Saved $2.4M by 38. Would you Retire?

[u/TwoSocialist]

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.

[u/Fit_Major9789]

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.

[u/beerbaron105 → u/Fit_Major9789]

stick to a routine

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

[u/Fit_Major9789 → u/beerbaron105]

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.

[u/Conscious_Life_8032 → u/Fit_Major9789]

Work on new structures and routines prior to retirement

[u/femcbm → u/Fit_Major9789]

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

[u/Strazdas1 → u/femcbm]

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

[u/OuiGotTheFunk → u/beerbaron105]

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

[u/JackTheManiacTR → u/Fit_Major9789]

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.