Case Study Update from last year and THANKS!

[Accidental Fire]

So I made this post last year as a noob to the community and the overwhelmingly detailed and gracious responses and advice humbled me. 

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/case-study-i-would-love-your-advice/?topicseen

To update my situation, my net worth has gone from 1.1 million to 1.325 million.  Obviously the market windfalls since the election had a nice hand in that :)  And even better news, I convinced my Mother to sell her house and she'll be buying a smaller condo in a much safer area that will be WAY less work. She should reap a small profit from the house, and even though she'll pick up a new (modest) mortgage the money from the house should take care of it for good.

Bottom line, with my net worth and my estimated yearly spending of ~30K, the 25x rule tells me I could spend 50K if I wanted. I'm now actively looking into easing into FIRE by going part time at my agency. And when I say part time, I'm requesting only 16 hours a week.  I want most of my time back to be outside, compete in races, maybe start a business as a trainer or climbing guide.

I just wanted to THANK all the wonderful folks who responded to my post above this time last year and gave me such great advice. It's been a tough year of soul-searching, constant calculations, and frankly worry. But I'm tired of fretting about it and I think easing into FIRE by going part time is a great way to have a soft landing and put my toe in the FIRE waters. It also let's me keep my health benes and other perks, and I'll still accumulate federal service time but at a reduced rate. As a senior manager, it won't be easy, but I'm hoping by summer I'll have a new position as a part time employee with reduced responsibilities  and the biggie - no more supervisory duties!!

I feel like I'm ready to start a new life, I'm pumped!

[Fire2025]

Congratulations.   I'm so happy for you.  I can't wait to hear all about this next phase.  FIRE!!!!

[MDM]

Well done - congratulations and best wishes!

[Accidental Fire]

Thanks Fire and MDM!

[sonjak]

Congrats! :)

[MustSam]

congrats!!
I remember your post from last year and remember thinking that your commitment to family, esp your brother, was a wonderful thing.
Just a quick question on accumulating savings aside from your TSP. Did you just invest any leftover cash every month into a money market account or is it from additional work/ side jobs etc?

thanks!

[Accidental Fire]

Thanks MustSam!  Besides my gov TSP I indeed was always a good saver and quite thrifty. I opened my first Vanguard index fund in 1996 (the S&P 500) which I still have today, it performs virtually identically to the VTSAX over time so I've just kept it. I somewhat mistakenly played with individual stocks in the late 90's to mixed returns, and when the tech crash hit in 2000 I learned the hard way to "go index and stay index". Became a Bogle-head, never looked back.

Overall my NW is almost split evenly between taxable accounts and tax-sheltered, most of the latter being my TSP. I was on a path to FIRE in my 20's without even knowing it :)

[Accidental Fire]

I'm not good at answering questions directly sometimes :) .... so to be more clear - I maxed out my TSP my whole career and invested as much extra money as I could in index funds. One side gig which is teaching a college class every year, usually pays me about 3k per year.

[MustSam]

good for you! you were mustachian before it was all the rage. congrats again!