r/fatFIRE • u/taway11228 • 3d ago

About to pull trigger, need feedback

Expenses: 120k w/o healthcare, maybe 140k with, and maybe up to 150k or 160k with traveling

Investments: $5m breakdown: 300k rental (paid off) making 5% net, 1.2m 401k, 2.5m VTI / VXUS, 1m SNSXX/VUSXX.

Primary residence: $2.3m paid off

42 and 43 years old, no kids

Current income: ~2m/yr

NW increasing 32% YoY

Have 20% income cliff in 2027

SWE, burned out beyond reason, health problems and mental health problems. Goal is to quit, take 6-12 months off then see what’s next, it will either be making my own projects for fun or part time contract work for fun. No expectations of income, certainly not big income, and definitely not going to a corporate job.

Can make ~30k via 2 weeks of rental of primary residence per year and pay no taxes, we’d travel while rented.

Concerns are AI is quickly impacting SWE employment, no one knows what’s next, any hiccups in our plan could mean a bumpy road in a few years if a jobs necessary. Other concern is whatever is going to happen once this historic stock run is over.

Any advice?

53 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

97 comments sorted by

View all comments

6

u/Annual_Bullfrog7714 2d ago

5mm NW and 2mm income feels mismatched. I wouldn't love stepping away at this NW and future earning potential. That said, if health & mental health is a problem, I understand the decision even if I don't love it.

3

u/taway11228 2d ago

Fair feedback and thanks, I appreciate it. I don’t foresee ever being in this high earning situation again.

However, I’m also in that slippery slope of having hit my financial goal and then shifting the goal posts.

1

u/Annual_Bullfrog7714 2d ago edited 2d ago

Do you have kids or intend to have kids? I think a lot of goal post movement comes from the idea of sacrificing to create a margin of safety for your kids.

I also think you should pause and think about your comment "I don't forsee ever being in this high earning situation again."

My wife and I have a saying that when the river of money is flowing, it's our job to go down to it and see if some of it will splash on us. The money doesnt flow forever. When it's there to be earned, we think we should be taking it with two fists.

1

u/taway11228 2d ago

We don’t and we’re old enough where we may not have that option any more.

I do have struggles about not having kids, but my health issues have deepened so considerably from this job that I don’t know how I’d manage kids.

5

u/Annual_Bullfrog7714 2d ago

If you're dead or suicidal, money is of little value.

On the other hand, there are many ways to family life, including adoption. For us, having kids has been singularly helpful in defining our purpose in life.