Honestly I would try to take as much accrued leave as I could to spend the fewest days actually at work.
Honestly I would try to take as much accrued leave as I could to spend the fewest days actually at work.
I deleted my RE date from my calendar, tore down my monthly countdown list, replaced my “retire on” date in my spreadsheet with one ten years in the future.
Dwelling in counting days was making me unhappy, so I stopped. I have about the same number to go as you do, if I decide to stop, but they’re not going to pass more quickly by counting them.
Focus on something else, that’s my advice.
I take all of mine every year because they are use it or lose it. If i could get paid for that time, I would take less PTO.Honestly I would try to take as much accrued leave as I could to spend the fewest days actually at work.
I get 11 paid holidays and 30 days PTO per year now. I take every single one of them every year. Every time I hear a friend/coworker talking about how they lost days or just "got them paid out" instead I cringe... give me my freedom and let me enjoy life now! Not just when I finally finish working for good...
I deleted my RE date from my calendar, tore down my monthly countdown list, replaced my “retire on” date in my spreadsheet with one ten years in the future.
Dwelling in counting days was making me unhappy, so I stopped. I have about the same number to go as you do, if I decide to stop, but they’re not going to pass more quickly by counting them.
Focus on something else, that’s my advice.
I wish I had done this. Instead, I obsessively watched my countdown ticker.
And the worst for me was the last month. It seemed to take forever and my job was stressing me out so badly.
For kicks, I just calculated out how long it has been since I FIREd: 1118 days.
I deleted my RE date from my calendar, tore down my monthly countdown list, replaced my “retire on” date in my spreadsheet with one ten years in the future.
Dwelling in counting days was making me unhappy, so I stopped. I have about the same number to go as you do, if I decide to stop, but they’re not going to pass more quickly by counting them.
Focus on something else, that’s my advice.
I wish I had done this. Instead, I obsessively watched my countdown ticker.
And the worst for me was the last month. It seemed to take forever and my job was stressing me out so badly.
For kicks, I just calculated out how long it has been since I FIREd: 1118 days.
Conversely how long has the 1118 days seemed like?
That’s my personal target. < 800 working days. On one hand seems so short. On the other so long. I could FIRE now but would prefer the added pad and paying off a couple more rentals.
Honestly I would try to take as much accrued leave as I could to spend the fewest days actually at work.
That’s a great point. I have over 100 sick days that are basically use it or lose it
You have to poop every day, but will only be able to make your employer pay for the toilet paper and flushing water for a limited period . . . so enjoy these halcyon days.
I have 622 days to my plan to retire. I am already FIRE but also motivated to financial pad. However, I am struggling with anxious feeling that I am in a 'waiting to move on with my life' mode and every few days think about the things I can be doing or planning to do now if I was not working anymore and about the limited number of years I would have to do them. I am planning on relocation for one. Also, I sort of have mixed feelings about my career and am trying to ignore work thoughts, feelings or regrets that come up, like should I apply for a promotion if one comes up, do I need to go out on a 'pinnacle of my career' by getting another higher position, or why did I not try to get that promotion a while back? I am curious if those of you have similar feelings, thoughts or regrets.
I have 622 days to my plan to retire. I am already FIRE but also motivated to financial pad. However, I am struggling with anxious feeling that I am in a 'waiting to move on with my life' mode and every few days think about the things I can be doing or planning to do now if I was not working anymore and about the limited number of years I would have to do them. I am planning on relocation for one. Also, I sort of have mixed feelings about my career and am trying to ignore work thoughts, feelings or regrets that come up, like should I apply for a promotion if one comes up, do I need to go out on a 'pinnacle of my career' by getting another higher position, or why did I not try to get that promotion a while back? I am curious if those of you have similar feelings, thoughts or regrets.
You are not FIRE, but FI.
As you are already FI, why don't you switch to working parttime? Then you will have some longer weekends to think about your RE plans and start doing the things you want to he doing.
Honestly I would try to take as much accrued leave as I could to spend the fewest days actually at work.
