Author Topic: 2020 FIRE Cohort  (Read 540012 times)

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1650 on: May 28, 2020, 09:48:50 AM »
01/01/20  Linea_Norway (@46)          CONFIRMED
01/01/20  firebrand                   CONFIRMED
01/01/20  Nancy                       CONFIRMED
01/01/20  openroadadventure (@53/50)  CONFIRMED
01/03/20  nwa-non                     CONFIRMED
01/07/20  alienbogey's wife           CONFIRMED
01/15/20  Nifty
01/15/20  Nickel (@55)                CONFIRMED
01/15/20  GettingClose's husband      CONFIRMED
01/31/20  ATS (@52)                   CONFIRMED
01/31/20  DisplacedHoosier (@57)      CONFIRMED
02/03/20  grobinski (@52/53)          CONFIRMED
02/03/20  IslandFIGirl                CONFIRMED
02/07/20  JumboShrimp                 CONFIRMED
02/??/20  RetireAbroadAt35
03/01/20  Bmjohnson (@50)             CONFIRMED
03/06/20  damyst                      CONFIRMED
03/10/20  Katmandew (@54/48)          CONFIRMED
03/13/20  CrazyIT                     CONFIRMED
03/13/20  ysette9 (@38)               CONFIRMED
03/13/20  Padonak                     CONFIRMED
03/13/20  Maenad                      CONFIRMED
03/20/20  Mmm_donuts                  CONFIRMED
03/??/20  FInding_peace (@38)       
03/19/20  wildatheart (@53)           CONFIRMED
04/01/20  FlytilFIRE                  CONFIRMED
04/02/20  CptCool 
04/15/20  hybrid                      CONFIRMED
04/15/20  Indio                       CONFIRMED
04/17/20  Ottawa
04/??/20  DreamFIRE
05/08/20  rab-bit                     CONFIRMED
05/15/20  Lucky13 (@44)
05/21/20  Body Surfer                 CONFIRMED
05/31/20  Dee18                       CONFIRMED
05/??/20  Rcc     
05/??/20  Lady Stash (@45)
06/01/20  Albireo13 (@64)
06/05/20  thelyon19
06/15/20  BigHaus89
06/15/20  aspiringnomad (@37)         CONFIRMED
06/16/20  Kteach                      CONFIRMED
06/30/20  LateStarter                 job discontinued
06/??/20  ixtap (date uncertain)     
06/??/20  myobjectivism               Given Notice   
07/??/20  JoJo
07/??/20  SugarMountain
07/??/20 or later 20  MMM123
07/??/20  bas5252 (@55)
07/??/20  2sk22 
07/??/20  SpreadsheetMan
08/07/20  HappyCheerE (@55)           Given notice
09/01/20  rab-bit's wife
09/25/20  apurplelife
09/30/20  MarcherLady
09/30/20  Fresh Bread's husband
09/??/20  Farmgirl (@61)
09/??/20  Dan23
09/??/20  BeanCounter @42
10/15/20  Unique User (@50)
10/??/20  Rubyvroom   
11/01/20  Alienbogey
11/10/20  exit2019
11/20/20  Alternatepriorities
11/30/20  Itchyfeet
12/01/20  FireLane (@38)
12/31/20  BFGirl
12/31/20  Freedomin5 (@38)
12/31/20  Bateaux
12/31/20  Chris@TTL + Jenni
12/??/20  david_shin   
12/??/20  MoneyTree (@36)   
12/??/20  Nora (@42)   
12/??/20  TheFIExplorer
??/??/20  texxan1     
??/??/20  EscapeVelocity2020   
??/??/20  BlueMR2     
??/??/20  catccc   
??/??/20  DadzillaGorilla (FI@35, RE@40)   
??/??/20  FIREstache (@55)     
??/??/20  LadyMaWhiskers   
??/??/20  letsdoit   
??/??/20  onlykelsey     
??/??/20  tooqk4u22     
??/??/20  Fresh Bread
??/??/20? Gumption
??/??/20  bownyboy
??/??/20  Beeboy (@46)
??/??/20  robtown

 
To be decided:
tipster350
SailingOnASmallSailboat's DH (@50/51)

OLY:   
meatgrinder   
Life in balance (end of 2019)
2Birds1Stone (autumn 2019)
Firebrand (second week of December 2019)
   
OMY:   
RedefinedHappiness   
FIREby2021 (Q1 2021)   
TheContinentalOp (2021)
Sand101
desk_jockey
Pennycounter (or maybe fall 2020)

   
FIREing later:   
FIPurpose (date to decided)   
ToughMother (date to be decided)
GettingClose working 50% and not in management from 04/01/2020 for another year.
Katmandew (@54), parttime from 02/29/2020.

