When there is nothing left to do?

[MrsDinero]

What do you do when there is nothing left to do, but you're not FIRE'd yet.

I am probably 50% of the way there.  No debt other than mortgage.  Spending is more than under control.  Investments/Savings is on automatic.

Now what?

[FIRE47]

Enjoy life?

This question could take all kinds of turns and could get very philosophical.

At the end of the day "FIRE" is not really an end unto itself in life it is just a general plan that can give you free time. You still have to figure out the rest like everyone else on the planet.

[Zikoris]

Yeah, a few years ago I tried to come up with some financial goals and I couldn't. Not even one. We have no debt, nothing to save for (other than FIRE), cashflow expenses, and automate everything. So the only substantial thing we do related to finances now is our annual review, and coming up with new types of fancy cookies to celebrate $50,000 increments with.

It's a heck of a lot better than the alternative.

[MrsDinero]

I was talking more from a practical, financial standpoint, not a philosophical.   I am currently enjoying life and continue to take on new personal/career challenges.  No personal drama and am very happy.

Maybe I should start looking at passive income in the forms of my blog and Etsy/Ravelry/Craftsy. 

[Retire-Canada]

No personal drama and am very happy.

Maybe I should start looking at passive income in the forms of my blog and Etsy/Ravelry/Craftsy.

If you are "very happy" than why aren't you satisfied with the way things are? Why do you need to do more? There is no requirement to do anything additional beyond being happy given that your financial house is in order.

[ZMonet]

I think I get what OP is saying...They have embraced financial optimization, and enjoyed the process and getting ahead, but not feel like they have optimized everything and are looking for something more to optimize (maybe that you think you missed, OP?).

The only thing I'll say is that don't get too secure in this steady climb up.  As everyone had gone over, we're due for a correction and it will probably not happen the way, degree, or length of time that you anticipate.  I suppose, and hope, it won't change your approach, but when it happens you'll probably be less focused on ringing out the extra 1%.

[MrsDinero]

I was talking more from a practical, financial standpoint, not a philosophical.   I am currently enjoying life and continue to take on new personal/career challenges.  No personal drama and am very happy.

Maybe I should start looking at passive income in the forms of my blog and Etsy/Ravelry/Craftsy.

I hate to be that obnoxious asshole, but those are hugely philosophical questions.

Whether or not to keep seeking more income is entirely based on personal philosophy. If you are making enough and on track on a path you are happy with, then why do you want to look at a side hustle?
If it's to FIRE faster, are you unhappy with something?
If it's to diversify, then is the benefit to have more security in your plan?
If it's none of the above, then is it about wanting more challenges?

As said above, making money is not a goal in and of itself, it's a means to an end.
So what is the end that you seek???

Those are good questions.

My reason for FIRE is to spend more time with my family and kids.  My kids are toddlers/preschool now and we have a nanny, but I want to be able to be there for them at the end of the day when they get to middle/high school.    My current timeline will get me there.  My husband doesn't think he will FIRE at the same time as I do, but he supports my desire.  I personally think he will FIRE not long after I do he just hasn't committed to the idea yet.

On that last note, while I will FIRE before him, we have a mutual target number. 

[MrsDinero]

Yeah, a few years ago I tried to come up with some financial goals and I couldn't. Not even one. We have no debt, nothing to save for (other than FIRE), cashflow expenses, and automate everything. So the only substantial thing we do related to finances now is our annual review, and coming up with new types of fancy cookies to celebrate $50,000 increments with.

It's a heck of a lot better than the alternative.

yes this is how I feel.  What is our next financial goal.

[MrsDinero]

No personal drama and am very happy.

Maybe I should start looking at passive income in the forms of my blog and Etsy/Ravelry/Craftsy.

If you are "very happy" than why aren't you satisfied with the way things are? Why do you need to do more? There is no requirement to do anything additional beyond being happy given that your financial house is in order.

I'm just the type who looks at a well defined process and tries to see if it can be more polished.

My blog and related craft are personal projects that I have developed over time.  It is crochet focused.  I create, write, and sell crochet patterns.  I started doing this when I realized I like the creation process more then churning out finished projects.  It feeds my creative side while also utilizing my process and technical side. 

[MrsDinero]

I think I get what OP is saying...They have embraced financial optimization, and enjoyed the process and getting ahead, but not feel like they have optimized everything and are looking for something more to optimize (maybe that you think you missed, OP?).

