2021 FIRE Cohort

[MarcherLady]

Yay, welcome Donuts, I predict we'll get chattier as we get closer!

[Buffaloski Boris]

I’m still up in the air as to dates. A lot of it depends on DW. Not so much economics as where we live.  2021 is a pretty good middling bet.

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

New page = new roster posting.  The roster is updated for everybody through post #346

Name Age (at FIRE) FIRE Date CrazyIT 56 3/6/2020 OLY Marcher Lady 49 10/10/2020 OLY Matz_70 50 1/1/2021 12321 1/23/2021 ScreamingHeadGuy 41 January Buffalo Chip 56 2/28/2021 dreams_and_discoveries 39 February Chaplin 47 3/23/2021 TheContinentalOP March Mmm_Donuts 4/1/2021 Tipster350 60 4/30/2021 ItalianGirl 5/1/2021 WildJager 35 May Peter Parker 6/1/2021 FIREArtist 47 6/1/2021 Sisto 52 6/7/2021 YoungGranny 31 6/30/2021 HumanAfterAll 44 June lightmyfire June-Sept Ladychips 55 7/1/2021 Nazar 7/1/2021 CarolinaGirl 50 July Arbitrage 43 8/1/2021 Wadiman August MichGenesis 46 9/30/19 GBRS 36 September the_fixer 49 10/1/2021 damo October Boyband 37 October Money Badger 53 12/1/2021 Accountant007 48 12/23/2021 Bownyboy 29 12/25/2021 Ulysses Everett McGill 55 12/31/2021 dblaace 60 12/31/2021 Frizzywhiskers 50 12/31/2021 effigy98 42 December SaddyG 54 TBD frugalecon TBD Aldi Early 50s TBD

[Chaplin]

It's been a while since I've checked-in here. I'm still on track for 2021, but I'm not quite sure what it will look like at this point. Maybe give notice in the middle of 2021 and commit to up to six months FT while hiring and training a replacement, and another six months PT if needed (which would put me into 2020, but PT would be such a huge improvement that it would be fine). The biggest change is that 2021 was originally the date for both my wife and me, but she was able to RE as a part of our move from Vancouver to Victoria (geographic arbitrage FTW) while keeping 2021 as a target for me.

In the mean time we're just trying to grind down some semi-fixed costs and make sure that everything to do with the house is in good shape so there aren't any surprises right after FIRE. I plan to go lean-FIRE for the first few years even though we're probably in reasonable shape for fat-FIRE. I'll FIRE with a bit less than 25X expenses saved, but with huge safety margins/backup plans:
- over $800K of home equity in an HCOL area that could be available via downsizing or geographic arbitrage if necessary
- CPP and OAS kicking in over the next twenty years, in total these should cover up to 40% of our expenses
- part-time jobs at a coffee shop, hardware store, etc. could be fun ($10K of income replaces $250K of savings shortfall)
- awkward to consider and discuss, but the reality is that inheritance up to $300K is possible

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Here is a monthly update.

Finances:
December 2018 - 79.7%
January 2019 - 85.9%
February 2019 - 90.6%
March 2019 - 92.1%
April 2019 - 95.2%
May 2019 - 91.6%
June 2019 - 97.7%
July 2019 - 99.6%
August 2019 - 99.0% (27.7 x expenses)
September 2019 - 100.5% (28.1 x expenses)

After so many years it was fait accompli.   Finally hit the target at month’s end.  This feat just doesn’t feel real.  I would like to thank the economic system of capitalism for making this possible, and yet say “fuck you” to capitalism for being able to suck the enjoyment out of a career so that a person would want to quit working. 

Depending on how the next few months go I may move up my RE date a few months.  We shall see.

Life:
The kids are in school.  The kindergartner takes to it well, and seems to have no problem with the academic side.

I spent a week traveling for work.  That is one aspect I like about this position- the occasional travel.  It feels nice to be able to say “I can’t help you; I’m traveling for this other project.”  Almost makes up for missing the family. 

The rest of the month of work felt like trying to cram 20 gallons in a 10 gallon bucket.  So many projects with tight timelines, all overlapping, and changing scopes.  I know other coworkers are feeling the same stress at work.  Maybe we need to have a company-wide day of no e-mail or phone calls so we can all catch up on the shit we need to do.  :-)

Apparently we had the wettest September on record here.  Aside from the last two weeks it hadn’t impacted my bike commuting. 

I am planning to DM the classic Dragonlance modules in my Friday D&D group while the usual DM takes a break.  Going over those modules makes me realize just how much everything I thought I knew about the adventures and the game world are based on the novels and NOT the original adventures themselves. 

