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?
When I first got married, my oldest brother gave me the advice to “over insure” yourself. It doesn’t cost that much and makes sure you have a good night’s sleep knowing that if you don’t wake up, no one has been left in a vulnerable place. Since I’m the key breadwinner in our family, I’ve always taken that advice seriously – but no longer. Two … Continue reading Thrifty Thursday – Life Insurance Independence
My son is a junior in high school and starting to look at colleges. He’s a smart, thoughtful kid who doesn’t seem to be stressing too much about where he goes off to school. At the same time, since my DW and I have been good savers in the 529 plan we set up for him when he was little, we’re not too stressed about … Continue reading The College Paradox
NBC’s Brian Williams has been my favorite evening news anchor for quite a while. He has a smart way of turning a phrase that brings a wry smile to the day’s events. To see all of the trouble he is in for perhaps fudging the truth on his telling of a helicopter ride more than a dozen years ago is painful to watch. You can’t … Continue reading Financial Fiction? – Suze Orman’s Background
My son goes to a parochial high school and we recently got a notice to sign him up for the next school year. The website & billing service that the school uses has pages questions at the start of the year for us to fill out in addition to the basic student name, address, and grade level. The website also asks about billing preferences – … Continue reading Thrifty Thursday – Outrageous Fees
A big part of reaching FIRE is having a plan for the lifestyle that you want after retirement. Many people work “one more year” because they fear quitting the workforce and finding out that they don’t have enough financial resources to live happily ever after. Fortunately, the level at which money drives happiness is (relatively) low at about $75,000. The Huffington Post published this graphic … Continue reading Happily Ever After @ $75K Lifestyle
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
My son and I went to the local camping store prior to taking a canoeing trip with his Boy Scout Troop. Since we were going to be roughing it for almost a week, it seemed wise to invest in some rain gear in case we got up to the park and ended up with a few days of rain. Because I am not the most … Continue reading Thrifty Thursday – Extended Warranty Silliness
Saving for FIRE is the last thing on the minds of most people. Although almost everyone dreams of being financially independent and retiring early, very few are doing anything about it. Americans saved just 4.4% of their income in 2014, according to the latest figures from a report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. I’m guessing that is much too low to reach the … Continue reading Bank Your Raises To Catch FIRE
If you look at the books on my Links tab, you’ll notice that I included Jane Bryant Quinn’s Making The Most of Your Money on the list. I’ve been relying on this book as a key gospel for our household financial planning for many years. She is very complete, keeps money matters simple, and has a nice conversational writing quality. Here’s a link to her … Continue reading Early Retirement Checklist – Jane Bryant Quinn
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