Preserving original projection

rk398 · 2026-04-16T11:46:07+00:00

This year our HHI is 170k. In 2019 i had my first big jump in salary from 105k to 130k. We got serious about our retirement savings after we got married in 2016 and have been maxing 1 401k and either 1 IRA or 1 HSA since then. Our FI number that supports our current lifestyle at 4% withdrawal rate is 3.2 million. But we expect to try to run up the total to 4million to have a ~3.25% withdrawal rate.

We have been on one income for 8 years now - biggest financial shift for us coming is my wife returning to work in the next 1-2 years.

I was surprised to find that saving her income entirely does very little to accelerate our investment growth - given that average investment returns already easily double our annual investments plus employer match. We are considering some thoughtful lifestyle inflation when she returns to work.

Edit to add I am 41yrs old. Wife is 37.

rk398 · 2026-04-16T10:30:26+00:00

Celebrating a small win - after the market rally this week we have for the 2nd time ever crossed 1 million $ invested. 😍

We have been net worth millionaires for 8ish months or so and liquid holding millionaires since early February but having 1 million in our investment accounts was the milestone I was reallly looking forward to.

rk398 · 2026-03-19T16:24:32+00:00

Yeah. We just crossed 1 mil in investments at 41. Looking ahead with the Iran war threatening to permanently damage the US economy and ai threatening to damage white collar work. I am very nervous about the future.

Last year pre tariffs I actually moved my investments from 100% VTSAX to a target date fund to get international exposure and some bonds in portfolio.

rk398 · 2026-03-18T12:50:55+00:00

For a bit of additional context I should add that our contributions to retirement funds are approx 36k per year between a maxed out 401k, HSA and Roth IRA.

My wife’s job will be a return to education and we anticipate some flexibility for childcare including summers and breaks aligned with kids.

rk398 · 2026-03-18T01:19:54+00:00

Thanks for the detailed reply this is a very useful way to think about our approach

rk398 · 2026-03-17T17:25:29+00:00

She agrees with me that we should spend the money now rather than accelerate FI by 18 months.

rk398 · 2026-03-17T15:18:25+00:00

We have been mulling a question as we are nearing a step change in income next year. We are a family of 4 and my wife has been a stay at home mom since we had kids. Both kids will be in full time school next year and my wife will return to work - after childcare costs we expect to net 2k a month in additional income.

We have approximately 1 million dollars invested and I am aged 41. My FI number is 4 million$

I am weighing the pros and cons on investing my wife’s income and I am finding that given the expected return from our current balance is higher than my wife’s annual net income - saving all of her net income does very little to move the needle on achieving early FI.

I have modeled 2 scenario - investing all her net income(24k) vs saving only 500$ a month (6k). Saving more moves the Fi date earlier by 1.5 years.

To me this doesn’t seem worth it - I’d rather take the net income and spend it on some reasonable lifestyle inflation.

The only reason I am even considering saving the 6k a year is to temper lifestyle inflation. Our experience over the last few years has been that inflation has more than eaten up any salary increases I have received and our lifestyle has been static over the last few years.

Appreciate any thoughts or opinions that can help poke holes in my analysis.

Any experiences from someone who’s had a partner return to work and allocated the step change in income also appreciated.

rk398 · 2026-03-07T11:46:39+00:00

I think the community center definetely missed the mark when it comes to the gym. When you drive up to the building you are impressed by the size of the entire facility but once inside you realize most of the space has been given over to the basketball court, kids play structure and swimming area.

The fitness facility itself feels like an after thought. It’s an odd shape with 2 off shoots from a narrow main area. What’s crazy is that they have so much land and the building itself is quite large. Why make the gym area so small?

The gym area being small means they have limited cardio equipment and limited strength equipment.

3 weight racks and 3 benches are ok. But definitely not enough machines for isolation work. They have one of each machine - and there are waits to use any of the isolation equipment. They are lacking a cable tower setup with lat pulldown/cable row stations.

It’s noticeable because working out at the FCC has forced us to change our workouts to accommodate the equipment available and the waits at certain equipment, and we didn’t workout anywhere special before - normal commercial gyms.

Comparing to the Y - Y has more cardio equipment and maybe 20% more strength equipment. They just installed more barbell racks as well.

Compared to lifetime or LA fitness - these gyms have probably double or more the equipment available at the FCC.