Not fully FIREd, but partly.
01/01/20  Steevven1 (@29)             Working PT
03/07/20  Fresh Bread                 Swami
05/01/20  Much fishing to do          Working PT from home occasionally

« Last Edit: June 18, 2020, 02:34:06 AM by Linea_Norway »

MarcherLady

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1651 on: May 28, 2020, 10:38:19 AM »
Today we regained and exceeded our highest Pre-COVID valuation. I'm still planning to wait until the autumn before I FIRE, to have more information and build a bit more of a cushion to protect against the next waves that are sure to come. I feel happy with my asset allocation and global diversification, they behaved well and have rebounded quickly.

aspiringnomad

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1652 on: May 28, 2020, 01:31:48 PM »
I've got a new date: 15th of June. It was nice to be able to pad the stash a bit longer while working from home, but now really looking forward to starting this adventure despite it all :)

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1653 on: May 28, 2020, 11:43:58 PM »
@Nifty , @RetireAbroadAt35 , @FInding_peace , @FlytilFIRE , @CptCool , @Ottawa , @DreamFIRE , @Pennycounter ,
did any of you FIRE or delay to a later time?

@Fresh Bread , did your husband FIRE?

rab-bit

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1654 on: May 29, 2020, 06:09:42 AM »
@Linea_Norway, thanks for maintaining the list. My name appears twice so you can remove the one for June 5th. Thanks!

Farmgirl

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1655 on: May 29, 2020, 09:03:05 AM »
Linea...Put me down for September, 2020.  The pandemic situation has me working from home and it's not so bad.  I'm going to continue until I don't like it anymore.  While my employer is considered essential, I think they are continuing to let me work from home because I'm in the high risk group.  The first time being an old lady has an advantage!

I do my work, keep the garden weeded, tend to the critters, work on my quilts, work some more, then do stuff I want to do again.  I seriously doubt this could continue long term.  Even just this little time working from home has been a stretch for my employer's way of doing things.  Very old school. 

I do have a phone interview with Social Security on June 19 to start benefits in October. 

So I'm sitting tight for now!

BeanCounter

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1656 on: May 29, 2020, 09:11:39 AM »
I'm in the same boat as Farmgirl.
I was planning for May 15. Then the pandemic happened. I tried to get furloughed or even severed. They asked me to stay. And since working from home means I get more time with my kids and husband, and there isn't much to go do anyway, I might as well keep pulling in the $2k a week.
I'm now shooting for Sept at age 42. I'm hoping to find some part time accounting or tax work to help ease some of the COVID volatility that is yet to come.

FireLane

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1657 on: May 29, 2020, 06:26:24 PM »
Today we regained and exceeded our highest Pre-COVID valuation. I'm still planning to wait until the autumn before I FIRE, to have more information and build a bit more of a cushion to protect against the next waves that are sure to come. I feel happy with my asset allocation and global diversification, they behaved well and have rebounded quickly.

I feel the same way. I'm not past my highest pre-COVID valuation, but I'm surprisingly close to my all-time high.

But I have trouble believing that this rapid recovery is built on anything substantial. I think it's likely that there'll be more waves of the virus and possibly a double-dip crash as the extent of the economic damage sinks in. I want to wait and see for a few months, and it can't hurt to have more of a buffer, so I'm moving my date to December 1.

Fresh Bread

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1658 on: May 29, 2020, 09:01:19 PM »

@Fresh Bread , did your husband FIRE?

No, it's end of September now. What can I say, he likes building up the pot of money.

Body Surfer

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1659 on: May 30, 2020, 02:49:51 PM »
I would not be surprised one bit if the market had at least one more correction. Make sure your AA is appropriate for your situation.

Dee18

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1660 on: June 01, 2020, 03:55:55 PM »
Linea, Thanks for maintaining the list.  You can mark me "confirmed" as today is the first day of my retirement.  I am still receiving emails from the university and it was delightful today to disregard the suggested online training to prepare for the complex fall semester plans.  Sitting on the patio (8 feet away) at a friend's house and having a celebratory glass of champagne was much nicer way to spend the afternoon.

Padonak

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1661 on: June 01, 2020, 04:17:40 PM »
Congrats Dec18. Life is better on the other side.

JoJo

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1662 on: June 01, 2020, 06:16:59 PM »
That's awesome Dee18... and a great way to celebrate!

ysette9

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1663 on: June 01, 2020, 08:05:03 PM »
Linea, Thanks for maintaining the list.  You can mark me "confirmed" as today is the first day of my retirement.  I am still receiving emails from the university and it was delightful today to disregard the suggested online training to prepare for the complex fall semester plans.  Sitting on the patio (8 feet away) at a friend's house and having a celebratory glass of champagne was much nicer way to spend the afternoon.
Fantastic. Congrats

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1664 on: June 02, 2020, 08:57:25 AM »
@albireo13
Have you FIREd or do you want to work a bit longer?

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1665 on: June 03, 2020, 07:06:26 AM »
This post was quoted as best post seen on the forum today. It deserves a place here as well.

