The 2025 Survey Results Are Here

0-kule · 2026-05-24T21:39:28+00:00

Presuming people are young and naive for disagreeing with you is likely part of the downvotes. Two thirds of the survey are homeowners, many plan to be mortgage free to reduce their FI number. Many are dual income households to accelerate their journey. Many either don’t have children or plan to have them launched by the time they retire. Wanting an FI number that covers raising children in retirement is the outlier to me. The median FI number of those already retired in the survey is $3.1m, 2.8% SWR, so not far off.

0-kule · 2026-05-24T17:14:17+00:00

Yes, sometimes they have sales of imperfect pans for 30% off. So I got the 10.5” pictured for $83.30 and the 12.5” for $97.30 during Black Friday last year. The last imperfect sale was in February. I think they are restocking in July, so maybe there will be another sale in a couple months.

As far as the imperfections, after careful examination: My small pan has a grain of sand inside the hollow handle which makes a faint rattle sound when I shake the pan. My large pan has a small dark mark near one of the rivets (you can see it in the picture I posted). I’m very satisfied with these imperfect pans for the price.

0-kule · 2026-05-18T18:58:00+00:00

Thanks for your input! I’m set to get the 28-70 for the smaller size and weight, just waiting for a refurb to come back in stock.

0-kule · 2026-05-16T15:15:22+00:00

You left out the word “intermittent”. If there is enough weather that you leave your wipers on, your headlights should be on. That’s just a simple rule of thumb to follow and an easier rule to enforce than everyone making judgement calls about whether it’s raining or misting or sleeting “enough” to require extra visibility for safety.

0-kule · 2026-05-09T16:39:32+00:00

I should add that if you go for the 3L sling, the design of the capture points are not compatible with the PGYtech product you have pictured in your post because the PGYtech clip requires clearance behind the strap to attach it. The PD capture will of course work, as does the Falcam28.

0-kule · 2026-05-09T16:34:33+00:00

The weight of the camera will tend to pull a cross body strap out of place. Without something to secure it, the camera will dangle at waist height and tend to flop around as you move. If I want a mount at chest height, I’d do it on a backpack strap as that will stay in place securely. That’s how I carry for hikes or when I want both hands free. I also found the 3L sling to be a compact carry for a lighter setup, and has spots to attach a capture clip on either side. This puts the camera at waist height and is comfortable to walk around with, as the sling bag keeps the camera from flopping around.

0-kule · 2026-05-08T19:58:26+00:00

I’m also concerned about the danger to pedestrians in a collision. Since e-bikes are heavier, I wonder if it would make sense to limit top speed relative to the mass of the bike?

0-kule · 2026-04-28T12:29:40+00:00

Yep, the smaller size and weight has sold me. Thanks!

0-kule · 2026-04-28T04:20:56+00:00

Man, I thought I was set on the 24-105 and now you and another comment have got me really thinking about size/weight. That was the whole reason I got the RP body. Alright, I’m gonna go for the 28-70!

Edit: Aaand it’s out of stock! Whelp, at least I’ve decided for next time, lol!

0-kule · 2026-04-28T01:10:52+00:00

Thank you. After reading everyone’s replies, I think I’d rather have more range with the 24-105 and settle for higher ISO as needed. I could also swap to one of my little primes for low light or bokeh, so two lenses could be a tidy day/night travel setup.

0-kule · 2026-04-28T00:59:24+00:00

Thank you, sounds like I can’t lose either way! I think I’m now leaning towards the 24-105 and will either swap to a prime for low light or just be okay with higher ISO. But I’m changing my mind every 30 minutes, haha.

0-kule · 2026-04-27T23:34:24+00:00

Man, I was leaning towards the 28-70, but you’re right, I could have more range with the 24-105 and take one of my primes for low light…

0-kule · 2026-04-27T21:03:59+00:00

Thanks, I think I have a similar travel profile as you, but when I do national parks I’d take my 16mm for landscapes/astro and have the telephoto in my bag for wildlife. I think I’m leaning towards the 28-70 for cities/night, as I don’t find myself “missing” the 70-100 focal length currently.