Like I said in my last entry I have been reading more/again.  I probably did nearly 1000 pages last month between magazines, novels, and discussion club material.  Hooray for the written word.

[MarcherLady]

Congratulations on hitting FI. It's a strange feeling, isn't it?

[Buffaloski Boris]

Here is a monthly update.

Finances:
December 2018 - 79.7%
January 2019 - 85.9%
February 2019 - 90.6%
March 2019 - 92.1%
April 2019 - 95.2%
May 2019 - 91.6%
June 2019 - 97.7%
July 2019 - 99.6%
August 2019 - 99.0% (27.7 x expenses)
September 2019 - 100.5% (28.1 x expenses)

After so many years it was fait accompli.   Finally hit the target at month’s end.  This feat just doesn’t feel real.  I would like to thank the economic system of capitalism for making this possible, and yet say “fuck you” to capitalism for being able to suck the enjoyment out of a career so that a person would want to quit working. 

Depending on how the next few months go I may move up my RE date a few months.  We shall see.

Life:
The kids are in school.  The kindergartner takes to it well, and seems to have no problem with the academic side.

I spent a week traveling for work.  That is one aspect I like about this position- the occasional travel.  It feels nice to be able to say “I can’t help you; I’m traveling for this other project.”  Almost makes up for missing the family. 

The rest of the month of work felt like trying to cram 20 gallons in a 10 gallon bucket.  So many projects with tight timelines, all overlapping, and changing scopes.  I know other coworkers are feeling the same stress at work.  Maybe we need to have a company-wide day of no e-mail or phone calls so we can all catch up on the shit we need to do.  :-)

Apparently we had the wettest September on record here.  Aside from the last two weeks it hadn’t impacted my bike commuting. 

I am planning to DM the classic Dragonlance modules in my Friday D&D group while the usual DM takes a break.  Going over those modules makes me realize just how much everything I thought I knew about the adventures and the game world are based on the novels and NOT the original adventures themselves. 

Like I said in my last entry I have been reading more/again.  I probably did nearly 1000 pages last month between magazines, novels, and discussion club material.  Hooray for the written word.

Congrats on hitting your number!  🎉🍾

[the_fixer]

Yes congrats.

Gives me hope, sometimes I get discouraged but seeing how quickly you % has gone up makes me think my date just over 2 years from now might be possible.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Greenback Reproduction Specialist]

Well, I've got good news and bad news.

Good news is, due to having a great stash and FU money, I've applied for and been accepted into a pilot pipeline program. So no more cubicle dwelling for me : )

Bad news is, I will be putting off fire for a few more years. But i'm ok with it.

For a long time a big FIRE motivation for me has been to be able to not have to sit in front of a computer all day AND live in places that are lower in population. My current occupation makes it difficult to live in a smaller town. This program allows me to hit both of those goals in about the same time frame, by 2021 I will be earning pretty good money again, and able to move anywhere we want. At the moment we are highly considering Ketchikan Alaska, it checks a lot of boxes for me and my wife.

Sorry we wont be able to take the leap with you guys, but good luck to everyone, still rooting for everyone!

[MarcherLady]

Congratulations on your new direction. It sounds like a good opportunity - I hope you'll keep us updated!

[Arbitrage]

My stash keeps on banging its head against the same ceiling.  Every time I approach that level, the markets pull back.  It's not even a particularly meaningful threshold, but I'm sick of it!  I was hoping today would be the day to finally get over the hump, but once again, it looks like it's going to dip (with my AA perhaps $1000-2000). 

Just something to keep my mind occupied during this boring stretch of saving. 

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Well, I've got good news and bad news.

Good news is, due to having a great stash and FU money, I've applied for and been accepted into a pilot pipeline program. So no more cubicle dwelling for me : )

Bad news is, I will be putting off fire for a few more years. But i'm ok with it.

For a long time a big FIRE motivation for me has been to be able to not have to sit in front of a computer all day AND live in places that are lower in population. My current occupation makes it difficult to live in a smaller town. This program allows me to hit both of those goals in about the same time frame, by 2021 I will be earning pretty good money again, and able to move anywhere we want. At the moment we are highly considering Ketchikan Alaska, it checks a lot of boxes for me and my wife.

Sorry we wont be able to take the leap with you guys, but good luck to everyone, still rooting for everyone!

Congratulations on this awesome development!

[tipster350]

I'm at 88% of my desired stache. I go back and forth between 2021 and 2022.