That’s a great point. I have over 100 sick days that are basically use it or lose it
I deleted my RE date from my calendar, tore down my monthly countdown list, replaced my “retire on” date in my spreadsheet with one ten years in the future.
Dwelling in counting days was making me unhappy, so I stopped. I have about the same number to go as you do, if I decide to stop, but they’re not going to pass more quickly by counting them.
Focus on something else, that’s my advice.
To get through work I have stopped going to meetings, last year I only went to four. I just accept meeting requests, don't go and generally nothing happens, if I get asked I apologise and make up some excuse - that single thing has reduced so much stress at work for me. The four I went to I really needed to put in an appearance.
I heard Ray Dalio is lresicting a 40% market drop. That may throw a kink in things.
I heard Ray Dalio is lresicting a 40% market drop. That may throw a kink in things.
I feel like it has gotten more and more difficult for us to "hold the line" the closer we get to our exit dates. When we were 3-4 years away, we were just focused on making steady progress and still found excitement in small achievements, like changing cell phone carriers and saving $X per month, or biking more and seeing a reduction in gas spending. With a longer timeline, those little spending adjustments still had a noticeable impact on our numbers.
The closer we get to RE however, the less motivated we are to make small changes, because it feels like the work it takes to investigate, decide, and transition any normal recurring expenditure is hardly worth the minor incremental change it would make to our finances over such a short timeline. We know we will have far more energy and time to min/max life when we are no longer working, so this 0.0-1.5 year timeline has felt like a dead zone when it comes to motivation.
Also, we realized last night that if my SO continues to work until October 2019 as we had planned, his total income for the next 7 months is less than the monthly market increases/decreases in five of the past twelve months. The market could literally provide us with 7 months of his income or sweep it away in just one monthly move, and it just makes that additional 7 months of work feel like kind of a moot point (even though we need it financially).
So I'm definitely not answering the OP effectively, because we too are struggling with motivation. I am a GoT nerd so the best way to describe how this "home stretch" feels is to draw a comparison to Hodor vs. doorway of zombies... ugh that sounds bleak LOL.
I just refuse to hope for time to pass so I have no countdowns. I know that my student debt will be gone in roughly 3 years, which will be a fun game changer, but I plan to live A LOT of life in those 3 years, so I'm in no rush to see that time disappear.
I just refuse to hope for time to pass so I have no countdowns. I know that my student debt will be gone in roughly 3 years, which will be a fun game changer, but I plan to live A LOT of life in those 3 years, so I'm in no rush to see that time disappear.
I like the idea of not wanting time to disappear...it just means you are getting closer to the end of life! That said, I do have several different countdown clocks tied to specific dates at which, e,g, retirement benefits vest or become available to me. They range from 2 to almost 8 years away. When things feel more difficult, I look at the near term goal, and I say “That isn’t really that far away.” When it lightens up, I notice how much closer the 8 year goal is. Falling below 100 months in the distant goal was helpful psychologically, because I find that a month goes by amazingly quickly.
@Malkynn How did you get to the point of consciously changing your perception?
I am very much struggling with wishing for things in the future and not able to enjoy day to day life as much but can't seem to change.
@Malkynn
I am very grateful for your "long essay" of a reply. Through your explanation I was able to look at my situation from a different perspective and can now see better where the problems lie.
I am generally a happy, cheerful person. In my immediate family we have had lots of awful things happening in the last 7 years. Starting with the death of our oldest daughter, followed by severe depression in our second oldest, Scotland road in our second youngest and latest development depression in our youngest ( it has just been to much for her). And those are just the really big issues. Our middle child had a crisis as a teenagerd but seems to be doing really great now.
Anyway, your insights really helped me see that I am a generally happy person feeling trapped in this very unhappy situation ( and trust me, other than the middle child no one is interested in my the glass is half full and let's try to concentrate on the here and now and where do we want to go from here approach) My Husband and I are making lots of plans for the future as that seems to make this bearable. But the better approach must be to find and create good times for us now. Emotionally it feels like a weight pulling us down, all the hopelessness and death wishes from the kids and it's very hard to be stoic about it. Because he's it's not me and I cannot change it but I am emotionally so attached.
