Been a while since I updated here. I've fallen back into full time work 1.5 years after semi-ER-ing. I fluctuated from no work (9 months off with babe and DW) to freelancing and consulting for a former employer (still doing a little) and teaching and then got offered a job that finally fit what I like to do, teach at a college
Money is a solved issue in our minds and we keep socking some away. Baby 2 is now on the way as well which will throw everything through a loop again.
It was interesting while Semi-ER-ing experiencing our NW drop some months to see how resilient I was emotionally to that experience and actually hardened me to the idea of draining capital. I also learned I prefer some more structure if I am going to continue working, the tugging and random asks that accompanied consulting are not really up my alley.
The teaching gig is great because for the time being I am >75% working from home. I feel like I am helping some of the people I teach and I get 2 months contiguous off each year in the summer, so practically mini-retirement anyways.
DW and I have had conversations about what we'd like to do if we actually came to be fully financially independent and it's pretty much what we are doing now but with half the required money. The biggest challenge is sleep while the kids are young, but that has nothing to do with money...
Since no one cares where I am at any particular time, I usually have a super productive mornings (8-lunch) and that gets what I want to get done done for the day and then play or do personal life stuff for the rest.
Anyways thought I'd report I went back to work FT and am happy about it.
Been a year or two since logging on here. Thought I'd update since for our family, dropping out of the "FIRE race" which I define as the pursuit of a single number then being done entirely, has been a terrific decision.
It led to:
- My wife and I both finding and pursuing professions that bring us more happiness with a mandatory requirement of "Life First, Work Second", i.e. the work better aligns with our values and typically more flexible daily schedule.
- A "no extra effort"-required path to FIRE. I stopped tracking a monthly NW/expenses recap for over a year. I started it back up recently when we moved into a new house to see where our new yearly expenses sit, but I do my best to NEVER go over expenses with a fine tooth comb. After removing all caring for the little things, like, should we buy a coffee for our long drive to X, our expenses went up ~$1500 a year....Yes that's right, 90% of the things I used to think twice about, now we just say yes and our expenses barely went up.
- Took on a mortgage, aiming to pay it off within 5 years, but if we don't hit that goal...whatever.
- A destruction of all "hard and fast" financial goals (i.e. that mortgage one is a loose one) was a very weird mindset shift that went on for a couple of years.
- Now onto 3rd baby, kids haven't raised our expenses that much 4 years in. We take everything used that we can and buy everything used that we aren't given. I've nailed down a simple, nutritious set of meals that average at about ~$1 per serving per meal, so groceries will grow a lot still (as they turn into teens!), but it'll be fine. TBD long term, but it'll be fine because we can always adjust.
- Kids are a challenge whether you are FI or not!!!! Trying telling a 6-month-old who won't sleep that it's ok, we have a nice stash in the bank, you don't have to cry. They'd be like, F you dad, give me some boob.
- The NW snowball was already started as we were at about 50-60% on the way to FI. It's continued snowballing. NW has continued to grow rapidly overall considering we no longer hold FI as the be-all and end-all.
- Taking my 2nd true Mini-retirement later this year for a full year off on paternity leave. Looking forward to it.
That's the update...now for my guru sentence. Don't follow my path, or MMM's path, follow your own path.
A singular focus on one target without taking into account systems-based thinking may lead to a broken life. Obviously, it also may not too. Duh.
DW and I every once in a while ask ourselves, "what would we do differently if we were fully FI tomorrow?"... The only answer we could think of was, "go somewhere warm for the month of February" (we live in a very snowy climate). Guess what, we just booked a month down south in February of this year because I'll be off!
We'll be leveraging friends and other efficient pathways to make it a relatively cheap month too!