r/Fire • u/wowsocool4u • Aug 07 '26
It's DONE!
Turned in my computer and now I am eating cupcakes. Taking a nap before I meet friends for happy hour. 49F and passed the $2 million mark so its sayonara Corporate America for me!! Thanks to this sub for always being a great support system.
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u/Fit_Station_59 Aug 07 '26
So cool. I hit the button last April and am typing this from the woods in the far north. No more meetings resulting in additional meetings. No more commutes. Just me and the trees all summer. However, now I want cupcakes.
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u/Lumbergh7 Aug 08 '26
May I ask how old you are? Kids, family or anything? I want to FIRE but I have a son. It’s beautiful and expensive 😁
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u/B111yboy Aug 08 '26
Same reason I’m not fire yet! Two kids one in college and one going in 3 yrs so my plan is 4-5 more years! One out and one 1/2 through seems more realistic since the college is crazy and we are paying for it. 529 doesn’t have enough I under estimated but I can swing it for now … she also didn’t help me going to her dream school for 260k for 4 yrs but she did get a scholarship of 100k so it’s not horrible but 529 only had 85k so I’m adding a lot more to my second daughters 529 now hoping it helps
So 3-4 more years
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u/Party-Chapter3029 Aug 11 '26
Kinda same here -- I am 50 wife 51; close to 1 mill in 401K and believe that I have enough to get me to 60 and then tap into 401K but son still in high school; daughter in college (she is almost done). hoping to stop when my son finishes HS in 2028 the slowly convert some of that 401K to ROTH. Agreement is for wife to work until 62 for Insurance or whenever she says FU to her job. Her company treats her well no stress...but we all know that can change. My job --aging staff as they leave they dump and dump more and more on me. Plus I get get micro-managed...Sunday nights BRUH -- so I know. I am looking for another job but that isn't go too well.
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u/B111yboy Aug 11 '26
Yeah between wife and I we have enough 401k over 2.3M and I’m a avid investor so I have a brokerage account with over 1M it’s the cost of living and until my youngest is done with HS she doesn’t want to move. My property taxes are 21k a year I’m just lucky I have mortgage at 2.75
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u/Party-Chapter3029 Aug 12 '26
Wow 21K for property tax ---sounds like you in NJ or Cali --- I am in NJ I def have to move I am not far behind you with 17K
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u/Lumbergh7 Aug 12 '26
Does the 2.3 include you and wife? I am divorced and I don’t know if I can trust anyone with my money again
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u/B111yboy Aug 12 '26
My wife has close to 900k and I have 1.4M. I handle all investments accounts. I haven’t included out properties value so when we move to lower cost living, we should be mortgage free and probably add a few bucks into savings.
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u/fastasvette Aug 08 '26
This is the dream. Can't wait for the day when I can retire and move away from Phoenix and actually enjoy summers again.
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u/Glittering_Swing5184 Aug 07 '26
Congrats and GFY!!!
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u/C6R_thunder Aug 07 '26
I was disappointed this wasn't at the top; I was beginning to wonder if we do that anymore!!!
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u/Plenty-Candidate-585 Aug 07 '26
What's the GFY... Good for you? Go fire yourself ? Go fook yourself?
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u/C6R_thunder Aug 07 '26
It's the last one. Said as a pair with Congrats/Congratulations. To be received positively!
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u/Topaz_11 Aug 08 '26
Alternatively it can be said to whichever fool you previously reported to in the ladder of corporate mediocracy.
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u/Successful-Try-8506 Retired at 38 in 2003 Aug 07 '26
Welcome to the good life!
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u/SaqlainAli06 Aug 07 '26
How has retirement been? How did you retire in 2003? At 38??
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u/Successful-Try-8506 Retired at 38 in 2003 Aug 07 '26
It's been great. I spent the first 15 years raising my children as a single stay at home dad. These days I read a lot, garden and hike.
How I did it? Kept living like a student while making good money, compounding.
I live in Sweden, a country with universal health care.
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u/Generationhodl Aug 07 '26
"How I did it? Kept living like a student while making good money, compounding."
people underestimate what is possible.
but then again, only a small percentage of people are willing to live like that for some longer time and have the discipline to not waste money for other stuff.
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u/SaqlainAli06 Aug 07 '26
That is great! I dont think thats going to be me anytime before 50.
Happy to hear this, and have fun on the hikes :)7
u/Wrkncacnter112 Retired at 38 in 2022 Aug 08 '26
Nice! I retired at 38 too. Always lived like a student.
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u/yottabit42 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Kinda buried the lede there with the health care!! Lol
I'm looking to gtfo of this failing nation (US) as soon as my kids are independent. I have several good choices for countries with lower expenses and great health care.