I hope I didn't scare anyone with this, just wanting to say thank you malkynn for taking all that time out of your day to send me this well thought out response. I feel very touched that you would do this for me and read this to my husband and we had a nice discussion.
That’s my personal target. < 800 working days. On one hand seems so short. On the other so long. I could FIRE now but would prefer the added pad and paying off a couple more rentals.
I have small targets
Each Friday I celebrate another week of success at work or in the household (if it was a good week)
Every weekend I remind myself of the things I am grateful for
Each 2-4 weeks I review my mortgage and mentally tick off making the target that I need to
Every few months I do a mini-big-celebration if my partner and I have met our FIRE goals for that time span
I have a rule that each time I make my monthly target at work (i.e., the figure that my FIRE goals are dependent on), I give myself 10% of the excess and put that into a happy fund.
Each time I pay off a house we have a big celebration too.
You need to celebrate tiny, small, medium, big and gigantic milestones...make FIRE an enjoyable journey! Try to make it a rewarding game rather than a long marathon. And make sure you are vocal about your successes too, because a joy shared is a joy doubled. And be grateful for the little successes.
I have small targets
Each Friday I celebrate another week of success at work or in the household (if it was a good week)
Every weekend I remind myself of the things I am grateful for
Each 2-4 weeks I review my mortgage and mentally tick off making the target that I need to
Every few months I do a mini-big-celebration if my partner and I have met our FIRE goals for that time span
I have a rule that each time I make my monthly target at work (i.e., the figure that my FIRE goals are dependent on), I give myself 10% of the excess and put that into a happy fund.
Each time I pay off a house we have a big celebration too.
You need to celebrate tiny, small, medium, big and gigantic milestones...make FIRE an enjoyable journey! Try to make it a rewarding game rather than a long marathon. And make sure you are vocal about your successes too, because a joy shared is a joy doubled. And be grateful for the little successes.
Hear, hear!
Gratitude is indispensable.
Gratitude is the font of happiness.
I would give myself permission to emotionally de-invest in work and make other goals, outside of finance and caree. Set fitness goals, hobby goals, vacation goals, home improvement goals, organizational goals, learn a new language goals. Invest in your friends and family outside of work. Whatever it may be, make a conscious effort to begin living your FIRE life outside of 9-5 M-F. Find things that round out your life and that will enhance your eventual FIRE. Work is now just a thing you do during set times of the day and week.
I have small targets
Each Friday I celebrate another week of success at work or in the household (if it was a good week)
Every weekend I remind myself of the things I am grateful for
Each 2-4 weeks I review my mortgage and mentally tick off making the target that I need to
Every few months I do a mini-big-celebration if my partner and I have met our FIRE goals for that time span
I have a rule that each time I make my monthly target at work (i.e., the figure that my FIRE goals are dependent on), I give myself 10% of the excess and put that into a happy fund.
Each time I pay off a house we have a big celebration too.
You need to celebrate tiny, small, medium, big and gigantic milestones...make FIRE an enjoyable journey! Try to make it a rewarding game rather than a long marathon. And make sure you are vocal about your successes too, because a joy shared is a joy doubled. And be grateful for the little successes.
Hear, hear!
Gratitude is indispensable.
Gratitude is the font of happiness.
I think you mean fount. The font of happiness is Wingdings.
I have small targets
Each Friday I celebrate another week of success at work or in the household (if it was a good week)
Every weekend I remind myself of the things I am grateful for
Each 2-4 weeks I review my mortgage and mentally tick off making the target that I need to
Every few months I do a mini-big-celebration if my partner and I have met our FIRE goals for that time span
I have a rule that each time I make my monthly target at work (i.e., the figure that my FIRE goals are dependent on), I give myself 10% of the excess and put that into a happy fund.
Each time I pay off a house we have a big celebration too.
You need to celebrate tiny, small, medium, big and gigantic milestones...make FIRE an enjoyable journey! Try to make it a rewarding game rather than a long marathon. And make sure you are vocal about your successes too, because a joy shared is a joy doubled. And be grateful for the little successes.
