Hello!

[cbinn]

I've been a lurker for about 3 years and I've finally decided to post I started with Get Rich Slowly about 10 years ago, then moved to MMM maybe 7 years ago, then ERE 3 years ago.

I'm a chemistry grad student in my late 20's living in the US.

I plan to make a journal to keep track of money, but actually mostly to log how thoughts/feelings/attitudes towards money and life change as time goes on. I've gained a lot of knowledge from this forum over the years and I'm just curious to have snapshots in time of how my attitudes change. Who knows, maybe I will be able to contribute something meaningful too Feedback in the journal is also appreciated

So hello to everyone, it's great to join to discussion!

[prognastat]

Welcome to the forum. What lead you to FIRE and in turn ERE?

[wolf]

Welcome!

Have you already got a good job within chemical industry?

[SavingWithBabies]

Welcome! A lot of talk here about the downsides of college let alone graduate school. Would you take the same path if you could redo? And do you have a plan to shorten your time to ERE?

I feel odd asking without sharing so I ended up going to college and I graduated at 30 before having a career (aka making decent money). In software as a developer and I felt like I was behind so I saved and invested and eventual ended up here (after MMM/financial subreddits/investing forums/money forums). I didn't really have a plan -- it just worked out well so far.

[cbinn]

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

@prognastat the answer is complicated. It's been a decade-long journey so far, which I can elaborate on elsewhere (journal, probably). The short version is anxiety over what the future may hold. I didn't want to be held to be tied to a job or employer I didn't like. The fear and desire for FU money eventually morphed into FIRE and now I'd say I've come back around to a more comfortable relationship with money. Right now I'd say my goal is semi-ERE.

@wolf Unfortunately no. I'm still a grad student and have a couple years left. My stipend is pretty generous though, by my standards. My savings rate right now is about 50%, and I'm still in school. It will be very high after I graduate. Probably in the neighborhood of 80%.

@SavingWithBabies I'm not sure. I think you'd have to ask me a decade from now. In retrospect I look at all the paths that I could have taken, and I think I made the right choices for me personally. But I don't think I'd recommend it for most. Different people are different. All those other paths - this one wouldn't be the most "enjoyable", per se. I'm not quite sure how to put it. Maybe I mean that in the moment, some was fun, some was heart-wrenching, some was satisfying, and some was boring. And if I think I made different choices, the ones that I was tempted to make to play it safe, I would have missed out on a great number of things that changed my life, for better or worse. So yes, I think I'd take the same path. I don't have definite plans to shorten my time to ERE currently. I generally like my job and I hope I continue to like it. And when I no longer like it, I hope to have enough money that I can change careers to something I do enjoy. Or to take time off to find that thing that I'll like to do when the time comes that chemistry is no longer fun. I think my experience is similar to yours - it's worked out well so far, somehow. I did kind of have a plan, and do. But best laid plans and all that

[SavingWithBabies]

Nice answer and I have much the same thoughts on my choices. I'm looking forward to your journal (if you chose to make one ).

[prognastat]

Since you're already at 50% savings rate while still in college if you play it smart after graduating by moving in a a well paying position without inflating your lifestyle you could be well on your way to FIRE/ERE.

Definitely understand not wanting to be stuck/beholden to a job/boss etc.