project.

To me, a 40 hour/week job just doesn't leave enough time and energy to devote to hobbies/interests/socializing. It's not that it's taking up 40 of your 112 waking hours (65% FIRED). It's that it crowds out the great majority of otherwise free time.