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Finances:
December 2018 - 79.7%
January 2019 - 85.9%
February 2019 - 90.6%
March 2019 - 92.1%
April 2019 - 95.2%
May 2019 - 91.6%
June 2019 - 97.7%
July 2019 - 99.6%
August 2019 - 99.0% (27.7 x expenses)
September 2019 - 100.5% (28.1 x expenses)
October 2019 - 102.4% (28.7 x expenses)

Well the markets gave a pleasant surprise this past month.  It was kind of boring for me since I was in a “don’t check the markets in October” challenge, but refreshing to not do daily recalculation of my net worth. 

In checking Healthcare.gov for possible plans (one year out scouting research) it looks like I’d been overestimating health insurance by about 100% (or $2600) so my overall projected post-FIRE spending will actually be 6% less.  (Which means I’d really be at 30.1x spending - but I’m not going to recalculate all my past numbers; let’s just call this extra amount “fluff” or “extra factor of safety” (even though I’ve already got 20% discretionary spending in there...)).  I am giving more thought to leaving work earlier than April 2021.

Life:
It’s been a weird month.  We had a snowy past week, which really disrupts my mental flow (don’t usually get accumulating snow in October) and has put an early end to my bicycle commuting for the year.  The second half of the month has been very “blah” in general.

[effigy98]

2019 Update:

Another good year in the tech industry

- Age 42, target FIRE date 12/2021
- House still paid off, real estate at 1.1m worth. Down from 1.3m last year.
- 1.2m in investment accounts (up from 900k).
- 529 20k (unchanged)
- HSA 30k (up from 22k)
- Rental still around 70k owed (unchanged)
- Accidently got a 3rd side gig from word of mouth from the 2nd side gig that is even more profitable. My weekends are shot probably for the next year (more coding).
- Got a promo, at 86% savings rate now. My job has got a lot more tolerable since the promo because I feel more respected and valued. I find that I am not looking at my fire numbers as often and enjoying life a bit more not as desperate to leave the rat race as I once was.

Wall of shame purchase
Sold some stock in taxable and got a used electric SUV (-37k) for wife. The old SUV was 13 years old and having lots of issues with it, was getting the EYE from wife so knew it was time to replace.

[FIRE Artist]

I am sitting at 93% funded for target withdrawal rate, and 35x base expenses (including mortgage payments).  My target withdrawal is 33% above my base expenses. 

I am really, really tempted to 2MY it to pay off my mortgage, I was always planning to retire with a mortgage, ‘cause ya know, higher rates of return in the market and all that, but now, I am not so sure.  I feel like I should do more to recession proof myself before I pull the plug completely.  The problem though is that my current job is temporary, with a hard stop at end of Q1 2021, so I would have to apply for another job.  I should really start looking now, but I really like my current job, and it would be great to go out on a high note.  Decisions, decisions.  The closer I get to the end, the more difficult it is to pull the plug.  I am especially worried about a downturn during the beginning of my retirement, since this bull market is long since stale.  To top off the anxiety,  the province I live in is several years into a recession with no end in sight, and the government has put in place austerity measures.

This can’t be just me going through these thoughts so close to the end?

[Buffaloski Boris]

I am sitting at 93% funded for target withdrawal rate, and 35x base expenses (including mortgage payments).  My target withdrawal is 33% above my base expenses. 

I am really, really tempted to 2MY it to pay off my mortgage, I was always planning to retire with a mortgage, ‘cause ya know, higher rates of return in the market and all that, but now, I am not so sure.  I feel like I should do more to recession proof myself before I pull the plug completely.  The problem though is that my current job is temporary, with a hard stop at end of Q1 2021, so I would have to apply for another job.  I should really start looking now, but I really like my current job, and it would be great to go out on a high note.  Decisions, decisions.  The closer I get to the end, the more difficult it is to pull the plug.  I am especially worried about a downturn during the beginning of my retirement, since this bull market is long since stale.  To top off the anxiety,  the province I live in is several years into a recession with no end in sight, and the government has put in place austerity measures.

This can’t be just me going through these thoughts so close to the end?

Yup. Sequence of returns risk strikes fear into the best of us. The best resource I’ve seen that discusses sequence of return risk Is the series at early retirement now. I suggest giving that a read.

[Peter Parker]

Good news.  After taking a look at finances, I'm moving my retirement date up from 7/12/2021 to 6/1/2021.  I'm hoping upon further refinement I can move this up further, but for now this is my new dated :-)

[Ladychips]

I like your direction @Peter Parker !!

