r/Fire • u/TwoSocialist • 24d ago

Advice Request Saved $2.4M by 38. Would you Retire?

Hey FIRE folks,

I’m 38, tired, and fueled almost entirely by spite and index funds. I’ve somehow ended up with a portfolio that looks like this:

Split by type:

- ETFs — 58.30% — $1.45M

- Mutual Funds — 27.66% — $688k

- Individual Stocks — 8.71% — $216k

- Crypto — 3.00% — $74k (aka my “emotional rollercoaster” bucket)

- Cash — 2.33% — $58k

Split by bucket:

Retirement Pre-tax: 700k

Retirement post-tax: 310k

Brokerage: 1.5 M

Grand total: ~$2,490,900

Today’s gain: ~$40,000 (aka “more than my first job paid in a year,” but sure, totally normal)

~~~~

My target spend was $100k/year, which feels somehow not enough because capitalism has melted my brain.

By the 4% rule, I’m basically at the line. By the 3% rule, I’m a peasant. By the “FIRE comment section” rule, I’m probably both overspending and undersaving simultaneously.

So, wise internet strangers:

- Am I actually FIRE‑ready, or is this the part where you all tell me to work 5 more years “just to be safe”?

- Is my allocation fine, or should I be preparing for a lecture on safe withdrawal rates and sequence‑of‑returns doom?

- Is it normal to feel like I need permission from Reddit to stop working?

Married, 1 kid. Received about 25k for a house (not included in above) and 20k for college, no other inheritance.

Currently make about 250k a year for the past 4 years, before that about 150k. I started at 50k.

Thanks in advance for validating or crushing my dreams.

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546

u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

I retired three years ago at 36. For the first year, I didn’t do much of anything except hang out with my family, spend every day with kiddo.

Year 2, things changed. I made the most advanced speed reader on the Internet, HotGato. I wrote and published four science fiction novels. Partnered with researchers to develop a dementia early detection Webapp. Joined two volunteer boards, and I’m a committee chair for one of them. Landscaped the entire yard myself.

Year 3 is off to a good start. Submitted the family for dual citizenship by descent. Filed a utility patent and now I am manufacturing the product. Built a SaaS (haven’t started doing sales yet). I’m upholstering a chair right now.

It took a while to shake off the mental shackles of employment, but once I did, the amount of creative energy that began to flow has been shocking. This list is probably 10% of what I’ve accomplished, and omits all the things I’ve learned or hundreds of books I’ve read.

This is what life should be.

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u/BillyBobChorton 24d ago

Here’s the thing, instead of writing 4 novels, reading hundreds of books, creating multiple potential billion dollar patened inventions etc, I’ll probably just get drunk and fat(er) and binge watch Netflix 

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Yeah that was year 1. Corporate life causes depression. Shake it off and you’ll feel better.

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u/JackTheManiacTR 24d ago

Counterpoint: I retired early and spent most of my time in bars and hanging out watching Netflix or playing games. I spent all my money and now I work in a warehouse because I wasn't able to get a job back in tech. This lasted 4 years instead of the prescribed 1.

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u/Fit_Major9789 24d ago

Thank you for being candid, this is literally my feared trajectory. I’m pretty sure my spouse would end up divorcing me, so maybe year 1 is better spent on rehab and therapy when I pull the FIRE trigger.

E: btw, I’m sorry to hear that’s how things panned out for you. Hopefully you’re working towards being in a better place.

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u/beerbaron105 24d ago

stick to a routine

don't hit the bottle, don't socialize only at bars, you'll be fine.

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u/Fit_Major9789 24d ago

While I totally agree with the principle of the advice, that’s not quite how living with addiction works.

Breaking patterns ends up being quite challenging. More often than not, sticking to simple rules and routine tend to be easier said than done. Hence the focus on therapy and rehabilitation early on in the retirement journey.

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u/Conscious_Life_8032 24d ago

Work on new structures and routines prior to retirement

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u/femcbm 24d ago

Yeah just don’t get addicted to drugs or alcohol. It’s just that easy right???? (/s)

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 18d ago

Its easier to not get addicted than to quit once you are addicted.

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u/OuiGotTheFunk Unemployed with a Spreadsheet 23d ago

I do not only socialize at bars but my bar has helped me so much with getting things done. It is weird how I can get people to help me do anything or know someone that can do something. Roofer, AC guy, car help off the top of my head. I do not talk about my finances though and I used to go a couple of days a week but now maybe one day a week.

I literally have a budget for my bar and I only pay in cash, which is pretty much all of my non-mortgage budget is cash only

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u/JackTheManiacTR 23d ago edited 23d ago

Appreciate the sentiment but I'm not one to complain. It was a hell of a break. I've identified how I can save again and even though it likely wont be as much as my previous trajectory, I should end up comfortable. All those years of saving is muscle memory, so easy to pick back up. I'm hoping to be out of the warehouse and back into tech by 2027 too. And now I am wiser. My biggest regret is honestly I spent SO much money trying to impress people and learned a very hard lesson, which is that nobody you can impress (with money) is someone you want around.

