Poll

Has FIRE led to negative outcomes (first 3 options) or positive outcomes (second 3 options)?  Choose 3:

FIRE led to being out of sync with the rest of the world, and I am loney and sad because of reduced social connectedness.
FIRE led me to stop challenging myself, I am sad because I am idle and have stopped being productive.
I suffer from fiancial paranoia, and feel depressed about my financial situation.
After FIRE, I maintain or have developed a social life that makes me happy.
FIRE allows me to challenge myself in ways that are important to me.  FIRE gives me more time to be productive in the ways I want to be.
My financial situation has improved since FIRE, and I am positive and optimistic about my finances.
I am not FIREd, but want to see the results.

Author Topic: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?  (Read 8008 times)

FIRE 20/20

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Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« on: January 12, 2022, 10:24:50 AM »
Please only answer this poll if you have actually FIREd.  (7th question added for people who haven't FIREd but want to see the results). 

There are 6 questions.  The first set of 3 are different potential negative outcomes from FIRE, including interpersonal problems, cessation of personal growth/development, and financial failure. 
The second set of questions are the same, but with positive outcomes of FIRE including better interpersonal relationships, increased personal growth and development, and improved financial situation. 

I realize that these are extremes, so please pick the 3 answers that most closely align with how each of the three changed post-FIRE even if the statement isn't 100% perfect.  You can mix/match the positive and negative outcomes, so if you think that after FIRE you are lonely and sad about reduced social connections but are happy about personal growth and finances, select the negative for social connection and positive for growth and finances. 

« Last Edit: January 12, 2022, 12:25:46 PM by FIRE 20/20 »

iluvzbeach

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2022, 10:51:38 AM »
Would you consider adding a 7th option (maybe that gets excluded from the percentages, if that’s possible) for folks who haven’t FIREd but want to see the poll results? This is of great interest to me as I’m right on the cusp.

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2022, 11:00:46 AM »
Would you consider adding a 7th option (maybe that gets excluded from the percentages, if that’s possible) for folks who haven’t FIREd but want to see the poll results? This is of great interest to me as I’m right on the cusp.

Great idea, thanks for responding!  I tried to add the 7th option.  If that doesn't work I may need a mod's help. 

Morning Glory

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2022, 11:02:24 AM »
I fired less than a month ago so none of the choices really apply to me yet. Maybe "don't know,  still decompressing" would be a good choice.

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2022, 11:07:30 AM »
I fired less than a month ago so none of the choices really apply to me yet. Maybe "don't know,  still decompressing" would be a good choice.

Good point.  I thought about adding a minimum FIRE time, but ultimately decided to let people respond as they want.  I think it would be good to get past the decompression stage before responding, but I felt I had already written too much and didn't want to add more restrictions.  I imagine some people in your position will vote, and others won't. 

SteadyStache

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2022, 11:11:59 AM »
Would you consider adding a 7th option (maybe that gets excluded from the percentages, if that’s possible) for folks who haven’t FIREd but want to see the poll results? This is of great interest to me as I’m right on the cusp.

Same. Interested in seeing poll results.

Indio

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2022, 11:15:48 AM »
Pandemic lay off led to my FIRE in 2020. I was probably suffering from OMY syndrome or maybe it would have been 5 more years before I pulled the ripcord, even though the stash was growing. I've had a long list of passion projects and hobbies that I wanted to pursue. My identity is no longer tied to work or career, and I feel good about that. I never liked that my choice of work defined who I was to a similar tribe of IT folks. I've figured out how to travel during seasonal c19 lulls and now I'm able to stay longer in places to really get a feel for the culture and environment where I'm visiting.

Another benefit of FIRE, is that I'm better able to deal with all of the whacky day to day part of life now that I'm FIRE'd without the cortisol levels that were brought on by balancing work commitments.

Shane

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2022, 11:50:42 AM »
For me, it's a little hard to separate the current state of the world and our lives, during covid, from FIREd life, in general. If you had asked in January, 2020, how FIRE was going, my response would've been a lot more unhesitatingly, enthusiastically positive. Now, as it is, some things about our life objectively kinda suck, but pretty sure most of that is because of covid and the current omicron wave that's sweeping through our neighborhood and around the world, and nothing, at all, to do with FIRE.