I always love reading other people's stories about FIRE, so I thought I'd share what mine has been like over the past 4 months since leaving my job.  I like to talk, so this will probably be long, fair warning!  (Not sure if this matters but I'm a single mom of 3 kids (2 are adults) in my mid 40's)

Leaving Work
I left my job on February 4th, 2020 after becoming completely, totally crispy fried and burnt out.  I was about as close to having enough money to FIRE as I thought I could get without going insane, so I decided it was worth my mental (and physical) health to get out of there before I completely melted down.  (I managed a 911 dispatch center and had been there for 15 years and although I loved the job in so many ways, I was tired of being the public's punching bag, and was tired of being on call every stinking minute of my life!)  Giving my notice was by far the scariest part.  I stressed so much over the fact that I was "leaving my people" behind and what would they EVER do without me, how could they manage, this was such a betrayal!  HAH!  How wrong I was!  If I can impart any wisdom to anyone...here it is.  They can do without you, they WILL replace you, they will get along, it will be FINE.  Live your life for you.  That's the advice I had to give myself and I'm so glad I took that advice because here I am 4 months later, with no panic attacks, no work stress, it's great!  Anyway, after giving notice, I only had to deal with 2 weeks worth of questions from EVERYONE...Why are you leaving?  What will you do next?  That part was hard for me because I really didn't want to tell anyone anything but people want to know!  At first I said I was keeping my future endeavors to myself...people didn't like that.  They wanted to know!  When I gave my notice, I told my boss I was leaving for a new opportunity...I didn't mention that the opportunity was to do whatever the hell I wanted and not work!  Eventually I just said I was taking some time off to spend with my family because 2 of my kids would be moving on to their adult lives this year and I didn't want to spend the last few months I had with them stuck at work for 12-14 hours a day.  Thankfully the 2 weeks ended and I had my last day of work, which was kind of emotional because all of the people I had worked with for the last 15 years did a final call for me over the police radio, all saying goodbye and thanking me for my service.  It was very sweet and unexpected but it didn't stop me from running right out of that building like my ass was on fire!  I can laugh about it now, but after getting home from work on my last day, I got a text from the interim manager asking if I could possibly work a shift tomorrow since someone had called in sick.  HAHAHAHAH, NO!  No, I could not!  I just quit this job, remember? Somehow they managed.

First few weeks after FIRE'ing
For the first few weeks after leaving work, I woke up super early.  Like 4:30 to 5:00am.  I didn't have anywhere to be so I tried to learn how to sleep in.  That didn't really work, so I just went with it and figured at some point, I might start waking up later.  I went to the gym almost every day, sometimes twice a day.  I wanted to lose weight, but somehow it wasn't really working.  Maybe I forgot about the eating less part of losing weight, haha!  The transition was a little difficult.  I think I was still stuck in the mindset that I should be working or doing something with my life.  Or that I thought someone might tell me that I should be working or judge me and that I would have to find a way to defend my choices.  I know that people always say you should retire TO something rather than AWAY from something, but hey, these were my circumstances and I was doing the best I could.  My big plan was to buy a truck and a small travel trailer and get out and explore, and this was going to be easy because summer was coming and I'd only have one kid left at home, so coordinating all of this would be easy, right?  During those first few weeks (and even now) I was also feeling some guilt.  Not some...a lot of guilt.  I had saved money for a long time, but a good portion of my money came from an inheritance from my parents who had died within the last few years.  I was really struggling with what a jerk I was being for just using that money to live off of when they were dead and couldn't enjoy it for themselves.  They both had retired and died almost immediately after retiring.  It was so heartbreaking to know that they couldn't go on any more cruises, no more fun trips...they worked all their lives and it ended so abruptly.  I had nightmares every night, in fact, I still do, but not quite as frequently.  My recurring nightmare is that one or both of my parents somehow come back to life and I had to scramble to explain that I had sold their house and give back their money and explain why I had it and why I was so selfish to think I could use that money to live on when they needed it.  It's still something I struggle with, but I am doing what I think is right for me and my family and I can only hope they would think that what I'm doing is good.  Ok, Enough sad stuff...