The only thing I'll say is that don't get too secure in this steady climb up.  As everyone had gone over, we're due for a correction and it will probably not happen the way, degree, or length of time that you anticipate.  I suppose, and hope, it won't change your approach, but when it happens you'll probably be less focused on ringing out the extra 1%.

Thank you.  Better explained that I was trying to.

[TheHardenedInvestor]

Now what?

Increase your savings rate even more.

[BicycleB]

@MrsDinero, I think you should experiment with how much of your future goals you can integrate into your life now.

Your own remarks suggest that your financial life, including earnings, saving and investment, are well optimized.
 Your own remarks also  suggest that your goal is time with the kids. You are working now to have time with them later, but since you're on track financially, the next optimization is some extra time with the kids now where possible. You don't really need to optimize, but if you're going to do so, that's where you should do it.

Can you increase work efficiency to allow a few free afternoons? Replace the nanny occasionally, or join him/her once in a while, depending on what is reasonable in the employer/employee relationship?

Or maybe focus on the quality of current time. Journal/blog/insta the good times with the kids? Bone up on child development for insight on how to make the most of time together? Focus the journal/etc on the emotions, to attune your instincts and savor the experience? Notice what they love best, and optimize family routines during the existing time to provide maximum flexibility/tools/settings for the things they love? Find ways to thank husband for his role too in making all this happen? Do pro-kid things I can't think of?

Imagine if you get cancer next year and have 2 years to live. What memories can you make with them between now and then?

[kei te pai]

Gardens are good. Repositories of hope for the next crop, the next session, for that tree you plant that you will not live long enough to see to maturity.
You can cover a lot of angles. Beauty. Creativity, Nurturing, Physical fitness. Endless learning. Gourmet herb growing, or organic vegetables. Look up gardening with children and design some raised beds to plant with them next spring.
If you have a garden there is always something to do !

[Linea_Norway]

Gardens are good. Repositories of hope for the next crop, the next session, for that tree you plant that you will not live long enough to see to maturity.
You can cover a lot of angles. Beauty. Creativity, Nurturing, Physical fitness. Endless learning. Gourmet herb growing, or organic vegetables. Look up gardening with children and design some raised beds to plant with them next spring.
If you have a garden there is always something to do !

I was thinking about learning new life-skills. Having a vegetable garden is one of those. But try to learn other skills, like sewing clothes, learning a new language, repair cars, painting your house, building stuff from wood. Preferably something you enjoy and that you could have some use for later.

[Brother Esau]

Now what?

sleep really well

[MrsDinero]

Thanks everyone for all the very thoughtful responses.  You've given me a lot to think about, one of the main ones is I might (most likely) is there is no issue and to enjoy the nothing left to do.

To answer the suggestions that have been put out there (and the reason I need to learn how to relax) is:

- The reason we have a nanny is because I work 100% from home.  Having the nanny and kids at the house with me allow me to have constant interaction with them throughout the day.   Even with back to back meetings, I can always rush downstairs and have a few minutes with them every now and then.  Weekends are tech free weekends, for the most part.

- Learning a language.  I've already learned a couple of extra so I'm ok.

- I also already build stuff from wood.  My dad was a carpenter-hobbyist and I was a daddy's girl who was always hanging out with him in the wood shop.  The hubs and mine winter project will be finishing the basement at our own pace.

- Keeping a Garden - the only reason I don't have a garden this year is because we were doing too much renovations, upkeep, and updating current house and out buildings, that I didn't want to add one more thing to my to-do list each day. I plan to restart the vegetable garden next year and have already plotted it out.

- Right now we are saving as much as we want.  Once the nanny is no longer with us (September 2019) we plan to revisit our annual savings amount.

- We have chickens.  Got them last year and learned a lot.  Part of this summer's update project was building an enclosed chicken run because we lot so many to predators.

- Exercise. I do yoga, lift weights, and spin class.

- Become a mommy-blogger.  No way.   We are very strict about our kids online presence.  We both work in IT.


You guys have given me a lot of things to think about.  Chief among them, is I think too much!  Everyone is right, I need to relax, be happy that our financial house is in order, and just enjoy each day.

I think I just needed a reminder.  Thanks.  I also think that I'm going to take a break from the MMM forums for a while. 

[Mr. Green]

If you've optimized as best you can then there's nothing left to do. Set the auto-pilot and start focusing on other things in your life. Optimization is not endless. Eventually you reach "the end" of the game and it's time to play another one.