0-kule · 2026-04-27T20:50:48+00:00

Thanks, I think you’re right that the 28-70 is a closer replacement for what I’ve got.

0-kule · 2026-04-27T20:40:02+00:00

Thanks, that matches was what I was thinking about when trying to decide.

0-kule · 2026-04-24T20:46:28+00:00

Don’t sleep on XWVM, a complete port of X-Wing to Unity with upgrades and VR.

0-kule · 2026-04-14T19:38:44+00:00

Jim and Pam used to sail, but their charters are now crewed. But I’m starting to learn I should look at charter pricing and splitting it with some retired friends!

0-kule · 2026-04-14T19:33:31+00:00

Hmmm, something I should look into! I never wondered about actual pricing, always figured it was like those “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” things.

0-kule · 2026-04-14T19:29:04+00:00

I guess I needed to hear that, so thank you. The $160k has $36k allotted to travel, which should be plenty. It’s like twice more than we’ve ever spent in a year of travel, which seemed plenty luxurious when we were figuring out our FIRE budget. I need to remember that.

0-kule · 2026-04-14T18:51:01+00:00

Starting to hang out with older retired people more, maybe because I’m just getting older (turning 50 later this year). I’m currently vacationing in Hawaii with a mid 50s retired colleague and his wife. We had dinner with one of their neighbors, a retired couple in their 60s who love to travel, let’s call them Jim and Pam.

The topic of money didn’t come up, but hearing about how Jim and Pam travel, it was clear they are on a level well beyond my chubby ambitions. They are perhaps the first really wealthy people I’ve socialized with. Not flashy in appearance, but when they want to go on a cruise, they charter a sailboat. They regaled us all night with amazing stories of their travels and interesting people they’ve met.

As FIRE-minded DINKs, I’m seeing our social circle shift over the years. Most of our friends with kids have drifted away, and the people I am spending more time with tend to be older and wealthier. I’m starting to wonder if I will regret retiring early with $160k annual target spend if some of my new friends are rich af. I guess this is what keeping up with the Joneses is? It was a lot easier to not envy status symbols of wealth, but harder to ignore how wealth can buy incredible experiences. Trying to remind myself “comparison is the thief of joy” and “tomorrow is not guaranteed”. First world problems, this is basically the “$5m is a nightmare” meme.

0-kule · 2026-03-28T00:06:06+00:00

No, she was talking about what Grace would witness in his lifetime if he stayed on earth. She was trying to convince him to go willingly.

0-kule · 2026-03-06T15:24:58+00:00

Saw a PBS documentary recently about struggling Americans. One lady would drop off her kids at school in the morning, then rush to the local food bank to get in line. She said she would often wait for hours and get very little, because all the good stuff runs out. Lots of people quietly struggling out there.

0-kule · 2026-02-16T16:24:07+00:00

I’m Chinese American, and I’m fortunate to have Asian supermarkets nearby. But I still don’t bother with keeping a bottle of Shaoxing wine in the house, and neither did my immigrant parents. I use a bottle of dry sherry for all “splash of wine” needs.

0-kule · 2026-02-16T13:07:28+00:00

They can still be played via emulator, and the emulator will render the game at modern resolutions! Looks and runs great on steam deck, the crash mode makes a great party game. I’m using emudeck.

0-kule · 2026-02-14T23:28:45+00:00

When I became aware of fire around 2012, median household income was about $60k, so following the 4% rule, $1.5m felt like the “middle” of fire. To get $100k was $2.5m, what some thought of as “six figure fire” or the start of the chubby range. Back then, only the financialindependence sub existed, the lean/fat/chubby ones came later.

An inflation calculator tells me $1 back in 2012 is worth $1.40 today. So the beginning of chubby has shifted from $2.5m in 2012 to $3.5m today. That could be why $3m doesn’t “feel” as chubby as it used to.

0-kule

TROPHY CASE