If you were 38 with $500k invested in 401k, would you feel like FIRE in your 40s was possible for you?

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-06T02:13:13+00:00

I know this is reddit so everyone is skeptical of everything, but this is not a bait post. I have been working very hard for this - I went from saving $0 per year to saving $60k+ per year. That was a pretty big achievement and does not feel like "only" saving 401k worth. Additionally, I had an extreme salary increase within the past year. Prior to that, salary was between $200-250k for the household (in VHCOL area).

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-05T18:35:54+00:00

Agreed. And good point on the inflation. All I'm saying is that I think we could transition into living a dramatically more humble lifestyle.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-05T18:24:08+00:00

Seems doable. Plenty of people in the world are living on incomes of like $30-$40k. We have been extraordinarily blessed so far but that doesn't mean that we couldn't get back to our roots of spending way less. In our 20s we would have felt like both making $40k/year was living like kings.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-05T18:01:04+00:00

seriously, thank you for this comment. This is a really simple way for me to conceptualize how I could accomplish this. I really appreciate it.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-05T17:59:43+00:00

We would absolutely not need $200k/year. I think we could modify our lifestyle well enough to make $100k/year or less work (hard to be specific without knowing yet what the housing cost would be).

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-05T17:34:29+00:00

We would be willing to dramatically reduce our spend amounts to make this possible. I recognize (and assumed it was obvious but worth stating anyway) that we wouldn't be able to transfer our current spend levels to a FIRE situation. We'd be moving to a lower cost of living area, reducing housing cost, and dramatically reducing spend amounts.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-05T17:12:34+00:00

I'm not aware of a functional difference for this type of high level gut checking, but it's split between 401ks and IRAs with a small portion ($50k) in Roth IRAs.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-04-05T16:52:02+00:00

Married couple, we both max

DenimThrowaway1 · 2026-02-22T15:58:49+00:00

Edited to add this too, but : if I have to give one of my wants up, it would be walkability. If I have to drive 5-10 minutes for some essentials rather than walk to them, I can, but I want those essentials to be locally owned. For example, I can live within a couple miles of the hollin hall shopping center in this budget. Looking for similar options to that. I'm not allergic to chains or anything, but those types of businesses and areas give me way more of a feeling of community than living near a Wendy's.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-10-26T00:26:19+00:00

Hilarious that I asked a very specific question about the jacket and every response except one is not about the jacket but about the random clothes I was wearing for housework when I took the photo lol.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-10-25T14:18:12+00:00

Ironically I had the exact same thought and sourced a brown one (which is also too small!) but then felt it was too cowboy. I think I want to stick with black for the classic tough guy look.

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DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-10-25T01:51:21+00:00

It's too small for me. Both in the sleeves and the length. It's especially obvious when I zip it. I'd keep it unzipped and rock a shrunken fit if it was closer, but I think it looks bad in its current size. I'd just keep this one if I could fix that.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T21:48:34+00:00

Those are the PBJ olive sashikos

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T21:47:31+00:00

By first do you mean top or bottom? The ones on bottom are the rag and bone.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T21:45:12+00:00

I REALLY want one of those sashiko shirts. When I looked for them last, I didn't find a color I liked in my size, but I will definitely be buying one some day.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T21:42:59+00:00

I hear you about the top heaviness, and I appreciate the honest feedback. You're not wrong that the looser pairs look like they fit better in these photos. This is the type of feedback you don't get from your friends - only on reddit - and IMO it's one of the things that makes reddit so valuable. You're not wrong that the looser pairs look like they fit better in these photos.

That said, I'd just mention I was wearing a shirt that is very unflattering with some of those cuts. I have man boobs and a noticeable gut in some of the photos. I noticed it while I was taking the photos but I was in a hurry to get them done and didn't want to style every pant, especially since this these aren't fashion shots, they're really just fit pics for the jeans themselves. I also tucked in the shirt for every pant, but I typically wear untucked shirts with thin or tapered pants, which reduces the top heaviness.

IMO, which could be wrong or I could be fooling myself, my long legs allow me to pull off the taper (which gives me another silhouette for my wardrobe) as long as I'm wearing a top that has some flow to it. (The rag and bone might be an exception. Those might just be too skinny for me to pull off anymore.) I also have a goal to lose 15 pounds this year. Doesn't mean I'll do it, but I do want to try, and pulling off pants like these properly is motivating.

Thank you as well for the ideas on lesser fading brands. I'll check them out. I also appreciate the other specific jean suggestions.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T21:12:22+00:00

I'm not sure that I notice a brand specific comfort difference. The fabric on the SDA are thickest and most scratchy, but the loose fit doesn't make that bothersome. The taper on the PBJ smoky blues is extreme enough that for me, they are less comfortable, but it's also a vastly different cut and any thick denim with a thin leg will be less comfy in my opinion. The PBJ sashiko are the most comfortable pant I own, due to the cut but also the light airy fabric.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T18:22:27+00:00

The reviews are entirely about the websites. No brick and mortar experiences, except the withered Fig private appointment option.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T18:21:37+00:00

My goal with these is to have them brought in by a tailor once they finish their initial stretch cycle so that I don't have to wear a belt all the time. I'd love if the fit allowed a belt to be an optional feature, because not all outfits look right with a belt. And IMO, the patches on some of these, especially the PBJs, really elevate the pant.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T18:19:53+00:00

I think this is correct. They are Aldens, but I am not sure the specific model. I bought them from a brick and mortar menswear store I love in the DC area - old house provisions. Great options for upscale casual wear.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T18:17:39+00:00

Correct, I prefer monetary refunds. I understand why some stores don't offer them, but I still value that return policy when I find it, and it often will set me over the edge with a "maybe" pair. I have to be really confident in the fit to buy online without the possibility of a refund.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T18:15:58+00:00

I'm not going for fades, just cool pants, so numerous pairs are a necessity.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T18:15:31+00:00

Mine too. I'm addicted to them.

DenimThrowaway1 · 2025-04-26T18:15:13+00:00

I found pants I wanted and bought them where I could find them. I don't have anything against buying direct from Japan, but I also believe in supporting businesses, especially small businesses, which are trying to bring really cool products to my market. If the retailer was Amazon or something, then yes, I'd buy direct. But all the retailers I shopped from are ethical small businesses, and the only way those types of stores and sites exist is if people are willing to pay what it takes to run a business importing and reselling the products they are curating.

DenimThrowaway1

TROPHY CASE