How quickly plans change!
I was just starting to think I could settle in to being fired, started making plans to go camping and have adventures, carefully watching my budget, when I started hearing rumblings of a pandemic.  I usually don't get too worked up about things but around the first week of March I felt like this would be a big deal, so I went out and spent about $1,000 on groceries.  During that week my next door neighbor moved out and left a perfectly good fridge outside his house for free, so I snagged that and filled it up too.  During this time, my daughter's college boyfriend was in town visiting her from his Cruise line job and they got engaged.  Super exciting time!  When he was scheduled to go back to work, they told him not to come and he ended up losing his job, so now I had an extra person living with us and another mouth to feed.  My budget was blown instantly...I stocked up on food, medicine, anything I could think of in case things went bad, but I was grateful to have the money to do this and happy that I didn't have to go to work during scary times.  It didn't take long for my oldest daughter to lose her job and suddenly nobody in the household had a job.  Now I was supporting a household of 5 people and I was getting nervous, especially when the stock market took the first big hit.  I didn't allow myself to look at my accounts, knowing it would make me sick and scared, so I just decided that I had enough money and we would be ok.  This strategy proved to be effective.  If I've learned anything from here it's to set your plan and stick with it, if you set it up right, outside influences shouldn't effect you much.  Live frugally and you should always have enough.  That about sums it up...even though the pandemic stock market hit initially set me back about $95k, I'm now back to within about $4k of where I was at when I fired.  I'm soooo glad the pandemic happened a month after I FIRE'd though because I am not sure I would have had the guts to leave knowing my investments were losing so much money.  Pandemic living has evened out here.  At first it was hard having an extra person living with us, but after some time, we have adjusted, and I think it probably has brought us all closer together.  I'm glad I got to spend this time with my daughter and her fiance before they move away this summer, I feel that it has made our bond stronger for the future, and for that I am grateful.

Money, bills, health insurance, oh my!
As soon as I left work, I got to work on getting health insurance.  I decided that no matter what, I was not going without insurance, I've seen too many people get into deep doo doo because they didn't have it and I didn't want to get some terrible illness or injury and wipe out my savings.  I ended up getting no subsidies on the marketplace because I qualified for Medicaid.  I didn't want Medicaid and didn't feel I needed to be on that so I went ahead and purchased my own insurance for about $350/ month.  I hated that it cost that much but a lot of docs do not take Medicaid around here so I decided to buy the insurance.  Peace of mind is what I really bought, and that is ok with me.  I have to say it's really weird to not have a paycheck hit my account every month.  I've been using credit cards to pay bills so that I get the points from the cards.  I don't really like this method though, and I think this month I will just go back to paying cash for things.  Having to pay the credit card balance off every month is not a huge deal but I don't like the idea of owing anybody anything.  It's unnatural to me and doesn't feel good, even with the tiny perks I get from the cards.  I also think I spend a bit more knowing I'm using a credit card.  All in all though, I don't have many bills and even though the pandemic hurt my budget for a little while, it's not near as bad as I thought it would be.  I wanted to track everything so I could say, oh, I spent this much on food and this much on this or that, but it's become exhausting.  I know myself and I know I am careful with money so even though I have a general idea of what goes out every month, I don't obsess over my budget like I used to.  It just became too exhausting to worry about it.

Fun!
As spring approached and the weather got better, all I could think about was having fun outside!  I love warm weather and couldn't wait to get out on the water with my paddle board.  Wanting to have fun is usually what makes me spend the most money.  This time was no exception.  I sat here in my living room thinking of all the fun I'd like to have on the lake and realized I wanted a new toy!  An inflatable paddle board.  I did tons of research and found a really good one and knew I had to have it, an inflatable fits in my car so easily, so it is so much better than a hard board that you have to strap on top of your car.  After I bought the board, I realized I needed an electric pump...and a cooler...and a special quick drying towel...and a waterproof phone case...and another cooler.  I could see myself quickly getting out of control so I decided to stop spending money and just be happy with this toy!  If I let myself, I would keep finding new cool things to buy, so it was time to nip it in the bud!  Not long after that, I decided I wanted to build a shed in my backyard with my son.  Neither of us have a clue what we are doing, but I bought plans for the shed, bought the wood, borrowed some tools and we went to town.  The shed is still in progress, but we are learning a lot...mostly what not to do with things like nail guns.  Needless to say, safety is first and foremost in our minds after the nail gun incident of 2020, when my son's pinky got nicked with a nail.  Whoops!  I am not sure if I am not doing much outside the house because of the pandemic or because I am more of a homebody.  It's hard to tell.  But I end up spending a lot of time in my comfy chair in the backyard, watching the butterflies, birds and squirrels, sprucing things up, watching the fire in the fire pit and grilling food.  I spend at least an hour every day studying the Korean language, it's something I learned back in my Army days and I try not to lose that knowledge.  It's only recently that I have had the time to study, and it's nice to be able to understand it.  I meet up with one or two friends on occasion and we typically just talk and eat or go hang out at the lake and fish.  I can't say I've done anything terribly exciting, but again, this is during an odd time.  Nothing is normal during a pandemic, I guess.

Future plans
On occasion I will think about getting a job, maybe something part time, just for fun.  I did commit to not working for at least one year to really give myself a chance to just chill and find out what I'm all about, so I'm not going to think about that too much until next year.  If my youngest daughter is not able to get scholarships for college, I may consider going to work at the University in a couple years to get a discount for her.  We shall see.  But mostly what I think about is how awesome it is to not have answer to a boss or a schedule and how can I keep doing this for as long as possible.  If that means working sometimes to keep from depleting my stash (stache?) I can manage that.  But full time work, I don't know if I can ever stomach that again. 

