FIRE Countdown, Have A Purpose

Our 10 Plans To “Retire, Wild, Happy & Free” – Check-In

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About 18 months ago, I started reading a book called How To Retire Happy, Wild & Free by Ernie Zelinski. I downloaded it on my Apple iPad and brought it with me on a weeklong cruise to Mexico. At that point, we were more than a couple years away from early retirement, and had just achieved financial independence. Reading it was maybe my first step toward creating a formal plan to early retirement. Continue reading “Our 10 Plans To “Retire, Wild, Happy & Free” – Check-In”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation6 Comments
Have A Plan, Have A Purpose

Six Ways To Prepare For Our Early Retirement Lifestyle

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DW and I are now just 7 months from early retirement. I recently posed a question to a group of early retirees about the adjustment that takes place between the full-time working world and a life of early retirement.  During my many cups of coffee with friends over the last year, I regularly heard about a need to take the first full year of early retirement to adjust to the new lifestyle.  I have even heard it described as like the adjustment that comes from “leaving a bad relationship” or divorcing one’s longtime spouse.

I asked specifically about how long it took to adjust to not working? Continue reading “Six Ways To Prepare For Our Early Retirement Lifestyle”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation10 Comments
Have A Purpose

One More State Visit – Closing In On Fifty

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This Labor Day weekend, we are taking an unusual road trip.  We are planning to drive more than a half day out to Omaha, Nebraska, simply because it is one of the remaining three states I need to have reached all fifty.  I wrote about my overall quest a few months ago in my “Visit All Fifty States Quest”.

No one in our family would put Omaha on the top of list of exciting vacation destinations (sorry, folks from Nebraska).  But, like a trip we took to North Dakota a few years ago, I’m sure this trip will have  lot of unexpected fun and memorable learning about a state we know very little about. Continue reading “One More State Visit – Closing In On Fifty”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation3 Comments
FIRE Countdown

Early Retirement FIRE Escape – 7 Month Countdown

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August was the month where I would say that “this sh*t is getting real”.  With just 7 months left before my FIRE Escape date to early retirement on April Fool’s Day 2016, planning & preparation are definitely moving into full swing. 

August has been a quite eventful month for a few reasons and there has been a lot of volatility in the stock markets to add to the excitement:  Here’s my checklist of things I got done this month:

  • Read Ernie Zelinski’s book “The Joy of Not Working”.  Good inspiration.
  • Had my last annual physical at the MegaCorp medical center.  Good health.
  • Had my second-to-last Dentist visit.  Good teeth.
  • Started my new “side job” – a corporate board role.  Good meetings.
  • Met with our tax advisor.  Good numbers.
  • Continued to update my countdown flags.  Good fun.
  • Watched the stock market rock & roll.  Good luck!

While the stock market fell -4.3% in August, our nest egg has remained pretty resilient at +1.9%.  The difference maker for us has been a sizable holding in my former MegaCorp employer’s stock, which has stayed strong through the Wall Street panic, remaining +4.4% for the year.  Since these shares are in stock options, they have positive leverage and a better than average impact on our total portfolio. Continue reading “Early Retirement FIRE Escape – 7 Month Countdown”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation8 Comments
FIRE Countdown

Countdown To Retirement – Progress Update

It seems like just yesterday that I posted a blog listing “7 Ways To Countdown To Early Retirement“, but it actually has been a full 22 weeks since I got counting with the secret Post-it Note flags I put inside my credenza door at work. I just wanted to post my progress since I have now removed the entire top row from the countdown and … Continue reading Countdown To Retirement – Progress Update

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation6 Comments
Have A Plan, Have A Purpose

Change Stress & Early Retirement

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Will early retirement be a stressful life event?

Sure enough, the website VisualMD.com has a list of stressful life events shows retirement in the top ten causes of negative life stress (see above).  It’s not on the top of the list, but it is interesting to see it rated at about the same score as losing your job (getting married is the only other positive on the list).  

Where’s the joy in one’s new found freedom?? Continue reading “Change Stress & Early Retirement”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation6 Comments
Have A Purpose

Finding (Little) Purpose in an All-Day Meeting

Conference Room

I find myself spending a fair amount of time thinking about how life will be when I don’t go to work anymore with early retirement.  As I get closer to my intended “FIRE escape” date on April 1, 2016, it is entering my thoughts more and more. It is not that I am very dissatisfied with my work.  In fact, I am blessed with an interesting job and work with interesting people.  As much as anything, early retirement is an opportunity to devote time to pursuits that I find more personal meaning in, than pursuits important to MegaCorp. 

I was in a long, offsite meeting today – what I call “bell to bell”.   Continue reading “Finding (Little) Purpose in an All-Day Meeting”

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FIRE Countdown

Falling Toward Early Retirement

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While no leaves are changing color yet, yesterday was the start of the school year for our son, who is now a senior in high school. Just as I count the last year of working before early retirement, he is slowly counting down the days and weeks until he graduates and leaves home for college next fall.

I’ve been watching my calendar since April 1st of this year. Each day marks “the last” day, week, month, or annual activity that I plan on spending in the workforce. I’m currently sitting at 31 weeks remaining as my plans still focus on April 1, 2016. (The stock market plunge of -1100 points in the last 2 days hasn’t scared me off too much … yet) Continue reading “Falling Toward Early Retirement”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation2 Comments
Invest Effectively

Big Stock Market Drop – Impact On Early Retirement?

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Over the last 3 days, Dow Jones stock market drop has been sudden and severe, totaling more than a -11% drop from the end of last month .  It includes two of the top ten stock market one-day declines of all time on an absolute basis. Some experts are saying this is the end of a six year bull market run as investor concerns rise with respect to slow growth in China and the potential impact to the world economy.  The China concerns are becoming more worrisome as investors are also discussing whether the US Federal Reserve will begin to raise interest rates after a long time at 0%.

With our planned early retirement just 7 months away, should Mr. Fire Station call the whole thing off and work another year?  The quick answer is “no” and “no”.  First, markets go up and down, and proper retirement planning account for down markets more severe than this blip.  Second, this correction is significant, but Mr. Fire Station’s investments remain up for the year. Continue reading “Big Stock Market Drop – Impact On Early Retirement?”

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation5 Comments
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Liebster Awards – 10 Questions for MrFireStation Answered

MrFireStation.com was recently called out in a generous posting by NorthernExpenditure.com focused on bestowing the “Liebster Award” on a fellow small blogger.  The Liebster Award, which is a pass-a-long recognition of seemingly unknown origin, is used by small bloggers pay to pay forward a little visibility to other small bloggers (less than 200 followers).  Captain Sparky here at MrFireStation.com has been active for only about 8 … Continue reading Liebster Awards – 10 Questions for MrFireStation Answered

Unknown's avatarMrFireStation7 Comments