Over the last few months, I've realized that in my workplace, in addition to Sex(uality), Politics, and Religion, do not talk about FIRE. (But people still talk about the first three, contrary to employer policy). FIRE is impossible since it isn't advertised on TV or on the internet, so it isn't true.
You've married well if you have a spouse/partner who in on board with FIRE. Otherwise you're fucked, or will be soon.
Spendypants can't get rid of the idea that you don't need fancy cars, clothes, etc. when you quit the rat race. Paying yourself a salary? You retired, not an entrepreneur or business owner when you quit being a wage slave.
I am constantly told I'm lucky that I bought RE over the last few years and am constantly called a slumlord by co-workers. What they don't see is that I asked a friend (who is an investor and entrepreneur) what I should do with 100k just sitting in the bank. He told me about foreclosures. I researched the process, made bids, bought for cash, wife and I worked nights and weekends fixing up, screened applicants, rented out. Is that luck or effort? And I'm not a slumlord, I rent to urban working professionals and working students. They don't realize that while they buy new or gently used luxury import cars every 5 years, my wife and I drive 10 year old Hondas, which still run like new with just the required maintenance. They don't see that we live on one salary while the other one is saved as powder keg for RE purchases. They comment my clothes are nicely pressed and assume that I use a Laundromat or my wife does it. No, fuckers, I'm a man, and no one touches my dirty laundry. I don't want my wife to fuck up my clothes, or else I have to go to my second most hated place in the world: the mall/clothes store. (The first is theme parks.)
Unlike my co-workers who bitch about their weekends on Mondays and have dreadful work-related thoughts on Sunday, I look forward to Mondays. I get to sit, do productive work, solve problems, get paid for it. Why have anxiety for this? Wife ain't around to bother me, kids are in daycare/school, boss is paying me... life is good!