Goals
My biggest goal was to lose weight and improve my health, and I'm happy to report that I have finally figured out what works for me and I've lost 20 pounds since February.  My gym has reopened and I'm so happy to get back there to see people and socialize and workout and just finally be able to have more options to focus on my overall well being.  I feel like removing the stress of work has helped me be better able to plan meals, shop, cook more often (almost never go out to eat now), and just be available to focus on feeling good and doing good things for myself.  Everybody in my family benefits when I am doing well and it has been soooo worth it to put effort into me for once.

Friends, Connections, etc.
I've always been kind of on the fence about social media.  At times I find it strange, the things people will post, the humble bragging, the dirty laundry being aired, the cattiness, back biting, I don't really like it.  However, it seems there has been a huge shift in the way people deal with each other and not having a social media account has kind of made it where I'm obsolete with a good portion of my friends.  I seem to get left out of a lot of things.  I always wonder if I should try to use it again, make a facebook account, so I can better connect with people, but I remember how it was the last time I used it about 5 years ago and I didn't like how you could so easily post something to someone, but not really get more in depth with them, and I don't want to have that superficial type of thing with people again.  It's food for thought.  I have a few best friends that I talk to frequently and that is satisfying, so maybe one doesn't need social media at all. 

After having been FIRE'd for 4 months, I can safely say, I like it.  I don't need to be defined by a job.  I don't need to impress other people or conform to how they think I should live.  If I am able to I would like to continue this lifestyle and I'll continue to find ways to hang on to it. I wish I had figured out a way to do it sooner.  I love that the possibilities are endless and if there's something I want to do, I can probably figure out a way to make it happen.  I highly recommend this and wish I could convince everyone I know to do the same!  Thanks for reading my long long long story!  :)

exit2019

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1666 on: June 04, 2020, 10:05:59 PM »
I have to say, the deeper the DGAF sets in, the more the company tries to motivate me to stay.

Latest action is a no-strings-attached title change and comp package, which, unfortunately, will not vest for a year (well, a year after the next board meeting where the grant will be issued).  I am still on track for November, so I won't be around to see it. I am moody and visibly unhappy and routinely make jokes on calls about various ridiculous and incompetent aspects of the company.

It bothers me more than a little bit that the more I telegraph my done-with-this-place-ness, the more they go out of their way to try and get me to change my mind, while the company itself is planning layoffs. Even if it is true that the budget for retention comes from a central budget that is not involved in layoff calculations, that isn't true for my base compensation, and the fact that a bunch of people are getting cut is giving me a complex.

That plus the senioritis is insane.

FlytilFIRE

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1667 on: June 05, 2020, 11:15:11 AM »
@Nifty , @RetireAbroadAt35 , @FInding_peace , @FlytilFIRE , @CptCool , @Ottawa , @DreamFIRE , @Pennycounter ,
did any of you FIRE or delay to a later time?

@Fresh Bread , did your husband FIRE?

Linea, I'm done. Mark me CONFIRMED! Thanks.

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1668 on: June 05, 2020, 12:29:30 PM »
@Nifty , @RetireAbroadAt35 , @FInding_peace , @FlytilFIRE , @CptCool , @Ottawa , @DreamFIRE , @Pennycounter ,
did any of you FIRE or delay to a later time?

@Fresh Bread , did your husband FIRE?

Linea, I'm done. Mark me CONFIRMED! Thanks.

Congratulations!

ysette9

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1669 on: June 05, 2020, 08:15:12 PM »
Yippee! More people in the cool kids’ club!

rab-bit

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1670 on: June 05, 2020, 08:30:58 PM »
Yes, congratulations @Dee18 and @FlytilFIRE!

Anyone else thinking that this stock market is kinda crazy? Our retirement account balances are now at an all time high less than two months after the Covid-19 shutdowns began. Not that I'm complaining...

BlueMR2

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1671 on: June 08, 2020, 02:43:12 PM »
Yes, congratulations @Dee18 and @FlytilFIRE!

Anyone else thinking that this stock market is kinda crazy? Our retirement account balances are now at an all time high less than two months after the Covid-19 shutdowns began. Not that I'm complaining...

Nice recovery!

We're still down 7.5% from peak and have still been contributing during this time.

Freedomin5

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1672 on: June 08, 2020, 04:06:18 PM »
I have to say, the deeper the DGAF sets in, the more the company tries to motivate me to stay.

Latest action is a no-strings-attached title change and comp package, which, unfortunately, will not vest for a year (well, a year after the next board meeting where the grant will be issued).  I am still on track for November, so I won't be around to see it. I am moody and visibly unhappy and routinely make jokes on calls about various ridiculous and incompetent aspects of the company.

