Fingeek's Journal

Where are you and where are you going?
fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Sept:

Current net worth: £526,082

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.4% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-21,881. Years of savings needed: -0.4yr/May 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 4.0% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £80,082. Years of savings needed: 1.6yr/May 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.2% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £193,918. Years of savings needed: 3.9yr/Sep 2026

--

Quite the down month with the UK tax and recessional changes, but still less than 5%. I realised recently that I've been allowing myself to feel a victim within my job. It's rooted in the away-from thinking of leaving work. But after I stepped out of myself and objectively look at where I am, it's really great - good pay, relatively low stress, quite the freedom day-to-day, etc. I've decided that I'll focus on practicing gratitude within work instead, finding areas of enjoyment and further job crafting in the way that works for me. All the while I continue to develop hobbies and post-work life too. Learning to want what you have, less comparison, and finding gratitude and contentment in what you're doing today - in the now. This is the way to happiness.

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Oct:

Current net worth: £533,455

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.4% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-8,726. Years of savings needed: -0.2yr/Sep 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 4.1% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £89,056. Years of savings needed: 1.8yr/Aug 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.1% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £192,679. Years of savings needed: 3.9yr/Oct 2026

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Nov:

Current net worth: £540,325

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.4% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-11,038. Years of savings needed: -0.2yr/Oct 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 4.1% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £89,819. Years of savings needed: 1.8yr/Sep 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.0% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £182,609. Years of savings needed: 3.7yr/Aug 2026"

--

I've been suffering from existential anxiety/angst - and indeed anxiety for quite some time. Realised that a big part of it in last 6-12 months is that I've become a lot more aware of my body sensations. Reading a lot about optimising sleep, anxiety, and performance. Came across some useful info that really helped stitch together some of my disparate thoughts. It's necessary for people to go through this anxiety period it seems, as part of discovering your post-existential-crisis-self.

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Dec:

Current net worth: £537,852

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.4% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-12,316. Years of savings needed: -0.3yr/Oct 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 4.1% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £91,314. Years of savings needed: 1.9yr/Nov 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.1% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £284,448. Years of savings needed: 5.8yr/Oct 2028

--

It's been an interesting year. I've very much focused on going with the flow, slowing down, and broadly being less structured than I have been. It's worked well for what I intended it for - focus on family and personal health. And perhaps I've overbaked a little - I've read many less books this year and didn't have as many personal goals written down to aim for an achieve. Double edged sword I guess! It's clear then that my 2022 plan is going to be: Get back into growth mindset. Learning, growing, and challenging myself in a few different areas. https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/b ... r-seasons/ comes to mind and I think it's a helpful macro lens to think about these things - I was clearly in a different season in the last year or two, and that was necessary and positive, and now I feel like I'm able to move back into growth/doing mode a little bit.

I bid everyone reading a year of success, however success is defined for you individually.

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Jan:

Current net worth: £562,627

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.3% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-36,984. Years of savings needed: -0.8yr/May 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 3.9% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £71,141. Years of savings needed: 1.4yr/Jul 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 5.8% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £259,673. Years of savings needed: 5.3yr/May 2028

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Feb:

Current net worth: £574,395

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.2% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-50,051. Years of savings needed: -1.0yr/Mar 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 3.9% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £64,960. Years of savings needed: 1.3yr/Jun 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.0% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £283,451. Years of savings needed: 5.8yr/Dec 2028

--

I feel like I've settled into a position where I have one foot in RE life and one foot in salaryman/businessman ... And I'm perhaps struggling a little bit to make the most of either due to not committing fully either way. The job crafting I've managed over the years has put me in a comfortable, paying well, stagnant, only half-challenging position so I'm of course going to have inertia to move away from that position. It's happening, as I continue to learn more and practice various other areas, so perhaps I just need to keep letting things float in that general direction rather than forcing it too much.