Hear, hear!
Gratitude is indispensable.
Gratitude is the font of happiness.
I think you mean fount. The font of happiness is Wingdings.
"Any source of abundance" is among the definitions for "font" in my American Heritage Dictionary.
"Fount" may be the more common usage.
"Fount" versus "font" was discussed at StackExchange.
One poster responded as follows:From The American Heritage Dictionary comes the following:
font n.
1. A basin for holding baptismal water in a church.
2. A receptacle for holy water; a stoup.
3. The oil reservoir in an oil-burning lamp.
4. An abundant source; a fount: She was a font of wisdom and good sense.
It seems, then, we have a case of potato-potahto. Either word—font or fount—is perfectly appropriate. I happen to prefer "font".
Happiness is the same. You can remove barriers to make it a lot easier to be happy, but you still have to put in the daily work and make it a daily priority.
So again, if happiness *today* isn't your priority, then how on earth do you expect to be happy in the future? And when exactly will it be appropriate to start working on it?
Your life will never be perfect, you will always have stressed and obligations and retirement won't fix that for you. A certain net worth won't fix that for you.
So you feel like you want to focus on happiness today but you "can't". Well, of course you can't, your priorities and plans probably don't align at all with generating present happiness.
Look carefully at your life choices and your priorities. I bet most of them are future-focused and by design they put your current happiness on the back burner. And don't forget, that that's a choice that you made for yourself.
If you want it to be different, you have ALL of the power to decide to have different priorities. But understand what that means. Understand that that means completely rearranging your entire life around a new priority, not just really wishing things were different and continuing on in the exact same pattern you always have.
I used to look to the future like a hungry person longing for a meal. Now I look to the future like someone who is nice and full after a good lunch but who knows that they're going out to a really nice restaurant for dinner.
I'm looking very forward to it, but I'm in no rush because I'm already full and I don't need it right now to feel good, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know how much I'll enjoy it down the road.
Happiness is the same. You can remove barriers to make it a lot easier to be happy, but you still have to put in the daily work and make it a daily priority.
So again, if happiness *today* isn't your priority, then how on earth do you expect to be happy in the future? And when exactly will it be appropriate to start working on it?
Your life will never be perfect, you will always have stressed and obligations and retirement won't fix that for you. A certain net worth won't fix that for you.
So you feel like you want to focus on happiness today but you "can't". Well, of course you can't, your priorities and plans probably don't align at all with generating present happiness.
Look carefully at your life choices and your priorities. I bet most of them are future-focused and by design they put your current happiness on the back burner. And don't forget, that that's a choice that you made for yourself.
If you want it to be different, you have ALL of the power to decide to have different priorities. But understand what that means. Understand that that means completely rearranging your entire life around a new priority, not just really wishing things were different and continuing on in the exact same pattern you always have.
@Malkynn, I read your posts here yesterday and came back to re-read them today. You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you.
I struggle with current happiness... I hate where I work, where I live, and my non-existant social life, but my husband and I both have great-paying jobs.
Once we can FIRE, we can move back to be closer to family and friends, and then I can be happy. *Eye Roll*
Like you said, I have been prioritizing future happiness over present happiness and am finding it hard to stop. I'm not even sure what would make me happy right now, so I don't even know what to set as different priorities! Everything I think of that would make me happy is away from this place, but with only 2-3 years to go, I don't want to jeopardize that. I'm scared to make any changes that could jeopardize that, because right now I see that as my only key to happiness. It's possible! Ha!
But I also do realize I am making excuses for not being happy today...QuoteI used to look to the future like a hungry person longing for a meal. Now I look to the future like someone who is nice and full after a good lunch but who knows that they're going out to a really nice restaurant for dinner.
I'm looking very forward to it, but I'm in no rush because I'm already full and I don't need it right now to feel good, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know how much I'll enjoy it down the road.
I love this! I want to be this! I guess I have a lot of soul searching to do... Thanks to your words and the picture they paint, maybe I'll start doing it. Now just to figure out where to start...
