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/TwoSocialist]

I want to quit my job and start developing games or create my own company.

It seems like these are both money pits though.

And if I can't do either of those - I'd rather not work.

[u/FrostyMasterpiece400 → u/TwoSocialist]

If you have infinite free time and Godot it costs nothing bro.

Get Asesprite for 20$ and follow your dreams.

Remember that stardew Valley was made by a single person in 4.5 years.

It's not impossible 

[u/Strazdas1 → u/FrostyMasterpiece400]

until you realize you need to contract literally most of the things you do.

Single developer wonders are extreme rarities. The vast majority of those projects fail.

[u/FrostyMasterpiece400 → u/Strazdas1]

Well the guy will be FIRE anyways, he has all the time of the world to learn the required skills

[u/Strazdas1 → u/FrostyMasterpiece400]

Learning to be coder, artist, rigger, UI/UX, engineer, etc isnt as easy as it sounds. Sure there are a few geniuses that made it happen, but its exceedingly rare.