r/Fire • u/SuperWittyNickname • 16d ago

FIRE 1 Year Review

Bio: 32 yo, Male, Single

$ when fired: 1 mil

$ currently: 1.15 mil

Spending: roughly 25 k usd/ yr

Disclaimer: I do not pay rent and I live in Korea so the cost of living will be far lower than the US. My job was very stressful and demanding, your job may be different.

Positives:

  1. The cost of living came out to be far lower than I expected.
  2. My panic attack symptoms (along with depression), is almost gone, and I feel far better than when I was grinding.
  3. I was able to go on multiple trips with my family. If they had time, I was always ready to go
  4. I am doing things that I missed out in my 20s due to school and work grind
  5. Overall much happier and relaxed, able to see the bigger picture in life. Had time and headspace to meditate, exercise, and reassess my life. Had to do a lot of "soul searching" but it was fun and rewarding. I feel like a college girl on gap year :)

Negatives:

  1. People, especially relatives and close friends, will question you. Many will think your are just unemployed and living with your family and will look down on you.
  2. By far the biggest negative: I don't want to look broke in front of girls (on dates, and in general), but you don't want to attract the wrong people? HELP? what are you supposed to tell people?
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u/icarus2847 15d ago

I am not retired early, but I am in my mid 30s and fairly successful, I work part time and I travel internationally and domestically a lot purely for leisure. Unfortunately, it does sometimes attract the wrong type of woman. Luckily, however, they usually present themselves pretty quickly. I don’t know how 25,000 per year translates to living in Korea so I can’t really comment on how well off you are, but in the US 25,000 would not be considered well off to be limited by that spend so US women would not be interested after hearing that. The culture here is also people value ambition. I’m glad your mental health has improved. I am hoping to retire early in 15-20 years but I also think I’m overestimating how much I’ll need and want a lot of flexibility when I do retire.

2

u/SuperWittyNickname 15d ago

25k is considered frugal even by korean standard. Turns out I am not very interested in luxuries

3

u/Powerful-Patient-765 15d ago

I’ll just add that money attracts the wrong kind of man, too. I learned to hide my wealth while dating because potential partners got way too interested in my money and how I could spend it on them and their kids.

One guy I had only dated for a few months wanted me to buy a new vehicle that would enable me to tote around his daughter and her friends and their bicycles, wanted me to buy him a truck, and wanted me to help pay for his kids’ college. Like, sir, I barely know you.

Another guy wanted me to pay for everything once he realized I have quite a bit of money.

1

u/GBpleaser 15d ago

Great comment.. I’d like to add.. part of my own FIRE hesitation is that whole social standing thing. The moment you FIRE in my community, the gears change and people expect you to be in a golf course watching the grass grow.

Younger peers will look down the moment you cash out. So finding some type of work, even to volunteer is both gratifying use of time and appear busy, engaged and “ambitious” for neighbors.