A few years ago, my wife & I were split on the prospect of buying a boat. We had reached the point in our financial journey that we could afford to splurge on a speedboat. We wouldn’t make a huge dent in our savings, and certainly wouldn’t take on any debt. We had friends that enjoy the ‘boat lifestyle’ and wanted to join the party. … Continue reading Thrifty Thursday – Boat Clubs
There is probably no luxury that I have done more of an about-face on over the past 20 years than luxury automobiles. My DW and I started out very humbly in our 20s when we got married. We were very practical: she had a 11-year old Ford Fairmont (boring, but mostly reliable). I had managed to drive a few junkers into the ground through college … Continue reading Grown-Up Guilty Pleasure – Luxury Cars
“You’ll be bored.” More than anything, that’s the response I expect from friends & family that when I retire early next year. The plan is that it will be just a few weeks short of my fiftieth birthday (‘FIRE by 50’). It’s a worry that increasingly dominates my thoughts. Will I think myself a clever genius for making an early exit from the workforce, or … Continue reading Pre-FIRE Escape – “Not Bored” List
It is with true sadness that I read that Dr. Thomas Stanley, co-author of the Millionaire Next Door, was killed recently in an unfortunate car accident. Reuters wrote that “Stanley was killed Saturday afternoon when a car slammed into his vehicle near his home in Marietta, Georgia.” Stanley researched the lives of American “high net worth individuals” – millionaires – and found that they … Continue reading Millionaire Next Door – Thomas Stanley RIP
I enjoy “living the good life” parables like this that help put put the concept of “Life > Money” in perspective … it’s featured in most Jimmy John’s sandwich shops … HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? “The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large … Continue reading How Much Is Enough? – Jimmy John’s
One of the things I’ve started to do is to meet with people I know who retired early themselves. Many of them are old coworkers or folks that I have met along life’s journey and it is good to tap into their wisdom and to catch up with some old friends. I will post a bit about these meetings I’ve had. Today I met up … Continue reading Early Retirement – Getting Advice One Cup At A Time
I started this blog in January and have been counting down the time to my expected early retirement on April 1, 2016. With February now complete, I have just 13 months more to go. I am capturing my thoughts and creating a countdown checklist each month, so that others can follow along and perhaps learn from my approach. I am sure like a lot of … Continue reading FIRE Escape – Early Retirement 13 Month Countdown
I had a great day at work this past Friday. There wasn’t anything especially amazing about it, but it was a truly enjoyable day. Good conversation, meaty strategic work, and a fair amount of horsing around. It was the kind of day that makes me say ‘this is fun – why do I really want to retire early from all of this?’ What am I … Continue reading 9 Reasons It’s Difficult To Retire Early
We had some friends over for dinner last weekend and my wife let it slip that I was planning to cash out next year. I wasn’t upset, but it was a little awkward because the husband works at the same Megacorp that I do and I’m not sharing my plan for retiring early with anyone at work right now. Our friends were a bit incredulous … Continue reading Early Retirement – How Soon To Give Notice?
Tomorrow is February 1st, which is fourteen months from the day that I expect to leave my job financially independent & retired early (FIRE by Fifty). I thought I would close out each month between now and then with an update on my plans and the key activities I am focused on in my preparation. First, I will note that the stock market has been … Continue reading FIRE Escape – Early Retirement 14 Months Countdown
MrFireStation 