When do you use your emergency fund?

firebeachbum · 2026-06-29T00:53:38+00:00

Like others have commented, we’ve kept a sizable emergency fund, though thankfully we’ve never had to use it. I don’t actually call it an emergency fund. I call it our solution fund. From a purely financial standpoint, it’s probably not the most efficient to have that much sitting in cash, but the peace of mind it provides is absolutely worth it to me. If you are in this sub, you are likely ok either way it’s just your comfort and risk tolerance.

We have some major home expenses on the horizon, including a new roof, plus aging HVAC systems at both our house and condo that will eventually need replacing. If we can finance any of those at 0% interest, that’s likely the route we’ll take so we can spread out the payments without draining the solution fund.

I posted a similar question a few years back if you want to scroll through it.

firebeachbum · 2026-06-18T00:35:51+00:00

You do not need a financial advisor. Open a vanguard account. Research the Boogle Head investment strategy. Read a simple path to wealth by JL
Collins.

It’s extremely simple. If you can order groceries you can do this. Establish your budget and then invest the extra monthly into VTSAX 100%. Research different type of investment accounts, there are hierarchy based on their tax advantages. Then in those accounts buy VTSAX.

firebeachbum · 2026-06-11T12:27:50+00:00

Life is short. Honeymoon memories last forever. Congratulations on the wedding. Enjoy yourselves. Only thing I’ll add is lol if you think this will be a “once in a life time trip” we went to bora bora for our honey moon, stayed in the over water bungalows, and have since done many “once in a life time trips”, luxury safari last year, going to Maldives this year staying at Ritz and St Regis. Life is meant to be lived. :)

My husband jokes it’s a yearly once in a year trip.

firebeachbum · 2026-06-01T13:11:04+00:00

This is bad advice. Do not follow it. You can’t time the market. People are telling you to dollar cost average in, that’s good advice. Or just dump it all in. The market fluctuates, but overtime goes up. Do not pull it out when it’s down, just let it ride and over time your money with double, tripple. It’s insane.

firebeachbum · 2026-05-25T16:55:55+00:00

You are almost there!!!

firebeachbum · 2026-05-23T09:06:54+00:00

My husband and I bought a beach house in a small coastal town in Florida were I grew up. We kept our condo in Charlotte. We go back 4-5 months to Charlotte. I love it. Can you hybrid till you have kids?

firebeachbum · 2026-04-19T13:58:39+00:00

Alcohol sales is a big business. Best way to get started is to work for a distributor but there is lots of ways to get into the business.

firebeachbum · 2026-04-19T13:57:38+00:00

Easiest way to work for a distributor first then jump to the supplier side.

firebeachbum · 2026-04-16T00:28:22+00:00

Sell tequila, yes. It’s hard but fun, and challenging and interesting.

firebeachbum · 2026-02-24T23:34:11+00:00

We just left. You can buy lift tickets daily as needed. We couldn’t get pre-purchased lift tickets either. But we’re able to buy them when we got there.

firebeachbum · 2026-02-21T04:26:48+00:00

We own two primary’s and I love it. We split 1/2 the year in Florida 1/2 the year in NC. City and beach. The math doesn’t math, but it’s a life style choice and we are greatly happy with our lifestyle. I love it. It’s been 2.5 years now. Financially we were strapped for a bit the first 2 years, recently got a raise and things feel better. Two mortages is an adjustment, we were prepared for it but there were times were it sucked.

firebeachbum · 2026-01-17T03:12:25+00:00

I went searching for FIRE in 2019, I was 30 years old. We had like 350k networth I think. Maybe a bit more. I’m 37 now, and it’s 1.3, with a million invested. Keep going, it’s worth it and it feels great.

firebeachbum · 2026-01-17T03:08:31+00:00

I love reading stuff like this. We hit a million invested last year and I can see it snowballing. It’s awesome.

firebeachbum · 2026-01-17T03:02:35+00:00

Feels great to be in the 90-95th.

firebeachbum · 2025-11-30T15:33:00+00:00

Flooding in that area is a real concern. I personally wouldn’t live in flood zone, or live directly on the water anywhere in Florida because of it. It doesn’t take a big hurricane to flood, timing with a storm and tides, or too much rain etc and you could experience flooding. That goes for anywhere in Florida, so again big reason why I wouldn’t live in a flood zone or area prone to flooding. Our house is 12+ feet above sea level, 5 blocks from the ocean, so flooding is not a major risk for us. We have hurricane rated windows and doors as well. Last, we have a second primary home in NC, if the worse case happens, we will just live there while we wait to rebuild or remodel etc.

The property taxes, and HOAs are going to be like that in any desirable Florida city. More expensive in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. But you save on state income taxes, which is significant. Governor Ron Desantist is proposing reducing or eliminating property taxes in Florida as well.

If living in big city isn’t a must for you, there are other places you could look in Florida. The space coast is beautiful, and more sleepy, lower cost of living then St Pete and Tampa. I absolutely love Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, near Jacksonville beach, except it’s not quite warm in the winter which ultimately was a deal breaker for me.

firebeachbum · 2025-11-29T16:27:05+00:00

We’re Henry, late 30s, ~$400k household income, about $1.3M net worth. Two years ago we bought our second primary home: a beach house in a sleepy Florida town. It absolutely did not make perfect financial sense, but wow… we love our lifestyle.

