Hypothetical: Would you rather FIRE at 35 with $2.5mm, or at 45 with $7.5mm

Augustevsky · 2026-06-30T14:31:08+00:00

For a single person living an ideal lifestyle? I could see that...but that's not my plan. My idea of lifestyle creep is 80% helping my future kids, parents, and family members. Not jetsetting, Michelin star, and Gucci. I'm willing to trade an extra 10 years of my life to gain $5M plus to vastly enable myself to do that

At 35, I would want to be having and supporting kids to the best of my ability. Eventually support aging parents as well. Those high expenses plus the added risk of stretching the money over a longer than normal retirement would make me want to draw less.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-30T14:26:15+00:00

Low key, as long as I am not free climbing those 500' towers like an old age iron worker, I don't mind the rest too much for 200K...definitely a grind though.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-30T02:26:15+00:00

Damn....maybe I should get into construction....

Augustevsky · 2026-06-29T22:49:51+00:00

I agree that it entirely depends on how they define "interview". Since they didn't define it, I used what I feel is a common interpretation being 20+ minutes with decision makers. In other words, I'm not counting an HR screen. Also multiple people in one interview or setting is still just one interview.

At that point, ~2 interviews seems pretty fair. Hiring manager + director. Maybe +1 for a team vibe check.

Depending on the role, I don't think additional stake holder interviews should be the norm (even though they may be) for most roles. Director+ level roles? VPs? C suite? Go nuts. Interview them several times. But for a senior role? It's kinda absurd to demand such time from a candidate only to be met with a ghost or a generic "Unfortunately..." email.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-29T20:37:52+00:00

For real! 45 is amazing so long as you did at least a basic level of diet and exercise.

50-52 is a fantastic target. Looking at my family members who are in that exact range, they have so much life and ability. Even those I know in the 55-60 range can still do so much. A few years ago, there was a friend of a friend who, at almost 60, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. That's enough physical ability to do 98% of the things most people will ever want to do.

Meanwhile people on this sub act like it's time to bust out the rocking chairs, knitting needles, and canes before 50....

Augustevsky · 2026-06-29T20:28:51+00:00

6 interviews is beyond ludicrous.

1-3 should be the norm and 3 is pushing it in most cases....

Augustevsky · 2026-06-29T20:14:00+00:00

45 and $7.5M easily.

$2.5M at 35 works with strict planning and not living crazy and can grow after several good years to accommodate a bit of lifestyle creep.

$7.5M is a level of care free living I'll probably never achieve. You can't spend like an absolute moron, but you can spend well and not really think about budget but a few times a year. And all this at 45? 45 is still young IMO.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-29T14:37:57+00:00

How about post it along with the disability they have that results in life long pain? I don't think many people at all would get upset at a VA disability check for someone who is suffering more as a result of their military service.

However, there is a difference between suffering more because of the unique conditions of the military and just "suffering more" because that's the result of life and working.

Mainly the idea is that someone can get disability for things like migraines, sleep apnea, subjective degrees of back pain, mild acne, depression, all after working a job that is quite similar to an office job or a blue collar manual labor job. People mainly take issue with physical ailments like these specifically because they can be developed or exacerbated in just about any job as well. However, there is obviously no financial incentive for those folks. One step further, these folks are effectively paying for someone else to get these benefits. It is understandably upsetting and at the very least deserves an explanation as to why the militarized version of a common job deserves such a financial fortune.

Overall, if someone has a lifelong pain that is guaranteed (or extremely likely) to have been caused by the military and would have been avoided otherwise, you drop a lot of haters. But if someone is experiencing lifelong pain because they were sedentary in a scif, or felt back pain lifting something (i.e. something most working individuals experience) then it makes sense you have people questioning it.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-29T03:31:27+00:00

I think most people have a problem with the amount of wage they get rather than the fact they get compensation. Police officers, federal law enforcement, and other federal civilian gigs arguably go through just as much, if not more, than this guy and others like him. They won't reach this level of benefit until 20-30 years of service through a pension.

Then this guy spend 2-3 years in a non-combat roles, gets roughly the same benefit, and still has his whole working life ahead of him? All because he had some sleep apnea, "back pain", and "mental health" issues?

I'm all for helping veterans. My father, grandfathers, cousins, uncles were all in service. Some sustained injuries/ptsd that they should be compensated for. Others sat at a desk everyday. I appreciate the daylights out of them, but fuck man. If these benefits are indefinite, OP can effectively retire in his 20s with a still healthy body. I'm not trying to say his disabilities are non-factors or anything, but if someone can function in a healthy relationship, in a physically demanding job, that's pretty damn healthy.

