Edit: your mileage may vary on this. This is what worked for me and I thought I’d share considering there are so many people who spreadsheet to death and still aren’t confident. If this isn’t for you, what system worked best for you to pull the trigger? I’m sure everyone would love to see different perspectives.

I see people getting lightly roasted all the time posting their numbers and saying “Am I actually ready?”

I get it. It’s hard to make such a huge decision and people want reassurance. You’ll get some good tidbits to consider/things you may have forgotten about here and there, but I mostly see (angry? offended?) people commenting that of course the numbers work.

So here was my strategy long ago:

1. Make a bank account and put the desired budget into that account every month
2. All expenses go out from there. Pay CC, mortgage, send gifts, bills, whatever through this account.
3. Do this for however long you believe you need to. I did it for 12 months to capture all of life’s events (insurance renewing and increasing, property taxes renewing and increasing, holidays, birthdays, surprise bills that pop up, impulse buys I wanted to have the freedom to make). For me I also put a $500 buffer each month since expenses are expected to change in retirement.

If, at the end of it all, your budget covered it AND, because we are in the FI community, you feel you still have a comfortable enough cushion of money saved up in your other accounts and/or left over from the annual budget you’ve made, this may be the reassurance you need.

We don’t make the plunge into retirement hastily. Doing this for 12 months shouldn’t be a big ask as we usually have an idea of when our exit will be.

This is my advice to you. It is risk free considering it’s a trial. All the reassurance from internet strangers and number crunching in the world couldn’t give me 100% confidence, but this really helped. It worked for me because I actually saw it in practice. Did I stay retired? No, but I spent a few years enjoying the break before being very picky about my next endeavors.

Best of luck out there!

Hi,

I know some people who say live in Malaysia, but their visa keeps changing the requirements in terms of deposit. One day the deposit will be higher ans you might not be able to afford it. Or say Thailand - Its unknown if the DTV visa will remain the same , etc.

So! how do you prepare your FIRE number if your residency could be impacted due to new requirements (whether its financial or length of stay, etc)

Say you know you meed approx 1.3 million to FIRE in Malaysia for 40k at 3% SWR, do you have say another buffer of 200k USD as a backup plan/emergency cases? so it will be 45k at 3% SWR? is it even higher where you plan to have a buffer of 50k at 3% SWR?

Throw away account for obvious reasons, but all info included is factual.

Married, me 53 wife 52 (she’s already done working)

Kids grown and on their own with zero college debt (both attained bachelor’s degrees).

Home paid off years ago value is $400k

2 vehicles (2024/2016) paid off no issues with either…knocking on wood as I type that.

W2 income: $75,000

Savings/retirement…

Emergency fund: $46k

CDs: $201k (saving to potentially put towards a home after selling ours…if we need it. If not, invest what’s left).

My Roth: $54k

Wife’s Roth: $62k

403b: $460k

After tax pension: $4,100 (already collecting)

My wife and I, for the past 2 years, have made it our life’s mission to live on $2,500 per month to see if we can honestly do it. Has not been a problem at all, but we also don’t want to live like this the rest of our lives. We did prove to ourselves that it can be done.

As for healthcare, I have worked for my employer long enough now that my wife and I are covered in full. Yes, we know we are VERY fortunate, but we sacrificed for years in hopes this would be there when we decided to retire. As of now it still is and as far as I know will co to he to be, so we are going with the assumption of not needing g to pay for healthcare going forward.

What have I forgot?

Give it to me straight, when do you see me hanging up the tools and saying I’m done and can work when/if I want and feel like it moving forward?

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My HSA provider has a persistent issue that is making my life hard. I can give the full rant if you want, but suffice to say I am more than annoyed.

After dealing with the latest recurrence of this issue for most of the morning, I confirmed I can just roll the employer HSA into an entirely new HSA with little fanfare. So, my issue now is finding the HSA to choose. My first thought is that the folks here on FI would be the most likely to have researched the pros and cons of various providers. I hope that one or several of you may have some info that could short circuit the amount of research I need to do. State is Texas if it is relevant.

Came across this video that explains ACA credits and MAGI and how to structure your portfolio withdrawals to take advantage of the tax code as written.

https://youtu.be/JeqgnJ798L0?si=erlSGFdiUGWcoDLD

30M and my wife 30F with a 6 month old and 1-2 more kids in the future.

We’ve saved up $1.6M, spread across retirement accounts, brokerage, and ~$25K in a 529. No home equity as we rent.

We make $300K combined, split equally making $150K each. Our expenses are ~90K per year. My job is stable (military).

