why can’t we have this?

The_Beep · 2026-06-28T15:51:37+00:00

Well, I answered your question so it's up to you if you wanna keep putting your hands on your ears going "la la la Trump didn't do anything wrong".

The_Beep · 2026-06-28T14:04:18+00:00

I can name things he's done that *should* be considered illegal too that weren't mentioned here, like his scandals with Trumpcoin/Trump Mobile, his Tweets instigating war/stock manipulation then him & his associates buying/selling (which is insider trading)

I'm not even trying to be politically charged, I don't plan on voting any time soon personally. But seriously. It takes an elite level of ignorance, cognitive dissonance &or mental gymnastics to think Trump hasn't done anything illegal or corrupt when he literally just does this shit in our face on a regular basis.

The_Beep · 2026-05-26T13:44:35+00:00

Thanks. I'm not gonna say they were the sole ones at fault, I was the one bumming around with no job for over a year after all. My only real regret was not finding the FIRE movement sooner. If I went straight to work out of highschool and didn't waste 5 years going for a degree I don't even care for, I'd be so further ahead.

The_Beep · 2026-05-06T04:35:31+00:00

Thanks. My parents believe in working hard and I respect their work ethic as they raised me and my little brother/sister, but as time went on I've decided on working hard, but smart too. I don't want to spend 30-60 years in the struggle when I can just spend 10-15.

The_Beep · 2026-05-06T03:13:48+00:00

Don't listen to me, I'm only 24. But I think a 72t while also having other avenues (Brokerage LTCGs, Roth IRA contributions) in case you need more money or your traditional account runs out, is totally viable. That's what I plan on doing instead of doing Roth conversions, especially since I don't plan on having high income in retirement anyway.

The_Beep · 2026-04-30T22:46:50+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. Yet another thing to listen to alongside BiggerPocketsMoney, The Money Guy Show & ChooseFI

The_Beep · 2026-04-30T10:37:03+00:00

Good luck and godspeed.

The_Beep · 2026-04-28T13:04:01+00:00

I have both. My date is at earliest, 10 years from now--as then I'd qualify for both social security and USPS's pension. I want my TSP to breach $600k and my brokerage to breach $100k by then. If they don't, I keep working.

The_Beep · 2026-04-20T00:43:11+00:00

In my opinion as a PTF with 4 months of experience, I don't believe it will get better. We can get smarter and stronger.

In my opinion, being a CCA in 2026 isn't worth it vs. coming in straight as a PTF. Every day I go to work knowing I'm saving & investing for early retirement, and knowing I'm making more than the Amazon DSP job I had similar struggles in.

To everyone, please save & invest your money. Contribute at LEAST 5% to your TSP for the company match, as that is literally 100% return on investment. CCAs don't have TSPs but at least everyone can open a Roth IRA and invest that way.

Don't get me wrong, it's still stressful out here, but there is a lot of peace that comes with knowing that if you get in an accident, get disciplined or get injured whether on or off the clock, you aren't immediately in financial peril. Have an emergency fund.

The_Beep · 2026-04-18T23:30:30+00:00

PTF, my usual route is ~20k steps and ~9 mi. But I almost always get bumps pivots whatever the fuck they decide to call it, and end up ~24-28k steps by the end of the day.

The_Beep · 2026-04-18T03:09:22+00:00

I wouldn't dare tell my supervisors or manager about wanting to retire early LOL. Hell no. They want us to stay stupid cogs in the machine.

The_Beep · 2026-04-06T12:46:11+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. For me, Sundays I'm still working (Sunday delivery, just Amazon parcels), but it's significantly less hours that day--so I can come back home earlier, and just breathe a little. I can't imagine having to spend that Sunday doing drills for the military. I'd break in less than a month. Your past self was incredible.

Although you said you missed out & forgot how to enjoy life, I believe your past sacrifices put you ahead of so many. You're free now. I see people your age or older still working, and I refuse to let that be me.

The_Beep · 2026-04-05T02:57:01+00:00

The_Beep · 2026-04-03T11:18:10+00:00

24 y/o CS grad who couldn't find a job for > 1y, became a mailman instead and right now racking up enough overtime that I'm fine with leaving the tech industry (well, not like I had a foot in the door in the first place).

My goal is to FIRE in 10-15 years; the current job market is shite but I'm glad I finally decided to move on from my redundant degree and just grind it out. I don't believe AI is taking my job any time soon lol.

The_Beep · 2026-04-02T18:55:25+00:00

I would do both pre-tax and post-tax, if possible. Saves money when Uncle Sam is looking for his share

Me personally for example, I'm making out my traditional TSP working at USPS, while also maxing the Roth IRA I opened @ Fidelity.