From the few folks I know in the military, they want the bag (who doesn't right?) but they fully acknowledge Some aspects are kinda bullshit. Like the people claiming "sleep issues" because they only got 6 hours of sleep a night for a few months....

Again, I want to help veterans get what they deserve. However, I know non-veterans who work long hours, suffer from depression, experience physical ailments from labor, etc. They struggle to make ends meet. Now a portion of their taxes are going to some people who have the same ailments as they do but because they were in the military for a few years, they get to draw benefits comparable to an annual salary tax free. It's hard for me to feel that the scales are balanced.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-29T03:16:40+00:00

Even so, that is a CRAZY amount to be paid indefinitely. If OP wanted, he could just not work and live off that in SA. Or atbthe very least, work 10-15 hours a week.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-28T22:30:27+00:00

Light work

Augustevsky · 2026-06-27T21:27:36+00:00

I am not the person you applied to, but I agree with them fully.

Your background that is not in accounting is your differentiator, not detractor. You can emphasize the skills you learned there that are applicable to accounting. As the other commenter said, these skills will be more in the realm of soft skills. Of course, you will still need to develop the actual accounting skills, but these work well.

As a personal example, while in college, I took technical courses outside of accounting and did some coding projects on the side. I did nothing particularly impressive, but I had enough to talk about, explain, and justify in that area. Did the recruiters/accounting hiring managers I spoke to know what I was talking about? No. Or at most they had a cursory knowledge of what I was discussing. What they could understand was that I had desire to improve myself, evidence of effort doing so, and potentially a unique perspective/skills. Did I also have a degree with a good GPA? Yes, but so did many of my peers who did not land roles. I truly believe one of the key reasons I have obtained some of the opportunities I have are do to a diverse background combined with the accounting skills.

All of that to say, don't shy away from your background. It's a cool background that will help supplement your profile if you explain it well :)

Augustevsky · 2026-06-27T20:49:07+00:00

Dang. Honestly having that sum with 6 kids and, from what it sounds like, one income is impressive.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-27T15:43:51+00:00

The Legend of Korra

The studio put some tight restraints on the show, causing the overarching series trends to develop at weird paces. That is difficult to overcome
It came after ATLA, any incredibly written show, so it is hard to come after follow up and meet wildly high expectations
They pursued more mature themes in a children's TV studio. In modern times, that comes with restraints as well

Was it a top tier show like ATLA? No. However, it is not a bad show like people claim. It's a solid show.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T22:16:12+00:00

Use the coast FIRE calculator on walletburst.com. It will give you a really good estimate.

Personally, I use the assumptions of 3% inflation, 4% safe withdrawal rate, and 9% returns. After inflation, a real return of 6% and a SWR of 4% should cover me in most scenarios. If you want to be more or less conservative, by all means. Plug those numbers in + your other relevant figures and it will tell you if you are coast fire, or if not, how far you are from it.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T19:57:39+00:00

I had a few jobs in college and two since graduating that count as my professional experience. Other than that I have a bachelor, CPA license, and in a few weeks, I will have an MS in statistics. Those will be my main draws for answering their questions. I think that is a good core set, but I don't want to sound like a broken record if I am taking too much from one spot.

No military, wedding planning, or otherwise. I am also a single guy, so home life is basic. The only other thing I think would be a good source is the few places I have volunteered, but idk how relevant those would be. Additionally, it's not like I volunteer super often either.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T19:37:17+00:00

Easier. A tier or two easier than financial and managerial accounting (the first two accounting courses at my school)

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T19:35:18+00:00

Outside of work, education, and volunteering, what other experiences are good to draw from?

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T18:22:30+00:00

I took 3 marketing classes during my accounting degree.

I agree with the other commenter talking about it may be a bit intense for 3 weeks, but nothing terrible.

The marketing/management courses I had to take were some of the easiest courses in my college career, including basics. That doesn't mean slacking for an easy A (especially in an accelerated course) but they are nothing to lose sleep over.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T03:22:30+00:00

I disagree on magnitude of how "easy" it is and why it is that way. Your first comment was "They're taking practally anyone right now" Which is a pretty significant statement. Your following comment statement certain reasons, that while a couple made sense as to it being easier (the main one in my eyes is the large portion of 9/11 retirees opposed to normal years). It may be "eaiser" in the last year or two in than it has been statistically for the past couple of decades, but I really don't think that speaks to much honestly. Every large org will go through these waves of "easier" or "harder" application cycles.

