The Final (?) Countdown

Where are you and where are you going?
Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Stocks have fallen dramatically since I last posted, but my VYM/VYMI/VEA focused portfolio has held up well enough. Between the half of our dividends we receive in our taxable portfolio and my wife's writing, we've still been able to invest >$1000 per month (sometimes more). A little scary to see things going down, but I look at our companies and I try to ask myself--would I be nervous if I owned 100% of these? The answer is no, so I'm holding steady. Our spending has stayed around $800 per month total for our family of 4. In a week we'll be heading out of state for a month to vacation with my parents, and brother/sister in law. Should be fun, except that it's going to be a lot of folks in a small airbnb (10 of us including kids).

In non-finance news, things have been going pretty well on the farm. The weather is FINALLY warming up here in socal. The hills are brown now. This is what I remember from growing up here as a kid. Desert? That's what I thought until I visited death valley and drove down the 395 last month. Now, even with the brown I see life everywhere.

My inlaws scraped the land here to build a commercial nursery when the bought the place. The dirt near us is insanely hard clay and dirt. I spent two hours digging five small holes yesterday, using a pick axe, water auger, breaker bar, and a little bit of shovel. I filled the holes with water and it took ~10 hours for the water to soak in/evaporate from the soil. We planted artichokes, which I have read have a sturdy tap root for breaking up soil. My idea here is to do some permaculture style gardening with heavy roots now to break the clay, followed by daikon radishes and nitrogen-fixing cover crops in the fall. The ultimate goal is to have a 400' or so patch of viable soil near the trailer for planting next year.

We've got a lot of stuff planted in pots and garden beds and healthier soils around the nursery, but this is my project whose goal is more "soil regeneration" rather than food output.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

It's been a little more than a year since I retired. Things are still going pretty well. I have learned SO MUCH while renovating/maintaining our trailer. My new best friend is an oscillating multitool. I just bought my own after borrowing one several times.

Money wise, things are okay. Our Net Worth is down (as is probably everyone's), but we have not had to sell a single share of stock since we retired. To supplement income, I have started substitute teaching. I have a teaching credential, and it's been nice to try out teaching again to see if it's worth reactivating. The local district pays $90/$190 for a half/full day of work, so if I pick jobs correctly I can be making $45 per hour on jobs. Feels good, and I LOVE being done with a work day after a couple of hours.

The other day we went to a beach city as a family and just spent the whole day walking around the houses and shops. Felt incredible, and it cost us almost nothing. Days like that remind me of why I retired.

That said, I have considered returning to government work. Markets are down so much that it's tempting to work to save while stocks are so cheap, even though our retirement is still holding up as planned. I don't know what to do here.

Expenses-wise, we're at $10,843 for the year. Less than $1000 per month for a family of 4. I'm very pleased with our spending, to the point that I may make an effort to INCREASE spending next year to see if it makes a difference in happiness. Between my wife's and my part time jobs, we've managed to still save a significant amount of money during that year. I can't wait to see our December dividend total.

ertyu
Posts: 2893
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2016 2:31 am

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by ertyu »

Salathor wrote:
Wed Nov 02, 2022 7:14 pm
That said, I have considered returning to government work. Markets are down so much that it's tempting to work to save while stocks are so cheap, even though our retirement is still holding up as planned. I don't know what to do here.
Apply and see what opportunities are out there. See what you get offered - no one says you HAVE to accept it or you must accept it as offered -- you could be able to negotiate something that works better because you're operating from the position of, "would be nice if it panned out, but if not, oh well"

Western Red Cedar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 2:15 pm

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Western Red Cedar »

Salathor wrote:
Thu Aug 05, 2021 11:22 am
I've been trying to determine my goals going forward in life, post-employment. So far I've nailed down a few things that are important to me:
  • raise healthy kids
  • have a happy marriage
  • be healthy
  • do good for the earth
  • figure out a way to use my time to make a difference
These seem like excellent goals. How does returning to the public sector fit into these? How about substitute teaching? It sounds like money isn't really a major concern for you and your family.