SailingOnASmallSailboat

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2022, 12:04:02 PM »
No regrets at all. Loving our life in all respects.

ETA: DH FIREd almost exactly 1 year ago; I've been supportive spouse/teacher/school admin for years and went back to supportive spouse role 2 years ago in prep for his retirement. We're 53 this year, so not exactly "early" by many standards here but it is what it is. I clicked 2 positives - not the social one merely because COVID has put a damper on that for sure, though we're slowly getting comfortable inviting friends over. Much of that happens on weekends because that's when friends are free. We sold the house we lived in for 21 years in August of 2020 and away from that town where we had lots of friends; finding a new crew is slow and steady.

A big positive was realizing that, even with a really big unexpected purchase in July, we're doing just fine financially. Not that we had worries, but it was pretty cool to see it play out.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2022, 03:57:56 PM by SailingOnASmallSailboat »

Kris

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2022, 12:49:33 PM »
I picked 7, because I did retire from my job/career as an academic and department head almost 6 years ago, but I've been a self-published author on my own time/terms since then. I was tempted to pick that FIRE has allowed me to pursue other interests and spend my time the way I like, except that since I still make money, I guess I'm not really FIREd in that sense.


My husband has been retired for three years, however. He would pick that his financial situation has improved, and that he is optimistic about the future. He would also pick that his social circle is still active -- except, of course, for the damper that Covid has placed on it recently.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2022, 01:26:21 PM by Kris »

Dicey

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2022, 01:12:49 PM »
I FIRE'd in 2012. Where is the "Hell NO, I Don't Regret It!" Option?

DH continued to work for [reasons]. He's pulling the trigger in 2022 and I can't hardly wait!

neo von retorch

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #11 on: January 12, 2022, 01:28:55 PM »
The people that answered positively must be at least 60 or lying, as there are only negative outcomes from FIRE.

/s

seattlecyclone

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2022, 02:12:08 PM »
I left my Big Tech job in mid-2019. Early in 2021 I did start to feel my life had tilted a bit too far in the direction of idleness. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, I decided to (*gasp*) actually do something about it! I had zero interest in going back to work just for the sake of filling my days, but I did also want to find a way to use my talents to create positive change in the world. I looked into a number of options, both paid and unpaid, and in November I started a full-time job with a startup that aims to use technology to make a positive dent in the climate change problem. I'm simultaneously donating most of the money I earn to organizations doing good in other areas. More detail on my journal. So far this feels like the right move for this season of my life. As the kids grow older I expect I'll get the itch to do more travel and/or spend more days when kids are in school having quality time with my spouse, and the schedule of a full-time job will seem too constraining.

In the end I ticked the three "positive" boxes. Have I leaned into certain social activities since FIRE that make me happy? Definitely. Has FI allowed me to pursue ways to spend my time that are important to me and challenging? Yes, even though that meant the "RE" part is voluntarily on the back burner for the moment. Has my financial situation improved since FIRE? Absolutely. We have significantly more now than when I left my job in 2019, and I expect that trend to continue even with significant philanthropy thrown in.

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2022, 02:16:03 PM »
I left my Big Tech job in mid-2019. Early in 2021 I did start to feel my life had tilted a bit too far in the direction of idleness. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, I decided to (*gasp*) actually do something about it! I had zero interest in going back to work just for the sake of filling my days, but I did also want to find a way to use my talents to create positive change in the world. I looked into a number of options, both paid and unpaid, and in November I started a full-time job with a startup that aims to use technology to make a positive dent in the climate change problem. I'm simultaneously donating most of the money I earn to organizations doing good in other areas. More detail on my journal. So far this feels like the right move for this season of my life. As the kids grow older I expect I'll get the itch to do more travel and/or spend more days when kids are in school having quality time with my spouse, and the schedule of a full-time job will seem too constraining.

In the end I ticked the three "positive" boxes. Have I leaned into certain social activities since FIRE that make me happy? Definitely. Has FI allowed me to pursue ways to spend my time that are important to me and challenging? Yes, even though that meant the "RE" part is voluntarily on the back burner for the moment. Has my financial situation improved since FIRE? Absolutely. We have significantly more now than when I left my job in 2019, and I expect that trend to continue even with significant philanthropy thrown in.