It bothers me more than a little bit that the more I telegraph my done-with-this-place-ness, the more they go out of their way to try and get me to change my mind, while the company itself is planning layoffs. Even if it is true that the budget for retention comes from a central budget that is not involved in layoff calculations, that isn't true for my base compensation, and the fact that a bunch of people are getting cut is giving me a complex.

That plus the senioritis is insane.

They must see you as being in an essential role. Are there any golden handcuffs they could give you that you would accept?

Freedomin5

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1673 on: June 08, 2020, 04:10:20 PM »
Yes, congratulations @Dee18 and @FlytilFIRE!

Anyone else thinking that this stock market is kinda crazy? Our retirement account balances are now at an all time high less than two months after the Covid-19 shutdowns began. Not that I'm complaining...

Same. We’ve been contributing regularly to the accounts. I keep waiting for the crash that everyone is expecting, but so far no such luck, so our cash stash just keeps growing. We invest quarterly so we are between scheduled purchasing times right now, but I keep hoping to buy some on a dip.

exit2019

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1674 on: June 08, 2020, 05:32:03 PM »
They must see you as being in an essential role. Are there any golden handcuffs they could give you that you would accept?

Probably not.  I'm already on a 4-days-a-week schedule and well compensated.  It would require a serious, CEO-level action to bump that to any number that would make a difference and this is not a small company.

I have been deeply burned out for years, so burned out that I barely know myself anymore and ask myself every day what the hell happened to the person I used to be. I'm pretty good at hiding stress and separating things, but over the last year it's finally started to bleed through into my personal life and not in a positive way.

exit2019

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1675 on: June 08, 2020, 05:38:30 PM »
Same. We’ve been contributing regularly to the accounts. I keep waiting for the crash that everyone is expecting, but so far no such luck, so our cash stash just keeps growing. We invest quarterly so we are between scheduled purchasing times right now, but I keep hoping to buy some on a dip.

Same.  Excluding additional moves of cash into the portfolio, as of today, we are down a total of 3.5% or so from the "all time high ever"; we are accumulating cash. I was ready to go all in (minus 2Y cash) as soon as it got under CAPE10 26 but .. didn't, even when CAPE10 was down in 21.x range and is now back to nosebleed levels - over 30, and that can only go up as the Q2 earnings start coming in...

RetireAbroadAt35

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1676 on: June 08, 2020, 08:14:18 PM »
Status Update: Experiencing One More Month syndrome as well as Pandemic-Inspired Cold Feet and currently riding the wave of corporate layoffs.  I've survived so far but I suspect the economy might make this decision for me.


aspiringnomad

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1677 on: June 08, 2020, 08:18:27 PM »
Sold my motorbike and some balcony furniture. Moved a few sentimental things to storage. Getting so close...

Chris@TTL

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1678 on: June 08, 2020, 08:49:42 PM »
Just wanted to add us (me and my other half, Jenni) as part of the 2020 cohort.

We're transitioning to early retirement now via part-time work and continual downscaling through the rest of the year.

Thought you all might like a little history line item as I was updating spreadsheets for the two of us.
It's the first entry when we started tracking totals together as we got more serious about FIRE:

DateSavingsChecking - CreditRetirementStudent LoanInvestmentNet Worth
Oct 1, 2013$17,165.16$8,970.63$18,684.13$109,893.43$0.00-$65,073.51

DateSavingsChecking - CreditRetirementRE LoanInvestmentOther AssetsReal EstateNet WorthLiquid NW
Oct 1, 2013$8,050.00$6,246.50$65,798.56$181,890.97$48,287.33$0.00$244,100.00$190,591.42$128,382.39

A few businesses, careers, and no more student loans ... plus nearly 7 years later and we're in a very different position.

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1679 on: June 09, 2020, 07:48:39 AM »
Just wanted to add us (me and my other half, Jenni) as part of the 2020 cohort.

We're transitioning to early retirement now via part-time work and continual downscaling through the rest of the year.

Thought you all might like a little history line item as I was updating spreadsheets for the two of us.
It's the first entry when we started tracking totals together as we got more serious about FIRE:

DateSavingsChecking - CreditRetirementStudent LoanInvestmentNet Worth
Oct 1, 2013$17,165.16$8,970.63$18,684.13$109,893.43$0.00-$65,073.51

DateSavingsChecking - CreditRetirementRE LoanInvestmentOther AssetsReal EstateNet WorthLiquid NW
Oct 1, 2013$8,050.00$6,246.50$65,798.56$181,890.97$48,287.33$0.00$244,100.00$190,591.42$128,382.39

A few businesses, careers, and no more student loans ... plus nearly 7 years later and we're in a very different position.

Welcome. As you mentioned that you will work parttime to the end of the year, I put your date as 12/31. Is that okay? Feel free to request a change.