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Finances:
December 2018 - 79.7%
January 2019 - 85.9%
February 2019 - 90.6%
March 2019 - 92.1%
April 2019 - 95.2%
May 2019 - 91.6%
June 2019 - 97.7%
July 2019 - 99.6%
August 2019 - 99.0% (27.7 x expenses)
September 2019 - 100.5% (28.1 x expenses)
October 2019 - 102.4% (28.7 x expenses)
November 2019 - 105.0% (29.4 x expenses)

It has been a month based entirely on market gains.  I’d maxed-out my 401k contributions in October so this increase has been outside my direct control. 

I rebalanced before the last week of the month because I didn’t want to have to bother with it this weekend. 

My date has been moved from April 2021 to January 2021.  But I sometimes joke to my wife along the lines of “I had a bad day today; guess I should quit.”  Time will tell. 

Life:

The weather has been more normal than October’s snowfall - just a tad on the warm side, but way wetter than normal.  Many fields haven’t been harvested yet in this area.  Snow fence cannot be put up until the fields are cleared.  Oh, and we had another snowstorm yesterday/today. 

I’ve had a 5-day weekend.  I had just gotten used to free time and “sleeping in” and now it’s back to work.  Let’s put this tally mark in the “reasons I’m moving up my date a few months” column. 

DMing classic Dragonlance modules has been a blast.  It’s so interesting to see what the 1984 AD&D rules are like if you try to play “by the book”, even though we have determined nobody actually used all the rules.  Heck, even the modules are written to ignore parts of the rules. 

[Arbitrage]

My stash keeps on banging its head against the same ceiling.  Every time I approach that level, the markets pull back.  It's not even a particularly meaningful threshold, but I'm sick of it!  I was hoping today would be the day to finally get over the hump, but once again, it looks like it's going to dip (with my AA perhaps $1000-2000). 

Just something to keep my mind occupied during this boring stretch of saving.

Apparently I need to whine more often; almost immediately after this post everything went on a tear and I blew past that mark.  Of course, now that I'm posting a positive message, the markets will probably sink for a while.

I need to decide when to start ramping up my bond/fixed allocation.  I've mostly been planning on doing it once I give my notice and have a firm date; not sure if I'm going to stick to that or not.  Perhaps once I start house hunting in the new location.

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

My stash keeps on banging its head against the same ceiling.  Every time I approach that level, the markets pull back.  It's not even a particularly meaningful threshold, but I'm sick of it!  I was hoping today would be the day to finally get over the hump, but once again, it looks like it's going to dip (with my AA perhaps $1000-2000). 

Just something to keep my mind occupied during this boring stretch of saving.

Apparently I need to whine more often; almost immediately after this post everything went on a tear and I blew past that mark.  Of course, now that I'm posting a positive message, the markets will probably sink for a while.

I need to decide when to start ramping up my bond/fixed allocation.  I've mostly been planning on doing it once I give my notice and have a firm date; not sure if I'm going to stick to that or not.  Perhaps once I start house hunting in the new location.

If you’ve hit your target, why not start dialing it in now?  I’ve started increasing my bond holdings and will continue it for the next year until I hit the desired portfolio allocation.  (Look up “bond tent” for the theory behind it.)

[Arbitrage]

My stash keeps on banging its head against the same ceiling.  Every time I approach that level, the markets pull back.  It's not even a particularly meaningful threshold, but I'm sick of it!  I was hoping today would be the day to finally get over the hump, but once again, it looks like it's going to dip (with my AA perhaps $1000-2000). 

Just something to keep my mind occupied during this boring stretch of saving.

Apparently I need to whine more often; almost immediately after this post everything went on a tear and I blew past that mark.  Of course, now that I'm posting a positive message, the markets will probably sink for a while.

I need to decide when to start ramping up my bond/fixed allocation.  I've mostly been planning on doing it once I give my notice and have a firm date; not sure if I'm going to stick to that or not.  Perhaps once I start house hunting in the new location.

If you’ve hit your target, why not start dialing it in now?  I’ve started increasing my bond holdings and will continue it for the next year until I hit the desired portfolio allocation.  (Look up “bond tent” for the theory behind it.)

Sorry to confuse - I haven't hit my target; I still need quite a bit more.  I'm well aware of bond tents, but my target is aggressive enough that I'm not ready to start tenting, though I've always had a chunk of bonds.  I may consider increasing the bond allocation if I hit the point where I can make the goal strictly on expected contributions, with no more asset growth required.  If not then, I probably would once reaching our FI number.

[Buffaloski Boris]

Tic Toc Tic Toc. Less than 400 days till our cohort is on deck.

[tipster350]

Tic Toc Tic Toc. Less than 400 days till our cohort is on deck.