Wow.  That's the kind of awesomeness that FIRE opens the door to.  Kudos to you. 

Frankies Girl

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #14 on: January 12, 2022, 02:26:16 PM »
I've been FIRE for (checks what year it is) coming up on 7 years now, and chose "my financial situation has improved since FIRE, and I am positive and optimistic about my finances."

No worries at all about finances. In fact, I spent the better part of last year not even looking and my portfolio is doing insanely well.

I have experienced other instability due to issues not related to FIRE. FIRE has been a help, not a hindrance in resolving my ongoing problems or challenges. When you don't have to worry about work/time/money/set routine, it's way easier to completely focus on problems when/if they happen.

Just for the purposes of this poll, I am an awkward social introvert, worked in the creative field and am married with no kids. I don't have close friends and family so one of the issues I did experience is the lack of basic social interactions once you remove the office setting that fulfilled the need for small talk/interactions that I felt comfortable with. I solved that by redirecting into hobbies I either let languish or worked on developing new ones - especially for things like exercise - like attending a yoga class. I am also working on making new friends, which is harder when you're an introverted adult, but so far I'm doing well all things considered (i.e. pandemic and also socially awkward personality).

FireLane

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #15 on: January 12, 2022, 04:23:06 PM »
I've been retired going on six months. I picked options 5 and 6: I have more time to be productive and to work on my own hobbies, and my financial situation was strong and has gotten better.

I didn't vote for either answer about my social life, because it's hard to tell with a pandemic going on. I'm hoping to visit friends and family a lot more often after COVID.

DaMa

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #16 on: January 12, 2022, 04:28:58 PM »
I am 53, 4 years FIREd this April.  I have never regretted it.  I picked the 3 positive options.

chevy1956

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #17 on: January 12, 2022, 05:35:33 PM »
I think it would be good to get past the decompression stage before responding

How long does this last. I've been retired 15 months. I view decompression as an adjustment phase however I think you can change your assessment of how you feel over time. So I feel good now but how will I feel in 5 years time ?

I feel really good about FIRE. I'd like to get a job on my terms but I don't think that is realistic. My old job with no admin tasks including answering stupid emails for 2 hours per day 3 days per week would be great but that isn't an option. I enjoyed parts of my job but heaps of it I hated. I was also lazy and getting closer and closer to FI made me hate the crappy parts even more.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2022, 05:39:21 PM by chevy1956 »

Ozlady

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #18 on: January 12, 2022, 05:43:37 PM »
I am answering on behalf of my hubby who retired Dec 2020 ie about 1 year ago...

He took about  9 months to decompress from a high paying and very stressful job...but he is (we are ) now a happy duck!

Not sure if this retirement thing makes us positive as we are quite optimistic,  happy go lucky people in the first place!  We wake up whatever time we like...

Not sure about your productive question though as we do not see the need to be productive (having been productive throughout our working lives ,no?)

Sydney has just gone through the Mother-of- all-property booms and i roughly estimated that if i divide the "gains" over 10 years, i have an extra 10K spending per month...over 30 years , an extra spending 3K per month.

So your last question is a big, fat tick for me:)..I had a sniggering suspicion my wealth will still increase in spite of no regular paychecks but truly did not anticipate such a strong headwind in just 12 months!

So i wish you all of you out there a  Happy, happy Retirement ..don't wait too long to jump!  It truly is great from this end of the pond!





flyingaway

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #19 on: January 12, 2022, 07:13:33 PM »
I am just retired for 5 months. I don't want to be challenged, I am not interested in being productive. I just want to be free and worry free. Sometimes I miss the paycheck.

P.S. no regret.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2022, 07:34:23 PM by flyingaway »

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #20 on: January 12, 2022, 07:18:26 PM »
I think it would be good to get past the decompression stage before responding

How long does this last. I've been retired 15 months. I view decompression as an adjustment phase however I think you can change your assessment of how you feel over time. So I feel good now but how will I feel in 5 years time ?

I feel really good about FIRE. I'd like to get a job on my terms but I don't think that is realistic. My old job with no admin tasks including answering stupid emails for 2 hours per day 3 days per week would be great but that isn't an option. I enjoyed parts of my job but heaps of it I hated. I was also lazy and getting closer and closer to FI made me hate the crappy parts even more.