Chris@TTL

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1680 on: June 09, 2020, 07:51:07 AM »
@Linea_Norway thanks and that sounds great! Hopefully, it'll be sooner than that :)

JoJo

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1681 on: June 09, 2020, 08:10:51 AM »
Status Update: Experiencing One More Month syndrome as well as Pandemic-Inspired Cold Feet and currently riding the wave of corporate layoffs.  I've survived so far but I suspect the economy might make this decision for me.

New acronym... OMM... I'm in this exact position.  Enjoying the money going into savings and health insurance being paid, while I'm working remote (visiting my parents now), wearing shorts and sitting on the bed taking meetings.  Work has been busy, and somewhat interesting too.  Since I can't travel, I'm trying to take my parents on some day trips, they are happy to get out of the house.

Kteach

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1682 on: June 09, 2020, 07:27:41 PM »
My last week! This has been a really strange time. I’m a teacher (duh) and teaching from home is nothing like the teaching I’ve done and loved for the last 30+ years. It’s been sad not to be able to enjoy the last few months of my career, but I’m relieved that I can retire without having to worry about what next year will be like. Of course, all our plans for travel have changed, but we’re lucky that we can stay at home.

LostGirl

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1683 on: June 10, 2020, 09:46:33 AM »
I thought I responded previously. I'm riding out the wave and doing PT work from home.  I may try to ride it out until Jan 1, 2021 to get deferred comp or step away this fall. I'll stay until Jan 1 if I can keep working PT until then. If there is a push to return to FT, I plan to leave.

Dee18

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1684 on: June 10, 2020, 11:07:19 AM »
Congratulations Kteach!  I had the same odd experience of retiring from teaching....on Zoom.  The silver lining is that I do not have to spend the summer trying to prep classes that may be all virtual, hybrid, or teaching the same class twice a day in person to permit some social distancing.

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1685 on: June 10, 2020, 11:33:46 AM »
I thought I responded previously. I'm riding out the wave and doing PT work from home.  I may try to ride it out until Jan 1, 2021 to get deferred comp or step away this fall. I'll stay until Jan 1 if I can keep working PT until then. If there is a push to return to FT, I plan to leave.

Maybe I missed it, I do not read this every day.

I moved you under OMY and can move you back if you change your date.

LateStarter

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1686 on: June 12, 2020, 12:57:28 PM »
Mind if I join you ? Please add me to the list for June 30th.

After a brief spell in the 2018 Cohort and then 2 years of indecision/hesitation, the decision has been made for me. Lots of restructuring at work, and my role is being discontinued. One of the reasons for my hesitation is that I thought this might happen, and thought it would be nice to finish with a redundancy package. And here we go . .

It's mostly thanks to this place that this 'bad news' is good news for me - so, thanks MMM! Most of my similarly affected colleagues/friends are now facing some tough times.

Initial plans are to finish my work on the house with a view to selling, and to enjoy the summer with lots of time on my many interests and hobbies. Longer term plans include relocation, maybe some slow travel, who knows - whatever I feel like doing.




Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1687 on: June 13, 2020, 12:23:26 AM »
Mind if I join you ? Please add me to the list for June 30th.

After a brief spell in the 2018 Cohort and then 2 years of indecision/hesitation, the decision has been made for me. Lots of restructuring at work, and my role is being discontinued. One of the reasons for my hesitation is that I thought this might happen, and thought it would be nice to finish with a redundancy package. And here we go . .

It's mostly thanks to this place that this 'bad news' is good news for me - so, thanks MMM! Most of my similarly affected colleagues/friends are now facing some tough times.

Initial plans are to finish my work on the house with a view to selling, and to enjoy the summer with lots of time on my many interests and hobbies. Longer term plans include relocation, maybe some slow travel, who knows - whatever I feel like doing.

Welcome.

Good that you have made a decision, or maybe better said that the decision was mad for you. But at least this was the chance you were waiting for. Nice to get a goodbye package on your retirement.

About selling a house and having lots of time for hobbies, I need to disappoint you a bit. I have just been through the process for selling, almost done but still need to cleanbthe old place and unpack a lot in the new house. We started about a year ago and haven't had a lot of time for hobbies, just some time in between. As every penny extra you get for the house is taxfree money, you do your best to get as much as you can.

LateStarter

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1688 on: June 14, 2020, 06:17:08 AM »
Mind if I join you ? Please add me to the list for June 30th.

After a brief spell in the 2018 Cohort and then 2 years of indecision/hesitation, the decision has been made for me. Lots of restructuring at work, and my role is being discontinued. One of the reasons for my hesitation is that I thought this might happen, and thought it would be nice to finish with a redundancy package. And here we go . .

It's mostly thanks to this place that this 'bad news' is good news for me - so, thanks MMM! Most of my similarly affected colleagues/friends are now facing some tough times.

