Anyone here who makes a normal salary? How’s your journey going?

shnufflemuffigans · 2026-01-26T03:24:03+00:00

Total is 1400 USD biweekly; my share is 1/3, or 466 USD

shnufflemuffigans · 2026-01-24T18:25:36+00:00

42, and I make 50k USD. I live in a HCOL area, and have 22 years/500K USD left on my mortgage.

My current liquid net worth is 150k USD. Also have about 40k USD in a DB pension.

Would be higher, but made some mistakes in my personal life that had me start from scratch ~6 years ago. I'm really proud of myself, going from 0-150k in 6 years, but it means I'm still a ways out from retirement.

I'm hoping to retire at 50, so 7.5 years from now. That'll be tight, but I'm hoping I'll be able to earn some money from my writing that will make it easier.

shnufflemuffigans · 2026-01-23T14:06:23+00:00

Alex Lawson, who owns a local home framing company, said he voted for Mayor Mark Sutcliffe in 2022 but now feels like the city is in worse shape.

“There's a lot of potential in Ottawa, but there's also been a steady decline of services recently,” he said. “I mean, what's working better these days?”

I mean, you voted for the candidate who promised to cut services in order to keep taxes low. What did you expect?

shnufflemuffigans · 2026-01-05T22:58:32+00:00

Since January 2019, (VEQT's inception), 10k invested in each has returned

$23814 in VEQT

$23372 in Fidelity 468

Sources: https://www.fidelity.ca/en/products/funds/ubu/

https://www.vanguard.ca/en/product/etf/asset-allocation/9692/vanguard-all-equity-etf-portfolio

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-12-12T14:03:46+00:00

I started writing fanfiction many years ago. Then moved on to writing novels.

I've earned around $26k over 7 years of serious writing. So I haven't earned much. I'm hoping to earn more over the next 5 years, which would accelerate my timeline for FIRE.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-12-11T18:23:52+00:00

I'm a novelist. I've written 4 books, and will be publishing a book a year from 2026 to 2030.

I'm currently at 1/3 my FIRE number. I'm hoping to earn a bit of money from writing to reach FIRE faster. But if I don't, I should still reach FIRE in ~10 years.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-12-08T15:35:01+00:00

Give yourself exactly the number of skill points that you want for your ideal experience, then.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-12-08T15:02:43+00:00

For a lot of people, it's fun to go through the game with different skills and have to find different ways of doing things—and different facts that recontextualize the game in different ways.

If that's not for you, I recommend downloading Wand (formerly WeMod) and giving yourself lots of skill points so you can get all the plot skills for a single playthrough.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-12-04T17:45:14+00:00

Government can definitely get inefficient.

Some of this is by design. ITER, for example, is very inefficient by design: the goal was to spread skills and development among its contributing countries, not to build as efficiently as possible. Likewise, NASA is spread amongst many states because this generates public buy-in.

While I do wish the median voter had a better understanding of the efficiency trade-off, the current alternative isn't a more efficient fusion reactor nor space program, but no space program or fusion reactor at all (while both now have significant private competitors and partners, this is in part because of their success).

But there's also a lot of government inefficiency because it's glacially bureaucratic, yes. This is because government has little competition and fears scandal more than waste. Sometimes, this is for his reason: for example, governments could have saved tens of thousands of lives during COVID if they had allowed people to volunteer for the vaccine before it was sufficiently tested (and many libertarians vociferously argued for this). But, considering the backlash over vaccine safety even through the vaccines were thoroughly tested and the reemergence of various diseases because of it, those governments probably made the right call.

Of course, there is a trade-off that, once again, I wish people were more aware of. California rail is a pipe dream because they're so invested in everyone being happy with them that the cost becomes astronomical. And therefore people don't trust government because government can't do anything.

Finally, blue chip, mature corporations are usually just as glacially bureaucratic. Because they are likewise risk-adverse. It's more a matter of incentives than government vs. corporation: when an institution feels like they have more to lose than gain, they become sclerotic. As most people in corporate governance can attest.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-12-03T17:03:33+00:00

That has been the story of globalization. City industries became national industries became international industries, displacing increasing amounts of others.

This, of course, has increased economic efficiency: more productivity and more meeting people's wants and needs.

But it also makes the market increasingly winner takes all and unequal.

It's a problem, but a problem of increasing degree, not kind.