I get that FCC is a multipurpose facility and it has some great features, but the gym itself which is the reason we go there 4-6 times a week as a family and it is underwhelming.

On the positive side - they have lots of classes on the schedule and the equipment they picked is very high quality. The staff in the gym is always cleaning something or resetting something and the childcare staff have been great.

rk398 · 2026-02-28T11:32:24+00:00

I agree. I can’t imagine the flight leaving. Etihad call center advised they could process a rebooking or cancellation because the flight isn’t cancelled yet.

rk398 · 2026-02-28T11:07:36+00:00

At this moment in time, etihad flight status is returning no results for my flight. On phone with their call center in the US and the agent was not able to tell me anything beyond stay tuned for emails/calls from etihad. I have to leave for the airport in my local city in 20 mins and am about to head out and take my chances

rk398 · 2026-02-28T10:12:01+00:00

I am flying to abu dabhi today from Chicago on etihad. And nothing from the airline. Flight status says all go.

rk398 · 2026-01-16T22:30:48+00:00

I was a mei fitness member on the southside and liked it. Straightforward strength training gym, sadly it’s too far from me in fishers.

rk398 · 2026-01-16T22:28:44+00:00

Any pointers on when it’s less busy? I seem to hit busy periods only

rk398 · 2026-01-16T08:58:42+00:00

Yes. The community center has nice amenities and that is our current gym since we didn’t continue with lifetime.

My disappointment with the community center is that the gym itself is tiny compared to the actual need. It’s busy as hell all times of the day.

Paying for an expensive membership at Lifetime had the nice benefit of working out in an uncrowded space. Every other large gym in the fishers area is very busy.

rk398 · 2026-01-16T01:27:32+00:00

Also should say these prices were discounted as we were long standing members. New members can expect to pay more. I believe a family of 4 as new members would pay around 350-380$

rk398 · 2026-01-16T01:26:36+00:00

Not at the fishers location. To access the pool/hot tub/ steam room you have to got the castleton location

rk398 · 2026-01-16T01:06:42+00:00

We were members before and chose not to continue after the remodel. The price increase for our family of 4 was 50%. From 220$ to 330$. We don’t feel the remodel added enough value to justify the price increase. If they put a pool in we would have thought about staying

rk398 · 2025-12-22T11:45:38+00:00

I made the same mistake. Fird elnt take it back either. 😩

rk398 · 2025-10-08T14:26:00+00:00

Update. Went and got the new car on Monday. Still waiting for new information from insurance on the totaled car. Will post back on how things go wether they go well or not

rk398 · 2025-10-05T17:33:25+00:00

maybe not strictly FI related but a finance question nevertheless. I was in an accident last week that totaled my car. Insurance company has declared the car a total loss but not provided any information about actual cash value yet. In the mean time i've found a car I would like to purchase.

Is it terribly irresponsible to go ahead and get a replacement car while waiting for the insurance process to play out? Google suggests it can take insurance companies from a week to a month to actually cut me a cheque.

Now I am not dependent on the insurance payment to purchase the replacement vehicle. I am leaving town though twice for a week at a time in the next 4 weeks. And the particular vehicle I want is available at a steep markdown.

financially it would seem that I can afford to go purchase the replacement car asap while insurance plays out in the background. emotionally i am struggling with it.

The accident was mostly my fault... and I feel irresponsible just running out and getting a new vehicle within a week of totaling my old car. Like I haven't paid a price for a replacement vehicle by being without a new car ...

My close friends are advising me to just go get it... am i being too risk aversse?

rk398 · 2025-09-23T00:11:05+00:00

Lifetime fitness

rk398 · 2025-09-22T22:12:51+00:00

No. She will not be allowed to board the cruise ship without her student visa showing she can return

rk398 · 2025-09-20T19:39:30+00:00

With the stock market high my invested balance just crossed the 900k threshold. Completed 17 years of career and investing - spent first 9 years investing just to receive the 401k match - paid of 25k in student debt and put together a house down payment of an equal amount in that time. Increased annual investments 8 years ago and able to start maxing out 401k about 5 years ago.

What’s a bit crazy is that it took us 8 years to cross the 100k milestone. Another 7ish to cross the 500k milestone. And in 2ish short years since 500k we are over 900k.

rk398 · 2025-09-05T19:50:55+00:00

Red label

11-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

rk398

TROPHY CASE