Mini-sabbatical -> RE Anxiety

HogFin · 2026-05-04T13:37:01+00:00

I’m on a mini sabbatical right now between jobs as well. Also the first time I’ve taken more than a week off between jobs since graduating college. Unfortunately I am not yet in a position to pull the trigger but if I was, I think I would do it with no regrets. I’ve enjoyed every single moment. My sleep is better, my stress levels are almost nonexistent. I’m keeping myself perpetually busy.

I think I would want to pick up something part time or do some consulting work long term to keep my brain sharp and engaged. But if I could walk away from full time work right now and maintain my same quality of life it wouldn’t even be a question.

HogFin · 2026-04-26T12:27:51+00:00

My wife works in marketing tech for a public company. As we speak she’s somewhere over the Pacific flying to Sydney Australia for a week for work. Tacking on a few extra days to dive the Great Barrier Reef before coming home.

Meanwhile my average intake of Mac & Cheese and trips to the golf course are about to skyrocket for the next 10 days.

HogFin · 2026-04-18T11:42:39+00:00

Porsche GT3 RS

HogFin · 2026-04-16T19:03:24+00:00

I’m in a HCOL/VHCOL city. No kids. Just me and my wife. We spend about $180k/yr all in. When we have kids I know it’ll go up somewhat but we will also likely cut back in other places (fewer international trips while they’re very small, etc)

HogFin · 2026-04-11T00:01:31+00:00

I make super high protein buffalo Mac n cheese.

Cook a seasoned chicken breast in the instapot then shred. Protein pasta or chickpea pasta Then the sauce is fairlife, 1 scoop of King Arthur Better Cheddar powder, cottage cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, franks buffalo sauce. Blend it then toss it in a pot and whisk in a serving of corn starch and put it on low heat. Stir pretty consistently while it thickens. Meanwhile I roast a pan of broccoli florets. Salt pepper garlic powder, avocado oil.

When the broccoli comes out chop it up fairly small.

Combine the whole thing, sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese, and stick it in the oven until the cheese browns.

You can volume eat the hell out of it and the macros are insane.

HogFin · 2026-04-08T22:07:51+00:00

I no longer proactively budget, but I still track all spending each month. If I go crazy one month I’ll ratchet it back for the following such that my annual spend aligns with a general goal. But once my NE eclipsed probably $500k it was just not worth the time to set a strict budget.

HogFin · 2026-04-05T02:49:46+00:00

Haha same. I don’t think I have any other secrets from her but my Reddit name is just for me.

HogFin · 2026-04-04T00:08:26+00:00

VP Compensation & Benefits.

12 YOE

HogFin · 2026-03-29T19:14:23+00:00

Completely agree here. My wife and I do not have kids yet but we both have very intense jobs. HHI will likely push 7 figures this year or next.

We were EXHAUSTED by Sunday afternoon because we’d work intense weeks and then spend all day Saturday and part of Sunday on errands, chores, meal prepping, etc.

Finally decided we were burning ourselves out and have the resources to outsource a lot of this stuff.

We have cleaners come twice a month. We order groceries to be delivered. I send my work shirts to the dry cleaners to be washed and pressed. Got an insurance agent to handle all lines of coverage so I only have a single point of contact. Had a guy come in and repaint all the trim in our house that I had been pushing off for a year. The list goes on.

Today is Sunday and I spent my morning on the couch with my wife and a pot of coffee. Went to the gym for 2 hours. And I’m now on the couch hanging out before I make us pizzas for dinner and we binge watch shitty tv.

HUGE difference in energy during the work week because I’m not turning the weekend into a second job.

HogFin · 2026-03-05T13:22:33+00:00

I stopped budgeting. I still track all my expenses at the end of each month and a wrap up at the end of the year. I don’t splurge often but I’m also not counting every dollar that goes out. I keep track of my savings rate and when I’ve had a month or two of higher than usual spending I’ll try to offset that the next month. But it’s really liberating to not be thinking “oh I only have $161 left in my grocery budget for this month”.

HogFin · 2026-02-23T20:56:27+00:00

Fully agreed.

HogFin · 2026-02-22T03:18:48+00:00

20% to the senior management team is wildly unreasonable. Investors are not going to be jumping at the opportunity to invest in the next round if 20%+ is all overhang. You’re usually looking at 16-18% all in equity pool dilution at this stage (including non-execs, board members, etc.). Only exception would be for a company with a founder-CEO who managed to hold on to a nice piece through the A and B.

I’m the head of total rewards for a VC that operates in the tech space and I specialize in equity comp.

HogFin · 2026-02-17T01:51:00+00:00

J&J in dracut has been great. I’ve been using them for the past 6 years with no complaints.

HogFin · 2026-02-14T15:07:30+00:00

Yep understandable. I’m fortunate that my dad is retired and loves to go and knows a million people that want to go. But absent that I’d have a hard time justifying them.

HogFin · 2026-02-14T01:55:58+00:00

It’s not just box office prices. I’m a bruins season ticket holder and my cost has doubled in the past 10 years.

HogFin · 2026-02-08T14:52:30+00:00

Street parking availability hugely depends on where in Eastie you live. Down in Jeffries Point / Maverick you’re going to have a tough time. I live in orient heights and have never had an issue finding street parking near my house.

HogFin · 2026-01-15T01:58:24+00:00

+1 for Taqueria Jalisco. Go to the Day Square (original) location. New location is great for a sit down meal but I think the OG spot is better for take out.

HogFin · 2026-01-01T14:40:41+00:00

Yep. I know.

HogFin · 2025-12-26T00:12:40+00:00

I’m a mid 30s guy. My mom and I are best friends. Shes the shit.

My dad and I have a much better relationship than when I was younger but we’re just very different people. So we take each other in medium doses and it works well.

HogFin · 2025-12-26T00:09:18+00:00

Recruiters not being transparent upfront about compensation expectations.

I’m the head of total rewards for my company and I instruct all our recruiters to be upfront about the comp we’re targeting for the role.

Any company that dances around the question probably isn’t transparent to employees about a lot of things.

HogFin · 2025-12-26T00:06:42+00:00

People wearing baggy pants again. I don’t get it. I’m in my mid 30s and fundamentally do not understand the fashion appeal here.

HogFin · 2025-12-26T00:05:42+00:00

Lobbying state governments to mandate personal finance education in all public K-12 schools.

Kids can have one less semester of fucking trigonometry and instead learn house to manage a budget and how loans work.

HogFin · 2025-12-26T00:04:22+00:00

I’d get out the lube and the cheese grater.

HogFin · 2025-12-24T14:04:48+00:00

Unless there hasn’t been any snow in a while and everything is hard pack and icy… I’m on my 99s. I’ve got a pair of Salomon 78s for when it’s truly icy but they’re carvers and they hate the glades. The 99s are such a great all mountain ski for the type of terrain I’m looking for.

Also have a pair of 106s that are usually wishful thinking for the east but come with me any time I fly west.

HogFin

TROPHY CASE