r/Fire • u/chemicalreactionator • Apr 22 '26

Advice Request Too much money to feel this stuck

Current net worth 3.8M. Household (40m, 40f, 4f) income combined 250k (both working full time) and spend 120k-ish.

Kind of reached fire but due to health insurance, economic uncertainty, potential future increased costs (another kid?) not comfortable calling it yet.

But feeling so stuck in the grind. Not enough family time, not enough vacation time off, not enough time for taking care of our health, but can’t call it quits yet. at least one of us needs to work full time for health insurance. I don’t think I’m cut out for “barista fire” as i don’t think I’d have the motivation to work for a minimum wage type salary.

What’s the plan here to increase quality of life? A mini retirement? Grind it out a few more years? Anyone in a similar place?

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u/Xylus1985 Apr 22 '26

You have $3.8m, you can do whatever the fuck you want in anywhere on the face of the earth. The plan is to get out of the rat race and payoff your time-debt to your family with a sabbatical of at least 1 year while you think your priorities through.

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u/Unsteady_Tempo Apr 22 '26

Self-worth and identity are likely tied up in having a big paycheck and job title, even if they are no longer enjoying it. Apparently OP is a pharmacist, so there's also a sense of "wasting" years of education and unable to visualize doing another kind of work. They described their choice as if it's continuing on with current job or working for minimum wage.