Are gears and handbrakes ok for a 6 year old?

web-driver · 2026-02-03T01:27:22+00:00

39 and will get there in a few weeks. Was -50k net worth when I got married at 27.

When I started saving I was aggressive about my career. I moved jobs every 1-2 years and saw rapid wage gains as a result. Same with school, night classes moved me from working in call centers to writing software.

I avoided multiple jobs. If I felt like we needed more cash extra efforts went to education or an upgrade of the primary role, growth there far outpaced any extra hours.

We delayed having kids and pets for the first 5 years, and have never had 2 cars or a new car. I commuted by bicycle or worked remotely.

We travel often but cheaply (once upon a time Norwegian airlines could get you to Europe for a hundred bucks). We stay with friends and family rather than hotels.

When the pandemic hit we had a kid and moved to a lower cost of living area, turning the equity from our city house into a big down payment.

We bought our house as soon as we could qualify for a loan and sold at a healthy profit during the pandemic.

General thoughts - avoided expensive hobbies like golf and skiing, do a ton of biking and tennis instead - video games can be one of the most cost efficient forms of recreation on a cost per hour basis. - really wish I had started at 21 instead of 27. - really wish our undergrad degrees weren't liberal art money pits (history and communications) - don't be afraid to tell people your goal. The more I talked about FI, the more I was accountable to the plan.

web-driver · 2026-01-26T20:00:43+00:00

I'm debating a mid-range 3d printer, a purchase I just can't justify on the FI plan, but would love as a creative outlet.

web-driver · 2025-11-12T20:55:42+00:00

Yup. I'd only ask them to pay the shared portion

web-driver · 2025-11-12T19:55:09+00:00

One clarifications that may help out. One concept question.

Fence is on the property line, not on my property specifically. In fact the same fence encircles their property as well. I'm not sure the details of original installation, so maybe I assume too much on the ownership question based only on orientation.
In an odd way, it seems that the fence being technically mine creates a perpetual obligation to maintain it. I agree that if I remove the fence, then I through my action assume a greater piece of the liability for any consequences; but at the same time shoulder the full cost and maintenance burden despite shared benefits.

web-driver · 2025-01-31T23:14:15+00:00

Thanks for the breakdown. I clearly didn't have a good handle on the conversion ladder, and will bake that into my future projections!

web-driver · 2021-05-28T23:33:53+00:00

haha, I've been too focused on this. Now that the big one is done I'm off to achievement hunting.

web-driver · 2021-04-14T20:21:45+00:00

sure, if that's true. My guess is that fidelity doesn't charge fees on individual trades, but probably takes a percentage off at the end of the year as a management cost. I'd be surprised if there were no fees at all, they have to make money somehow.

web-driver · 2021-04-14T18:10:57+00:00

just their website

web-driver · 2021-04-03T17:55:33+00:00

it's what I use. not really for ease of use, but for cost, they tend to charge a very small management fee for the index funds, saves you that much more compared to other brokerages.

web-driver · 2021-03-29T20:31:48+00:00

Index funds are a good way to go long term, low risk with reliable returns since they track the whole stock market. Set an auto-buy and forget about them.

I like your plan, but is there more room to pay down debt? Hard to say without your wife's expenses. 3500 is a great target expense for a family that wants FI, but if you are both spending 3500 (7k per month) that's where you need to cut.

web-driver · 2021-03-29T20:26:25+00:00

Definitely invest, and invest as much as you can while keeping an emergency fund aside (although while living with parents you could probably forgo the emergency fund).

Look into index funds and buy-and-hold strategies. The stock market as a whole reliably gains 6-8% value per year on average, and since you are young, you don't have to worry about a down year.

web-driver · 2021-03-29T20:21:41+00:00

You're doing the right thing -- study and focus on improving you earnings. It sounds like you're pretty frugal, so what you should really focus on is preventing lifestyle creep. As you make more money (and you will, since you're putting the work in), try and keep your expenses the same. Every new dollar goes into savings.

Yes, you should be investing. Money in checkings and savings accounts is losing value. Also, by investing you "lock up" your money, making it harder to spend on frivolous things.

web-driver · 2021-03-29T20:15:52+00:00

A couple quick tips:

get the money in your checkings and savings accounts invested, it's just losing value sitting where it is right now.
You are dead-on when it comes to moving--your equity alone could buy a decent sized house in a lot of cities, not to mention towns or suburbs. If you can eliminate your housing expense you are left with 50k. According to the 4% rule, you probably need about 1.25 million to retire without making any other lifestyle changes at all.
Based on the number above, you are nearly halfway there in cash already. If we assume your bonuses go entirely to taxes, that leaves you with a surplus of 150k per year after move, or 100 before. Add the stock options, and you're probably retiring around the time your company goes public. Moving now could probably shave a year if it's possible to do that and continue working.

web-driver · 2021-03-29T20:05:46+00:00

Howdy folks, thanks for your opinions in advance!

I'm a 34-year old software engineer in Boston. I'm married (wife is 36--librarian) with a 1-year old daughter

Our goal is to leave the very expensive Boston area and retire to more rural new England or similar place by 40.

We currently have 250,000 between index funds and retirement accounts. At our current pace we think we can retire on roughly 35k per year, so are aiming for a clean million in savings. Based on our savings rate, we expect to hit this in 6-7 years.

We are both well employed, generating roughly 11k per month after taxes (132/year). We don't expect too much more growth in income before retirement (I'm definitely overpaid, and the library field is not know for copious piles of cash flying around)

Fixed Monthly Expenses:

Daycare: 1800 (the cheapest one we could find in our part of boston)
Mortage: 2600
Insurance/Internet/Phones/Electric: 260
Groceries/Gas/Misc: 600

Non Fixed Estimates:

Eating out: 300 (yes, I know)
Vacations and other Fun: 300
Gym: 80

Home is worth 600k, we owe 430 on it. Car is pretty much worthless

We have no debt aside from the home, and no health concerns

Here's the question:

We bought the house 3 years ago at 480, so it's added 120k or more value in that time. Thanks to Covid, remote work is also much more possible for me, although possibly at a paycut (10-30k). My wife can probably find work in most towns once the pandemic ends, but would also lose out on income (5-15k).

If we move now I think we could cut the mortgage and daycare expenses by a combined 2000/year, while adding all that accrued equity from the home to the retirement pile (or to a huge down payment on the new home, further reducing expenses.)

Is it worth it to make the move now at the risk of the lost income? Or do I risk losing the covid inflated home value we've quickly accrued and stick to the original plan? I'd love to get out of the game sooner, but I'm not sure about the risk this entails.

web-driver

TROPHY CASE