I don't know how long it lasts, that's part of why I didn't include that in the initial text.  I'm not trying to be scientific or complete with this poll, and I welcome people interpreting it however they want.  If someone has been FIREd for a month and thinks they have solid answers, that's fine.  If someone's been FIREd for 2 years but for whatever reason (e.g. COVID) they don't feel they can answer that's fine too. 
« Last Edit: January 12, 2022, 07:21:56 PM by FIRE 20/20 »

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #21 on: January 12, 2022, 07:20:32 PM »
...
Not sure about your productive question though as we do not see the need to be productive (having been productive throughout our working lives ,no?)
...

I'll post more on this later.  I am trying to clarify whenever people have questions, but I also don't want to overly pollute the responses by writing too much.  I am probably missing the correct balancing point, but I'm ok with that. 

Dicey

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #22 on: January 13, 2022, 10:50:26 AM »
The people that answered positively must be at least 60 or lying, as there are only negative outcomes from FIRE.

/s
Just ask a certain former pilot. /s

Dicey

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #23 on: January 13, 2022, 10:55:13 AM »
I am just retired for 5 months. I don't want to be challenged, I am not interested in being productive. I just want to be free and worry free. Sometimes I miss the paycheck.

P.S. no regret.
Classic case of decompression right there. Welcome to the club!

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #24 on: January 13, 2022, 02:42:51 PM »
It looks like the poll submissions have slowed down, so I’ll post the current numbers here along with my reason for the wording in the poll.  First, the results as of this afternoon:

127 people have taken the poll so far, with 83 of those selecting option 7 (not retired, just viewing the poll).  That leaves 44 who are FIREd and had the option of selecting 3 of the options. 

Questions 1&4 related to social connection.  33/44 (75%) report that they have a social life that makes them happy.  3/44 (6.8%) report being unhappy with social connections post-FIRE.  8/44 (18%) did not reply, suggesting that they feel something in between happy and unhappy.  Based on the comments I suspect a lot of the 18% are in between due to COVID, although some probably would have mixed feelings regardless.

Questions 2&5 relate to challenge and productivity.  32/44 (73%) report that they are able to challenge themselves and be as productive as they want to be.  2/44 (4.5%) report being sad because they’re no longer challenged and productive.   10/44 (23%) did not reply. 

Questions 3&6 relate to their financial situation post-FIRE.  39/44 (89%) report that their financial situation has improved and they are positive and optimistic about their situation.  1/44 (2.3%) report suffering from financial paranoia and being depressed about their financial situation.  4/44 (9%) did not respond.  I suspect that since we’re currently in both a stock market and a housing market boom these numbers are higher than they might be at other points in history. 

Overall, of the 132 possible votes, 104 were positive (79%), 6 were negative (4.5%), and 22 (17%) were not registered, which I interpret to be in-between. 

FIRE 20/20

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #25 on: January 13, 2022, 02:49:37 PM »
Quite a few of you ( @neo von retorch  and @Dicey  in particular) noted the similarity to the Escape FIRE post on this forum, and I’m sure many more recognized the wording but didn’t say anything.  I used words from @Skyhigh 's posts as directly as I could to form the “negative” answers to see if there were other people on the forum who feel the same way @Skyhigh describes in that thread.  I'm not trying to pile on to @Skyhigh ; I really wondered if there were a lot of people who saw the responses he was getting and didn't want to respond in support of his ideas out of fear of getting the same response.  Based on the poll results, not that I think they're scientific or anything, it looks like somewhere around 5% of people have had some of the negative outcomes that he highlights.  Around 80% have experienced the positives of FIRE.  About 15-20% fall somewhere in between on one or more of the 3 questions. 

We are in unique circumstances with the pandemic which probably lowered the positive results for the "social" question, but I think that's probably balanced out by the boom years we've had since 2008/2009 increasing people's financial situations.  Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. 