I've witnessed a huge demand for workers at the state and local level in Washington and Oregon. I anticipate that will continue as funding from the Inflation Reduction Act continues to filter down. I'm guessing you wouldn't have much of a problem picking up more work if that is what you actually want. Even better if it hits on your 4th or 5th goal. It's really only a question you can answer. If you decide to return, make sure not to compromise though - you are in a position of strength.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Western Red Cedar wrote:
Wed Nov 02, 2022 10:35 pm
These seem like excellent goals. How does returning to the public sector fit into these? How about substitute teaching? It sounds like money isn't really a major concern for you and your family.
It's hard to say. I would say that money IS a concern for me. Not that we're running out, but rather, the mindset of switching from someone who saves 90% of his income to someone who is spending it instead. Definitely a scarcity mindset issue. We haven't had to spend any of our dividends yet, but it feels closer than I would like.

I don't know. It's one of the reasons I might want to spend more money next year. It's possible I'm FEELING constrained because I see the amount we're saving now and I feel like, "oh no, I'm only saving $x when I used to save $x*5. We're in trouble!" when really we aren't. I'm pretty sure we managed to save more than the average family over the last year, even without working. (Not more than the average follower of ERE principles, though).

But from an objective position, there are also reasons why a few years of earning right now might be good for us. We're both feeling a desire to be in town again, and that's going to cost money. Not that it's something we need to do right away, but... So much of our days used to be walking around for chores. Going to the grocery. The library. The brewery. We could walk all those places and it was a good way to get exercise and use up a couple hours of the day. Not being able to do that out here is bothering both of us more than we had expected.

I think if I did go back, it would be more like--I'm going to work for X years and save 90% of the income, until we can buy a house in City ____ with the earnings. Give myself a definite end date and definite goal before starting. Then, I feel like I might have the excitement of a new challenge/job without having the old pressures of an unending stream of work laid out before me.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

A few weeks ago I deleted all of the apps off of my phone and deleted the internet browser to see how it would go if I got rid of my smart phone and switched back to a flip phone. It's been going GREAT so far. I am considering getting myself a flip for christmas. I just enjoy having so little desire/ability to check phone/news throughout the day. My average time on phone has gone down from what I am sure was probably a couple of hours to ~30 minutes per day, of which at least 2/3 is texting my brother, and the other 10 minutes doing email or choosing a song/podcast to play.

In fitness news, I finally built a pull up bar in one of the greenhouses here. I've lost a lot of strength (from 11 chinups with weight on my back to 5), but it feels great to get back to it!

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

We've been eating mostly vegetarian for a few years now (not totally so, but probably average less than 1 pound of meat per week or so). I enjoy it (but I would not enjoy being fully vegetarian).

One meal that has been a favorite has been kung pao lentils: https://www.veganricha.com/kung-pao-lentils/.

I don't think my wife cooks them EXACTLY the way in the recipe there, but it's close. For veggies we usually use whatever we have. Yesterday it was red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, red onion, water chestnuts, and zucchini. I like to garnish with peanuts, and then for the 'non-healthy' part add a little fried onion topping (although it's good without as long as you have the peanuts and water chestnuts) and slather it in sriracha.

So, so good. Practically free, and very fiberful. I have been buying just short grain organic brown rice (from Lundberg) at costco, because it's the highest fiber:carb ratio I've seen on a brown rice (about 9%, which isn't as good as other grains but it's great for rice).

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Just did a checkup. It has been about 14 [edit: 14, not 10--and 12 since I quit my job, since I took 2 months of vacation before my last day] months since I quit working, and our accessible portfolio (not retirement accounts) is up about 3% since last year. Not incredible, but very reassuring given how poorly things have been going in the market. If this is a pretty-bad-case-scenario, a good year should be quite nice. I'm looking forward to December to see what our dividends look like year-over-year after not working for twelve months.