It's starting to get real! I calculated that if I go with my currently planned FIRE date of 4/30/21, I have 316 working days left. Soon, the number of working days will be under 300. Compared to the many thousands of working days already on the books, this is nothing!

[Arbitrage]

Yeah, been thinking about how next year will hopefully be my last full year of full-time work.  Still not close enough to feel real, though. 

[Chaplin]

Tic Toc Tic Toc. Less than 400 days till our cohort is on deck.

Love it! I put a countdown on my journal title because I'm thinking the same way. Once Jan. 1 rolls around we can say "next year." It's going to be a slog until then, but it's starting to feel close enough I'm feeling energized rather than beaten down about grinding it out.

[tipster350]

I am reveling in the thought that in mere days, we will be able to say "I'm retiring next year."
The anticipation is ultra high. I can't wait!

[tipster350]

WE ARE FIREING NEXT YEAR!

[Buffaloski Boris]

WE ARE FIREING NEXT YEAR!

WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Next year RETIRED!!!!

[Mmm_Donuts]

Sept 1 2019: 73.5% towards FIRE goal.

I'll put a date out there: April 1 2021.

2019 was a really good year financially. We started out at ~67% towards out FIRE # and ended the year at 80%. Still on track for 2021!

This stage is really exciting and nerve wracking. I am feeling really impatient but I know it'll be worth it to hang in for another year.

We may not have gains like we did in 2019 but I'm hoping for a modest increase to bring us closer to the finish line.

Gooooogogogogo team 2021 :)

[dblaace]

Normally I buy CDs in Jan. for my next years IRA contribution. I made my 2020 contribution and I realized I don't need to buy CDs this year to make a 2021 contribution!

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Merry Christmas (and whatever other holiday(s) you celebrate) and Happy New Year to you all and your families!  I hope all you 2021-ers are getting psyched up.  If past results are any indication our thread activity will start picking up now and we should stay on the first page.  :-)

2020 is looking to be my "One More Year".  As long as the market doesn't tank the financial aspect is all set and I just need to get myself (mentally and physically) ready to RE.  Time to re-review the "Pre-FIRE Checklist" thread in the Post-FIRE forum page and re-check my plan.  Maybe post a case study just to see if there are any glaring mistakes/assumptions. 

I will be experiencing all kinds of things that I hope to never again experience from a working-man perspective: one more year of three-day weekends for Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day; one more performance review.  Holy shit - one more (Maybe?  Depends how long I think I'll work in January.) open enrollment period at work!   

Finances:
December 2018 - 79.7%
January 2019 - 85.9%
February 2019 - 90.6%
March 2019 - 92.1%
April 2019 - 95.2%
May 2019 - 91.6%
June 2019 - 97.7%
July 2019 - 99.6%
August 2019 - 99.0%
September 2019 - 100.5% (28.1 x expenses)
October 2019 - 102.4% (28.7 x expenses)
November 2019 - 105.0% (29.4 x expenses)
December 2019 - 107.3% (30.0 x expenses)

Hooray!  Look at that - 27.6% increase over one year.  What a freaking awesome job Mr. Market has done in 2019 (of course, it set itself up nicely based on 2018's end...).  Here's hoping for above-average returns this next year. 

I rebalanced again today.  I had to add a bond fund to my IRA (previously I'd just converted all the VTSAX in my wife's IRA and Roth IRA to VBTLX to rebalance).  Couldn't even make it "balance" with our 2020 contributions.  Truly a Mustachian People Problem (MPP). 

Life:
I did some work travel earlier in the month to the west coast - one afternoon out, a morning of work, and an afternoon return.  Doesn't really seem worth it, but it's what the client wants. 

This has been the busiest December of work I can remember.  Usually the end-of-year is calm as clients are relaxing between Thanksgiving and New Year, but this year the clients were restless and eager to get stuff ready for the 2020 construction season. 

One last work-related item: this year I got the smallest bonus since I've been working at my current employer.  Even though, I felt, like I had done the best work these past 12 months that I've done in a calendar year - go figure.  One more tick mark in the "time to FIRE" column. 

My house was reassessed this past year and, therefore, my property tax bill increased about 10% from last year.  That was a "not positive" event in this past month.  But it's not really significant in the larger scheme of my life. 

The Christmas-celebration marathon was alright.  The extended family is doing fine.  My host daughter bought me a (stupid, unmustaschian) car "outfit" so I can decorate my car to look like a reindeer; I hope I put on a brave enough face when I opened it up (and thought of how many of our world's precious resources went into creating this donation-pile fodder).  I did get my usual-requested-present - an assortment of gourmet sodas; enough for a almost whole year of consumption (I drink about 2 per month). 

