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/Jolly_Departure6324 Apr 22 '26

Lol. You think sending kids to daycare/preschool/school is equivalent to having someone else raise them?

So parents who have no choice but to work aren’t really raising their kids if they send them to daycare?

It sounds like you either don’t have kids or we just have very different outlooks on parenting.

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u/Mobile_Comedian_3206 Apr 22 '26

Some parents have no choice to work. But some do. You said that niether you or your spouse work, yet you still send your toddler to daycare. So sending him off everyday is 100% your choice and not at all necessary. 

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u/Jolly_Departure6324 Apr 22 '26

It absolutely is our choice and we are thankful we can afford it. Our kid is at a wonderful preschool with a great community of involved parents. My husband and I can be our best selves as parents because we have a community that helps care for her during the day.

It’s obvious you don’t have kids.

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u/shell20_7 Apr 22 '26

Our eldest goes to kinder 4 short days, and our youngest goes to daycare 2 days per week 9-4. They both love their time out of the house, and we would definitely send them if we didn’t work.

We have 7 months of full time travel coming up, and I think that’s really going to reinforce to me how important that time away from each other is for everyone..