I made a big stack of buckwheat pancakes for myself yesterday, topped it with real maple syrup & berries, and added a glass of orange juice. It’s a repeat of the breakfast that I had the morning I walked away from working and into the wonderful world of FIRE (financial independence & retired early).
Related: FIRE Milestone – Final Day: Blasting Into Retirement
It only took about 10-15 minutes to heat the stove up, mix the batter together, and flip the pancakes onto my breakfast plate. Still, I rarely make the time for such a nice breakfast.
I thought when I retired early I would make big breakfasts for myself all the time. Scramble up some eggs, crisp some hash browns, or whip an omelette together. I do it sometimes, but probably only every two weeks.
People love comfort foods for breakfast, but most people have a simple bowl of cereal, slice of toast, or cup of yogurt every day. In early retirement, it’s not much different. I still don’t make time for a big breakfast. I guess it just takes too long and isn’t very healthy.
I’m not in a hurry most mornings and still a relatively healthy omelette remains a once-in-awhile breakfast treat. To busy being lazy, I guess.
How elaborate are your breakfasts in retirement?
Image Credit: Kodiak Pancakes
MrFireStation 
I can say I am steps away, so no real experience with RE, but my pandemic breakfasts don’t seem like they were that different. We still have teenagers in the house, and during the shutdowns I continued to get up early and have my usual light breakfast. Being home, however gave me the time to make proper breakfasts for teenagers. These usually amounted to eggs, toast and jam (for the younger), or a bagel sandwich (for the older). Occasionally, I might partake, or finish one of theirs.
Even though its not a traditional breakfast, one of our family traditions is a big pan of fried rice in the morning. It usually has onions, peas, ham, and eggs along with soy sauce, and sometimes ginger and garlic if I have time on my hands. I think this is a holdover from my college days when I would make a big pan of this to last the whole day. Either way the whole family digs in, usually with a bit of Sriracha sauce.
Having the time to cook for the kids seems like a real luxury. I am planning on announcing my RE plans to my bosses this week. As we are in a bit of a slow period, I am unsure whether they will ask me to finish two weeks or walk me out of the building… we will have to see.
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This week? That’s very exciting! Let us know hit all goes, for sure!
At our house we all get up at different times. Our recently graduated son has moved home and is doing the work-from-home thing from our lower level. He starts at 8am, so he is the first one up, followed by my wife. I’m the last up (between 8:30a-9a) as I like to sleep in.
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The bosses took it as well as could be expected. As we have been extremely slow, they offered the options of last day today, or next Friday. Today will be my last day. This company is more or less a mini-corp, far from the megas of my past lives, with about as complicated a structure as the pet store I worked for in high school. I am sure that my departure is a relief at some level, as the offset will provide them a bit of buffer before things get even leaner.
At our house everyone gets up at different times as well, but I am first up and usually know the times when the kids are rising. On the mornings with fried rice, I will make a big pan and have a bowl, after which the kids get up on their own and fill their own as the morning progresses. Despite my college efforts to make a pan of something to get me through the day there is almost never anything left for me by lunchtime.
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Congratulations! Your last day of work is a big milestone. Unlike a birthday which happens every year, this only happens once – after a long (usually successful) career. Do you have any plans to mark the occasion? A trip? A special dinner?
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