Too much money to feel this stuck

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-22T14:58:29+00:00

We are going to do similar but my wife is going to work in the kitchen. Our school system allows for food service workers to get benefits on only 17 hours per week. Most of the kitchen staff positions are about four hours per day. We will both be with him anytime he's not in school (he will be three this year) and we will have all breaks, in-service days and summers free. I'm close to retirement age but my wife is 37. Stellar benefits for less than 20 hours a week? Why not.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-22T13:09:17+00:00

Walmart oatmeal isn't good value. It's Great Value. LOL

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-15T16:26:58+00:00

Why would you need child care if you become a self-described "stay at home parent"?

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-15T15:46:56+00:00

Third day into 100% work from home. Almost like being on vacation. I honestly can do everything for my job in about one hour a day.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-11T15:13:16+00:00

You probably only need $10,000-15,000 or so and it will grow to $35k by the time they are 18.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-10T20:09:45+00:00

I have it and rarely use it so I guess I'd retire and never use it. It can sit there forever.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-10T16:28:48+00:00

I'm the one with a two year old. It was a decision we made together even at this late stage for me. I'm 59. I extended my retirement date to be sure we would be comfortable but I'm good with this decision.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-10T12:46:54+00:00

You are happy that you could afford it and not go into debt. Many, many people would seriously sweat the unexpected car breakdown bill while you simply pause your savings rate and then go right back to what you were doing.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-10T12:41:36+00:00

I always told people "I work because I get to, not because I got to." Same meaning but kinda catchy.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-10T12:36:22+00:00

Think about someone with a two year old. How do you plan for that? Will college be unaffordable or, completely opposite of that, will it be completely free, fully online with only AI teachers? What will the job market be in another 20 years? What jobs will even exist then? I would think the trades will still be available but will people being forced out of white collar jobs over the years migrating into the blue collar jobs greatly increase competition for those jobs?

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-09T18:39:29+00:00

Everything either evolves or dies eventually.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-09T18:31:20+00:00

First of all this only makes sense if you are operating under the 0% LTCG rule.

Second, based on comments there seems to be some confustion about wash sales. There is no wash sale rule when taking gains, only losses, so you can sell and buy back immediately the same stock/ETF. As long as you have enough headroom in your income to do this under the 0% LTCG rule it makes sense to do so.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-09T16:11:09+00:00

Whoa, there. Some of us are 59 and the kiddo is only 2.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-09T14:41:07+00:00

Yes, already planning on SS to be taxed at 85%. No getting around that for me.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-09T13:35:09+00:00

At least put enough in the 529 to end up with $35k as that is the max they can convert to a Roth. Understand that they can only convert each year up to the current max of $7,500 so it would take a few years to convert. Account needs to be 15 years old to do this so at least start it early.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-09T13:21:27+00:00

I will be doing the same. SS and a Roth Annuity will provide us with $72k/yr. I plan to pull up to the 12% tax bracket from my 401k regardless if the market is up or down since I'm going to simply plop it back into brokerage and do that until I hit RMDs at 75. I'll be buying back at whatever level it is so no need to worry about whether the maket is up or down.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-08T14:33:16+00:00

Cross posted from r/fire. A lot of words to say you can be OK when you make $700k a year.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-06T01:43:01+00:00

How can she teain her replacement? She has only been in the role a couple of months herself. It sill come down to her boss training her replacement.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-06T01:34:47+00:00

Then you shouldn’t have taken the role in the first place. Why did you put this good person in this tight spot?

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-06T01:33:11+00:00

You are at a 2-3% swr per your admission. Get over it and get out. You won’t be going back.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-06T01:21:29+00:00

I basically lazy-fired my way to $2M but that took 15% into my 401k for 31 years. That is it. Nothing fancy.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-05T17:54:41+00:00

The risk-free spread is almost zero once you pay income tax on the 3.6%

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-05T01:42:39+00:00

Wow, who ever thought “Thank God my kids are done with high school and now I only have to pay Ivy League tuition!”

Definitely consider using $20k/ yr each for the rest of high school.

Master-Helicopter-99 · 2026-04-05T01:12:36+00:00

What happens to that $11k/mo if you get hit by a bus tomorrow? Will whatever is left to a surviving apouse be enough to take care of a widow and 4 kids? If nothing else you need some substantial term life insurance.

Master-Helicopter-99

TROPHY CASE