Happiness is the same. You can remove barriers to make it a lot easier to be happy, but you still have to put in the daily work and make it a daily priority.
So again, if happiness *today* isn't your priority, then how on earth do you expect to be happy in the future? And when exactly will it be appropriate to start working on it?
Your life will never be perfect, you will always have stressed and obligations and retirement won't fix that for you. A certain net worth won't fix that for you.
So you feel like you want to focus on happiness today but you "can't". Well, of course you can't, your priorities and plans probably don't align at all with generating present happiness.
Look carefully at your life choices and your priorities. I bet most of them are future-focused and by design they put your current happiness on the back burner. And don't forget, that that's a choice that you made for yourself.
If you want it to be different, you have ALL of the power to decide to have different priorities. But understand what that means. Understand that that means completely rearranging your entire life around a new priority, not just really wishing things were different and continuing on in the exact same pattern you always have.
@Malkynn, I read your posts here yesterday and came back to re-read them today. You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you.
I struggle with current happiness... I hate where I work, where I live, and my non-existant social life, but my husband and I both have great-paying jobs.
Once we can FIRE, we can move back to be closer to family and friends, and then I can be happy. *Eye Roll*
Like you said, I have been prioritizing future happiness over present happiness and am finding it hard to stop. I'm not even sure what would make me happy right now, so I don't even know what to set as different priorities! Everything I think of that would make me happy is away from this place, but with only 2-3 years to go, I don't want to jeopardize that. I'm scared to make any changes that could jeopardize that, because right now I see that as my only key to happiness. It's possible! Ha!
But I also do realize I am making excuses for not being happy today...QuoteI used to look to the future like a hungry person longing for a meal. Now I look to the future like someone who is nice and full after a good lunch but who knows that they're going out to a really nice restaurant for dinner.
I'm looking very forward to it, but I'm in no rush because I'm already full and I don't need it right now to feel good, but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know how much I'll enjoy it down the road.
I love this! I want to be this! I guess I have a lot of soul searching to do... Thanks to your words and the picture they paint, maybe I'll start doing it. Now just to figure out where to start...
< 730 working days left (not counting any vacation days)
2-3 years is a very very LONG time to give up.
I know it doesn't sound like it, and people here tend to talk about it as if that amount of time is basically disposable, but it isn't.
.....
You should be far more afraid of losing entire YEARS of your life to exhausting work that you don't want to do than of an unknown future where every possibility is open to you.
Please, please, please think about moving.
You can deal with those individual challenges one at a time- all together is really tough.
I hated where we lived before now. We went from two professional salaries down to one to make the move to where we are now which I LOVE. It's so much better- even with less $$ & more years of work ahead for me. And, our social life is great because we've found our people. Search that soul, the now is worth it!
Good luck.
2-3 years is a very very LONG time to give up.
I know it doesn't sound like it, and people here tend to talk about it as if that amount of time is basically disposable, but it isn't.
.....
You should be far more afraid of losing entire YEARS of your life to exhausting work that you don't want to do than of an unknown future where every possibility is open to you.Please, please, please think about moving.
You can deal with those individual challenges one at a time- all together is really tough.
I hated where we lived before now. We went from two professional salaries down to one to make the move to where we are now which I LOVE. It's so much better- even with less $$ & more years of work ahead for me. And, our social life is great because we've found our people. Search that soul, the now is worth it!
Good luck.
Thank you both for your replies and concern! That and just knowing I'm not alone makes me happier!
Sometimes it seems like a long time, but, like some others on this thread, when I look back at what I was doing 2-3 years ago, it seems quicker...
It's... complicated... If it were all up to me, I'd be gone already. But my husand is the breadwinner, has a highly specialized job that he likes, and he loves living here. :o/
I love him dearly, and we are in agreement on most aspects of our lives! It definitely makes me torn on what to do. I know it's my problem; an internal battle I'm having for sure. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to live in Hawaii?? And if I were to make him move, and then still struggle to find happiness, what then?