Initial plans are to finish my work on the house with a view to selling, and to enjoy the summer with lots of time on my many interests and hobbies. Longer term plans include relocation, maybe some slow travel, who knows - whatever I feel like doing.

Welcome.

Good that you have made a decision, or maybe better said that the decision was mad for you. But at least this was the chance you were waiting for. Nice to get a goodbye package on your retirement.

About selling a house and having lots of time for hobbies, I need to disappoint you a bit. I have just been through the process for selling, almost done but still need to cleanbthe old place and unpack a lot in the new house. We started about a year ago and haven't had a lot of time for hobbies, just some time in between. As every penny extra you get for the house is taxfree money, you do your best to get as much as you can.

Thanks.

Yes, I'm not expecting an easy or quick ride on the property front, especially now when the near future seems more uncertain than ever, but there's no great urgency. The rough plan is to coast a bit through July-August (and maybe Sep too!), enjoying my new freedom while getting a little bit done. Then finish off in the autumn with an aim to get the house on the market before end 2020. Subject to COVID, world economy and housing market developments / turmoil . . . .

aspiringnomad

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1689 on: June 16, 2020, 08:38:45 AM »
Good morning all! @Linea_Norway please mark me down as confirmed next time you update the list :)

Linea_Norway

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1690 on: June 17, 2020, 12:55:43 AM »
Good morning all! @Linea_Norway please mark me down as confirmed next time you update the list :)

Done. Congrats and enjoy your retirement.

How about you, @Kteach?

Kteach

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1691 on: June 17, 2020, 09:35:40 AM »
Confirmed! Yesterday was my last day. I’ve been teaching from home since March, but yesterday I was able to go in to my school to help distribute materials students had left in their lockers. I’m glad I was able to have a “last day” in the building - I’ve worked there since 1996. I also got to see a few colleagues and say goodbye to some of the kids. I don’t really feel retired yet. I think it will take some time to sink in, but this is the first summer I think I’ve had since I was a kid when I wasn’t working or prepping for a class. It’s a very strange feeling.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2020, 01:49:35 PM by Kteach »

ysette9

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1692 on: June 17, 2020, 09:49:07 AM »
Congratulations!

Dicey

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1693 on: June 17, 2020, 10:08:46 AM »
I just noticed @FIRE_at_45 isn't on this list. I'm sure he pulled the plug recently and deserves his place on this year's honor roll.

2sk22

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1694 on: June 18, 2020, 06:37:54 AM »
I had put down July as my quit date but it looks increasingly unlikely. I will have to stick around long enough to help my startup secure another round of funding. A number of people's jobs depends on this and I can't just walk away no matter how much I want to :-(

ZsaZsa

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1695 on: June 19, 2020, 07:21:44 AM »
I am hopefully joining this cohort...for a very short time! Positive thoughts please...have meeting with my supervisor in 15 minutes to discuss "adjusting my position." What MY adjustment will be is: "how many weeks notice do I need to give?" 62 may not be truly "retire early", but I think 35 years as a nurse, 23 in my current hospital, is plenty long enough.
Wish me luck!

markbike528CBX

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1696 on: June 19, 2020, 07:52:05 AM »
I am hopefully joining this cohort...for a very short time! Positive thoughts please...have meeting with my supervisor in 15 minutes to discuss "adjusting my position." What MY adjustment will be is: "how many weeks notice do I need to give?" 62 may not be truly "retire early", but I think 35 years as a nurse, 23 in my current hospital, is plenty long enough.
Wish me luck!

Good Luck ZsaZsa! 

Don't forget to update us, we can't handle the uncertainty, especially at 15 minutes notice.  :-)

ZsaZsa

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1697 on: June 19, 2020, 08:11:13 AM »
I DID IT!!! Gave my notice, with my supervisors blessing. Of course I made it easy for them, a friend of mine who has also worked here for years would like to slide right into my position, and already has most of the same qualification. I don't have a definite date yet, until we know if the job has to be posted or not. I feel...relieved, a little sad, a lot happy, and like a huge weight is (almost) off my shoulders.

Dicey

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1698 on: June 19, 2020, 12:16:45 PM »
I had put down July as my quit date but it looks increasingly unlikely. I will have to stick around long enough to help my startup secure another round of funding. A number of people's jobs depends on this and I can't just walk away no matter how much I want to :-(
At least you could, which has got to be some comfort. Hope it all works out soon.

ysette9

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Re: 2020 FIRE Cohort
« Reply #1699 on: June 19, 2020, 12:59:56 PM »
I DID IT!!! Gave my notice, with my supervisors blessing. Of course I made it easy for them, a friend of mine who has also worked here for years would like to slide right into my position, and already has most of the same qualification. I don't have a definite date yet, until we know if the job has to be posted or not. I feel...relieved, a little sad, a lot happy, and like a huge weight is (almost) off my shoulders.
Wonderful! Congrats

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!