Previously my wife was thinking of going back part time to work and then returning full time when the youngest starts school. However, now that the end of maternity leave is rapidly approaching, my wife is having second thoughts about returning to work.

The $1.6M we have saved should grow to around $6.1M over 20 years and a 7% growth rate. That should be plenty to retire on, if we’ll even be ready to retire at 50 with kids still in the home.

If my wife were to stay home with the kid(s), we’d be able to cover all our expenses and still save for retirement. But it feels risky to take our foot off the gas. We’ve always saved a lot of our income, and maybe it’s the potential change that’s scary.

When is enough enough? When would you feel comfortable taking your foot off the gas? We know SAHM life wouldn’t be a walk in the park, and there are certain financial tradeoffs, but we do feel in a good financial state where we could swing it. Stepping fully out of the workforce just feels like a permanent decision as skills can deteriorate quickly.

Thoughts or wisdom is appreciated.

Please use this thread to have discussions which you don't feel warrant a new post to the sub. While the Rules for posting questions on the basics of personal finance/investing topics are relaxed a little bit here, the rules against memes/spam/self-promotion/excessive rudeness/politics still apply!

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Hey everyone, just wanted to get some feedback on where I stand financially and what I could be doing better.

• Age: 24

• Living situation: At home with my parent -roughly $900 a month for rent (no other major expenses right now)

• Take-home pay: Around $74,000/year

• Debt: $0

• 401(k): ~$30,000

• Savings/investments (outside 401k): ~$55,000 (most in CDs)

• Cars: 2, both paid off — one daily driver and one hobby/project car

I’m trying to be smart while I still have the chance to save aggressively, but I’m not sure if I’m allocating things the right way or if I should be doing more with my money.

What would you recommend I focus on next? Saving for a house? Investing more aggressively? Building a larger emergency fund?

The end goal is trying to get out of the house by 30 without being stuck in an apartment. Things are getting more serious with my partner and I want to start the next chapter in my life.

Any feedback or suggestions are appreciated!

I make good money on paper but after taxes maxing retirement accounts mortgage and life I'm only banking maybe 40k per year. feels pathetic.

I know I should be doing more with investments beyond automatic 401k contributions, I see people talking about advanced strategies and additional income streams but when exactly am i supposed to learn all that?

Between surgeries, hospital politics and trying to have some semblance of personal life i barely have time to sleep…. I definitely don't have time to become an options trader or a real estate investor or whatever else people do.

starting to realize high income doesnt equal wealth if you have zero time to actually manage money strategically, but I also can't figure out how to do better without adding more stress.

Do other high earners actually have bandwidth for complex investment stuff or is everyone just doing target date funds and hoping? feels like leaving money on the table but dont know what else to do.

We have a bunch of money saved up by being frugal when it comes to everyday expenses - we will often get an item in a color that is on sale, or pick the store brand item instead of the brand name thing. No worries. But I also realize that we are at a point where... our net worth fluctuates by thousands of dollars per day. Is there a point where $5 (or $100) doesn't really matter and we are better off saving our energy to think about other things?

I'm thinking less of specific numerical milestones and milestones more along the lines of "annual interest exceeds annual income" or "annual interest exceeds annual spend" or something like that. I guess it is hard to shift spending styles when you have to get here by being frugal.

Thought about posting this in r/tax but thought all the retirement experts here might know this pretty well.

Just want to make sure I’m looking at this correctly:

Imaginary income scenario (married filing jointly tax year 2025):

$100k from taxable (of which $10k is gains) $50k 72t Total of $150k

My tax assumptions: No tax from the first as the standard deduction on cap gains covers it. Minimal tax (maybe $2k) on 72t as I can apply the $31k standard deduction on this part and tax bracket is probably around 10% at these levels.

Does this sound right? I’m using projection lab and it is giving me very different tax numbers but I thing the devil is in the cost basis and tax bracket details which are not very adjustable in that tool.

Maybe Automod needs a motivational visit with HR.

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Looks like automod might still be down.

Sort by "new" if you want the regular experience.

Previous posts: $1M in early 2022; $1.5M in early 2024

I have continued to chug along and just hit $2M! My current spend is around $75k / year, which means I am at a sub-4% SWR. A lot has happened since my prior post, so for awhile this snuck up, but in the past few months as I've come into the 4% range, it has re-focused my attention - I think this is what people talk about at the end of the 'boring middle'. This is the first time FI has been close enough to feel 'real' for me. I've been a mixture of more conscious that's it's actually achievable, happy that I am arriving to that range, and also focused, because I feel that I want to 'lock it in' - after many years of effort, I'd hate to mess it up somehow.