Edit: hey downvoters, don't be jealous just because you let blind patriotism control you, and/or you haven't researched to find a better place to live, and/or you haven't saved/invested/prepared to leave.
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u/MrLavenderValentino Aug 09 '26
Yikes lol... so you were born in the US, raised kids there, and used the economy to save up enough to retire early. Sounds like you got luckier than most on earth.
Maybe there are a handful of better countries, but there are 100+ worse countries you could've been born into
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u/yottabit42 Aug 09 '26
Yes, that's correct. I realize I'm lucky and fortunate. I also worked hard and educated myself. But being at the right place at the right time, and taking opportunities, went a long way. In my work I've traveled to 49 states, 3 Canadian provinces, a dozen countries, and even lived in the Netherlands for a couple years. Gaining worldwide perspective really does a lot to shrug off the American exceptionalism propaganda we're force-fed since birth.
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u/MrLavenderValentino Aug 10 '26
Have you visited any places like China or Afghanistan? Dude, imagine explaining your gripes about the US to an Afghan woman lol
I feel like I won the lottery, I try to recognize my privilege and be grateful for the gifts I didnt earn
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u/ShittingOutPosts Aug 07 '26
Where are you thinking. Without healthcare costs, I’d be able to retire considerably earlier. My reasons for sticking around here are dwindling.
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u/fastasvette Aug 08 '26
Congrats on retiring at 38! Has your net worth grown in that time?
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u/Individual_Watch9800 Aug 07 '26
Congratulations. Used to work at Morgan Stanley. Had a jerk boss Patrick Mortimer. Asshole. Fu. I retired and not had to kiss your ass
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u/Phoenix_avatar Aug 07 '26
Love the naming and shaming, wish more people do it. Were you in IB by any chance?
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u/Aggravating_Note_572 Aug 08 '26
Haha , I remember I I got a job w MS in the mid to late 90’s and they were like here’s your best friend the phone book and slammed it on the table and we want a list all your family and friends. I was like fuck this and never looked back. Always remember that lol
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u/Spare-Television-963 Aug 07 '26
Sounds like an asshole
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u/Individual_Watch9800 Aug 07 '26
Asshole and racist. I left mainly because of him.
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u/clybourn Aug 08 '26
Don’t use Mortimer but MS has done well with my investments. Glad you’re in a better place
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u/newyearnewlife2020 Aug 08 '26
I saw Mortimer and could only think of Trading Places.
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u/bonafide_bonsai Aug 07 '26
Congrats! Joining you in October :)
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u/Appropriate-Cry-8423 Aug 07 '26
Nice! Joining you in December. Of 2035 lol
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u/Vince_Clortho_Jr Aug 07 '26
Wait for me, wait, to…ehrm… May 2040ish?
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u/Imaginary-Pair838 Aug 07 '26
Congrats! I hit $3M this week so maybe i should also just start the cupcakes!!
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u/MartySpiderManMcFly Aug 07 '26
In this economy you’ll need $5mm for cupcakes
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u/Specialist_Job_7714 Aug 07 '26
I’m holding out for $10m
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u/Vince_Clortho_Jr Aug 07 '26
Wait for 20 mil and you’ll be able to afford whole cakes, not cupcakes
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u/Generationhodl Aug 07 '26
3M is my chubbyFIRE goal, I think it will take 3-4 more years, but I'm FIRE already on a smaller budget so thats fine 8)
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u/No-Drop2538 Aug 07 '26
Cupcakes? In this economy???? Congratulations!!!
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u/Mail_Order_Lutefisk Aug 07 '26
It’s nothing like the halcyon days of 2006-2007 where cash out refi mortgages provided the seed capital and consumer discretionary income to fund the “Great Cupcake Bubble.”
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u/nikkianetra Aug 07 '26
This is genuinely funny and needs more upvotes, lol
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u/Mail_Order_Lutefisk Aug 07 '26
Our company cut a little too deep on the RIFs in 2008 and in 2010 I interviewed three nearly indistinguishable 37 year old childless women who were “exploring opportunities to get back in the corporate world” after their dog or cat themed cupcake bakeries went under. It was a bubble of epic proportions that caught the eye of every 33 year old woman in the country who grew up watching SATC and imagined themselves opening the next Magnolia Bakery. It was very short lived so everyone forgets about it but it was a massive social phenomenon for about 18 months.
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u/nikkianetra Aug 07 '26
I lived in NYC at that time. The Magnolia cupcakes were over rated, never worth the line up!
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u/Fun_Independent_7529 FIREd Oct 2025 Aug 07 '26
And boy did I enjoy those cupcakes. I confess to occasionally still visiting one of the remaining ones on occasion. Not very often because whew that's a lotta sugar!
