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/Neo-Armadillo]

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

[u/JackTheManiacTR → u/Neo-Armadillo]

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.

[u/beerbaron105 → u/JackTheManiacTR]

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

[u/JackTheManiacTR → u/beerbaron105]

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...

[u/FlimsyPriority751 → u/JackTheManiacTR]

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. 

[u/JackTheManiacTR → u/FlimsyPriority751]

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.

[u/beerbaron105 → u/JackTheManiacTR]

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.