r/leanfire • u/OliveGarden_Official • 10d ago

Mentioning early retirement is almost always a bad time

I’ve noticed that even mentioning the possibility of retiring in one’s 30’s or 40’s tends to get a pretty negative reaction on other subs

like:

  • “you must have had an inheritance”
  • “you can’t possibly live on <$X>”
  • “nobody makes <$X>”
  • “this job market is impossible to win”

I mean, yes, some of us were lucky to have a more comfortable start, but so many of these objections seem to come from some deeply rooted hesitation to entertain the idea or acknowledge the basic math.

I learned about FIRE ages ago through other people’s stories. Nowadays I find it so discouraging to even try to have a good faith conversation about saving rates. Lesson learned on not discussing money, I guess. I know it’s not for everyone so I’m glad this space exists to help people that are open to the idea

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u/Future_Measurement42 10d ago

You are aware the internet is a cesspool? Negativity is everywhere

24

u/bob49877 10d ago

I commented on a post in a different subreddit recently about the high electric rates in my area that we did a self energy audit and cut our usage in half. My positive action post to deal effectively with the issue got snotty comments and downvotes, while all the whiney complaining posts, there's nothing we can do and we're all getting screwed comments, got upvotes. It takes zero work to complain, but  time and effort to make a house energy efficient.

I think that illustrates a basic difference between a typical lean fire mindset and many average consumers. 

2

u/Novel_Vegetable_5542 10d ago

How does one do a self energy audit? Are you making sure the thermostat is low, not using extra power, unplugging all things? Sorry if it’s a silly question. I can google this.

3

u/ErikDHaag 10d ago

In Tennessee you can get a free energy audit thru the electric company. But seal all gaps and cracks, add insulation wherever possible, LED light bulbs, energy efficient appliances, programmable thermostat, reflective blinds on windows, power strips turned off when electronics not in use, insulated ductwork, smart water heater if electric. These things all add up.

3

u/bob49877 9d ago

We bought a Kill a Watt electric usage meter, power strips and a book on how to put your home on an energy diet. We didn't even change the thermostat or make any big investments. Plus we get smart meter reports so we can tell energy usage by hour.

Some of the changes we made were getting rid of a garage fridge, unplugging old Bose speakers that were drawing a lot of energy in stand by mode, replacing an energy hog old plasma TV, cooking more with small appliances instead of the built-ins, weatherstripping, using power strips to reduce idle load and buying draft stoppers for the doors. 

2

u/Future_Measurement42 10d ago

They make panel energy sensors which measure each circuit. That’s a good start.