We live in the suburbs and every year our city has a city-wide garage sale weekend that raises money for the local Lion’s Club. It’s an amazing event with hundreds of garage sales across the city – dozens in every neighborhood you drive into. They say that over 5,000 people come to our city for the event and it is not uncommon to see several … Continue reading Garage, Yard & Tag Sales – Love Them & Hate Them
When people learn that I retired early, they will almost always enthusiastically ask “what it is like to not go to work?” In response, I often say “Truthfully, it’s the best job I never had.” That answer is always worth a quick laugh, conveys the truth of the situation, and provides me just enough ‘cover’ to then change the subject to weather, sports, politics, travel, or … Continue reading FIRE Station Funny – Conversation Pivot
Most of 2016 did not bring a lot of growth in the stock market. It wasn’t until Election Day that the S&P500 really took off with gains of +15% behind the so-called Trump Rally, which seems to hinge on corporate and individual tax cuts and simplification. Heaven knows how the Federal government is going to pay for all of that (more about that in next … Continue reading FIRE Station Fun – Calculating Returns
Early retirement isn’t just about finances, it is also about keeping yourself healthy. I am happy to report that I have continued my diligence in tracking my fitness activity into my second year of early retirement. My daily fitness level is up dramatically compared to my former working self. Since April of last year, I have boosted my daily steps by almost 70% to an … Continue reading Fitness Activity In Early Retirement
I’m picking up my son at college later today. He is coming home for a party this weekend and will be home for the summer in just a few weeks. While he is only finishing his Freshman year at college right now, I know that soon he will be graduating for college and establishing himself in the adult world. When I think of our experience … Continue reading FIRE Station Fun – Get Climbing!
I’ve been writing about personal finance and early retirement for more than two years now and have managed to not mention the topic of life expectancy once. Since there are only three real variables to use in planning for retirement – spending, investments, and life expectancy – after over 250 posts to this site, you can see how clever I’ve been in avoiding this ‘inevitable’ … Continue reading FIRE Planning For The Inevitable Future
. If you ask many people what defines the American Dream, they would say ‘owning your own home’. For decades, home ownership defined what being independent and successful looked like. More than just shelter, a home is viewed as an ever-giving fountain of financial security and status. That being the case, it is not surprising that Americans have poured more and more of their wealth … Continue reading Financial Analysis: The Impact of Trading Up Houses on Early Retirement
It’s hard to think about financial independence and retiring early separate from the concept of AGE. I’ve been early retired for a year now and I get the questions constantly: How old are you? You look too young to be retired? What will you do for the rest of your life? I retired two weeks short of my fiftieth birthday last year, and TODAY – … Continue reading FIRE Station Fun – Birthday Freedom
“If the value of the dollar goes crazy, owning gold gives me peace of mind,” says a friend of mine that is a certified ‘gold bug’. He believes that gold – as the ultimate basic currency – is a hedge against a sudden global geopolitical event that undermines the international system of currency. Gold is frequently in the news, featured on late night TV, and … Continue reading Gold – An Investment in Fear?
There is probably no one more quotable when it comes to personal finance and lifestyle advice than Ben Franklin. A prolific quipster, his proverbs on money and our relationship with it are short, snappy, and typically spot-on. Much of our cultural ethos on work and money come from Ben’s writings in his Poor Richard’s Almanac. It is a book I think I will add to my … Continue reading FIRE Station Fun – Cleaning Stuff Up
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