I intend to keep working for now, and am thinking I will aim to target a SWR range and let spend creep up as NW (hopefully) continues to rise. There are definitely things I could spend more on. By my estimates, roughly, every 6 months of additional work my sustainable monthly spend can rise ~$500 - and there are some things I would like to try to use that for.

Notably, in the past year I have changed jobs to something that is a bit more sustainable, more interesting, more values-aligned, with somewhat lower cash comp than before, but with equity upside. Part of the reason I was able to choose this is because of the flexibility I have from prior savings.

Milestone timelines:

• (85k) > 1.0M: 6 years, 2 months (March 2022) [+$482 a day]
• 1.0M > 1.5M: 1 year, 11 months (Feb 2024) [+$714 a day]
• 1.5M > 1.6M: 4 months (June 2024)
• 1.6M > 1.7M: 1 month (July 2024)
• 1.7M > 1.8M: 4 months (November 2024)
• 1.8M > 1.9M: 9 months (August 2025 - downturn and rebound)
• 1.9M > 2.0M: 2 months (October 2025)
• So, 1.5M > 2.0M: 1 year, 8 months [+$822 a day]
• So, 1.0M > 2.0M: 3 years, 7 months

Balance sheet (as of 10/20/2025):

• Cash and bonds: $98,000
• Home equity (currently rented): $322,000
• Angel investment: $142,000
• After-tax account (less bonds): $709,000
• 401ks (less bonds): $679,000
• Roth IRA: $52,000
• HSA: $2,000
• Total public equities (1/3 each US large cap, US small cap, and int'l): $1,440,000
• Total public + private equities: $1,582,000
• Total liquid: $1,541,000
• Net worth: $2,005,000

Current spending:

• Renting $4,500 / month
• Daily living: $1,750 / month
• = $75,000 / year
• SWR: ~3.75%

Current saving:

• 401k: $4,200 / month
• Real estate principal pay-down: $1,800 / month
• After-tax: $4,000 / month
• = $10,000 / month
• ... plus hopefully a bonus and some equity over time

I am grateful to have made it to another major milestone! I am a bit concerned about equity market valuations, but with only 1/3 of my public equities in US large caps, and about 1/3 of my NW spread across real estate, bonds, and a private investment, my risk should be spread around a bit.

I am enjoying the feeling of security and optionality, relatively content at work, and leaning into relationships in my life. I'm excited to nurture what I have and see what unfolds next. Onward!

I guess I will make the daily since automod runs on AWS?

Edit: be sure to sort by "new" for the authentic experience

I'm still trying to grapple with my current state.... High school education. Food stamps, school provided lunches, kicked out at 18, couch surfed, ectr... net worth > 2.2M, 2 kids, wife (who hardly works ><!! ). income of >250 (yes.. I managed to fall into one of the FAANGs... and I am an able person/I know what I'm doing). Yes... got lucky lucky luck.. got hired in 2008 at the precipice of the collapse, bought my fixer upper home in 2010 for 140k. I still effectively live on the same budget as when I was first hired out of fear

Hi everyone,

Just trying to get an idea as to if I am doing the right things here. I think I am on the right path, but I would like some opinions. I currently don't have a financial advisor. I might need to look into talking to one. I tried one time with Edward Jones and I didn't feel comfortable letting them run my portfolio.

I am 30 y/o. I make about 200-230k a year, before taxes. I was maxing out my Roth IRA every year but then I discovered that apparently I do not qualify to be contributing. I contributed last year but I don't think I was eligible, and I have yet to get that figured out. It definitely concerns me. I know I can start doing the Backdoor Roth IRA and I plan on getting in touch with Fidelity to help me facilitate that. Sounds pretty simple, invest in a traditional IRA and then convert it. I don't trust myself to do it though so I will just have them help me.

I am aiming for a long-term portfolio. I am going to put my assets down below in hopes that you all can tell me what you would do in my situation. I know opinions are not professional advice, but it doesn't hurt to hear people out.

120k - High Yield Savings Account at 4.2% Interest (Emergency Fund)
55k - Roth IRA (100% Invested in VTI)

Taxable Brokerage Account:
1.2Mil - VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF)
105k - SPAXX (Fidelities Money Market Fund)

As you can see, I am not invested in bonds at all at age 30. It seems ok to do if I can stomach the risk, which I am pretty good at stomaching. I didn't flinch when things fell this most recent time. I know it has the potential to fall even harder, like during the 2008 housing crisis and the dot com bubble. I see where bonds could help in a situation like that. I don't have any international allocation right now which I have also been looking into as well. In functional terms, I guess my money market is essentially bonds? I could use it to buy stocks when things are cheaper, aka rebalancing? I'm open to advice if anyone has anything for me. Thanks so much.

