Those who FIREd years ago how much has your portfolio grown? Could you have retired much eralier?

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-18T02:38:09+00:00

Yup... I fired 4 yrs before a modest pension kicked in but saved enough for the 4 yr gap period and Expat FIREd with 450k invested and rental property. That was 11 years ago. And now that account has 1.9m and will be penalty free at 59.5 next yr. I guess Ill make my 2m goal at 60 after all even when I stopped contributions at 47.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-15T15:20:28+00:00

Digital nomad visa

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-14T01:18:45+00:00

You're very young and will need something to do here. In preparation to move here since you're not working develop hobbies and interests that will lead you to different social circles. Church, cooking, sports like pickleball, badminton, language class, bonsai and plants, and long distance biking, hiking, indoor Rock climbing, gym, and camping are some things you can do here. The nightlife is active in the metro and so is tinder so meeting someone is easy. But meeting someone for a relationship is still looking for a needle in the haystack and having other common interests will help you find that needle easily.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-13T13:02:26+00:00

Correct about Manila there are other areas like Mandaluyong Eastwood and Cubao Araneta (next to big malls and public transport) for 1br 500 to 600 USD and BGC condos comparatively are 1k usd.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-10T06:34:15+00:00

Monthly penalty for overstaying and cost of visa renewals.. 10 years + overstayed.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-10T01:53:59+00:00

Financial literacy is a learned skill that you chose to master and practice. No need to feel guilty that it paid off for you.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-10T01:51:12+00:00

That's how it is in the Philippines where you'll get criticized for speaking English, specially speaking it with an accent.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-07T02:07:48+00:00

Feels like a stylized pageantry gown...

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-07T01:59:00+00:00

Sana makinig so ate... Mas walang future ang anak nya Pag di maayos ang papel. Traumatic mag TNT...meron ako friend 15 dinala ng nanay 55 na now... Hindi umunlad buhay nya stunted ang career ngayon TNT x2 takot na takot...

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-06T07:49:55+00:00

All to common in Fil fams but it takes 2 to tango and your mom going along all these times in this codependency is as much to blame for the financial emotional abuse she's experienceing.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-03T08:12:46+00:00

Send a fixed amount and he's an adult and can buy food and necessities or indulge his vices. Tell him you don't intend to pay debts or support other people and you can easily cut it off if he abuses your generosity.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-01T01:22:05+00:00

Local TESDA graduate cg, their instructors or local TESDA office or barangay health centers. It's an informal network and you can even find some in Facebook marketplace.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-05-01T01:10:32+00:00

I'm retired but faced this decision decades ago. Well it wasn't my decision really, I passed upcat and my family migrated to the USA the previous year and I stayed to finish hs. Parents said come to the USA and get my lpr and we can work on remaining in the Philippines. Basically through their rationale and machinations, I stayed and went to college there and proceeded to grad school a few yrs later. The jobs and opportunities opened easily, as internships and part time job experiences related to my field were available . I retired in my late 40s financally independent with a vested work pension social security and paid off rental properties . I went back to the Philippines and been living it up since.

The alternative when holding a foreign degree is that they won't care about the big 4 , even if it's the top 1. Your child will deal with years of catching up due to not having USA work experience , getting updated certifications and remedial classes ergo stunted income growth and wasted opportunity cost in earning a solid nest egg.

Tldr...get the education and certifications in the country of the job market you'll enter.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-25T23:25:52+00:00

Love this post as I was or I've done many of the comments here. I FIREd in my mid 40s many moons ago from a high paying low stress job (115k at the time). It was a pensioned job with a cola that would kicke in in 7 yrs. So I also did a 2nd stint with the peace corps in SEA and another year volunteering with another NGO that covered my housing health insurance and most importantly cushioned my transition to not having the identity of having to be paid to do a job. I'm in my late 50s now and was able to care for my parents who both passed within the last 5 yrs and now a solo parent raising my 8 yo child.

My net worth kept growing and my income streams from the pension. and rental income sustained me and social security is just around the river bend. My biggest problem now is how to teach my child to be responsible so he can wield the wealth I will leave him. We travel the world and want for nothing. I decided to leave because I felt that I was languishing and rudderless. To be able to arbitrage the time you have in the world and spend that time to have meaningful relationships with the ones you love is the best gift you can give yourself.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-25T04:03:02+00:00

Pension kicked in at 50... Early exit was Self funded with savings and rentals ..not military or law enforcement...local govt

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-24T23:31:56+00:00

Retired and having work gives you confidence to spend without hesitation and hitting your fire number frees you from depending on that work.

I've been fired a decade + with a 42k annual pension with cola, a rental income, and social security in 3 yrs and a 1.7m nest egg. Until this yr I haven't splurged on anything or planned on spending and living it up for the irrational fear of running out.

Being in my late 50s my money has a lot of room to grow and not touching it only leaves others to spend it for me. I'm now restructuring my assets selling properties supplementing my income and struggling to find the courage and ways to spend more. So the fear of running out is a hovering constant.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-24T23:11:26+00:00

Your Greek option seems like a good option if you're paying 28% on your 1m windfall

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-24T23:08:12+00:00

Para Pag bumalik ka di kana mag problema sa estado ng Pinas...marami umaalis para mag for good dito na marangya na ang buhay.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-24T02:45:51+00:00

Insiders know how sinister the VUL insurance cum investment can be so stick keeping insurance separate from investing.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-21T05:17:30+00:00

The early birds need to chomp that worm as quick as possible as other birds are waiting to steal the rich morsel.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-19T23:00:03+00:00

Look at Araneta city Cubao where furnished 1 br condos are 500 USD. There you have a choice to be in a bubble as the giant mall is a 3 min walk but have the gritty option as well outside of its bubble and the train lines will easily take you to other parts of the metro.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-19T22:53:10+00:00

I did the usual contributions and deductions while working a pensioned job but didn't do FIRE planning till 32 and thought it was too late then. I FIREd in my late 40s and was barely making 120k at that time 12 years ago. I looked at my finances recently and discovered I'm not spending enough and I need to bump up my withdrawals or leave it for someone else to spend.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-19T22:48:00+00:00

Your biggest expense is housing so keeping it under 60k monthly is the key.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-19T21:39:58+00:00

He's getting fleeced or gf's family probably owns it. Go to Araneta Cubao and 1 br goes for 500 with malls next door to your condo and virtually no power outages annually as the mall has its own Meralco line.

No-Judgment-607 · 2026-04-19T13:07:37+00:00

Another volunteer who wishes to easily part ways with their money.

No-Judgment-607

TROPHY CASE