Author Topic: Skipping vacations until FIRE  (Read 2355 times)

AlotToLearn

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Skipping vacations until FIRE
« on: June 16, 2019, 11:55:06 AM »
This weekend I caught up with a friend from college who explained since his divorce he has been laser focused the past 2 years on his FIRE date of 2024. To that point, he downsized his home (from 2000 sq feet townhome to 500 sq ft condo), switched jobs where now he can work remote 4 days a week (saving gas, dry cleaning, etc) and has not been on nor plans to take a vacation until his FIRE date.

While I commended him for his desire, I wondered are others following that strong of a stance to achieve FIRE.

bacchi

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2019, 12:15:07 PM »
Does your friend mean not taking any vacation days (is he hourly?) or just not traveling for the standard 2-3 weeks of vacation time?

I can totally see not traveling for vacation. I got far more out of sleeping in and taking care of chores than I ever did jetting somewhere exotic.

FIRE Artist

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2019, 12:18:46 PM »
Does your friend mean not taking any vacation days (is he hourly?) or just not traveling for the standard 2-3 weeks of vacation time?

I can totally see not traveling for vacation. I got far more out of sleeping in and taking care of chores than I ever did jetting somewhere exotic.

Ditto,  this community has a ridiculous obsession with travel. It is just another form of consumption no matter how you dress it up. 

John Galt incarnate!

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2019, 12:24:30 PM »
This weekend I caught up with a friend from college who explained since his divorce he has been laser focused the past 2 years on his FIRE date of 2024. To that point, he downsized his home (from 2000 sq feet townhome to 500 sq ft condo), switched jobs where now he can work remote 4 days a week (saving gas, dry cleaning, etc) and has not been on nor plans to take a vacation until his FIRE date.

While I commended him for his desire, I wondered are others following that strong of a stance to achieve FIRE.



Prior to FIREing I took a short, inexpensive vacation ~2X per year.

Since I liked to stay home I took some  "staycations" too.

Taking ZERO vacations for the next 5 1/2 years strikes me as an unnecessary, self-imposed deprivation.

FIREstache

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2019, 12:27:07 PM »
and has not been on nor plans to take a vacation until his FIRE date.

While I commended him for his desire, I wondered are others following that strong of a stance to achieve FIRE.

If you mean "not traveling until he retires", then that's been my story for 30 years.  Unless I am sent somewhere for work, I don't go far, and my traveling desires aren't all that strong at this point, but I'm planning to finally do some traveling when I FIRE next year, when I'll finally have the time and freedom to do so without the concern of having to return home to go back to work.

Parizade

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2019, 01:30:53 PM »
If he can live like that while maintaining robust physical, mental, and emotional health then it's a great strategy for getting to FIRE faster. I would say many people can't keep up that kind of pace though. People who go that intense route often burn out before they reach their goal and have to take a sabbatical to recover or just give up on FIRE altogether.

If he's young and strong it might work out just fine though, everyone has to find their own pace.

Jenny Wren

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2019, 02:31:04 PM »
I see no problem with it. Vacations are a privilege that millions of Americans don't have, and they get along just fine. I won't even get into it from a non-first world lens. Hell, I went 10 years with no vacations working a couple of jobs, not by choice, but due to poverty. At least he has a light at the end of the tunnel he's working towards. Many poor people don't have that promise of a better future and the work they do is often (not always) much harder on their bodies than that of those who get vacation time and can afford an actual vacation.

MrThatsDifferent

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2019, 02:48:37 PM »
Clearly his life and choices. I commend the other stuff, because I did something similar, but the one thing I wouldn’t give up, and have in fact increased, traveling. Now I go wherever I want and am so grateful to see the world. Yes, it’s a privilege and I’m thankful for that privilege. Meeting new Poole, having new experiences, that to me is living. It is the greatest gift to myself. And the best part, it won’t change my FIRE plans at all, not by a single day.

use2betrix

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2019, 03:35:03 PM »
I have had many many years where my only vacation was only the week off over Christmas when many companies/projects shut down, and those were usually a flight to see family. To add to that, I’ve averaged at least 6 days a week for probably 85% of the last decade.

I typically work as a contractor and don’t have paid holidays or vacation. It makes it really hard not to look at the opportunity cost of things. Right now my day rate is $850/day, plus $980/wk per diem. If I take 6 days off work, I’m already down $5100 (enough for a lean months spending for us). Then you add in the cost of a vacation, and it makes a pretty big difference taking that time off. Fortunately, I get paid the weeks per diem regardless..

All this aside, just last week my contract was up for renewal, and even though I just got a raise in January, I was able to negotiate two weeks paid vacation and 8 or 9 paid holidays.. That will make a huge difference in my quality of life. Not because it’s more money, because I simply wouldn’t take much vacation and work extra days to compensate for the holidays. But instead, I can take some extra time off and actually RELAX..


Much Fishing to Do

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2019, 06:40:52 PM »
I assume that means he's working every day except weekends and holidays.  I'm all for stuff like that for a "grit your teeth" length of time to the finish...but in my opinion 7 years is a unhealthy grit your teeth period...

undercover

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2019, 07:29:27 PM »
Eh me personally I could live without the travel. In fact I can basically go anywhere I want tomorrow and stay for basically as long as I want and I still have no desire to do it.

Now vacations...you can literally "travel" a few hours a way and have a vacation and not break the bank. I have felt many times just as relieved visiting a new spot within a few hours than having to drive too far or *gasp* purchase a plane ticket.

And 500sq foot is huge as long as you're not housing over a few people and you at least like the other person you're with ;)

Not commuting 4 days a week? Dude has his priorities right if you ask me.

Travel really is just another form of consumption. Every time I do it I just want to get home and start working on something. I enjoy it and it feels good like anything else but at the end of the day I just feel like my time could be used better than just bouncing around aimlessly. If there's a good enough reason (hopefully somewhat productive) and I feel like that's the best way to spend my time then sure...I just haven't yet.

I do find extreme optimization to be ultimately pointless though as it's not like your life is over once (if) you reach this goal.

Noodle

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Re: Skipping vacations until FIRE
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2019, 08:01:03 PM »
It depends what he means by not taking a vacation. If he means that he doesn't intend to engage in recreational travel, I get it. I'm honestly not a huge fan of traveling for recreation myself, although I do have elderly, distant relatives I need to see on a regular basis. I am going on an honest-to-goodness trip this summer, totally unconnected to anything the family is doing, and I can't tell you the last time I did that. You can rest and refresh and recreate without going somewhere exotic, or even leaving home.

If he means he doesn't intend to take time off other than weekends and holidays...that sounds like a slog. I sometimes have trouble finding the right time to take time off, but people need breaks from time to time.

 

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