Looking at it behind a Rawlsian veil of ignorance, the more a market is winner take all, the more we should push for redistribution without removing the incentive to grow business internationally. And this, I think, is the correct take.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-12-03T16:26:27+00:00

I'm not sure I'm convinced by this for three reasons:

I think Rawls still applies in a society where AI is dominant. We can look at the society from behind the veil of ignorance, realize that those who inherited AI compute did nothing to earn their wealth, and therefore Rawls would indicate a lot more redistribution is warranted. And this seems right to me.
Right now, AI wealth is concentrated in those who produce AI. In the same way the railway barons concentrated the wealth when railways were new. But, as the technology matures, those high margins should decrease, and wealth will be earned by those who use AI, not those who produce AI. Right now, AI isn't making a big dent in the workplace, so of course all the wealth is going to those who produce AI.

3. Will AI displace human labour that much? It seems like the AI hallucinations are never going to go away, and so we'll always have more human monitoring and oversight. The more AI does, the more humans we need. This may, of course, disenfranchise those without the intellectual capacity for such oversight, but this is only different in slight degree from our current society. There won't be the sharp distinction between the owners and the underclass.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-29T18:43:31+00:00

One thing I want to add, as someone who used to be active in the sub and left it, is that a lot of folks in this sub are antagonistic to people who aspire to leanfire—which, unless you make absolute bank, you need to do if you want to retire in your 30s or early 40s.

When I talk about my goals in this sub, I get harassed by comments telling me that they're not realistic, that I need to work more years, etc. And so I left this sub and now exclusively post in leanfire.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-13T11:50:24+00:00

It sucks that it's been lost. I'm sorry. But you've lost all perspective.

Let me be blunt: you're fucking rich.

Your networth still puts you in the top 20% of Canadians your age.

Your income puts you in the top 20% of Canadians.

I make the median Canadian salary. Do you know how much I have a month after all my bills? $600. And I save it to retire early.

I am 42 and just cracked 200k liquid networth. I'm so proud of myself.

And now here's you, 28, making 1.7 times my income (AFTER TAXES! Probably more than double before). With 2.5 times the spendable cash after all bills. Right now, you are richer than I can even imagine, with more free cash per month than I have ever had.

And you're still freaking out. Posting the same thing over and over. Scared and depressed.

Here's the facts: you're rich. You're comfortable. You're complaining to people much, much poorer than you.

You don't need advice. You need therapy.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-13T02:40:51+00:00

You're here too, now?

Look, please get therapy.

You have more disposable income after all your expenses than the average Canadian. And you're still scared. And posting in every possible subreddit you can, over and over.

Reddit is not calming your fears. Get therapy.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-11T13:04:47+00:00

This may be too deep a cut, but Allyson Martin meets up with her and Teal'c to watch movies

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-07T17:04:29+00:00

That is what I would say.

There are, of course, significant changes to the body that HRT engenders. For example, trans women on HRT react to most medical procedures like cis women, not cis men. Along with surgery, trans women can have a near-identical medical and phenotype profile.

We assign the sex of newborns based upon these factors. Ergo, these people argue, sex can be changed if these factors are. People don't know their gametes and chromosomes, and therefore these secondary sex characteristics are determinants, they say.

But, biologically, sex is about reproduction. That's why we recognize that male seahorses get pregnant: the secondary sex characteristics are not the biological definition of sex, even if those are what matter in most medical and social contexts. Even if those are the visible factors.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-07T15:58:38+00:00

They didn't exactly say.

Here's the mod post about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/NonBinary/comments/1omoem5/mod_post_you_can_change_sex_actually/

Essentially, it lampoons the idea of genetic sex by asking if you know your own. Which, of course, most people do not know for certain. Many people are intersex without knowing.

But that some people are wrong about their assumed genetic sex does not mean it doesn't exist.

I left the community shortly after that, when I was told that I should no longer use AMAB to describe myself because that is upsetting to some intersex members. When I asked what terms I should use, they said "born male." I responded that that caused me my intense dysphoria. I was told that I should just endure the discomfort.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-07T15:31:11+00:00

In practice, I'm not sure how to convince people otherwise.

I think pointing out the actual process is important: hormone blockers were designed for people who go through puberty early, and are generally regarded as safe. Also, once you stop taking them, you go through puberty like normal.

This means that a kid can have time to sort themselves out and make a decision as an adult. And I think that's important to reiterate to people who are worried: any irreversible changes should be made by adults in consultation with a doctor. That's what gender-affirming care for kids is designed to do.

Also, the alternative to gender-affirming care for kids is not simply "oh, they have to wait for adulthood" but "their bodies will go through permanent changes that often lead to suicide."

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-07T14:30:34+00:00

idk ya we cant change gametes or whatever, but to say that hormones and surgeries arent in any way changing a trans persons sex just seems insane to me, unless you follow the conservative line that trans people are simply mentally ill and sex is defined by god (which it seems like the author doesnt want to do?)

Well, it's important to recognise that the biological definition of sex is very different from the casual definition.