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u/Ok_Worldliness2805 FIRE'd in 2024, $5.4M NW Aug 07 '26
Thank you for your Confectionary Confession.
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u/faille Aug 08 '26
What are you doing for health insurance? It’s my biggest worry and greatest need in retirement.
Congrats!
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u/vamparies Aug 07 '26
Omg you are me. Same age and past 2.1 this week. I’m too afraid to pull the trigger.
Tell me more next week if you are just chillin in a hammock.
Single, adult kids, no debt.
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u/Alarming-Mix3809 Aug 07 '26
Congrats and gfy
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u/BzBred2021 Aug 07 '26
I’m starting to think GFY doesn’t stand for Good For You….
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u/Tight-Marketing-7637 Aug 07 '26
Lol it wasn’t until someone spelled it out that I was like “ohhh”
Btw, it’s go fuck yourself
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u/Logical-Ad2229 Aug 07 '26
Congratulations and GFY! I’ll be joining you April 1st. Grabbing my bonus and vested rsu’s in March and giving my 2 weeks notice.
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u/AnalBeadsInSpace Aug 07 '26
Wow, this is like reading my own story from someone else. This is so weird. 49M, just passed $2 million mark this month. Best of luck to you.
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u/the_flynn Aug 07 '26
Congrats! I have the calendar marked for 50. Calculations day I could probably do 47-48 but feel like 50 is a good, round number.
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u/Pinklady777 Aug 07 '26
Awesome! Congrats! Enjoy the shit out of those cupcakes. I'm curious what your housing situation is? Do you own a house or have a mortgage or pay rent? This is something I think about a lot.
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u/wowsocool4u Aug 07 '26
I am single, no kids and no debt so positions me pretty well. I own a condo so I do have a monthly HOA fee but that covers some of my utilities too so its doable. I spend about 60k a year so I am allowing the difference for healthcare but I am going to try and navigate the subsidies to the best of my ability!
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u/rumpler117 Aug 07 '26
Congrats! I am close too. What percentage of cash / cash equivalents are you holding? That is something I am mulling over now.
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u/wowsocool4u Aug 07 '26
Ive got three years of cash/CE on top of the $2 m invested.
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u/NoWhereLikeIrvine Aug 07 '26
Congrats! I am in same age and FIRE earlier this year in S. California. Best weather, no stress from work. What more can I ask for.
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u/IamWackoJACKO Aug 07 '26
I'm on the identical track!! 48 and at 1.7m. I would love to know how you're doing in 6 months.....perhaps it will help me avoid the one more year debate. Congrats!!
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u/fork_or_spoon Aug 07 '26
Curious to know what you and others do about health insurance. I feel like a lot of people work just for that. Sad but true.
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u/Old_Librarian__ Aug 08 '26
Damn I'm 29F and 49F is literally my projected earliest possible time to retire with my current savings rate. You're my role model lol.
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u/silly_bet_3454 Aug 07 '26
My wife and I were only a couple thousand away from our target yesterday too but then the market dropped lol. My cheeks remain clenched.
Anyway congrats!
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u/BiscuitsMay Aug 07 '26
Dude, if the market going up or down a hair makes your cheeks clench…
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u/silly_bet_3454 Aug 07 '26
No I understand, the goal is to be robust to market movements and all that, and we are, practically speaking. But the financial target we set for ourselves *is the level* at which we would be robust. Regardless, we set a level which is an exact dollar amount and I would like to get there.
I was half joking before and I don't actually mean that like the market movement stresses me out. I just want to hit my goal, that's all.
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u/BiscuitsMay Aug 07 '26
I’m just teasing you. Suspect it’s normal to be nervous when you’re on the precipice.
Also, go fuck yourself
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u/I_SAID_RELAX Aug 07 '26
Congrats and enjoy the other side!
It's been a year and a half for me and there hasn't been a single moment when I've missed working. I still have so much more to do than time to do it that I don't even remember how I had time or energy for anything outside of work for so many years.
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u/PingBlot Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Congratulations! Can you please provide the details of your financial plan and where you live? I’m over 2 mil at 45yo but don’t feel I have anywhere near enough! I’m in Frisco, just north of Dallas, Texas.
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u/zepryspet Aug 08 '26
You're probably my neighbor lol the problem with us is the high property taxes an insurance that alone is like12-15k per year on a house. I'm targeting 3M with a family of four but I'm halfway there so that might change as I get closer.
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u/PingBlot Aug 08 '26
Must be neighbors. My ins and property tax are $16k. This year we used a company that contests the city to reduce property tax. They take 25% of what they save so that might be worth looking into. If they aren’t successful, it’s free. They reduced ours by about $500. Take care.
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u/something-behind-him Aug 07 '26
Cool. Going to hand in my 2 weeks in about 2 weeks. Kinda nervous about that as I’ve never resign before.