I have a few of the source quotes below from the Escape FIRE thread, for those who don't want to wade in but are curious about the wording in the questions:
Q1:
“It is not all that satisfying to be out of sync with the rest of the world. … FIRE is very depressing to most I have seen. …  “FIRE has some incredible downsides; it's lonely” …

Q2:
“People tend to stop challenging themselves. They stop growing. “  … “To intentionally idle oneself and suspend their vital function to this world is not a good idea.”… “ During the holidays everyone likes to share life events from the previous year. My FIRE buddy can share his Xbox accomplishments. Work events are a big part of ones life. It is easy to imagine how our lives would be different in FIRE. We all have great plans to climb mountains, write books, or volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. It is all great but that enthusiasm usually dims fairly quickly until you end up spending the day on the couch.”

Q3:
“He suffers from what I call Financial Paranoia. He has developed a fear of running out of money…”
“often is the cause of financial paranoia, depression”
“I don't like some of the things that come with it; financial paranoia,…”

Cassie

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #26 on: January 15, 2022, 02:03:52 PM »
I retired 10 years ago at 58. For the next 8 years I taught a online college class and did some consulting. I didn’t go to college and graduate school until age31 so had a late start to my career because of having 3 kids.  Last year I divorced cutting my income in half but I am doing fine. I greatly enjoy my family, friends and doggies.

boarder42

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #27 on: January 17, 2022, 09:57:35 AM »
Quite a few of you ( @neo von retorch  and @Dicey  in particular) noted the similarity to the Escape FIRE post on this forum, and I’m sure many more recognized the wording but didn’t say anything.  I used words from @Skyhigh 's posts as directly as I could to form the “negative” answers to see if there were other people on the forum who feel the same way @Skyhigh describes in that thread.  I'm not trying to pile on to @Skyhigh ; I really wondered if there were a lot of people who saw the responses he was getting and didn't want to respond in support of his ideas out of fear of getting the same response.  Based on the poll results, not that I think they're scientific or anything, it looks like somewhere around 5% of people have had some of the negative outcomes that he highlights.  Around 80% have experienced the positives of FIRE.  About 15-20% fall somewhere in between on one or more of the 3 questions. 

We are in unique circumstances with the pandemic which probably lowered the positive results for the "social" question, but I think that's probably balanced out by the boom years we've had since 2008/2009 increasing people's financial situations.  Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. 


I have a few of the source quotes below from the Escape FIRE thread, for those who don't want to wade in but are curious about the wording in the questions:
Q1:
“It is not all that satisfying to be out of sync with the rest of the world. … FIRE is very depressing to most I have seen. …  “FIRE has some incredible downsides; it's lonely” …

Q2:
“People tend to stop challenging themselves. They stop growing. “  … “To intentionally idle oneself and suspend their vital function to this world is not a good idea.”… “ During the holidays everyone likes to share life events from the previous year. My FIRE buddy can share his Xbox accomplishments. Work events are a big part of ones life. It is easy to imagine how our lives would be different in FIRE. We all have great plans to climb mountains, write books, or volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. It is all great but that enthusiasm usually dims fairly quickly until you end up spending the day on the couch.”

Q3:
“He suffers from what I call Financial Paranoia. He has developed a fear of running out of money…”
“often is the cause of financial paranoia, depression”
“I don't like some of the things that come with it; financial paranoia,…”


i think most people who would fall into the negative parts of this thread probably arent in the forum.  So its not surprising that the results are what they are.  If I've decided that underwater basket weaving is a negative in my life I'm probably not going to go to the forums for underwater basket weaving and try to tell everyone there how awful it is and that they all need to quit. 

This is a very very very large mental health condition if one feels the need for everyone to see the same misery they see in something that others might enjoy.  That's if they were ever even doing underwater basket weaving in the first place. 

ysette9

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #28 on: January 27, 2022, 04:52:21 PM »
FIRE doesn't mean my life is perfect. I've been feeling a bit angsty recently actually. Partially it is due to poor sleep from babies waking me up at night. The rest of it I believe is just general angst from having little kids at home. They are a ton of work and I am sort of sick of the work at the moment.