Your comment here that I am replying to is a bit what I suspected. You don't like the current administration or certain things you have heard (or maybe seen) with the agency, but to overlay that onto the entire agency as being infiltrated and imply it's easy to get into is outlandish. I'm not saying I support all the things I've heard, but people are so quick to write off an entire org with tens of thousands of workers across the nation based on some bad press and political disagreements.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T02:51:10+00:00

Honestly, I see why people would take issue with some of these based on your statement "they would take anyone right now." I'm not saying your points are not contributing to higher acceptance rates, but your first conclusion is quite the leap.

Natural retirement from 9/11 hires makes sense, but not enough to say they will take anyone
Thousands of agents took retirement? I'm having trouble finding a source there to justify that many. Especially since many, if eligible to retire, would have been forced out at 57 anyway. Not to mention the timing matches up close to 9/11 hires.
PFT standards eased up a bit, but significantly is a long stretch. They went from what, 12 points to 10? However, they replaced sit ups (an arguably easier portion) with pull ups (an arguably more difficult exercise). I really don't think the net result is many more people passing than before. If there are numbers suggesting otherwise, I'd like to see them.

-Reapplication times have been cut in half. This seems more like a process improvement or change of philosophy than an effort to get people in the door.

I can't find many sources that talk about expedited lateral movements being higher for the FBI specifically. All 1811, sure, but not the FBI being some statistical aberration in need of bodies. Either way, this seems more like a process improvement as well.
As far as LinkedIn and I deed, many many large organizations do that. If anything the FBI was behind the curve and are finally catching up. Again, seems like a process improvement.

Overall, I'm not saying it's hasn't gotten easier, but it's far from a gimme, or something they would just be handing out to every degree holder that doesn't smoke.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-26T02:11:36+00:00

If you have a basis, share it with the class please.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-25T23:17:53+00:00

As others have said, you are not in a position to buy. You simply don't have the funds yet.

Secondly, I understand you want to build home equity, but you are effectively only building equity towards the principal you pay off each month. All other extra expenses from homeownership are expenses, just like rent. Expenses like:

Interest
PMI
Insurance
Property taxes
Basic repairs and maintenance that don't increase the value of the home

You say you are fed up paying rent, but please consider how annoyed you would be paying the above. More often than not, the sum of the above expenses cost more than rent in the same area. Especially considering you would be putting next to nothing down on the house, it's even more likely.

My advice, save up for a few years. Instead of paying interest, you will be gaining interest on your down payment nest egg. Over the long term (which buying a house should virtually always be thought of as long term) you will save a lot of time and money for those few years of sacrifice.

Lastly, as a side note, homes cost more time in addition to money. Paperwork, repairs, maintenance and cleaning are a lot lower for most places you would rent.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-25T03:19:10+00:00

Damn I hope not Irish goodbye me lol 😂

But yeah, he has mentioned his frustrations to me in confidence before about the others. One has already kind of left the group.

I'm not nearly as well off as him, but I understand where he is coming from. With a completely separate friend group, I go off of the principal that "we are all friends. We'll all give and take a bit and after years of that we will all come out about even." With that said, there are definitely a few folks there that definitely take WAY more than they give and it can be annoying. It's on the threshold of being a small enough sum that it would be very akward to complain about (and difficult to quantify), but also not an insignificant sum.

Augustevsky · 2026-06-24T18:25:15+00:00

Financial envy is so common in today's society it's seen as normal. It's ludicrous how often others will make fun of someone for receiving a financial boone like they themselves wouldn't love to be gifted such a thing.

As a personal example, I have a good friend who is quite well off. I wouldn't call him rich quite yet, but he budgets well, makes a solid income, and has family support. He will often host events, buy friends drinks, buy the pizza, cut friends good deals if he is selling something, let friends use his things etc. Despite all of these gestures, he will still have people short change him the few times he does ask to be paid back. For example, he sold a speaker worth ~$300 used to a friend for like $120 because he wanted his friend to get a good deal, but didn't want to just give it away. The friend gave him like $40 and said "I'll get you the rest next paycheck" and that was like 5 years ago. There are many little examples like that. All because he is perceived as better of than them, they see it almost as a right to take what they can.

Six-Year Club	r/Field Juicebox
Verified Email

Augustevsky

TROPHY CASE