When I left the office 10 years ago this month, I never could have imagined the incredible good fortune our equity investments would benefit from over the full decade of our early retirement. As you can see below, S&P 500 returns over that period of time have average a hefty 14.1% with dividends reinvested! Our portfolio also includes bonds, real estate, and cash – but … Continue reading Cheers to 10 Years of Good Fortune
Today’s the day. 10 years. No April Fool’s Day. It’s been a full decade since I stopped working on April 1, 2016. Related: Blasting Out of MegaCorp Naturally, such a foolish anniversary has gotten me wondering what I have done with all of that extra time. If you take 60 hours/week of working & commuting time and multiply it over 48 work weeks/year across … Continue reading Cheers to 10 Years!
We’re off on a patriotic trip this weekend to Washington DC … We’ll be in the Nation’s Capital for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The National Mall’s Tidal Basin & Potomac Park will be lit up with the bright pink flowers of 3,700+ Japanese Yoshino & Kwanzan Cherry Trees. They were a diplomatic gift of the nation of Japan in 1912 & 1965. An additional … Continue reading Springing Into America 250
“What are unmistakeable signs that someone is genuinely doing well in life?” is a question someone recently posted on Facebook. I was pleased to see that it sparked a wave of thoughtful, heartfelt responses. Commenters largely steered away from flashy markers like wealth or status, focusing instead on inner peace, contentment, gratitude, and simple blessings—classic reminders that true success often looks quiet and unpretentious. The … Continue reading Unmistakable Signs
If you just glance at raw numbers, it looks like housing has gone completely off the rails. This Certified Foolish Planner – with over a half million followers – thinks so at least. He wants to know “who broke housing”? He writes that the public has been victimized by high housing prices … It’s true that in 1976, you could buy a home for $44K … Continue reading No One “Broke” Housing!
Auto repairs – YIKES! Our Florida SUV has been in the shop three times over the last couple weeks for repairs. We got the oil & filter changed, the air conditioner charged, new tires, and this Wednesday it will be back in the shop for a new headlight. Our car still looks nice, but the repairs have been pretty costly. All together we will have … Continue reading Parts, Not Labor
My uncle posted this meme online this morning. I don’t drink coffee, but I sometimes think I would enjoy starting to. My wife seems very relaxed in the morning having her coffee cup in hand – and it gives her a boost to get going. Despite not taking in much caffeine, I do move a lot. My Apple watch says that I walked 1,343.2 miles … Continue reading How’s Your Miles Per Coffee?
I was golfing with a friend recently and he asked me how our “One More Year Fund” is doing. It’s been a while since I gave an update so I thought I’d put together some thoughts on where we are at. First, as background, I worked “One More Year” at MegaCorp compared with my original plans. In that year, we set aside the money I … Continue reading One More Year Fund – Update
Last year, we went on a Viking River Cruise of the Danube. We really enjoyed it. I wrote about buying into the “drinks package” on the first day of the cruise – and how I was up late on the final night “getting my money’s worth”. My wife didn’t drink enough to cover her investment in the drinks package, so overall they MADE money on … Continue reading Cheers to Junk Mail
As Batman learned in the Dark Knight, “You either die the Hero, or you live long enough to become the Villain.” I think that famous movie line now has some relevance to those of us who played by the rules, worked smart, saved prodigiously, and invested effectively. At first, one’s journey to FIRE (Financial Independence & Retired Early) is hailed by society as successful & … Continue reading Hero or Villain?
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