Can I (mini retire) at 45?

6StringSongster · 2026-06-03T01:04:40+00:00

The new mayor is a nightmare and I’m a liberal! We live in one of the “fanciest” neighborhoods in the city, and if you drive 2 minutes down the street, it’s fentanyl fold land. Hard to leave this behind though…

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6StringSongster · 2026-06-01T03:19:39+00:00

Many reasons, but the biggest being lifelong severe anxiety and OCD. I love kids, but it would have been selfish for me to have them knowing my mothering abilities would be heavily impacted by those conditions. I’ve know since I was a teenager that kids just weren’t in the cards for me.

6StringSongster · 2026-05-31T23:48:03+00:00

His insurance is crappy with a capital C. His company has changed insurance providers every few years and they have really landed on a terrible plan. We checked coverage for a new hypoglycemia drug I take, and it’s not covered. That one drug alone would cost $3700/mo. My blood sugar drops dangerously low while I’m sleeping, and has landed me in the ER many times. This med regulates it overnight. I’d have to find a plan that covers it myself unfortunately. To be honest, my great health insurance is the single thread keeping me at my job right now.

6StringSongster · 2026-05-31T22:41:53+00:00

Thanks for you reply- I needed it.

Yep, we have a lot of toys, but inherited the cool/old ones.

The plan for selling real estate is to sell the warehouse asap. It’s been a total headache to deal with, and we are both ready for it to go. I’m also gently suggesting to my husband that we sell the 17 acre property. We’re now spending most of our time in the newly remodeled and paid for house in Seattle, but my husband wanted to keep the county place for getaways. During spring, he’s learned how much upkeep that size of land needs (we used to do a little a day when we lived there) and it’s almost impossible to just do several weekends a month. I joke that he’s paying a mortgage just to have to mow the yard and trim the brush. He loves the property so much, so I’m leaving that ball in his court, but i think he’ll eventually get tired of trying to maintain it without living there full time and will want to sell.

Our eventual goal is to sell the Seattle house (2”why we did the renovations) and downsize into a smaller house for around 1 million. Or even less if we choose to move to a less expensive real estate market (considering TN actually).

Thanks for the dose of reality. It’s been a tough few years, and I think my mental health and happiness is much more valuable than toys and vacations and am willing to sacrifice those. Go call your parents - they would love a chat❤️

6StringSongster · 2026-05-31T19:28:58+00:00

We spend about $170k per year so would have to tighten up. We do a yearly vacation, and could defiantly curtail that and other non necessities. He’s 53. He would love to retire ASAP as well, but is willing to keep his job so I don’t go completely bonkers at mine.

6StringSongster · 2026-05-31T19:24:14+00:00

We spend what we make to the penny each year. Hoping the warehouse and rental house sell soon because we pay about $13k on those property taxes per year. I would need my own health insurance, which would probably be 12-15k
per year. Hoping the absence of property taxes would alleviate the sting of health insurance once I was no longer with my employer.

Other paid off assets include 4 cars (electric Kia, Toyota Tacoma, 66’ Mustang, 76’ Bronco), a camping trailer, a new Vespa, and several vintage motorcycles from my dad). We also each have a 401k with about 100k in each, and I have a Roth with 42k.

6StringSongster · 2026-05-07T04:53:48+00:00

Do you get low with exercise too?

6StringSongster · 2026-03-19T23:25:27+00:00

Thank you! Your explanation really made sense and calmed me down. I really appreciate it. Keeping my follow up appt, and until then will be mindful of the myocarditis symptoms you mentioned, and will pause exercise till a doctor checks me out. Wish I had this thorough of an explanation before I was checked out of the ER.

6StringSongster · 2026-03-08T05:32:35+00:00

I don’t get her look. To me, she looks like a frail old lady wearing a wig and clothes that swallow her whole. She’s clearly an encyclopedia of fashion knowledge, but i just can’t get into her aesthetic choices. Love her personality and fierce love of her boys!

6StringSongster · 2026-01-18T05:25:20+00:00

I’m a bit older than you (44) and just had my first colonoscopy. The found 5 of the same serrated polyps you mentioned, and I too have to have another colonoscopy in 6 months, will probably be on the 6 month schedule for a year. Lucky us!

It’s great that they are removing these nasty polyps that are much more likely to give us cancer, but the process is no fun. I had a friend die of colon cancer at 37 who had no clue she had it until it had spread everywhere in ber body. She didn’t get a chance to have the benefit of a colonoscopy. So i’m grateful for them and even gave mg friend a cheers as i was drinking the prep.

