One thing I don’t write a lot about in this blog is how I write this blog. I started it back in January 2015, when I was 15 months from executing my FIRE Escape. I began sharing since I didn’t see a lot of detailed, first-hand accounts of people that had reached financial independence & retired early and was craving information like that for myself. … Continue reading Blog Milestone …
Do I stick to a budget? No, I don’t even have a budget anymore. I’ve become completely un-analytical in retirement. I used to be good at it. When I was working, I built complex spreadsheets to track our annual budget, our net worth, and projections of what we needed in retirement. Since retiring, much of that has gone by the wayside. I stopped tracking our … Continue reading (I Guess) We Are On Budget …
A friend had some work done on her house recently and posted online that she was happy to see the vendor using products from the MegaCorp she recently retired from. I too continue to have some loyalty to the MegaCorp packaged goods brands I once worked on. But, it is only that … “some loyalty”. I’m not completely brand loyal just because they still send … Continue reading MegaCorp Loyalty
It’s been quite a few years since I commented on Independence Day. If you value the freedom and autonomy that come from reaching FIRE (financially independent & retired early), you probably have an American flag flying in front of your house this holiday weekend. Related: Freedom For Our Nation & For Ourselves Unfortunately, our government representatives are letting our economic freedoms slip. The Heritage Foundation … Continue reading Our Economic Freedom
Summer is still a fortnight away, but I’m not ready for it. I’m a bit beat up. Spring sports – tennis & softball – have me nursing a painful Achilles tendinitis injury. I’ve been doing everything I can to get it back in shape. Stretching exercises, lifts in my shoes, and wearing Skechers in the house. Still, it’s been a slow road. In the last … Continue reading Stretching Into Summer
My son and I went on an epic road trip last weekend, crossing 4 states with 75 sports cars in a charity rally. We were in the car about 16 hours / 1,000 miles through the Midwest – navigating through 20 checkpoints & activities. That’s our car in the picture above! The rally is like ‘The Amazing Race’ show on wheels. Great father-son activity. We … Continue reading Road Trips Midwest
It seems every generation wants to dump on the next one. Or, the one before it. Boomers complain about Millennials and Millennials say, “OK, Boomer”. Millennials say Boomers left the world a mess and Boomers say Millennials are ruining the world with their decisions. The irony of the situation is that the Boomers parented the Millennials themselves. (I’m a Gen X’er and our son’s a … Continue reading Gen Z Growing Wealth: The Kids Are Alright
I’m old enough to have been assigned the chore of ‘raking’ the orange, thick-cut, shag carpeting in our family room when I was a kid. We had a bonafide carpet rake to keep the shag looking new and not matted down under the feet of our family of six. I remembered that dubious task this week, as my wife and I prepared for carpet layers … Continue reading Roll Out The Rug …
Today I am up on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula on a road trip suggested by frequent reader, Randy. It’s the part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that juts up into Lake Superior. Definitely Paul Bunyan land. I drove my Jeep for 6+ hours yesterday to get here. Randy was up here last summer and sent me some flyers highlighting the many waterfalls in the area. You might … Continue reading Unexpected Hobby …
I flew out to SmallCorp this week for our spring board meeting. On my way out, I stopped in to check out the new Delta World Club (above) that just opened at MSP – a benefit of my new airline credit card. Related: Taking Flight It was the first time I had stopped in an airline club since I stopped working 7+ years ago. I … Continue reading Back In The Club?
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