Early Retirement FIRE Escape – 4 Months Left

November has come and gone and now we are into the holiday season.  I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving break and are reasonably well prepared for the festive rush toward Christmas. While many people consider November a bit of a melancholy month, I enjoy the peace and calm that it brings.  In the northern USA, the month has (in my mind) a beautiful palate of … Continue reading Early Retirement FIRE Escape – 4 Months Left

Christmas Shopping By The Numbers

With the holidays upon us, I ran across studies from the American Research Group, US News & World Report, and the National Retail Federation that look at planned Christmas gift spending for 2015.  I was surprised by many of the numbers from the studies and compared it to our own holiday shopping habits at the Fire Station. 55% of Americans went holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Weekend … Continue reading Christmas Shopping By The Numbers

Not Singing The Sunday Blues

The “Sunday Blues” are the dreadful feelings that emerge late in the weekend when your mind starts to turn to the beginning of a new work week. This weekly mini depression is the return of the performance anxiety we live with at school or on the job that is temporarily lifted over the weekend, holidays, or on vacation.  You could say the Sunday Blues are … Continue reading Not Singing The Sunday Blues

FIRE Milestones: Confidentially Telling Someone @ Work

This is another post in my series about FIRE Milestones – the key moments that have shaped our journey to financial independence and retiring early.  With the four month mark coming up in our early retirement countdown, I have been pretty good about keeping my plans separate from the office.  Only a few people know of my secret plan to escape MegaCorp for a life … Continue reading FIRE Milestones: Confidentially Telling Someone @ Work

FIRE Milestones – Giving Formal Notice

The delightful MrsMoneysWorth.com recently posted about things to do before leaving for early retirement and it got me to thinking about what might be the right amount of time to give my MegaCorp notice of quitting. For me, it’s a more complicated decision than just saying “two weeks notice is standard.” As I often do, I consulted the vast library of FIRE (financial independence & retiring … Continue reading FIRE Milestones – Giving Formal Notice

Chatting with Friends – Odd Comments & Snappy Remarks

When I talk to friends, family and neighbors about my (mostly) secret plan to escape MegaCorp next April and live a life of early retirement, I’m starting to notice that the reactions people have result in one of about a dozen predictable comments. Most people (90%) are nice and say “good for you, that’s amazing”.  But other times – a small percent of the time … Continue reading Chatting with Friends – Odd Comments & Snappy Remarks