I am very grateful that FIRE combined with them being in school means I get some good hours each day during the week to do my own thing, enjoy my husband, do house projects, play piano, and other things. Just keeping this ship running takes a lot of work with laundry and picking up a thousand things off the floor and grocery shopping and meal planning and cooking and dishes. It is way easier now that we don't also have work taking top priority. It also allows me to do tasks better, like cooking for example. But all the same it is a lot of work and sometimes I'd love to truly tap out and spend a week in a cabin in the woods reading books, as I dreamed FIRE would be until I included the reality of raising little people. I suppose that is what RE will be like once we reach traditional retirement age. :)

Wolfpack Mustachian

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #29 on: January 27, 2022, 05:12:55 PM »
I'll admit I have worried about being out of synch and losing connections with people. I am the kind of person that really, really enjoys being with people but am not the best at forging new connections. The best part about work is I get to hang out with people, and I tend to find and enjoy community with them that doesn't "revolve" around work (as in all we talk about is work) but that is forged in the fact that we know we'll spend hours of our day together 5 days out of the week. I am somewhat concerned about the building of relationships when there's not an easy way to connect. On the other hand, I do think that part of the trouble with connecting outside of work is the lack of free time, which FIRE would help out with.

boarder42

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #30 on: January 27, 2022, 05:16:54 PM »
I'll admit I have worried about being out of synch and losing connections with people. I am the kind of person that really, really enjoys being with people but am not the best at forging new connections. The best part about work is I get to hang out with people, and I tend to find and enjoy community with them that doesn't "revolve" around work (as in all we talk about is work) but that is forged in the fact that we know we'll spend hours of our day together 5 days out of the week. I am somewhat concerned about the building of relationships when there's not an easy way to connect. On the other hand, I do think that part of the trouble with connecting outside of work is the lack of free time, which FIRE would help out with.

You can start cultivation of outside work relationships prior to leaving work.

ItsALongStory

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #31 on: February 01, 2022, 12:11:42 AM »
While I certainly don't have any regrets there are several things that have come up since I have taken an open ended sabbatical (as I call it).

Our initial plan was that as of 1/1/21 we would start traveling through Europe. We bought our car in late September 2020 and were set to leave for Portugal between Christmas and New Years. Due to COVID restrictions we actually went down to PT sooner than planned but ultimately were stuck in 1 place for about 4.5 months last winter. In April we did make a road trip and flew to the US for some family events.

With COVID throwing things off kilter as it relates to moving between countries we decided to postpone our Scandinavian summer of '21 plans in favor of a 7 month trip through Italy. We started off up north and would make it all the way to Sicily by winter, at least that was the plan. Pretty quickly in that 2 month window of truly living out of suitcases/traveling by car I came to realize that the constant packing and moving in/out of places got a bit tiring.

Things all changed when we made it to an area in Italy we absolutely fell in love with. Call us weak but we found a house we loved at a price we were comfortable with and have settled down here.

How this relates to this thread is:
- We felt super welcome here in this community, connecting with both locals and expats. This friendship group was something that we had been missing. Unfortunately due to covid there are still challenges in meeting up in person but at least we have a local base of friends.
- I was starting to get antsy about having a personal project of my own and this house offers that. It required some (mostly) cosmetic work which we are working through. We're using more contractors than I had anticipated but there is still a huge yard for me to get my hands dirty and get a sense of accomplishment.

Despite this new challenge of turning our yard into a great place to be, I am still considering going back to work. We will certainly still travel but it won't be for months on end so a remote gig is certainly an option. I still keep in touch with many of my former co-workers as they were my core friend group as well.

Financially I feel like we made a wise decision in buying this house, it meant liquidating much of our buffer fund (proceeds from selling our house in the US) but I still have my own retirement accounts untouched. They are insufficient to provide for my needs without my wife's retirement check but if I can avoid touching that stache for the next 10 years I should be fine. All in all, I don't feel further ahead financially but not behind either.

cool7hand

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #32 on: February 01, 2022, 08:30:05 AM »
I suspect that enjoying FIRE has little to do with FIRE itself and everything to do with one's own idiosyncratic relationship to life. As they say, life's best lived not with "Do Have Be", but with "Be Do Have".

Rdy2Fire

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #33 on: February 01, 2022, 12:22:34 PM »
I'll admit I have worried about being out of synch and losing connections with people. I am the kind of person that really, really enjoys being with people but am not the best at forging new connections. The best part about work is I get to hang out with people, and I tend to find and enjoy community with them that doesn't "revolve" around work (as in all we talk about is work) but that is forged in the fact that we know we'll spend hours of our day together 5 days out of the week. I am somewhat concerned about the building of relationships when there's not an easy way to connect. On the other hand, I do think that part of the trouble with connecting outside of work is the lack of free time, which FIRE would help out with.

