Thank you. This is exactly what I needed to hear.

At some point numbers become hard for the brain to comprehend. Once you start talking about numbers in the millions the comparisons seem immense. However, us fire walkers have to keep in mind that compound growth is a game of exponential increases. Your two numbers 1.7M and 3M are vast when viewed from a linear mindset of a person toiling away one year at a time. However, viewed from the lens of exponential growth, your delta is just 75% from 1.7M to 3M. Once you reach 1.7M your job is no longer your portfolio driver, instead the portfolio becomes its own driver (as long as your leave it ALONE). On my fire walking journey the first million was the hardest. After that the beast took on a life on its own, and it seemed no matter what i did the numbers kept doubling every 5-7 years (give or take). That is all to say, I do not think you two numbers are that different. If you want kids and a house, you just have to work another 3-4 years (which does not seem like much of a cost given the returns).

The problem eventually becomes letting go once you make your number…when there are so many other things to save for.

NZ

Hey David, from what I hear, the feeling when you’re FI is the same as when you’re not FI. There’s certainly a freedom associated with reaching that milestone, but you can feel much of that freedom *on the journey* well before you reach the FI point. Or so I hear!

Wow 12,000 a month!! They must have a huge income. My kids (2 kids 6 and 8) maybe cost a couple hundred to 400 tops a month. The 400 month would be I signed them up for one sport (ice hockey, ice skating lessons, swim lessons, dance they’ve done it all). Granted college is already paid for and we haven’t got to braces yet.

Maybe my FIRE number will change after some time as well? Hmm.

Very true – FIRE gaps and goals are a little more clear cut as you get older. Have a great week LateStarter, hope all is well down under!

Everybody loves the cool aunt and uncle that retired early and are living a happy and free life!

Congrats on crushing your timeline and it’d be great to go part time at work. Easing into ‘retirement’ is sometimes a better transition than a cold hard stop. I think it’s smart that you’re focusing on quality of life and making more plans around that. Being close to FIRE means making decisions and not having to worry about the financial consequences. Have a great week Adam!

Yep, currency is a risk, but we will just stay nimble. Got half in GBP and half in AUD but spend in Euro! Handy to have the two different currencies, so just draw from the one doing well at the time we need to exchange. Coming up for house purchase, so hoping £ / AUD continue to rise! X

We’re thinking about each going 60% at work in a few years, if my wife can maintain her employer’s health coverage. That means four-day weekends all the time and still easy saving for things like a car or vacation or new roof as needed… all without touching investments. It absolutely helps that we’ve decided on no kids and only have nine years left in our mortgage. I’m excited instead to be the cool aunt and uncle who host our then-teenaged nephews in Europe or Mexico for a week or two every year. :D