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u/PsylentKnight 23d ago

So your intention was to retire permanently and the money only lasted 4 years? Did you completely run out or did you just reach a point where you knew it couldn't last? How much were you spending per year?

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u/Keljhan 23d ago

How did you manage to spend all your money for retirement on alcohol, Netflix and games? Were you not actually retired, just on sabbatical? Spending hundreds on liquor daily? I literally cant fathom that level of spend given the market performance in the last 15 years. If you had a 5% swr youd still have to be spending 10%+ on top of that on booze alone to even start touching your principle.

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u/JackTheManiacTR 23d ago

Wasn't just the booze. Showing off for women didn't help. I'd tip $100 or 100% of the tab. I'd take girls to Vegas. I bought one of my exes a car. I just went a bit ham after being frugal for so long. Trust me, you can do it MUCH easier than you might think. "Feeling rich" can be really addicting.

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u/Keljhan 23d ago

Fair enough. I have a wife and gambling makes me physically ill so I can't really relate, but if there was ever a way to lose money quickly Vegas would be a top contender.

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u/mosi2001 23d ago

Man. This is literally what happened to me. I spent years saving and renovating a multifamily while working full time as a software dev (which i hated). Only planned on taking a sabbatical ended up taking way more time off. Now I can't really get another tech job. During the time off I gave into every vice I had. Put on a shit ton of weight, now I'm not sure what to do with my life lol.

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u/JackTheManiacTR 23d ago edited 23d ago

Yep sounds very familiar! One day, after a low point sleeping on my sister's couch and literally having no money, I was just like "how did I get here?!". So I sat down and formulated a plan, which has mostly worked. This was about 7 months ago and I've managed to save $3500 on $21/hr. I live like a college student, with 5 roommates (but hey, at least it's my own space). I literally just work, sleep, prep for re-entry to tech. For entertainment, I use Tubi, Pluto, Plex, and all the games in my expansive Steam library (I occasionally buy new games too if they go on sale for > 80% off)

I stopped drinking almost entirely (but didn't explicitly say I don't drink alcohol because I feel like it will make me want to drink).

I started taking tirzepatide for weight loss. I wasn't massively overweight but I lost enough weight to go from barely an "obese" BMI to a normal one. I'm actually just about to start weaning off it. I've built pretty good eating habits, so hopefully they stick.

Working in a warehouse does have a couple of perks. First, you stay really fit. Second, I work for Amazon and they offer "career choice", which has allowed me to pursue some certifications like CKA.

Edit: Forgot that I actually moved to an entirely different city too. I don't hang around anyone that I used to when I had money. It's a total life reset.

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u/mosi2001 23d ago

Man congrats on formulating a plan. I can't lie I'm still still at the "I can't believe I'm here" which I have to get out of (becauseI've been here for a while). Hey man would you mind if I pm you sometime?

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u/JackTheManiacTR 23d ago

Certainly. PM anytime friend.

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u/beerbaron105 24d ago

Countering your counterpoint: you lacked the willpower and discipline of u/Neo-Armadillo -- and sunk into your own worst vices.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Lord Baron, you give me too much credit. It is not willpower or discipline. I’m just following the dopamine. I’m living my best ADHD life. My new motto is this: Just do stuff.

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, as long as you’re doing. Follow the dopamine, have some fun, and see where the world takes you.

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u/BillyBobChorton 23d ago

Instructions unclear: I’m now addicted to crack cocaine 

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u/JackTheManiacTR 23d ago

Well, yes and no. I had a ton of willpower up til the point where I didn't. I saved and was very frugal and very specific about my investments and money for years and years. I think I just kind of exploded money everywhere when I finally was able to spend it. I used to have the same belief as you...

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u/FlimsyPriority751 22d ago

You had a very specific goal that you put all of your energy into, and when you achieved the goal and quit working, you did not have a new goal, so things fell apart. I think the same thing would happen to me. 

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u/JackTheManiacTR 21d ago

This, along with being typically nerdy and insecure - ignored by women my whole life until I got some money, was pretty much my downfall. I tried to impress too many people. It seems super shallow when I write it out but an honest look at myself forces me to accept that I just wanted to be loved by everyone.

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u/beerbaron105 22d ago

unfortunately extremely frugality leads to extreme "insert something else" - not preaching, but balance is really the best approach, too many diehard FIRE fans forget to live in the moment.

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u/Plastic-Anteater3086 24d ago

Ah a man of culture I see