Interesting.. I quickly realized who people were I wanted to or who wanted to be connected to me. Turns out those connections are better then ever. Coincidentally many, many of the people I spent "hours of our day together" I was ok with never speak to again and vice versa. Some there is still a peripheral communication here or there, happy new year, christmas, b'day etc but a good portion there is 0 communication or very very minimal. I also found a few people who just touch base to tell me about their jobs and how much they dislike them. 

I guess my point is, you will probably make some new connections (I have) and build on ones you had as well but if the connections only exist because of work (many do) then you probably won't really miss them. Unless of course you just miss working :)

Mr. Green

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #34 on: February 01, 2022, 02:35:14 PM »
I've been FIREd for years now but I don't really fit any of the options you've made available. I think you're missing quite a few there that people would consider. I'm quite happy, I don't worry about money anymore, and I don't particularly challenge myself. I'm just happy to be here.

stoaX

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #35 on: February 01, 2022, 05:19:06 PM »
I don't particularly challenge myself either but the part of the statement about being more productive resonated with me.  I am helping out with family in a way that I couldn't if I were still employed.




« Last Edit: February 06, 2022, 03:03:03 PM by stoaX »

boarder42

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #36 on: February 01, 2022, 05:44:17 PM »
I've been FIREd for years now but I don't really fit any of the options you've made available. I think you're missing quite a few there that people would consider. I'm quite happy, I don't worry about money anymore, and I don't particularly challenge myself. I'm just happy to be here.

Saw a quote the other day similar to this. We need to start teaching our kids that ordinary is awesome bc it's what life is most of the time.

Wolfpack Mustachian

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #37 on: February 01, 2022, 07:40:00 PM »
I'll admit I have worried about being out of synch and losing connections with people. I am the kind of person that really, really enjoys being with people but am not the best at forging new connections. The best part about work is I get to hang out with people, and I tend to find and enjoy community with them that doesn't "revolve" around work (as in all we talk about is work) but that is forged in the fact that we know we'll spend hours of our day together 5 days out of the week. I am somewhat concerned about the building of relationships when there's not an easy way to connect. On the other hand, I do think that part of the trouble with connecting outside of work is the lack of free time, which FIRE would help out with.

Interesting.. I quickly realized who people were I wanted to or who wanted to be connected to me. Turns out those connections are better then ever. Coincidentally many, many of the people I spent "hours of our day together" I was ok with never speak to again and vice versa. Some there is still a peripheral communication here or there, happy new year, christmas, b'day etc but a good portion there is 0 communication or very very minimal. I also found a few people who just touch base to tell me about their jobs and how much they dislike them. 

I guess my point is, you will probably make some new connections (I have) and build on ones you had as well but if the connections only exist because of work (many do) then you probably won't really miss them. Unless of course you just miss working :)

That's a good point, and you're right. It's held true for jobs I've left before. I've remained connected to a couple of close friends from previous jobs, but I was already connecting with them outside work even before I left. I will likely be able to keep or maybe expand those connections as I have more time, even though they're still working, and I'll hopefully make more connections with people who have more time like I will when it happens. Thanks for the encouragement!

BlueHouse

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #38 on: February 06, 2022, 08:50:33 AM »
I've been FIREd for almost 1 year and it's been amazing.  Then again, I tend to see the positive in things.

I have more money than I FIREd with.
COVID made it easy to rein in my spending, making it clear how much flexibility I have in my budget going forward.
I'm still figuring out what I want to do to "be productive", but I have many many options available to me.  I'm just not ready to throw myself into any of them full time yet. 

eyesonthehorizon

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #39 on: February 06, 2022, 12:37:55 PM »
I've been FIREd for years now but I don't really fit any of the options you've made available. I think you're missing quite a few there that people would consider. I'm quite happy, I don't worry about money anymore, and I don't particularly challenge myself. I'm just happy to be here.

