In a few hours it will be midnight on the East Coast and I will turn 53. I haven't posted in quite a while, here are a few thoughts....
Thought 1: It's been over six years since I found a different lifestyle, and it hasn't grown old. I brought a few friends along with me for the ride, and for most it hasn't stuck to a lasting degree bur for a few others it has. If you are new to this and are thinking "Is this just a fad", I assure you it isn't. It's a game changer - if you want to change your game.
Thought 2: Six years in, the closer I get to FIRE, the less I care about my work. Now don't get me wrong, I still care a lot about doing a good job for the people who have placed their trust in me, I just have a hard time caring about *the work* itself. I have been in IT 21 years. The thrill is mostly gone. The relationships though, that's where I find a lot of value.
Thought 3: I cannot wait to pay off the house - 49K to go. I appreciate what people say about not paying off a home when the mortgage rate is rock bottom and you can make money elsewhere, there is something deeply satisfying about being truly debt free. We paid off two small rentals first and that felt great too. I highly recommend this.
Thought 4: The home stretch has me itching to get out of the rat race. DW is done, we got her retired three years ago. Technically I could be done too if I felt we could live comfortably on 55K a year (combination of her pension, SS if she takes it, rentals and investments), but I just don't feel good enough about it to pull the trigger, my mother is in assisted living and I might need to help her in a few years financially.
Thought 5: I can't decide when I'm done working full time. I keep saying two years, my 55th birthday. It could be one year, it could be four. I'm thinking if I can comfortably make 30K in part time work I should get out sooner than later. Maybe it really is just one year to go.... maybe....
Thought 6: It's hard to be truly Mustachian working long hours - and that has been my life for the last 4+ years. I actively traded time for money, I don't regret it, it's shaved years off my retirement date. I gave myself the moniker Hybrid because I've never 100% embraced the notion that DW and I could live on 35K a year. But man, if I wasn't working these long hours and could throw myself into a much more truly frugal lifestyle??? That is like a siren song.
Thought 7: I don't miss my old lifestyle. I don't miss the country club, a new car every five years, cable TV, any of that stuff. I found pickleball and instantly became addicted. Eating out feels wasteful most of the time - I cook so much better than what I eat out usually. If you are wondering "Can I really change old habits???" I was a 25 year golf junkie and gave it up cold turkey. I haven't bought a new car since 2010 (and that was Mazda 3, nothing particularly fancy). I don't watch much TV any more - and don't miss it.
Your thoughts?