[Capt j-rod]

I have been there for a while. It feels like cruise control. The excitement in the beginning was picking all the low hanging fruit. Then we kept climbing. There are a few apples left, but I am more than on my way, and the numbers show it. I buy rentals and remodel them. There is always work. We travel when we want, eat incredibly well, and have a fantastic work/life balance. I still find some crumbs every once in a while. Having kids soaks up all of my extra time. Playgrounds, bike rides, geocaching, canoeing, gardening, books, and games. I'm the luckiest dad alive. Funny part is I made my own luck!!!

[seattlecyclone]

The biggest thing now is just not to let up. Keep tracking the spending so it doesn't drift up too much. Keep an eye out for interesting opportunities to bring in a bit more money. Other than that, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

[GuitarStv]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55FMOJMhV9s

When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.




Sorry, just immediately heard this song in my head after reading your question.  :P

When there's nothing left to do?  There's always something left to do.  You improve yourself, focus on learning new things and doing stuff that makes you happy . . . getting financials in order is the easy part.  Now you have to figure out exactly what you're doing to do for the rest of your life to keep yourself happy.  Not an amorphous 'I'll be happy because I can sleep in'  . . . but a legitimate nuts and bolts breakdown of what you want to do when earning money is no longer important.

[Trifle]

I think I might understand some of what you are feeling @MrsDinero -- check out this thread:  https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/stalled-in-a-decent-spot/msg1912431/#msg1912431. 

And this blog post:  https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/08/16/what-it-feels-like-to-become-rich/ 

There is a phase in the mustachian journey that feels very odd and unsettled -- like there is something else you should be doing.  But for many the answer is that you're already doing it.  The stash bucket is filling, and you don't need to sit there and watch it or try to figure out how to add a few more drops.   

[MrsDinero]

PLOT TWIST!
And in life's way of letting you know that shit happens especially when life is good, I (and about 80 others) have been laid off from my company in a massive restructure. 

The crazy thing, I'm not sad or mad, in fact in a weird way I feel almost relieved.  The company is in the process of a massive restructure.  While I was more than happy to just keep doing my job, I didn't agree with the new direction of the company.

My severance pay will be generous.   As I stated above, we have no debt (other than my last $35 Amazon purchase), we have a healthy savings and are able to keep the nanny for a while.  Mr.D and I have come up with a "what next" plan.  I will hit the job market hard for the next 2 months.  If I don't have any good leads, then we will start to talk about Plan C at the end of month 2.   I have already started looking and have applied for a position at another company and have reached out to my network of people.

[Capt j-rod]

The plot twist is the biggest gift from what we do and why we do it!!!! 78 of those 80 people are pissing their pants with $10k in charge card debt and trying to figure out how to pay the lease on their car. For a mustachian, job change = opportunity!!! Financial independence and savings give you the upper hand in every negotiation. I just bought a new company truck... It took 6 months. The 19's are out and one of the dealers called me three months later to come and get the '18 truck. It was $500 less than the offer I gave them originally. Now I know trucks are shunned around these parts, much less new trucks, but I use them in my business to make money and I depreciate them over time. When my wife changed jobs the first thing we did was hook on to the camper for a 3 week travel spree into the unknown. All of the guys in my company are retired and like to work part time. Any time I go away they just step up and take the reigns while I'm gone. They literally take away my cell phone and will call the wife if they need to talk to me. I love these guys and do anything I can to help them. Literally things are cleaner and better every time I get back from a trip! Take your time and find the job that fits you and your family the best. Everyone is hiring right now, but what they want for what they pay is very lop-sided. Enjoy your time off and adjust life accordingly. Congratulations!

[Trifle]

Having your finances in order and then getting layoff severance from a job you weren't enjoying = a big win in Mustache-world.  Congrats @MrsDinero!   

[flyingaway]

I spend lots of time reading other people's stories, travel, investment, expat, etc.

[Zikoris]

I get the relief! At my last job they had started laying off a bunch of people, and I was really hoping I'd be on the chopping block. I wasn't FI or anything, but I'd been there about five years, wasn't crazy about my new supervisor, and was thinking about jumping ship. It was a pretty prestigious and well-known company, and I had great references and skills, so I knew I'd have no problem finding a new job. They also gave great severance packages.

Instead of a layoff I got a raises, bonuses, and great reviews, lol. I finally got sick of waiting and hoping, and just quit.