I think I would like to at least make some progress toward finding present happiness, before making a big change in where we live. I'm just not even sure how to start.
Each Friday I celebrate another week of success at work or in the household (if it was a good week)
Every weekend I remind myself of the things I am grateful for
I have a rule that each time I make my monthly target at work (i.e., the figure that my FIRE goals are dependent on), I give myself 10% of the excess and put that into a happy fund.
I just refuse to hope for time to pass so I have no countdowns. I know that my student debt will be gone in roughly 3 years,
I just refuse to hope for time to pass so I have no countdowns. I know that my student debt will be gone in roughly 3 years,
Huh? What? Bernies going to win?
OK kidding, I realize your going to pay them off.
I'm a bit uneasy, as I'm paying for my daughters tuition for dental college instead of her getting loans. If I spend all that money and then student loans are forgiven, even if it's only $50k, I'll be one unhappy papa.
If take out a loan, you should not expect someone else to pay it back.
Glad to hear you see and end to the loan!
I could technically pull the plug now - although have a long notice period to work. It's not quite where I want it to be, though - so I figure another 3 years or so would be good.
I find it very difficult not to consult the Post-FIRE board on a regular basis, or to check the stash total a little too obsessively.
I need help.
First world problem, for sure.
For me, it's not about being closer to death, necessarily, it's about really enjoying life NOW and not wanting to waste this time that I have.
I could technically pull the plug now - although have a long notice period to work. It's not quite where I want it to be, though - so I figure another 3 years or so would be good.
I find it very difficult not to consult the Post-FIRE board on a regular basis, or to check the stash total a little too obsessively.
I need help.
First world problem, for sure.
What about just putting in One more year and then cutting down to working 50%? If working PT is not granted, then just quit.
A lot of the democratic presidential candidates are talking about removing the burden of having college educated workers paying off their student loans. i.e. making the 51% of the US population that actually pays taxes pay for their debt, many of those without a college education or having already paid them off. You take the loan, it's your responsibility, not mine.I just refuse to hope for time to pass so I have no countdowns. I know that my student debt will be gone in roughly 3 years,
Huh? What? Bernies going to win?
OK kidding, I realize your going to pay them off.
I'm a bit uneasy, as I'm paying for my daughters tuition for dental college instead of her getting loans. If I spend all that money and then student loans are forgiven, even if it's only $50k, I'll be one unhappy papa.
If take out a loan, you should not expect someone else to pay it back.
Glad to hear you see and end to the loan!
Well...I'm in Canada, so I don't really even know what you are talking about.
If this is a genuine concern, could you not just let her take out the loans, see what happens in a few years, and then pay them off if nothing radical happens with this whole forgiveness thing you are concerned about?I have seriously considered it, but it comes down to the same philosophy I have about taking an Obamacare subsidy on my healthcare premium. Why should a millionaire get subsidies from other hardworking tax payers.
A lot of the democratic presidential candidates are talking about removing the burden of having college educated workers paying off their student loans. i.e. making the 51% of the US population that actually pays taxes pay for their debt, many of those without a college education or having already paid them off. You take the loan, it's your responsibility, not mine.
A lot of the democratic presidential candidates are talking about removing the burden of having college educated workers paying off their student loans. i.e. making the 51% of the US population that actually pays taxes pay for their debt, many of those without a college education or having already paid them off. You take the loan, it's your responsibility, not mine.
I mostly agree with you, but you are ignoring the fact is that for the entire 20th century student loan debt was dischargeable in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy which was written into the constitution because the founding fathers remembered the debt prisons of the old world.
The radically leftist policy of just forgiving all the debt is the political pendulum swinging back after the radically right policy that started in the George W Bush administration of not even letting it be dischargeable in bankruptcy.
I might not totally agree with the far left politicians, but I certainly see how this happened, and I'd rather have a blanket amnesty than the current state of affairs. Of course what I really want is to just repeal the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention And Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005 and go back to how it was when I started college.
And that was when they were private transactions and not a government loan.
Somewhere along the line the government took over student loans. Stupid!
