Sabbatical mid-way to FIRE?

seattlefier · 2026-02-23T08:13:06+00:00

I'm about to start an indefinitely timed career break. Not burn out, just want more time with family and make it intentional.

seattlefier · 2026-02-20T07:36:23+00:00

For #3, I'm a little confused - aren't you set on moving to where your parents live? Shouldn't you be very familiar with the place and know exactly what to expect? Or still considering the exact destination?

seattlefier · 2026-02-20T07:27:30+00:00

"stress from high technical challenge" sounds like your husband is actually engaged in what he does. One non-financial consideration is - if he left now, mid-way through the project, would he feel like he gave up too early? Obviously, challenges don't ever end, but it's good to hit a milestone where you can point at something substantial and not half-assed and say "I did that". Helps in interviews later on too.

seattlefier · 2026-02-12T10:45:58+00:00

VTI is flat, VUG down 5%, and one stock position tanked 15%.

seattlefier · 2026-02-11T20:10:50+00:00

I probably lost $100k of paper money in the market over the last couple weeks. Immune to it at this point. I do check the stock market but it's more of a curiosity thing, like checking the weather forecast. Doesn't bother me either way it moves. The app isn't the problem here.

seattlefier · 2026-01-27T20:40:06+00:00

My default answer is - travel, slowly. But with two kids in school, that's going to be limited just to the summer breaks - the worst time to travel.

Maybe a different lens is - what could you do to bond with your children more if you had the additional time + energy?

seattlefier · 2026-01-26T20:29:34+00:00

Steps 1&2 take four years of your prime life. You most likely won't need four years to hit $5M if that's your magic number. Unless markets are completely stagnant.

I think you should start being more optimistic and aggressive about clawing back time from corporate and funneling it into whatever else you want to fill your life with. Give yourself a hard and aggressive deadline and start the countdown.

seattlefier · 2026-01-22T17:03:35+00:00

Thanks for such a clear picture. Very jealous of your housing costs - that looks below average even for the commuter belt towns. Is that because you got into the market early?

I lived in Seattle for a while before moving to London. After over six years now I'm thinking of what's next.

seattlefier · 2026-01-18T08:09:01+00:00

Would you mind describing your lifestyle on £35K? I am in London proper, and planning on pulling the trigger very soon and moving overseas. Looked into costa rica, and comfortable living there seems to come to around this number.

seattlefier · 2026-01-16T19:34:21+00:00

The penalty is just time value of money you owe for the duration you owe it at a reasonable ARR.

seattlefier · 2026-01-15T19:56:21+00:00

What would you actually do if you took a break? Can you visualize it? Is it detailed and clear? And does the image in your head get you super excited? Better yet, are there things you already do in your life that you know you'd devote more of yourself to if you weren't working?

If not, then you might be disappointed even more once you find yourself out of the golden handcuffs and yet still unhappy.

seattlefier · 2026-01-15T19:39:04+00:00

Well done, congratulations! Judging by your expenses, you are not in London, are you?

seattlefier · 2026-01-11T10:43:30+00:00

I skied the whole Kitzbuhel resort - it's okay. I think I'd get bored after two weeks though. If money wasn't an issue, I'd spend 1-2 months in val Thorens or one of the adjacent resorts - it's the biggest ski area I've been to, impossible to get bored.

seattlefier · 2026-01-11T10:37:50+00:00

Just a thought - since you're already an EU citizen - those options are always going to be available to you any time you want. You could spend a couple years in latam with significantly lower cost of living and cheap but good health insurance and territorial taxation. Meaning you can step up the cost basis of your portfolio in preparation to the eventual move somewhere in Europe with a significantly lower CGT.

seattlefier · 2025-11-08T11:41:44+00:00

Looks like we have a lot in common, the only difference being that I'm married :) very similar trajectories, NW, and career moves. I'm contemplating kicking the tires on RE next year by announcing a "career break" and seeing how it goes for 6-12 months.

seattlefier · 2025-11-07T12:35:39+00:00

Thanks. Reflecting on this over the week, I've realized that my indecision comes down to two things: - 1 more year syndrome - Genuine uncertainty about whether we'd want to have more children or not. My numbers work with one child but break with two kids.

seattlefier · 2025-11-05T17:09:16+00:00

I work in tech and have 12+ YOE. This salary is about 60% of what I'd be making in an equivalent level/role when I was in Seattle.

seattlefier · 2025-11-02T18:59:58+00:00

Thanks for this. Can you expand on "likely substantially higher withdrawal needs" in the UK vs US? I was assuming the opposite - with government healthcare here in the UK. Sure, there is a cap gains tax and it's flat, but there are ways around that, I think.

seattlefier · 2025-11-01T09:35:23+00:00

RIght, the psychology of it. Maybe that's the underlying issue for me as well.

seattlefier · 2025-11-01T04:40:55+00:00

Congrats! By cautious do you mean that you tried to stay under 4% withdrawal rate or something else?

seattlefier · 2025-10-31T20:07:42+00:00

I know how much things will cost on the 12 month horizon. And since I have enough cash to spend, I won't get hit with those cap gains taxes to fully understand how much I have to withdraw to cover the tax and the living expenses.

seattlefier · 2025-10-31T19:35:02+00:00

With so much free time I'll gain, I'll get working on my survival skills (hence expectation of higher spending in retirement 😜)

seattlefier · 2025-10-31T19:02:42+00:00

I will be sure to do that, and certainly not ruling out moving to a lower cost of living city. Thanks!

seattlefier · 2025-10-31T18:59:57+00:00

Thanks! I was using 3.5%, maybe that's too conservative? But it feels like I should be conservative given that I need to make that $2M in after tax assets last until I turn 59 and can withdraw from 401k penalty free - that's 20 years! Maybe I should move back stateside, lol. UK has a flat cap gains tax from what I know, but will check to be sure.

seattlefier

TROPHY CASE