My wife, daughter, and I got colds from somebody (I think I had the worst of it - the cold led to me sleeping in a weird position which resulted in a sore neck and shoulder for 1.5 weeks; I can still feel the soreness a bit).  That's another "not positive" thing from last month, but it also reinforced how precious my (general) good health is so I also got some psychological benefit out of it. 

[frizzywhiskers]

New Year and time for an update!  Currently on track for Dec. 31, 2021 FIRE date. 

Two.....full.....years to go........

It seems so close but yet so very very far still.  A new wrinkle in the plan is my year end bonus.  Original plan was to work the full year of 2021 in order to get my full bonus to be received in February 2022. Now I’ve realized company policy is you need to be employed on Feb. 28 to receive the bonus for previous year.  Unless I can negotiate something here I may have to slide my date to spring 2022.  But for now I shall remain in this cohort as you never know what the New Year will hold!

We have much to do and plan in 2020 so I hope having that to focus on will help.  We are planning on selling our house in spring, renting a condo closer to work, and building our retirement home in the mountains with a start date sometime this year.  House sale pricing and new build costs will definitely add to the clarity on our FiRE date. Exciting things on the horizon! 😁

[TheContinentalOp]

Hi! I'm going for OMY and leaving the 2020 folks and joining you all.

My spending in 2019 amounted to a 2.0% WR from my stash, but I expect my spending to go up in retirement with more travel.

Even though I pushed back my FIRE date from 2 to 14 months, I am still experiencing anxiety over the idea of not having a paycheck. I hope to overcome that in the next year.

[Arbitrage]

Able to do the year-end spending review in YNAB.  Overall "retirement-style" spending (where I strip out the categories that will disappear in retirement - mortgage and child care mainly) was down about $3-4k to $48k.  Not quite as good as I had hoped, but when I dug into the numbers I was more encouraged - we spent the most ever (since I started budgeting in 2013) on vacations, gifts, and frivolous stuff, and still managed to trim our overall budget.  That tells me that our core spending is getting more efficient, but without sacrificing some of the experiences I'd like my children (and my wife) to have.  It also tells me that if we had to cut back in RE due to market performance or other reasons, we have some room to trim.  Moving from a HCOLA to a MCOLA should help some as well, but I'm not counting on it helping out a ton besides on the house price and taxes.

Most of the extra 'vacation/entertainment/frivolous' spending was on items that I have been incorporating more into my/our lives and want to be big parts of our RE lives: a car-top carrier for camping/ski trips, ski passes and gear, an inflatable kayak and kayaking gear, bike gear.  Also took a few nice vacations.

[tipster350]

I am ready to set my FIRE date. It is subject to change based on possible bonus cycle changes at my employer and how much more I can take in the corporate trenches. But if I can hold on at my job, and the bonus cycle doesn't change, I'll be out on

4/30/2021.

[moneypitfeeder]

I'm new to this thread, but my date is 1/15/2021 :) We've gone a slightly different route than most here, so while we won't be tapping into 401ks, annuities, or other investments for many years, we are working to reduce all our spending to be well below my husband's pension, and not require us to be a 2-income household. We are on track to pay off our house, cabin, and newish car in 6 months, and have no other debt or loans. My entire paycheck, plus a significant amount of hubs pension are going to paying everything off aggressively. We are looking to spending a lot more time at our cabin in the woods next year!

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Well, after being out of the workforce for 22 months my wife got dragged back in after she was contacted by a former co-worker (now with a different company than when they worked together) and pretty much offered a part-time job (16 hours/week) out of the blue.  I guess work really is easier if you don’t need to do it for the money, and if it’s only two days a week.   

At dinner yesterday I was joking with her how, if she keeps doing this job after I FIRE, she’ll be the “breadwinner” in our house but I’ll still be the “breadstick winner” - because I grabbed the last breadstick.  Tasty victory!

[Buffaloski Boris]

I am ready to set my FIRE date. It is subject to change based on possible bonus cycle changes at my employer and how much more I can take in the corporate trenches. But if I can hold on at my job, and the bonus cycle doesn't change, I'll be out on

4/30/2021.

Congrats! That’s only 15 months.

[Buffaloski Boris]

News for me is significant changes at work. The boss whom I really like is leaving. We’ll know soon who the replacement is.  I might have to solidify or perhaps even move up retirement plans.

We’ll see how it goes.

[the_fixer]

New year has brought some uncertainty to my plans.