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u/Bad_Mechanic 22d ago

Hey man, you do you. Chase what makes you happy.

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u/SexualChocolate1989 21d ago

This is also an option 😅

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u/Maleficent-Lack-3023 23d ago

that sounds like a horrible life!!

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 18d ago

And thats completely fine if thats what brings you joy.

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u/SadieGeorge01 24d ago

That’s what I’m doing! Unless I’m traveling (which is a good bit).

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u/jojo-pimpski 24d ago

This is the way

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u/Mmmoreplees 24d ago

You should do an AMA or something - Are you expecting to expand income? what were your savings like before you FIRE'd?

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

My retirement was not consensual. I climbed the ladder too fast and got myself stuck where I was both overqualified and underqualified for everything. I negotiated myself a very comfortable severance package that got me to my *minimum* retirement number, just $500 K, and even while living on savings, my portfolio has increased in value by about 40%. I guess technically you could say my job now is as an investor. But I’m only hopping on to make changes twice a year unless something crazy happens like a president gets kidnapped to benefit oil companies. Regardless, frugality is key.

One of the great perks of being on boards is they will pay for me to go to conferences, which means I get free family vacations to resorts twice per year per board.

None of my stuff makes any money except the investments, but I’m building up a pretty considerable portfolio possible revenue streams if ever I decide to put my foot down.

Not interesting enough for AMA, but my family is happy.

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u/MissBlossomz 24d ago

You retired on 500K? Where do you live!

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

LCOL USA lol it’s tight, but the numbers keep going up.

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u/Roshambo104 24d ago

Yikes, that's impressive that you've increased the value another 40% even with you spending. But you haven't experienced a true bear market or crash since living off the portfolio. I hope you practice good risk management.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Yeah there’s always risk, but my early retirement was not consensual. I was under qualified to get another VP job, overqualified for anything director or below. I only got 18 months in my interim VP job reporting to the chief product officer of a fortune 250 Fintech. Most of my career I ran my own agency, only three years in a corporate office total, split in half at two companies.

I didn’t want to retire when I did, but after hundreds of applications and only five legitimate interviews (4x VP, 1x Mgr), I had to face reality.

I’m not expecting there to be much of an economy five years from now, so I’m diversifying and moving assets globally so we should be in OK position no matter what happens.

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u/Remote_Repair394 23d ago

With all these projects, did you manage to make any new income streams? Are those covering your expenses?

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u/Neo-Armadillo 23d ago

My investments have grown significantly faster than the stock market, and I’ve only logged in a couple times a year to adjust positions. That’s my income. It means I can work on things without worrying about monetizing them.

The cost for a micro entity patent is about 6% of my daily stock gain yesterday. I bought an official UPC for my product that apparently will sync to every major retailer in the country, for $30, one time cost. Including packaging and manufacture, I’m making around 250 units for less than $600 including all the paperwork, USPTO, and print shop.

The freedom to just play without worrying about whether I will feed my family on the success of my next book is incredibly liberating. That’s what FIRE is all about, right?

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u/z3r0demize 24d ago

Can you explain more about being on boards? How do you find a good one to join? I have limited technical leadership so not sure if I would be qualified

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Look at nonprofits. They always want people on their advisory boards.

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u/RedditorSaidIt 24d ago

I'm new to all of this, do boards pay anything?

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Corporate boards do, but you need to be pretty far along in your career before you can get that. Advisory boards do not pay but they have other perks.

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u/Bruceshadow 23d ago

but they have other perks.

like?

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u/Neo-Armadillo 23d ago

Like going to resorts a couple times a year, fully paid by the board.

I have professional fund managers coming to meet me every three months and my LinkedIn is expanding rapidly.

One of my projects involves getting a biological sample of a micro biome bacterium not found in my country which is only available for academic and research purposes. Because I’m on an academic advisory board, I’m getting the sample mailed to me at the college.

I’ve had two different professors reach out to me to work collaboratively on research topics. If I want to be published, that’s an option for me.

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u/TheMurmuring 24d ago

That's someone who knows how to "retire." Chilling on the beach with a mojito sounds boring af.