A lot of the democratic presidential candidates are talking about removing the burden of having college educated workers paying off their student loans. i.e. making the 51% of the US population that actually pays taxes pay for their debt, many of those without a college education or having already paid them off. You take the loan, it's your responsibility, not mine.
I mostly agree with you, but you are ignoring the fact is that for the entire 20th century student loan debt was dischargeable in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy which was written into the constitution because the founding fathers remembered the debt prisons of the old world.
The radically leftist policy of just forgiving all the debt is the political pendulum swinging back after the radically right policy that started in the George W Bush administration of not even letting it be dischargeable in bankruptcy.
I might not totally agree with the far left politicians, but I certainly see how this happened, and I'd rather have a blanket amnesty than the current state of affairs. Of course what I really want is to just repeal the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention And Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005 and go back to how it was when I started college.
Actually, federal student loans were dischargeable in bankruptcy before 1976, not the entire 20th century.
https://www.cappex.com/articles/money/history-of-bankrupty-dischange-for-student-loans
Actually, federal student loans were dischargeable in bankruptcy before 1976, not the entire 20th century.
https://www.cappex.com/articles/money/history-of-bankrupty-dischange-for-student-loans
Interesting, I learned something. With that said, if you scroll down that page, you could still discharge them in many cases until October of 1998. But you are correct that it was not the entire 20th century.
Of course what I really want is to just repeal the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention And Consumer Protection Act (BAPCPA) of 2005 and go back to how it was when I started college.
The calendar and the clock are all part of the mass deception. Stop thinking in terms of days remaining and start thinking along the lines of what task/goal comes next. The counting of days remaining are for prison inmates, not Mustachians.
It's not the destination, it's the journey.
It's not the winning, it's the taking part.
It's not the catch, it's the chase.
I know my Bhagavad Gita ;)
The calendar and the clock are all part of the mass deception. Stop thinking in terms of days remaining and start thinking along the lines of what task/goal comes next. The counting of days remaining are for prison inmates, not Mustachians.
It's not the destination, it's the journey.
It's not the winning, it's the taking part.
It's not the catch, it's the chase.
I know my Bhagavad Gita ;)
C. P. Cavafy was a famous Egyptian/Greek poet mid 20th century. I have
always loved this short poem of his:
Ithaka
BY C. P. CAVAFY
TRANSLATED BY EDMUND KEELEY
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
Went under 32 months this week. 401k surpassed $1,000,000 with the economy roaring. Way too young to get to that without using 72(t)
One more
One more
One more
One more
One more down
And one less to go!
One more
One more
One more
One more
One more down
And one less to go!
I have heard that people who climb the Everest have a similar strategy: You can always take one more step.
With work: you can always work one more day. Unless your job is literally killing your health. In that case you should find another job for the remaining time.
Instead of writing PTF, because I want to be able to find this thread again so I can quote Malkynn's wise words to someone who needs them, I'll add a few thoughts. No promises they'll be pearls of wisdom of her caliber.
Moral of the story: Never, ever wish your life away.
Instead of writing PTF, because I want to be able to find this thread again so I can quote Malkynn's wise words to someone who needs them, I'll add a few thoughts. No promises they'll be pearls of wisdom of her caliber.
Seriously, I need Malkynn's voice in my head. I'd probably make much better decisions in life.
I read this thread a few days ago and it's been on my mind. I have about 1,000 more days to go as well and even though I should be enormously grateful for my lifestyle (working 4 days a week in cool mountain town), I find myself pining for the future. My role is terribly dull but it pays quite well and allows me to work PT remotely. I feel like I have golden handcuffs because switching roles would require me to move to a big city (ick) and pull my kids out of their school. Or take a pay cut of 90% and become a lifty at the ski resort. :)
I am a huge proponent of balancing enjoying today and enjoying future and it has guided how I have structured my life. But as watch the FIRE date approach ever so slowly I sometimes struggle to find the joy in today.