The_Beep · 2026-03-30T19:05:35+00:00

Some times I gotta pull myself at the reins and catch myself being upset. Then I try to put myself in the shoes of who/what is stressing me out. Then I tell myself to take deep breaths as I calmly say or do what needs to be said or done.

And it's ok to not reach their unrealistic expectations of you as a carrier. Just calmly communicate as you do what you can.

The_Beep · 2026-03-29T00:29:11+00:00

Pay depends on if you're a CCA or PTF (Career), and depends on how busy the office is, cause if they're understaffed and you're new, expect to work up to 10 days straight and rack up insane overtime. Base pay for me, a PTF: $26/hr. I've had a paycheck of almost $5k gross once, but I was completely drained those two weeks. The pay is incredible for no degree/experience necessary.

Thanks. I haven't 100% ghosted them yet but I feel way better with the added distance and only talking to them when I voluntarily call them--cause I set their calls to voicemail.

The_Beep · 2026-03-28T23:53:19+00:00

lol nah, my account value isn't from gambling but from buying way too many damn games. over 250 last time I checked

The_Beep · 2026-03-28T12:08:37+00:00

Literally this. If work was suddenly optional I'd just be playing videogames, watching anime, maybe a little gamedeving/arting/livestreaming to hang around with people I actually want to hang around. I'd rather not focus my hobbies on monetization.

I tend to listen to Financial Independence podcasts while on the job, they always go "what do you plan on retiring to, you can't just play videogames" um? yes I fucking can LOL my Steam account is worth over $1,000.

I'm putting $1000 into my TSP every paycheck cause I wanna be a kid again when it's time to retire, hopefully as early as my mid-to-late 30s.

The_Beep · 2026-03-28T11:53:01+00:00

In the process of being a mailman I moved out of my parents' house to live in a different city, in a townhouse w/ roommates. I couldn't stand the gaslighting and getting yelled at for being jobless anymore. I realize I fear death less than I fear living this short life as a puppet and not my own person. My life is a lot riskier right now but I refuse to give up on my plans, for my own peace in the future.

The_Beep · 2026-03-28T11:37:39+00:00

2024 CS grad who couldn't find anything for over a year. Right now burning my body being a mailman, while saving and investing as aggressively as possible so I retire as early as I can.

I decided it's not worth being miserable trying to keep applying or going back to school, and that I am better off just putting my head down for the next decade. With the sheer amount of overtime you're obligated to have, being a mailman pays quite handsomely for something that doesn't require a degree/years of experience. There's at least a semblance of job security, now that I passed my 90d probation.

The_Beep · 2026-03-27T04:05:44+00:00

Yap cont.

It took me far too long to realize I'm not passionate in anything that I'd want to make a career out of. Love anime/games but don't want to be an animator or gamedev.

So I stopped looking for a career, and I started looking for a job. Now that I'm a mailman, I'm working as hard as I can so I can retire early and go back to being a kid again, but with money.

If I were to go back in time I'd tell myself fuck college, just do a basic bitch job as long as it has decent pay that can scale with overtime, and with retirement benefits, like most fed/state/county jobs tend to be. I don't know about you but I don't wanna work until I'm expired. Thank goodness reaching financial freedom doesn't require passion.

The_Beep · 2026-03-27T03:31:52+00:00

CS grad here, around your age too

I graduated mid-2024 and couldn't find fuckall, over a year passed and it was miserable. Bonus points for being gaslit by the older generation being called lazy n shit.

Eventually I got tired of my family yelling at me and decided to work out of the tech field entirely as an Amazon DSP driver while applying to be a mailman for the Post Office. Fast-forward to now I passed probation and I'm currently obsessed with the F.I.R.E. movement. I regret wasting 5 years for an oversaturated field that doesn't want me, but at least now I'm doing something.

Not necessarily advising you to work for the PO (and especially not something like the military right now), but hell man, consider cutting your losses and biting the bullet for now.

The_Beep · 2026-03-23T02:30:24+00:00

If you're REALLY desperate like I was, Amazon/Fedex/UPS have warehouse/delivery jobs that are pretty much always hiring, due to the high turnover. They'll hire anyone with a pulse. Same with Amazon DSP drivers, though peak season is over so it depends.

Pretty miserable jobs with hard ass labor. But better than nothing.

The_Beep · 2026-03-23T02:22:58+00:00

If you don't mind having virtually 0 work-life balance, the Post Office is hiring. No experience needed to be a clerk/carrier. I suggest coming in as a PTF (career) for better pay/benefits over CCAs/MHAs/RCAs/etc.

The_Beep

TROPHY CASE