Towards the end of 2019 I was thinking about going OMY because my fire date is in October of 21 and I am not a fan of winter and my wife is set for Aug of 22.

Figured we will still be FI mid 2021 but if I worked into spring of 22 I could fill up my HSA, 401k, both Roth’s and as soon as 22 starts I get an additional year credit to my retirement.

However last week my work announced that they are closing 3 locations and my team will be impacted by the end of 2020 so they are going to offer early retirement and some packages.

Depending on the offer I might put up my hand and take a package so my Fire date could be anywhere between a month from now to spring of 2022

The best laid plans and all of that LOL

I will say that while all of the rest of the rats were scurrying around worrying my first thought was hmmmm maybe I can get a sweet package and FIRE early... MMM problems

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

New year has brought some uncertainty to my plans.

Towards the end of 2019 I was thinking about going OMY because my fire date is in October of 21 and I am not a fan of winter and my wife is set for Aug of 22.

Figured we will still be FI mid 2021 but if I worked into spring of 22 I could fill up my HSA, 401k, both Roth’s and as soon as 22 starts I get an additional year credit to my retirement.

However last week my work announced that they are closing 3 locations and my team will be impacted by the end of 2020 so they are going to offer early retirement and some packages.

Depending on the offer I might put up my hand and take a package so my Fire date could be anywhere between a month from now to spring of 2022

The best laid plans and all of that LOL

I will say that while all of the rest of the rats were scurrying around worrying my first thought was hmmmm maybe I can get a sweet package and FIRE early... MMM problems

That’s potentially awesome news for you!

[Buffaloski Boris]

New year has brought some uncertainty to my plans.

Towards the end of 2019 I was thinking about going OMY because my fire date is in October of 21 and I am not a fan of winter and my wife is set for Aug of 22.

Figured we will still be FI mid 2021 but if I worked into spring of 22 I could fill up my HSA, 401k, both Roth’s and as soon as 22 starts I get an additional year credit to my retirement.

However last week my work announced that they are closing 3 locations and my team will be impacted by the end of 2020 so they are going to offer early retirement and some packages.

Depending on the offer I might put up my hand and take a package so my Fire date could be anywhere between a month from now to spring of 2022

The best laid plans and all of that LOL

I will say that while all of the rest of the rats were scurrying around worrying my first thought was hmmmm maybe I can get a sweet package and FIRE early... MMM problems

This has got to be about the only place where people get congratulated on a potential layoff.

That’s awesome news.  Congrats.

[lightmyfire]

Hello! I've been knocking around 2021 as a date for awhile, but it seemed mostly like a daydream. Technically bare-bones FI, but too close to the edge. I ended up reaching FI sooner than expected in 2019, and am looking at a FIRE date of June-Sep 2021. Depends on whether I want to roll out Plan A (living nomadically in a trailer) or Plan B (renting a home base, probably in Tucson) and doing the trailer thing part time. I'm just excited to finally make it "official" somewhere and be part of a cohort!

[Buffaloski Boris]

Hello! I've been knocking around 2021 as a date for awhile, but it seemed mostly like a daydream. Technically bare-bones FI, but too close to the edge. I ended up reaching FI sooner than expected in 2019, and am looking at a FIRE date of June-Sep 2021. Depends on whether I want to roll out Plan A (living nomadically in a trailer) or Plan B (renting a home base, probably in Tucson) and doing the trailer thing part time. I'm just excited to finally make it "official" somewhere and be part of a cohort!

Welcome to the 2021 cohort! We’re the quiet cohort. But, with all due modesty, the best cohort.

[ScreamingHeadGuy]

Hello! I've been knocking around 2021 as a date for awhile, but it seemed mostly like a daydream. Technically bare-bones FI, but too close to the edge. I ended up reaching FI sooner than expected in 2019, and am looking at a FIRE date of June-Sep 2021. Depends on whether I want to roll out Plan A (living nomadically in a trailer) or Plan B (renting a home base, probably in Tucson) and doing the trailer thing part time. I'm just excited to finally make it "official" somewhere and be part of a cohort!

Welcome to the 2021 cohort! We’re the quiet cohort. But, with all due modesty, the best cohort.

The first rule of 2021 is “Do not talk about 2021.” 

Wait - did I just break the rule? 

Either way, welcome aboard.  You have been added to a list.