In other news, I've been applying for jobs. Not all ones I want, or would even take, but just to see how my ability to get jobs would be. A few months ago, I was getting a 0% positive response rate, even for jobs that I was absolutely qualified for. I revamped my resume with my brother's help and have 3 interviews scheduled for next week, which is reassuring, even if they aren't jobs I want to take.

More importantly, I applied for a job I DO want--an entry level computer programmer. Not sure how it will turn out, but I've decided that I definitely would enjoy trying that for a year or two at least, since I've been coding as a hobby for more than a decade. This last year I've been doing it with a lot more focus and I really enjoy it.
Last edited by Salathor on Sun Dec 04, 2022 7:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.

ertyu
Posts: 2893
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2016 2:31 am

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by ertyu »

Fingers crossed!

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

ertyu wrote:
Fri Dec 02, 2022 10:18 pm
Fingers crossed!
Thanks! I haven't heard anything yet.

I'm having a really hard time trying to plan out what I will do if I'm offered one of the other positions. They pay well, but I have already done that work and not loved it, and it would take time away from developing my own apps/sites for my portfolio (for which I have at least 3 good project-sized ideas). Do I delay trying to go for what I actually want in order to make some money and improve my portfolio?

The answer obviously feels like 'no', but if the economy collapses and no one is hiring entry-level full-stack guys, I'd be wishing I'd taken one of these other jobs.

ARGH.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Still considering going back to work, both because I'm slightly concerned about and hoping to take advantage of a pending market downturn. Had 3 interviews in the last two weeks and got a callback for a second round on all three. All 3 of the jobs have things that make them sound actually interesting/appealing, but also have downsides (commute length, or benefits, or etc.).

Factors to consider:
1) still haven't heard from the one job I DEFINITELY want (the programming apprenticeship)
2) just saw dividends announced. My portfolio is doing reasonably well. I don't really need the money right now
3) I've been more motivated to do my own programming than any time in my life. I don't want to get distracted when I still have several good and potentially profitable website ideas to develop. I've been coding for several hours every day and am learning and actually implementing a ton of stuff. It feels awesome
4) I don't think my wife wants me to go back to work unless it's something I really want to do (that IS why we retired, after all)

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Been programming for almost two months straight now. Learning a lot and having fun. Unfortunately it does not seem like a great time of a person without a CS degree to be breaking into entry-level tech work. At least the work is satisfying.

Total spending for the last year was $12,780. The largest category was groceries ($3,987) followed by gas ($1,580) and car expenses ($1,467). Having a car is expensive, especially when gas is $6+ a gallon for most of the year. Pretty satisfied with the amount we spent. We were able to cover more than 100% of that with dividends, and so we were able to reinvest some and reinvest all of the money my wife made from her writing job (and I made subbing, although that wasn't very much).

Still considering going back to work. I've been doing some reading and thinking and am honestly kind of excited to try working again with the new perspective of having a year off. Plus, if we're going into a recession then a few years of good income and massive savings rates would help us achieve some financial goals (slow travel, buy another house) much more quickly.

Health wise, I built a chinup bar and have gotten my best set back up to 8, which is pretty good for me (my previous record was 10 back when I was working out with weights and friends regularly). Also, as of today I have not had any alcohol in 4 weeks and do not plan on going back. Feel so much better.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

No news on the job hunt. Still working hard on setting myself up as a web developer. I've been working steady on some portfolio items for the last 2.5 months or so. Pretty comfortable now with Javascript, React, Node, Socket.io, MongoDb, and Redis. I feel good about the stack, and I've got quite a few ideas coming up that I hope to get to once I'm done with this current project.

Went on a nature walk today with the family in the middle of the day, and then did a few hours of coding after that. Reminded myself how much I love being retired. I'm kind of drawn back to work by fear of the economy and the idea that I can always quit again, but I really do love being my own boss in terms of scheduling and stuff. If I can make a go of the web stuff on my own, I would love that.

mooretrees
Posts: 762
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by mooretrees »

It’ll be interesting to read how you feel about work when you get a job. I only work three days a week and it can vary from still-too-much work to coworker’s are fun and it’s nice to get a paycheck. The beauty of getting a job for you at this point is that it can be a short term commitment, and if it stops being worth it, then boom you can jet.