Saw a quote the other day similar to this. We need to start teaching our kids that ordinary is awesome bc it's what life is most of the time.
I have been chewing on this notion for a while now - I don't know how uniquely American it is (I think we've exported the idea, & I know it's standard in China but that may date to the traditional governmental examination system there) but we're enculturated to believe that if we aren't ceaselessly surging ahead, we're falling behind.

Lifekit/ NPR did an interview with Rainesford Stauffer about the idea/ her book about it that this thread reminded me to listen to. The whole thing feels closely tied to the recent discussions of the 9.9% as a modern aristocracy & the obsessive optimization characterizing a sort of precarious upper class, desperate not to fall out of/ let their kids fall off a shrinking island of haves into the surging sea of have-nots. The competitive consumption it spurs is the main consuma sucka activity MMM opposes most loudly, since this group of well-off people make up the bulk of the nation's consumptive habits & set the aspirational trend for everyone below them.

I do intend to challenge myself after RE, but in dimensions like how much good living for myself & others I can get out of a minimum of resources, which isn't about competing with anyone or being spectacular. To experience a calm, secure life of ordinary happy days is exceptional in this culture, certainly exceptional enough for me.

Morning Glory

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #40 on: February 06, 2022, 12:45:51 PM »
I've been FIREd for years now but I don't really fit any of the options you've made available. I think you're missing quite a few there that people would consider. I'm quite happy, I don't worry about money anymore, and I don't particularly challenge myself. I'm just happy to be here.

Saw a quote the other day similar to this. We need to start teaching our kids that ordinary is awesome bc it's what life is most of the time.
I have been chewing on this notion for a while now - I don't know how uniquely American it is (I think we've exported the idea, & I know it's standard in China but that may date to the traditional governmental examination system there) but we're enculturated to believe that if we aren't ceaselessly surging ahead, we're falling behind.

Lifekit/ NPR did an interview with Rainesford Stauffer about the idea/ her book about it that this thread reminded me to listen to. The whole thing feels closely tied to the recent discussions of the 9.9% as a modern aristocracy & the obsessive optimization characterizing a sort of precarious upper class, desperate not to fall out of/ let their kids fall off a shrinking island of haves into the surging sea of have-nots. The competitive consumption it spurs is the main consuma sucka activity MMM opposes most loudly, since this group of well-off people make up the bulk of the nation's consumptive habits & set the aspirational trend for everyone below them.

I do intend to challenge myself after RE, but in dimensions like how much good living for myself & others I can get out of a minimum of resources, which isn't about competing with anyone or being spectacular. To experience a calm, secure life of ordinary happy days is exceptional in this culture, certainly exceptional enough for me.

I just added the book to my tbr  list on goodreads. The school of life blog has some good articles on this topic too.

Right now I am experiencing my first cold since I quit my job and I really appreciate not having to work while mildly ill.

Padonak

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #41 on: February 06, 2022, 12:57:04 PM »
Not everything is great in my life but it sucked a lot more when I had an office job that I hated.

MasterStache

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #42 on: February 07, 2022, 04:57:20 AM »
FIRE has been fantastic. I was able to parlay my carpentry passion into an actual side business. No way I could have done that sitting in a cubicle all week. I sort of followed the path of Pete, but not on purpose. I had no intention of just sitting around the house idle. We certainly don't need the money. My spouse continues to work as she enjoys her job. However, she is getting the FIRE bug as well and we have made some saving changes to prepare for her to join me in the next couple of years.   

bacchi

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #43 on: February 07, 2022, 12:10:15 PM »
There's no "Hahahahaha. That's a good one." choice.

wildatheart

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Re: Post-FIRE Poll: Do you regret FIREing?
« Reply #44 on: February 08, 2022, 08:03:26 AM »
FIRED March 2020 at 53 from a career that made me feel like I was physically burning in flames 19 hrs per day. It paid well but no regrets.
  • I've added years to my life by quitting working.
    Still have greed attacks that make me want "stuff" I don't need.
    I feel a little guilty about enjoying being lazy and don't feel major needs to be productive.
    Social ife of people my age has dropped off a lot. (Bad for me - doesn't impact my wife)
    My financial situation is better than I expected but I find that I really did like "aggressive growth" of my portfolio so on some days, I don't get that.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!