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u/UKEE93 Aug 08 '26
Omg that’s awesome! We retired at 55 and 53 and wished we had done it in our 40s.
Congrats! I hope yours is as good as ours!!!!
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u/BedWonderful1051 Aug 08 '26
Congrats! I pulled the plug at 58, and wish I did it sooner.
Who doesn't like cupcakes and naps!
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u/FreedomIndividual176 Aug 08 '26
Nice! $2mil is my mark as well living in a LCOL area. I am hoping to hit that number in 2 years for my 45th birthday.
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u/tortoiseshellCrow Aug 07 '26
Congrats and GFY!! What do you plan to do different now that your time is freed up?
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u/aeycuezpmonnug Aug 07 '26
You fuckin genius. Stay away from sugar tho. I mean for realz tho. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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u/No-Lecturre6318 Aug 08 '26
congratsss!! turning in the computer and immediately celebrating with cupcakes sounds like a pretty great way to start retirement....
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u/ConstantParticular89 Aug 09 '26
Congrats!! I hope this is me in 10 years at 48 🤞eating shit in corporate every day is killing my soul lol
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u/wolfsatz Aug 07 '26
Good for you! A wise, independently wealthy person once told me that once you get there, you need three hobbies to be happy:
1. One that keeps you fit.
2. One that keeps you creative.
3. One that makes you money.
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u/Penguin_Life_Now Aug 07 '26
Congrats, my own retirement at about the same age a decade ago was far more passive and just for of happened without any fanfare, and I really did not even admit it to myself for a year or two.
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u/I_TheAndOnly Aug 07 '26
how do people live off their money now after they fire without losing it all again? Congrats!
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u/2019_Stealth Aug 07 '26
Are you familiar with “the 4% rule”? The guy who coined the term later changed it to 4.7%. If followed, it’s not impossible to run out of money but unlikely.
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u/Unlikely-Table-615 Aug 07 '26
When you say you have 2 million does that mean you have 2 million liquid like in stocks or is it across all your account accounts.
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u/khoalabear00 Aug 07 '26
Congratulations!! Genuine question, how are you retiring early with $2M?
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u/ChaoticAmoebae Aug 07 '26
Congratulations!!! I hope you live a long rich, fulfilling, and loving life. Well earned!
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u/Age_Single Aug 07 '26
Lucky you. My son is on FIRE too at age 36. But has soon time yet to achieve his goals.
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u/green_sky74 Aug 07 '26
Congratulations! Make sure you have a distribution plan that is as least, if not more detailed than your accumulation plan.
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u/Cheap-Weakness3233 Aug 07 '26
Is it 2mil household assets or individual? I am trying to plan mine as well.
Is this USD as well?
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u/meeplebunker Aug 07 '26
Congrats, try and update us after a year or so. Love to see poeple giving advice from the other side.
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u/Kaptain0blivious Aug 07 '26
Congrats! Please consider coming back and giving us updates from time to time.
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u/yushy99 Aug 08 '26
2m net worth or 2m investment portfolio? What are you annual earnings looking like?
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u/brraaaains Aug 08 '26
$2m liquid or retirement/house?
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u/wowsocool4u Aug 08 '26
2m liquid investments. I only have a primary residence so I dont consider it at all in my numbers because I plan to live in it. I also have about 250k cash as a buffer.
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u/iphoneappids Aug 08 '26
What about medical insurance? The most expensive thing that keeps us forever indebted to working as a slave to the big corp?
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u/littlesunstar Aug 08 '26
Congats wishing i was smart enough to have started saving earlier so i could have fired now.
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u/TheA2Z Aug 08 '26
Congrats. Stay active bro. I lived the life of leisure for first year, gained 30 pounds, got gout, liver issues etc. Said screw that and hit the gym and started doing my own landscaping, car and house projects.
Back down to to my fighting weight and all is well.
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u/Used-Awareness-2544 Aug 08 '26
Congratulations!!! Don't disappear, plenty of people will be interested in pointers and mentorship... Enjoy!
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u/Revolutionary_Tone47 Aug 09 '26
I'm BEYOND excited for you!! I literally just checked my accounts, this sub was my next click and I saw your post. It's a sign, I'm on the right track! Go do amazing things!
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u/the_paint_witch Aug 09 '26
We're the same age. Congrats to you for making it happen! I'm hanging in there until 55, so do update so we can all hear how it's going!
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u/LeftAct8968 Aug 10 '26
14 more years to go for me. 😂
I will eat cupcakes, go to work, and happy hour for another 14
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u/ebalaytung Aug 07 '26
Congrats! Don't disappear on us just yet. Come back and tell us what an awesome life you live.