Good job on the chin-ups, those always feel so good for stretching my back.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

mooretrees wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 10:53 pm
Honestly, that's kind of what I'm wondering about the job too. Right now it sounds fun--but will I burn out after a single 40 hour week? I don't think so, but as long as we don't do anything too drastic (buy an expensive house all cash the day I get the job, etc.), it's not an irreversible decision.

A bigger commitment comes with more opportunity though--I can look for jobs in places we would like to move (FL, Hawaii, Texas) and use the funds as a kind of 'paid to tour the area' situation. But that means I probably need to commit to a job for at least the length of a lease. But I'm not planning on taking any jobs that actually sound bad, so that shouldn't be too hard.

What do you do that you are pulling off 3 days per week? That's what I'm looking for!'

Goals

One thing I would really like to do would be make money from my own apps. One of my ideas might lend itself well to a patreon/subscriber situation with a very niche audience. If I could make even 1000-1500/mo from that, I would happily throw myself into it and abandon any search for work. It's enough money for us, since it's a supplement to other incomes. And I could use that income to bridge until I can either develop another site or get a remote coding job (which seems like it would be interesting).

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Just accepted a job that I'm fairly excited about. The work isn't anything thrilling--kind of what I was doing before, but without some of the aspects of my old job that I really didn't like--but it's almost entirely remote and will allow me to relocate to a part of the country that I've wanted to move to for a long time.

The pay is low to start (about half of what I was making), but there is pretty significant upside potential, including ~33% in guaranteed raises. Being able to take lower-paying jobs is one of the advantages of being financially independent!

I'm pretty excited, actually. Looking forward to starting somewhere new again, having a chance to succeed in a new career that will still allow me to be home with my kids while they're growing up. It's also by far the cheapest way to get to see this new part of the country. Another great advantage is that the employer is going to allow me to work fully remotely from here until my oldest daughter finishes her school year. Very generous!

Ironically, I just started doing my taxes and see that we managed to save ~3/4 of our income last year, even without working. The early retirement plan was working--it just seems like it's going to take too long to get back to "buy a house in location X" since stocks fell 20% and housing almost doubled since I retired. Working some should speed things up considerably.

Western Red Cedar
Posts: 1205
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 2:15 pm

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Western Red Cedar »

Congratulations! It is nice to see how EREers integrate traditional work into the WOG. I'm also curious how your perspectives and relationship to work change as you start the new job. Please keep us posted.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Western Red Cedar wrote:
Wed Feb 15, 2023 1:50 pm
Absolutely will do. I'm actually really excited, especially by the prospect of getting a remote job that can help me move in a "low risk" way to another part of the country. I'm also excited to see how my attitude toward work has been different after being FIRE for a little over a year and knowing that I'm going back now not because I have to, but because I want to.

Salathor
Posts: 394
Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2015 11:49 am
Location: California, USA

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by Salathor »

Also new: picked up a used instant pot on FB marketplace for $40-60 (can't remember). Used it a bunch already. It's a game changer for yogurt making. The yogurt comes out GREAT and it's really easy. In the past, we've struggled with stovetop and always boiling it over and then failing to keep it warm enough to set. Anyone who is considering an IP for yogurt--get one! I feel like if you're a heavy yogurt eater (we are), it'll pay for itself in no time.

mooretrees
Posts: 762
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:21 pm

Re: The Final (?) Countdown

Post by mooretrees »

Excited to hear how the job goes! Also, currently have a yogurt starter and planning on making it in the IP. Do you strain yours? I love the Greek style but haven’t made the effort to strain mine to get that thickness. I think I’d be bummed about have the byproduct of straining it as I don’t know what to do with it.

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