[icebox92]

I've held off putting a date out there in you know, the public sphere...  What if I change my mind, everyone will crucify me!  Obviously not a real concern.  Right now we've hit FI, but DH can't get his head around the idea of actually walking away, and he has one more promotion he wants to achieve which will most likely come this year.  Me?  Well I'm currently pregnant with our 2nd child and have way too much loyalty to the company we work for (both DH and I work for the same company).  I'm thinking I will use the birth of my child as an excuse to actually leave.  Go on maternity leave, have baby, come back for a few months to collect 401K, and bonus distributions, and then leave on good terms... (I really just need to stay home with my children right now).  I don't think DH will join me, but maybe?  If not, he better not be more than a year after me ;)  So all that to say, put me down for 4/30/21!

Whew...  I'm both nervous, scared, and super excited to finally say that "outloud"!

[Buffaloski Boris]

I've held off putting a date out there in you know, the public sphere...  What if I change my mind, everyone will crucify me!  Obviously not a real concern.  Right now we've hit FI, but DH can't get his head around the idea of actually walking away, and he has one more promotion he wants to achieve which will most likely come this year.  Me?  Well I'm currently pregnant with our 2nd child and have way too much loyalty to the company we work for (both DH and I work for the same company).  I'm thinking I will use the birth of my child as an excuse to actually leave.  Go on maternity leave, have baby, come back for a few months to collect 401K, and bonus distributions, and then leave on good terms... (I really just need to stay home with my children right now).  I don't think DH will join me, but maybe?  If not, he better not be more than a year after me ;)  So all that to say, put me down for 4/30/21!

Whew...  I'm both nervous, scared, and super excited to finally say that "outloud"!

4/30/21 it is!  And if you don't make the date, so what?  The Retirement Police flee in terror from the 2021 cohort.  Because of The Rules.

The Rules:
1.  The first rule of 2021 cohort is, we don't talk about 2021 cohort. 
2. The second rule of 2021 cohort is WE DON'T TALK ABOUT 2021 COHORT!
3.  The third rule of 2021 cohort is that Retirement Police are subjected to scorn, ridicule, derision, jokes, rains of newts, bullying, wedgies, and revenge haiku.  If all else fails, they are cursed with (gasp!) a plague of cute Shiba Inu puppies. Yes we might be the best cohort, but we are exceptionally cruel. It's all part of The Rules ya know.
4. And the fourth rule is that if you're a member of the 2021 retirement cohort, you have to retire. Eventually. On your terms and timeline. When you feel like it. Maybe.

Welcome aboard!  Congrats on the baby.  Just think, you'll be able to tell your baby all sorts of almost true and only slightly exaggerated tales of the adventures of the 2021 cohort. 

[icebox92]

I've held off putting a date out there in you know, the public sphere...  What if I change my mind, everyone will crucify me!  Obviously not a real concern.  Right now we've hit FI, but DH can't get his head around the idea of actually walking away, and he has one more promotion he wants to achieve which will most likely come this year.  Me?  Well I'm currently pregnant with our 2nd child and have way too much loyalty to the company we work for (both DH and I work for the same company).  I'm thinking I will use the birth of my child as an excuse to actually leave.  Go on maternity leave, have baby, come back for a few months to collect 401K, and bonus distributions, and then leave on good terms... (I really just need to stay home with my children right now).  I don't think DH will join me, but maybe?  If not, he better not be more than a year after me ;)  So all that to say, put me down for 4/30/21!

Whew...  I'm both nervous, scared, and super excited to finally say that "outloud"!

4/30/21 it is!  And if you don't make the date, so what?  The Retirement Police flee in terror from the 2021 cohort.  Because of The Rules.

The Rules:
1.  The first rule of 2021 cohort is, we don't talk about 2021 cohort. 
2. The second rule of 2021 cohort is WE DON'T TALK ABOUT 2021 COHORT!
3.  The third rule of 2021 cohort is that Retirement Police are subjected to scorn, ridicule, derision, jokes, rains of newts, bullying, wedgies, and revenge haiku.  If all else fails, they are cursed with (gasp!) a plague of cute Shiba Inu puppies. Yes we might be the best cohort, but we are exceptionally cruel. It's all part of The Rules ya know.
4. And the fourth rule is that if you're a member of the 2021 retirement cohort, you have to retire. Eventually. On your terms and timeline. When you feel like it. Maybe.

Welcome aboard!  Congrats on the baby.  Just think, you'll be able to tell your baby all sorts of almost true and only slightly exaggerated tales of the adventures of the 2021 cohort.

HAHAHA!  Thanks Buffalo Chip, I appreciate the humor and support.  Feeling better already, and who knew I was unintentionally picking the best FIRE Cohort out there?!  I guess I should also add my age (I'm reading through all the previous posts of the cohort so I somewhat know who the hell we are).  I'll be 36 at the time of FIRE.