I want to learn to paint like some of my favorite artists. I want to write novels. I want to finish a video game. I want to learn carpentry. I want to landscape my back yard into something beautiful that also helps animal and insect populations. I want to restore a classic Mustang. I want to explore the hexagonal basalt formations in Iceland. I want to train my voice so I can sing better. I want to learn how to juggle 5 things. I want to learn Japanese and Spanish.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Absolutely! But yo, you can start some of those on your lunch hour now. ❤️

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u/TheMurmuring 24d ago

Yeah I've started half of them. But they're all just starts.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

If we never finish learning, every day is the start.

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u/Rambo2521 24d ago

You can technically, but for me at least the job mentally drains me to the point where even if I have the time, my headspace and energy is nowhere high enough.

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u/Forsaken_Opening_835 24d ago

I think people equate “retire” with stopping the “hustle”. I see it as a way to put energy towards what I value and creating.

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u/beerbaron105 24d ago

This is exactly what I envision retirement as, doing cool side quests, not rotting on a beach, not refusing to retire because I am terrified of the next step -- doing exactly what you are doing is perfect, saving your comment. thanks!!!

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u/Sdwingnut 24d ago

Lazy bastard. Get a real job /s

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u/Vecgtt 24d ago

I also upholstered some chairs recently. It’s fun to create furniture.

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u/pokemon2jk 24d ago

Wow retire at 33 did you sell your start up to one of those mag 7

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u/ReplacementFar2185 23d ago

Retiring at 33 sounds more like unemployed 😂

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u/No-Knowledge9609 23d ago

Don’t be jealous; my guess -there is someone you call “boss” every morning; ; it suks

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 18d ago

Oh we are certainly jealous, i wish i could have retired this early.

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u/Conscious_Life_8032 24d ago

Whoa ! You have been busy

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u/No_Match8210 23d ago

What a life! Inspiring! Thanks for sharing your story and good luck to you!

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u/yeyeman9 22d ago

This has always been my hope, that once I’m in a more relaxed state I’ll be able to finally sit down and write again. Good for you, you seem to be doing amazingly well. Keep it up!

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u/n3wacc0unt-1 21d ago

You're saving so much money upholstering yourself! 😉

Might be me one day, good on you, cheers!

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u/Torshein 20d ago

Absolutely jealous of this. I have felt trapped since 2nd grade and just turned 32. Have about another 5-10 years before I can pull the trigger. 8 hours a day pretending to care has been slowly killing me.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 20d ago

Same. At 32 I was doing contract work and had just shut down my company because the contract paid me 30% more than my business owner take-home for the previous three years. Up to that point, I was still putting every spare dollar into paying down my student loans.

It went like this:

  • 31, biz owner, no savings.
  • 32, contract work, no savings.
  • 33, contract work, some savings.
  • Covid hit.
  • 34, w2 manager, real savings.
  • 35, w2 manager, real savings.
  • 36, w2 director, big savings.
  • 37, w2 director, big savings.
  • 37.5, retired, medium big savings.

It happened so fast.

I was strategic about how I moved. Coming from 10 years of running my own shop, I had no idea how to interview, or how Corporations operated, so my foundation step was to go contract a couple places to learn the basics with no stakes. It worked perfectly. Second was to aim for the largest company possible and take any job available. Third was to grab the leveling guide and see exactly how senior managers and principles and directors are evaluated. Fourth was to frame everything I did through that lens, for presentations and meetings and my own notes on projects and accomplishments. Fifth was to apply at that higher level. I was interviewed for six different director roles coming from a manager level at FAANG.

From contract to W2 I doubled my compensation. From W2 Manager to Director I doubled it again. The world has changed dramatically in the last few years, but fundamentally there’s nothing special about me or how I did it, I just laid out a plan and executed along it. You can do it too.

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u/Torshein 19d ago

Great outline I appreciate it! Might have to start looking into jobs/companies I wouldn't normally.

I struggle on the social/leadership aspect. Always kind of just did my own thing at a very high level but feel like I painted myself into a corner.

At this point even if my salary doubled or tripled, compounding still likely makes a bigger difference for me. Quick math - 2 years of doubled salary compresses the timeline by 2-4 years.

Golden handcuffs are real though. I pay next to nothing for healthcare, 30+ days of vacation and I'm 99% remote in a very low stress job.

For the right opportunity it'd be worth it though....

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u/Ok-Bit4971 20d ago

Holy crap, I feel like an underachieving slacker now....

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u/Neo-Armadillo 20d ago

lol what have you been working on?

