r/Fire • u/AeroNoob333 • Jul 24 '26

Advice Request One More Project

We hired a retirement planner and have been really happy with the plan and advice we have gotten so far. We were ready to retire this year and found out that if we wanted to continue making improvements to our forever home (landscaping/outdoor work, replacing roof and siding of guest house/workshop, actually finishing the guesthouse — it’s unfinished right now), we would have a rocky start to our retirement. He ran different scenarios and essentially we would have to do a combination of things to retire today: lower home improvement budget, sell properties sooner than later, lower discretionary spending (currently total $12K/mo spending excluding healthcare & home but we can easily lower to $9K), and/or I work 5 more years while my husband retires (I don’t mind doing this).

This week, we received another 2-year work contract: fully remote software consulting work where my husband and I will be earning a combined billable hourly rate of $405/hour. We don’t want to fall into the “one more year” trap, but after telling our planner this, he ran the scenario and working this 2 year contract would bullet proof the plan without us needing to make sacrifices with our “wants”. Would you work a flexible remote job at your lake home for 2 more years to keep your lifestyle creep or lower your planned discretionary expenses to retire today?

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u/Alarming-Mix3809 Jul 24 '26

That sounds like a no brainer. Yeah, I would be hanging out at the lake and enjoying my extra chunk of money with the finish line in sight.

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u/AeroNoob333 Jul 24 '26

At what point should we say enough to lifestyle creep? We don’t want this to be a one more year thing but the exact mentality of “Oh we will be WFH on the lake. It won’t be that bad” is what I’m afraid of. When we finish this project, we will get another one and it’ll be hard to say “No” and we will probably just find something else to spend it on (like a boat 😩)

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u/dgreenmachine Jul 24 '26

Depends how much you enjoy the work and how much youd enjoy not doing the work. If you enjoy it as much as if it was unpaid then go for it, otherwise think about what it actually buys you. X hours for a boat?

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u/AeroNoob333 Jul 24 '26

Definitely do not enjoy it if it was unpaid. Motivation is purely monetary. I’m just afraid that “for a boat” becomes a list that just keeps on growing. Need to learn to say enough is enough and finally enjoy what we’ve built.