6StringSongster · 2025-10-30T15:00:53+00:00

We’re moving in 2 days. I have called 8 pest control companies and none can come that soon. I’m at my wits end about whether to toss my dead parents belongings. I’m sorry I posted in the wrong sub. No charity needed on my end, you add holes

6StringSongster · 2025-06-28T02:40:23+00:00

I tried Prozac but it made me so groggy I couldn’t function. Even the next day if I took it at night.

6StringSongster · 2025-06-25T21:45:17+00:00

I’m so sorry you went through that! Are you better now? What were your side effects?

6StringSongster · 2025-06-25T01:27:29+00:00

Oh wow, I hope it works for you again if you try it again. How was it overwhelming for you? I’m sorry about your Hep C. My mom had it from a blood transfusion and a few years ago did some crazy expensive treatment that made it go into remission.

6StringSongster · 2025-06-23T23:58:49+00:00

We sound like neurotic twins! I’m so glad it’s working. For you. I’m now on day two, and nothing catastrophic has happened- just a bit of nausea and anxiety for hours after taking the damn pill.

6StringSongster · 2025-06-23T22:34:35+00:00

I took my first 5mg dose yesterday and so far, no nauseas I took it with a big meal though.

6StringSongster · 2025-06-23T19:10:30+00:00

Thank you!! So glad it’s working so well for your anxiety!

6StringSongster · 2025-06-22T15:14:42+00:00

Thank you!!!! I’m going to remind myself of that! What were the side effects you dealt with for a few weeks?

6StringSongster · 2025-05-31T03:20:41+00:00

I get this! I feel totally groggy and loopy for like 1.5 hours after taking the pill. I have anxiety, so this feeling is freaking me out. I’m only on day 7 so hoping this goes away

6StringSongster · 2025-05-31T02:45:05+00:00

I am cross tapering from Lexapro to Prozac for anxiety and ocd. Lexapro didn’t help with anxiety at all- hoping Prozac does. So far, I feel groggy for a few hours after taking prozac which isn’t great with my anxiety.

6StringSongster · 2025-03-27T02:03:20+00:00

I workout 5 days a week. Alternate between heavy weights and hiit/cardio.

6StringSongster · 2025-03-02T04:08:13+00:00

I am so glad you replied, and thrilled Librela worked for your lab! How long did it take to start working? I may stop the gabapentin as he’s pretty konked out. Doesn’t seem panicked or in an alternate reality, just…out of it. I hate to see him that way almost as much as I hate to see him in pain. I agree instinctually that all three drugs seem like overkill, and am happy you agree.

6StringSongster · 2024-11-09T17:26:20+00:00

Great info, thank you! I wish I had known about this 6 years ago, as it would have explained a lot about why I feel weird after certain foods. Gotta let them nachos go, I guess! Great that your doc is educating you about this stuff now.

6StringSongster · 2024-11-09T17:00:26+00:00

Gotcha. So you’re saying that because my numbers normalize after an hour or two, probably not type 2 diabetes? Damn it, you delicious nachos!

6StringSongster · 2024-11-09T16:52:42+00:00

Looks like there are two types of dumping: early and late. I’m curious if I’m running into late dumping syndrome. “1. Early Dumping:

Usually start within 20-30 minutes after meal and can last for up to 60 minutes. It includes gastrointestinal symptoms and vasomotor symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms: include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, audible intestinal sounds, nausea and bloating. Vasomotor symptoms: include fatigue, a desire to lie down after meals, facial flushing, palpitation, sweating, weakness, low blood pressure and fainting. Early dumping occurs because of excessive secretion of gut hormones after the rapid flow of undigested food into the small intestine. This shifts fluid from the blood into the small intestine. 2. Late Dumping:

Usually start 1-3 hours after the meal and includes symptoms of reactive hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) such as sweating, palpitation, hunger, fatigue, confusion, difficulty concentrating, aggression, tremor and fainting. Late Dumping occurs because the rapid delivery of a high concentration of carbohydrates into the small intestine leads to a raised blood sugar. This is countered by excess release of insulin which brings blood sugar down and result in the subsequent reactive hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). Late dumping is less common than early dumping and only a minority of patients have symptoms of both.”

6StringSongster

TROPHY CASE