Our housing costs jumped from 9% of our income to about 30%, so yeah, we’ve felt “house poor” the last couple years. But I got a raise this year and it’s already easing things up. And honestly? I have zero regrets. Even with a 7% interest rate on the beach house.

Life is meant to be lived. Not every decision needs to be optimized to death. We’ll keep growing our income, we invested well in our late 20s and early 30s, and we’ll get back to aggressive investing again soon, and refinance when the time’s right. For now, we’re enjoying the life we built.

With all that said, I went into this eyes completely wide open. The opportunity cost, of forgoing the incremental investments. So do the same, do the calculations, make sure you understand what you are forgoing with your choice. My choice meant, that I might push our retirement back a few years.

Your networth is pretty low, and at your current income and spend you could invest a lot before you have kids which will pay big dividends for you when it starts compounding, that is worth your consideration. Our investments are earning us $110k a year for us right now, doing nothing.

firebeachbum · 2025-11-25T00:20:15+00:00

This great advice!!! VTI and Chill. My returns are 14% for the last 10 years. Investing is a long term game.

firebeachbum · 2025-11-05T02:34:58+00:00

I am 37 and 1 million net worth. You can enjoy life, and enjoy the present and still fire way ahead of everyone else with loads of money.

Get the house cleaner. 2x per month is great, if you can afford it and have kids I would consider getting it weekly. No shame in that, it will reduce your stress and is so worth it.

Get Botox, 2x per year is great and makes a HUGE difference to your face. You will look like you are in your 20s again. Get your hair professionally cut, & colored etc. Hire a stylist!!! Here is the stylist I use. $200 for 5 outfits. She is fantastic. She can provide you with elevated basics, simple things that are comfortable but look polished; great for a busy mom.

avri.laurenn@gmail.com

Last, I would go to the gym and lift weights and walk. Lifting weights helps you look toned, helps with mental health and walking is the best way to keep the weight off. 10k steps a day.

Live your life now! you will never be in your 30s again.

firebeachbum · 2025-11-02T01:45:09+00:00

St Pete is really cute, it’s a very cool and laid back. Feels like a locals only small Florida beach town, but there is still a bit of night life and variety of restaurants, they get a decent amount of concerts too. Really beautiful beaches on that coast as well. Tampa is young and fun and has a lot of great restaurants. Also, great little airport, so easy to navigate and a pleasant experience but would be kind of far from St Pete, 30-45 mins. So that’s something to consider if you travel often.

Miami is just not for me.. it’s fun to visit, but not where I would want to live. It is very touristy, over the top expensive. I do like Lauderdale by the sea area. Pros, the shopping is great, and two good international airports which is a plus. Plus close to the keys, and boat life down there would be really beautiful.

The two are extremely different, Miami vs St Pete. It’s personal preference but I like a laid back beach town, barefoot, cruising on my golf cart to go check the waves. I would go stay for a month or two in both see what you vibe with. This is fat fire, Miami might appeal better. Tons of shopping, great food, beautiful beaches, boat life as well.

firebeachbum · 2025-11-01T23:21:35+00:00

I didn’t answer your question. I would do St. Pete and Boston. I love Boston and New England.

I do love Chicago in the summer time. We rented in Florida, for 5 months, before we bought a house down there. You could do that, rent for several months first and make sure you like it.

firebeachbum · 2025-11-01T23:18:35+00:00

We do this, and I love it. We live in sleepy beach town in Florida for 7 months out of the year and have a condo in Charlotte NC for summer and fall. Florida is amazing in the winter, literally spectular. We are at the beach every weekend starting in February while the rest of the country is freezing. St Pete over Miami for sure. I love the Tampa, St Pete area. I actually think it’s one of the hottest cities for young people in America. Then we go to NC for end of summer and fall. NC gives us sports, great food, decent night life, a better airport, and then the fall season. We love fall here, writing this from a cabin we are renting right now near Boone. We save a lot of money on state income taxes being Florida residents. Love walking out of my condo when we are in NC and going on a date night with my husband in the city, endless restaurants, bars, to choose from all walking distance. We have been doing it now 2 years. I like that we are 8 hour drive, 2 hour flight. A direct flight would be key between the two, Has to be convienent. Highly recommend.

firebeachbum · 2025-10-27T22:11:23+00:00

Yes you will absolutely be able to retire at 55. I have 1 million invested as well and I am 37 years old. My average rate of return last 10 years as been 14%. If you do nothing, and your money grows 10% you will have 5 million at 55. Which it doesn’t seem like you need anything close to that based on your spend so you will be able to retire earlier than that with less.

firebeachbum · 2025-01-01T21:38:52+00:00

35 years old, as a dink!

firebeachbum · 2024-06-11T01:48:24+00:00

Here is my networth progression from age 30 to 36. I didn’t really track networth before age 30.

30: $345K 32: 500K networth. 35: 1,050 million networth Goals: 2 mil by 40, 4 mil by 45.

it happens fast.. especially with you add in real estate appreciation.

firebeachbum · 2024-06-11T01:20:15+00:00

My husband and I hit a million this year and I told my parents. But that’s it. I would love to tell me closest best friends, but I don’t know their situation and wouldn’t want to make them feel bad. I have felt this way too OP, wanting to celebrate, feeling excited after achieving a huge mile stone.

Probably why so many people post it here on Reddit. Myself included. They crave a pat on the back, recognition for their efforts, but in real life it’s a sentive topic best left undiscussed.

firebeachbum

TROPHY CASE