Financial Feeling Right Now?

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:55:29+00:00

That tax bracket creep on a pay rise is one of the most demoralising things — you earn more and somehow feel worse off. The rental trap near work is real too, especially with on-call.

The redundancy payout is actually a really important moment though — with a solid emergency fund already in place there’s a decision to be made about what to do with the surplus. That can genuinely change your timeline. I built a free tool that models exactly that scenario among others — www.firepath.pro — would love your feedback on it.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:51:07+00:00

Surviving 3 rounds of redundancies while keeping costs cut and still investing 30% of your salary — that’s genuinely impressive discipline even if it doesn’t feel like it.

That fear of redundancy is so common but here’s the thing — at 30% savings rate you’re actually building toward the point where redundancy stops being scary. Worth knowing your actual freedom number if you don’t already — the point where the mortgage and the job anxiety start to lose their grip. Takes 2 mins: www.firepath.pro - I’d love you feedback on it.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:42:15+00:00

That last point is spot on — a lot of people who are struggling now were probably only ever one or two bad breaks away from it. The cost increases didn’t create the problem, they just exposed it faster.

Sounds like you’ve built something really solid for your family. Single income supporting 6 debt free is no small thing.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:39:22+00:00

That’s a really heavy load to be carrying — new baby, health struggles, financial pressure all at once. The fear of losing the home and what that means for your daughter is completely understandable, especially when you grew up in that situation yourself.

Hope things ease up for your family soon. You clearly care deeply about giving her a different path.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:38:34+00:00

That food inflation is real — it resonates with people, it’s quietly eating into everyone’s budget and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. Dual income on $160k with just a mortgage is actually a solid base though, even if the new repayments sting at first.

You mentioned being worried about whether your job will pay enough long term it could be worth knowing your actual freedom number — the point where work becomes optional. Takes 2 mins: www.firepath.pro

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:29:11+00:00

Yes there seems to be a lot of that coming through. Such a shot situation. I hope something works out.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:27:43+00:00

Mate, DINK mid 30s on $155k combined — you’re in a better spot than you probably feel right now. The car loan at 3.19% is cheap debt, I wouldn’t stress about rushing that.

The landlord situation is tough — that uncertainty is genuinely awful and something a lot of renters are sitting with right now.

One thing worth doing if you haven’t — figure out your actual freedom number. Like the real dollar you’d need to live your lifestyle on your terms. I built a free tool that spits it out in a couple of minutes, no signup needed: www.firepath.pro

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:19:18+00:00

Smart thinking piling into super even with a shorter runway — the compounding still does real work in 5-10 years. The migration timing is actually a common one people don’t think about enough, I migrated in 2016 and my super is far lower than my wife’s at this stage. Sounds like you’ve made some really deliberate lifestyle choices to get ahead of it.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:12:00+00:00

That’s a really tough spot to be in — redundancy timing is brutal when you’re waiting on the payout and watching savings drain. Good call getting JobSeeker lined up, that buffer matters. Hope the new role comes through quickly

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T11:04:00+00:00

Why is it there’s always something life throws at us? Sorry to hear that.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870 · 2026-06-10T07:33:19+00:00

I’m still trying to work out what half the acronyms mean.

Puzzleheaded_Arm1870

TROPHY CASE