I think I need to forget about my FIRE date and get engaged in my role instead of moaning about it. On my fall hikes with my dog this week I've been listening to The Happiness Advantage audio book. The premise is that happiness precedes success as opposed to the traditional thinking that success precedes happiness, and he give some useful advice on how to create that happiness / excitement / motivation. Although it's no rocket science, the engineer in me appreciates his many references to clinical studies. So I'm going to test it out with a goal to improve my outlook at work.
Our finances are on cruise control and shifting my focus away from my FIRE date will not delay it. But rather, I hope, help me savour life right now, in this precious moment.
Went below 28 months recently.
However with everyone talking (wishing?) for a recession in the next 12 months in the media, my projections don’t take that into account so this could all be a pipe dream. Or I could just lower my
Planned standard of living a little or work longer.
Went below 28 months recently.
However with everyone talking (wishing?) for a recession in the next 12 months in the media, my projections don’t take that into account so this could all be a pipe dream. Or I could just lower my
Planned standard of living a little or work longer.
In someways I would like to start the next recession and get it "out of the way" in the next year-ish before I can otherwise start seriously thinking about cutting my hours or RE-ing. Also that would let my buy SCHB at discount while making real money.
Went below 28 months recently.
However with everyone talking (wishing?) for a recession in the next 12 months in the media, my projections don’t take that into account so this could all be a pipe dream. Or I could just lower my
Planned standard of living a little or work longer.
By the end of the month I will have less than 2000 days left. I could also do a "BaristaFI" in 202 days. I have multiple countdown like things. I count down to vacation, count down to a major project finish at work and a new count down every 100 days. Ultimately I am taking work a day to a week at a time still and it seems to be working. Well that and I really am thinking in terms of months in comparison to the now "common" 7 year car note, as I now have less than a 6 year car note, can't wait to get under 5 years which will come sooner than I think.
By the end of the month I will have less than 2000 days left. I could also do a "BaristaFI" in 202 days. I have multiple countdown like things. I count down to vacation, count down to a major project finish at work and a new count down every 100 days. Ultimately I am taking work a day to a week at a time still and it seems to be working. Well that and I really am thinking in terms of months in comparison to the now "common" 7 year car note, as I now have less than a 6 year car note, can't wait to get under 5 years which will come sooner than I think.
What’s a baristaFI?
We recently FIREd in August. The thing that kept us motivated when we were 2-3 years from FIRE was health care. We were FI 2 years ago, but we were concerned about what was going to happen to the ACA. By working longer, we bumped our net worth up by 35% which should handle most calamities. We thought 2 more years of working now vs. possibly going back to work when we were older. That was great motivation.
1960 work days left ugh. When you find that motivation tell me how to double it
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So what do ~4,600 days feel like?
Asking for a friend...
I am tracking multiple plans at once, I will feel better when I secure the first plan.
#1 - Move back to QC - Quebec, buy a house : 174 days left
#2 - Move to BC - Victoria, buy a small condo : 594 days left
#3 - Buy a small house in QC and a small condo in Florida : 954 days left
#4 - Move to Texas and buy a house : 1254 days left
#5 - Buy a condo in San Diego : 2064 days left.
The real targets are 3 or 4 ... but the preferred one is #5 ... that will only happens if my companies goes public and if I am still there when it does. But I am expecting some kind of relief when plan #1 is doable.
Will coronavirus be the black swan that affects our plans. Seems the media has gone a little quiet on it but hard to get the truth.
That’s my personal target. < 800 working days. On one hand seems so short. On the other so long. I could FIRE now but would prefer the added pad and paying off a couple more rentals.
< 24 months
I’ve got some Nimble moves in play with corona that may help. We shall see
Will coronavirus be the black swan that affects our plans. Seems the media has gone a little quiet on it but hard to get the truth.
< 24 months
I’ve got some Nimble moves in play with corona that may help. We shall see
Care to elaborate?
< 24 months
I’ve got some Nimble moves in play with corona that may help. We shall see
Care to elaborate?
I did not add back in yet. Being patient. Sitting on hands
I moved my 401k to cash on 1/27 and have been looking for a retest of the lows to re-enter (or somewhere near - may start legging I’m in tranches starting tomorrow)