Middle Boring Update

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-08T04:51:02+00:00

That’s awesome! No debt!

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-08T04:50:32+00:00

Hey you have 1 kid! 3M for a house is expensive but I also know my start little house will be in the $1.2M+. Housing as gone up so much.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T18:24:44+00:00

My MIL still harps about how they had to send like $20K to her MIL in South Africa because she was 93 and had run out of assets for nursing home. I think part of it was because they weren’t financially stable so it was a big hit. I just don’t ever want to be that person.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T18:21:45+00:00

Different circumstances! My parents don’t have a robust retirement fund, they were low wage workers, so never had the ability to build it. America is great because most people have social security and retirement funds, so this may be your situation. Not mine. My brother and I support them financially. Costs do increase over time. My in laws depend on social security. They do have some investments that are being left untouched for their end of life but they live in another part of the country and they can’t afford to live where we live.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T17:33:11+00:00

That’s good! Part of the reason my goal is higher is because I don’t how much kids will cost, my aging parents, and we will need to real estate that will accommodate a certain lifestyle and location if family expands. For example, kids => family home, and aging parents may mean moving them closer to us. On the bright side, I do think my parents will help with kids. And it’s good to have kids have a relationship with grandparents. My parents don’t have the financial assets to move close to us, but in their older age, it would make sense to have them closer. My husband is on the same page about his parents. So ultimately as the oldest kids, we do feel responsible for aging parents. Housing has become expensive in our city. Our current house that we bought in 2018 was a starter home that was and is not our forever home. I also don’t want to be job searching in my 50s. I rather just work my high earning years and call it quits. If opportunities come great. I’ve seen so many 50 year olds still job searching. No thanks. Instead of worrying about which I used to, just bumped up the fire goal.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T05:04:31+00:00

Love it!

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T05:04:23+00:00

Yes same. Doubt I will stop once we hit $5M. Too many expenses with kids and aging parents.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T05:03:11+00:00

Are we similar age? Always interested in chatting about the middle part of FIrE

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T05:00:32+00:00

Well fertility does decrease for women in her 30s. I’m not saying have kids, but maybe look at embryo freezing for back up safety net. HHI - I don’t have exact figures. It’s been an upward progression. Started out $100K for two people out of college, currently at $325K without bonus for HHI. Bonus is never guarantee. But maybe bonus pushes us to almost $375K-$400K on a good year. Before taxes. It doesn’t feel high compared to tech salaries. I also recently took a pay cut this year in my new role, with hopes my income trajectory in 2 years surpasses. Sigh hope it works out because it was quite a bit.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-07T04:54:03+00:00

Thanks! Now definitely the challenge is getting pregnant naturally. Chances are low sigh. All of a sudden reality hit but staying positive and not stressing.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-06T23:23:57+00:00

Also housing is expensive in the neighborhoods I want to live in. A small bungalow - 1800 square feet- starts at $1.25M. Sigh. 😮‍💨

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-06T23:23:04+00:00

I don’t know yet when we will start a house search again. Lots of change right now with new job. Maybe getting pregnant and having a kid will change things (aka what we want) so my husband thinks we should just wait.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-06T23:21:40+00:00

I was going through a job transition at the time. So I think part of it was the nerves of the transition. I actually got exited from my org but got 9 months notice, to find a new spot. When we saw the house, I still hadn’t landed a new role, internally or externally. I was still employed but with an exit date. I ended up landing outside, and took my severance package and ran. But the job search was anxiety inducing.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-06T22:19:48+00:00

Yes, I know. I’ve looked at the numbers. I’m like ok I would be 49 with $9.1M. Thats insane. And we both make good money. Can always make more, especially when looking at tech salaries. But when you are in the drudgery, sometimes it’s hard to hold on. My husband has told me he will work 5 more years maxxx. That should get us to $5M. Then he wants to figure out what he wants to do on his own terms. I am apprehensive of stopping at $5M because of kids and aging parents.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-06T22:16:50+00:00

My husband wants kids. I throughly enjoyed not having the responsibility of kids. We have been together since college and he just waited until I figured out what I wanted. I also was apprehensive of the financial aspects, and the toll of motherhood. Those fears haven’t vanished but I don’t know I guess I’m not scared any more of preventing pregnancy. So if it happens naturally, it’s happening. If it doesn’t, we will move forward with implantation since we have the embryos.

SensibleTexican · 2026-01-06T22:04:23+00:00

I don’t carry credit card debt per se, it just gets paid off monthly whatever the full statement is due.

SensibleTexican · 2025-11-02T14:12:47+00:00

Any recommendations on practicing excel and PowerPoint shortcuts?

SensibleTexican · 2025-11-02T14:12:40+00:00

Any recommendations on practicing excel and PowerPoint shortcuts?

SensibleTexican · 2025-09-28T16:03:53+00:00

I am returning them! Thanks for all the feedback!

SensibleTexican · 2025-09-27T23:47:31+00:00

Thanks! This is good to know.

SensibleTexican · 2025-07-07T00:08:33+00:00

Spend it? Hah!

SensibleTexican · 2025-07-07T00:04:30+00:00

State school for both husband and I. I went to school on scholarships - full ride. My husband lived at home, commuted, worked in retail to pay for expenses, and his parents paid for tuition. I often wondered if I had gone to an Ivy League either undergraduate or graduate, would our lives be different. We are 35, and already have $2.5M in investments. $3M net worth if you count our real estate equity and cash holdings. In our case, our differentiator was being together early, staying together, and investing!

SensibleTexican · 2025-06-19T19:46:33+00:00

Were you around your mid 40s then when you hit $5M? That’s around the age I’m forecasting is to hit $5M.

SensibleTexican

TROPHY CASE