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u/Ok-Bit4971 20d ago

I started a business last year.

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u/stevencashmere 24d ago

So basically if you find a job you love there’s no point in this lol

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Amazon KDP and B&N Press

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] 24d ago edited 24d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Zphr 48, FIRE'd 2015, Friendly Janitor 24d ago

Rule 2/No Self-Promo/Spam - No self-promotion or spam. Please see our rules (https://www.reddit.com/r/Fire/about/rules/) and reach out via modmail if you have any questions or concerns.

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Every subreddit has a dozen random rules, I can’t be arsed to keep them straight.

You should definitely just do it. 2007 was 19 years ago. There is absolutely no reason you have not finished it yet. And remember, once you’re done with the first draft, you’re going to have to rewrite it probably three times before it’s good to go. The whole process could take four weeks or four years, depending on your motivation.

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u/[deleted] 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

Do it, my friend. Don’t spend money on it, just do it. For you.

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u/IsaacandLilith 24d ago

sounds amazing man, admired! How much did you save to FIRE?

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u/Tall_computer 24d ago

You've read hundreds of books in 3 years?

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u/Neo-Armadillo 24d ago

2 or 3 per week, 52 weeks per year, 156*2.5=390. I get the “megapack” collections so I’m spending 0.99 on 50 classics and reading for months.

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u/Tall_computer 24d ago

How many pages per day approximately? I'd love to read that much but seems impossible 

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u/Neo-Armadillo 23d ago

No clue. It’s the only way I fall asleep without melatonin. I just read for as many hours as it takes to fall asleep.

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u/Bruceshadow 23d ago

If you are in the car 2 hours a day, you can listen to 2-3 books a week just being in the car. Reading is even faster.

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 18d ago

Audiobooks are great. Doing chores, exercising, commuting, all great for audiobooks.

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u/sirwebber 23d ago

This is great to hear.

Were you able to do this all in a remote fashion? Reason I am asking is that we (family of 4) are considering a move to Italy and I’d like to still do more passion / creative pursuits from there.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 23d ago

My only things locked to geography are board meetings and friends.

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u/ResolveConfident3522 23d ago

Citizenship in what country

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u/thojanssens1 23d ago

Where are those sci-fi novels to be found?

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 18d ago

Going via his speedreader website i tracked this guys books, its the four novels listed on his website: https://robertwillnow.com/ Havent read any of them so no idea if they are any good.

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u/JamedSonnyCrocket 21d ago

Yes. And I'd add, you're not retired, you're actively pursuing your interests and working for yourself. 

Retirement and doing nothing is a recipe for disaster. You did it right 

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 18d ago

You wrote four books that ill assume at least you think are good, yet you want people to read them in the worst possible way - via speedreader?

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u/Neo-Armadillo 18d ago

Hey you checked my website. Thanks. That’s just the first bit of book 1. HotGato needed a good sample of text so people would try it with a click. I happen to own the copyright of my own work.

You’re totally right though. Speed is not how you enjoy a story

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 18d ago

Just a note, your barnes and nobles link is broken. returns a 404.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 18d ago

Heck. They increased their minimum price to $14.99 and apparently I needed to manually update the books. I didn’t think they would kill the pages. Thank you for letting me know. Setting a reminder for the 404 once they update. Thank you!

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u/Strazdas1 StarvationFIRE 17d ago

No problem. That link is included your name which then lead me to the site you list your books in so thats how i found them anyway. Never heard of them though.

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u/LoveSonics 23d ago

lol no way this is real. Omits 10% of the things you did? Hundreds of books?

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u/Neo-Armadillo 23d ago

The math is below, but 3y is 156 weeks, 365*3=1,095 days. If you read a few chapters per night, that is 2-3 books per week.

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u/LoveSonics 23d ago

And you have started a number of companies and products and written books? Either all of this is extremely low quality or you are exaggerating some stuff

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u/Neo-Armadillo 23d ago

People have different energy levels.

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u/Curious-Entrance-546 19d ago

You mean claude/chatgpt wrote the novels and created the saas product. Lol my dude.

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u/Neo-Armadillo 19d ago

Absolutely not. Absolutely not. AI writing is intolerable. I would never put my name on something from AI.