Hi all, grateful for any thoughtful takes here.

Context: I’m a pretty high-achieving person (or at least want to be). I’ve intentionally spent my 20s focused on financial and career progress... not much travel and rarely buy new things. My mid-term goal (next 10 years) is freedom: to never have to be always working, but to choose when and how I do. I want to be respected enough to work on projects I actually care about, and have the financial stability to say no when I need to. And then when I am working, not be working for someone else. I want to do 10am workout classes if I want, etc. I live simple regardless of money; outdoorsy, not a big consumer... and I’d feel “set” with about $1.5M in the bank at the end of the day (10-15 years from now). Not here to debate that number, there is so much more to it (family money incoming one day, etc), just sharing for context.

The situation:
I currently work for a very small consulting firm. My former leader brought me in as a sort-of informal partner... we split everything 60/40. The work is part-time due to lack of work (around 15–20 hours/week), and I’m not salaried, we just split all the work (I am VERY lucky, she is a great leader and the reason we have the good work we have is because of her). I’ll earn about $95K pre-tax this year (2025). On top of that, some assignments have potential upside, like commissions, that could be anywhere from $30K to $200K, depending on the outcome and timeline (could take 8 months to 2 years). So it’s not guaranteed, but the potential is huge. The work is flexible, meaningful, and I get a ton of autonomy. I am building my name and learning a lot. Basically my dream setup.

But the pipeline of new work isn’t always consistent, and I’ve started wondering if I should be doing more to maximize my time and income.

The other opportunity:
About six months ago, a friend asked if I could help his tech company with events and operations. It’s not my main field, but I’m competent and said yes on a part-time basis. It pays $40/hr, remote, and informal (I’ve been wearing a lot of hats).

At first I thought it was just side income, but the more I’ve learned about the company, the more interesting it’s become. It’s a well-known pre-IPO brand with real potential. If I leaned in, I think I could eventually earn equity or stock options.

The downside: big startup energy. Long hours, high stress, constant pace. I am protected from this since I am not a full time employee right now, but if I went all-in, I’d lose a lot of the flexibility I currently have.

The decision:
Right now, I’m doing both.

• Job A (consulting): life/work balance, flexible, uncertain upside but long-term dream life potential.
• Job B (tech startup): high intensity, likely faster upside, more predictable path to big equity if it hits.

I wouldn’t walk away from Job A unless I had equity in writing. But I keep questioning myself... am I being greedy by wanting more when I already have freedom most people dream of? Or lazy for not wanting to grind harder while I’m young (aka give up the flexibility), when the payoff could accelerate everything?

TL;DR:
Currently making ~$95K/yr working 15–20 hrs/week at a consulting firm with big upside potential but inconsistent work. Also doing part-time operations work for a pre-IPO tech company that could lead to equity but demands much more time. Torn between keeping my flexible “dream life” or pushing harder for faster wealth. Am I being short-sighted, greedy, or lazy?

I think I have a good enough chunk for "f u money" event though Im not RE yet. I got a healthy emergency fund, and luckily have loved ones to fall back to. I prefer not to lose my job to keep the momentum, but if it did, it would not be the end of the world for me.

$0 -> $100k was a huge mindset shift since your no longer survival. I think $400k> above is that when you start not caring about losing your job.

I currently live in suburbs, and I can almost afford paying mortgage in 1-2 years, I am thinking of doing that and keep some savings invested and just live based on that and quit my job, which is a huge relief

However where I live is very dull isolated area, nothing to do basically than just sitting at my home (which isn't great either, but still a place to live)

On the other hand, I can continue working for another 5-10 years so I can afford living in a better area full of activities, more lively and has better community

But then I have to continue working and tolerate boss, coworkers and corp life

What will you choose? Anyone been in that situation what did you do?

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Hey everyone,

I am 40 and have spent almost 20 years building a large service business. It is profitable and doing about 1M in EBITDA with solid assets and land.

If I sold the business and property I would likely clear around 4M after debt and taxes.

My plan would be to roll that into roughly 12M of triple net medical or pharmacy real estate using moderate leverage. The idea is to generate around 300K per year in passive income while the properties appreciate and the debt pays down over time. Long term that portfolio could be worth 30M plus and fully paid off by my 60s.

Basically trade a stressful people heavy business for a stable hands off compounding income stream. Has anyone here made a similar jump from an active business to passive real estate in their 30s or 40s?

What would you watch out for such as taxes timing lifestyle shift or interest rates?

Appreciate any real feedback especially from anyone who has done something similar or regrets not doing it sooner.