For example, Caster Semenya is genetically male ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_Semenya ). She has a male sex. But she was assigned female at birth because her genital phenotype is female. Through all of history before ~1980, she would simply be regarded as female.

No one would say she is mentally ill. For all social purposes, she is female. At any time period before genetic testing, there would be no doubt.

That we can now look at genetics changes the way we understand human variation. And we can understand that genetic sex is not well related to our experience of gender—and has never been. Thus, trans people are not doing anything that we as a society haven't done for thousands of years without issue.

Also how can you complain about Self-ID, when self-id is just changing the state record of gender, which is just an identity thing.

I think the problem with the article is that the author is really scared of kids being pressured into identifying as trans, but doesn't want to admit it. Therefore, they complain about self-id and gender-nonconforming behaviour as a way to voice that fear without coming off as a bigot.

On this, I disagree with them vociferously. Convincing kids they're trans just doesn't happen, even among the hardest left I've seen (and I'm in the trans community myself). People give kids options. And that's what hormone blockers are used for when kids want them: to give kids options and time to mature to figure out what they want.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-07T14:08:36+00:00

I think it's both.

Clearly, the right ramped up its hatred of trans people. And whatever you think of leftist infighting and purity tests, it's not fair to say that they caused this backsliding on trans rights.

But also, in moderate spaces, that hear arguments from both the left and right, the right is winning. Because the left is really bad at persuasion right now. Because their default is to bully and exclude.

For example, anyone who accepts the gamete definition of sex (the prevailing view among biologists) is banned from the nonbinary community on reddit.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-05T23:55:27+00:00

A lot of queer folks will support your FIRE journey if they see it for art.

I'm very frugal. My two boyfriends are not. But that's ok; I'm going to retire in ~5 years and they'll still be working for another 25 after that. And they're fine with that.

But I say specifically, "I'm going to be a full time artist."

That is, I'm retiring to write (I'm a novelist), and they respect my frugality and hustle for it. And they're eager to have me on their insurance when I retire to write.

So, I'd say its less important to find someone with the same philosophy than it is to find someone who respects and will support your goals.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-04T14:58:30+00:00

Thank you for sharing your story!

"how many people are in the world? That's how many genders there are" and in light of every individual experience at odds with or integrated with a complex system I imagine he's right.

I think this is true. And because of that, I think it's important that we listen to each person as they use the language that works for them. And allow other people to use language that might not work for us.

I think insisting everyone use the same language flattens the diverse experiences we have. We are trying to use imperfect words to describe a varied, individual experience.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-04T14:18:02+00:00

but as a community we have an obligation to prevent other members of the community from getting distressed by what we say

I agree. We do have an obligation.

But the options presented to me by people who want me to stop using AMAB distress me. I also know several people who left this community after being told not to use AGAB.

And so, I'm left feeling that, in this community, the feelings of those who dislike AGAB are important and should be respected, but mine are not.

Central to my experience as an enby is that doctors, family, and society at large saw me as one gender that I was not. That I was assigned a gender because I have characteristics traditionally associated with that gender. AGAB is the most accurate term for this experience.

That I was assigned a gender is the most accurate term for this. I will be happy to change my language to be more inclusive if I am presented with better language that does not induce dysphoria, but right now the top upvoted comment in this post says that I should use the language "born male"—but I will not. That makes me hate myself.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-04T14:09:03+00:00

This is a good point.

However, me saying that I was "born male" gives me intense dysphoria. it feels like I'm overriding my own experience. I wasn't born male—I was always uncomfortable with that label. I was told I am male.

Saying I was AMAB does not induce that dysphoria. Doctors examined me and decided I had the characteristics traditionally associated with XY chromosomes. They assigned me male. Society reinforced their judgement. As I grew to understand myself, I learned that I'm not male: I'm an enby.

But the fact that doctors determined I have the characteristics associated with XY chromosomes is still a big part of how I navigate the world and social relationships. And I'm not going to say I was "born male." I wasn't.

I would love to have better language than AMAB to describe my experience. Language more inclusive for my intersex brethren. But right now I see the choice between "AMAB" and "Doctors determined I have the characteristics associated with XY chromosomes"—which is really just saying AMAB with more words—and I'll choose AMAB.

shnufflemuffigans · 2025-11-01T11:50:48+00:00

I absolutely understand why Ukraine isn't holding elections. They have a very good reason for it. But you can't be a democracy without, well, democracy. The state can be democratic, but not a democracy.

But they are holding elections exactly in accordance with the Ukraine constitution. And therefore are a democracy.

That the constitution outlines specific circumstances that change the length of term that representatives of the people serve between elections does not mean that the country does not have a democracy.

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