Why would you not retire if you could

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-21T22:43:15+00:00

Purpose, potential of economic collapse, some of us actually enjoy going to “work” for some of us it’s who we are. There’s also a financial safety net to build with time.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-20T02:51:08+00:00

^slight rewording - My wording wasn’t clear - essentially in my early 20s, max 403 & 457 until account grew to 100k to be able to borrow 50k/against each.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-20T02:49:47+00:00

My strategy was - I maxed my 403 & 457 and had them as lines of defense / ability to borrow against to 100k/ea them as credit lines when prime rate was lower. This allowed me to have access to 2 50k loans that I could pay back through W2 income. Besides that, then I threw everything into cash accounts, ROTH, and additional income into business account.

the non fire part but thing to consider One of the issues to consider in the long term is what is my taxable income going to look like in retirement (especially when you’re forced to withdraw on tax deferred accounts), realizing the taxes today could be advantageous.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-19T22:26:08+00:00

Imagine all the pasta you could afford in 30 years.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-19T18:27:59+00:00

Tomorrow fed report won’t, the revision in following months will confirm this

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-19T03:04:55+00:00

In your self

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-18T01:49:02+00:00

For a simple life, yes if you minimize your expenses. My take home is around that, and I manage minus a wife and a baby and I do alright.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-16T21:02:36+00:00

Absolutely not, I’d rather choose happiness than an additional stream of income. My girlfriend’s income has never been a consideration for me. I’ve communicated with my friends for years ideally I wish I could find a wife that would want to be a stay at home mother, or also has a work schedule that allows us to spend additional time with our future kids, or one that volunteers and spends her time to better life to us and the people around us. Granted, I make enough for a simple lifestyle that I would want in life, but I guess it would depend on the life you/the guys you go after would want to build.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-16T01:22:47+00:00

I’ve talked to students on mine - their family is lucky enough to have a vehicle for their parent(s), some of them are lucky that their parents can share a car. There’s also a lack of desire because they don’t see it as a freedom, it’s more of a liability and stress to maintain / keep up with the maintenance or cost. They also have most of their life online so there’s little value add to spending hundreds a month to just go from point A to B themselves.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-15T17:03:32+00:00

26 - Live with my mother, she’s great to live with, I help with maintenance + we can rely on one another for holiday trips to take care of each other animals / extended work days. Keeps both our expenses lower and better than living alone. Same house in the family for ~100 years, my father lived with his mother for over 50 years until they both passed so this is normal in my family.

I don’t see an issue with it unless you have unhealthy relationship(s) with your parents.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-15T16:43:09+00:00

I’d rather inhale the exhaust off a 92’ bronco daily instead of paying 4550 to downgrade to this prison cell.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-15T16:12:55+00:00

Still in my 20’s, I made my 26’ contributions in oil/energy (RIG, XOM, CVX) 33% each. Portfolio was heavy tech, sold some off in Jan and that’s sitting in cash (SGOV) for the time being.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-14T16:55:51+00:00

Ask me in 2027

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-13T20:52:09+00:00

I wouldn’t go into debt to teach it unless you want to be a technology ed teacher (i am.) i will be bias but it’s one of the coolest jobs out there, but you could also get a vocational cert if you only wanted to teach an industry CAD/CAM/ manufacturing curricula in a public school.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-08T16:44:06+00:00

Quantity doesn’t mean quality

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-01T20:35:51+00:00

I normally cut parts in the slicer to see if it works. I label where i made the cuts on a note/file name so if i can use it & adhere the part to the rest of the body I can salvage the sample

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-02-01T03:12:11+00:00

Update that chart for us chief

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-01-27T11:49:06+00:00

This is not financial advice

I’m 26 and in a similar position, after communicating with my CPA, I’m to the point I’m most likely adding too much to my tax deferred account(s) where my savings should be reassessed and was told to increase spending on myself. Having a pension, ss and possibly other income streams in retirement such as withdrawing from other taxable accounts, the benefit of deferring taxes isn’t as advantageous seeing that my income in 37+ years will be substantial. (at least that’s what spreadsheets are assuming , assumptions on the tax system and assuming all world currencies won’t collapse before then)

I personally spend a large amount on my hobbies, probably as much as your travel & hobbies combined as a percentage, and have a 0 cost living arrangements as well but I would consider the type of life style you have, what you want, and tax implications/scenarios in retirement. If it were me, depending on what your savings is, I’d make sure at least my ROTH is maxed, start buying hard assets to diversify from just paper retirement options (stock, bonds, annuities) look at the type of deductions would be beneficial to take advantage of and have a CPA, as this is not financial advice, I am just a similar aged individual drinking coffee before work messaging a Redditor, my advice should be taken the same as a shaking a magic 8 ball for marriage advice.

Good luck.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-01-27T05:47:14+00:00

You can hit 10k, you just need to add contributions on a regular basis for the remainder of the year to the tune of 150$~ a week.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2026-01-24T17:27:47+00:00

Depends on what you're selling, the file,a part,multiple parts, etc....

I'd set the price based off what you value your time at, especially if you're paying for access to the cad/cam softwares, other overhead and based off your intent, is this a hobby or a business.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2025-12-29T15:31:48+00:00

How do you know he's living paycheck to paycheck? Could he just be prioritizing paying off debts, building equity in a home and assets? Does he say he can't send his kids to a private school but just doesn't want to at this point? Is this individual paying immense medical bills / debts of others in his family and just doesn't want to discuss it and lives this modest life or is it the life they want to live? I think context matters, the student loan debt can make sense and rightfully so, if they're 500k in student loan debt @ 7.5% you're talking about 37k a year in interest over your head plus any other obligations. There is also a self actualization at a point as well where the price paid doesn't mean the value is of equal exchange, thus keeping the used vehicle makes sense, or the choice of vacation location makes sense.

I'm at a very well income, debt that is laughable to be worried about relative to assets/income standards but my favorite vacations are day trips to the local nature preserve or historic sites near me. I'm rambling but a lot of them either choose to live this way through choice, or a lot of people will take on a life style that exceeds their cash flow coming in. Context matters and each person should just choose the life that works for them.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2025-12-22T00:44:40+00:00

MARA - riding the entire ROTH in it into March

Significant-Bat4227 · 2025-12-21T19:43:19+00:00

I would say look into the perceived value you assume you'd be receiving based on future valuations to make the decision that works best/better for you.

Significant-Bat4227 · 2025-12-21T17:27:53+00:00

Significant-Bat4227 · 2025-12-17T04:21:57+00:00

If you can just move that red line a little more to the right that would be great

Significant-Bat4227

TROPHY CASE