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Mar:

Current net worth: £572,518

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.2% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-41,604. Years of savings needed: -0.8yr/May 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 4.0% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £77,658. Years of savings needed: 1.6yr/Sep 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.0% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £286,682. Years of savings needed: 5.8yr/Jan 2029

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by DutchGirl »

So I'm wondering: will you quit next year, when you will have about 25 times your annual expenses covered? While your job is okay, more adventures await...

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Good question! I'm not sure - I took a year off back in 2019 and I realised I didn't have anything to retire-to, which left me a bit aimless and undisciplined. So since then I've been slowly building that set of things to retire-to, so I'm less stuck to the salaryman idea as a sense of purpose and identity. But it's a process, and I'm still some way off.

If I retired tomorrow, I have a few ideas of what I would do, but I feel like I need to mature those ideas further. I do think I need to make some sort of change in the next year though - eg different company, part time, try setting up my own biz etc.

How about you? I see you're ~part time right now, do you have a plan towards quitting? Thanks for reading! :)

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Yeah, my question was a bit based on my own experience, indeed. I also feel like I need some time to create a very nice post-retirement lifestyle.

I am very happy about the sabbatical I took back in 2021 and the career change I made by the end of 2022 (partially resulting from that 2021 sabbatical).

However, I'm also not quite sure how things will develop, but we'll see. For now I like how my life has changed and is sometimes more challenging or adventurous than before. I still need to remind myself every once in a while that financially I'm going to be okay anyway, so I should stop focusing on that and have more attention for other things.

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Apr:

Current net worth: £575,174

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.3% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-40,601. Years of savings needed: -0.8yr/Aug 2022

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 4.0% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £82,509. Years of savings needed: 1.6yr/Dec 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.2% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £316,426. Years of savings needed: 6.1yr/Jun 2029
Last edited by fingeek on Sun Jun 04, 2023 7:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for May:

Current net worth: £592,965

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.2% WR required
NW deficit to 3.0% SWR: £31,500. Years of savings needed: 0.6yr/Jan 2024

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 3.9% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £70,417. Years of savings needed: 1.4yr/Oct 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 6.1% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £312,435. Years of savings needed: 6.0yr/Jun 2029

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Jun:

Current net worth: £620,851

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.0% WR required
NW deficit to 3.0% SWR: £-3,907. Years of savings needed: -0.1yr/Jul 2023

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 3.7% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £38,066. Years of savings needed: 0.7yr/Mar 2024

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 5.8% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £284,849. Years of savings needed: 5.5yr/Dec 2028

--

There's quite a delta between the budget "live as today" and the real world average, so this will be the main focus over the coming months to sync these up. Have noticed that the real world average is coming down a little too which is nice.

not sure
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:34 pm

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by not sure »

fingeek wrote:
Tue Jul 04, 2023 3:33 am
To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 3.0% WR required
NW deficit to 3.0% SWR: £-3,907. Years of savings needed: -0.1yr/Jul 2023
Nice work!
Would anything change for you once you reach this milestone?
I found that my attitude to FIRE/work started shifting when we got close to my mental line in the sand

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

not sure wrote:
Tue Jul 04, 2023 8:44 am
Nice work!
Would anything change for you once you reach this milestone?
I found that my attitude to FIRE/work started shifting when we got close to my mental line in the sand
Thanks! It's an interesting one isn't it? I've hit some milestones in the last year or so (one of my previous journal posts expands on it more) and I'm kinda in One More Year thinking now, 1/ getting mentally ready for the next thing, 2/ figuring out what that next thing is, 3/ getting closer to a more safe feeling SWR. Not sure when I'll get there, but it feels like month on month I'm going in the right direction!

What things changed for you?

not sure
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:34 pm

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by not sure »

For me, reaching a milestone opened more options*, for example: I could take time off to travel, or I could learn new skills, or take unconventional jobs. It took the pressure was off for earning X or being in an X career line. Once the pressure was off, I started focusing more on what I like about it, rather than what I dislike.

*And those options were always there, but my lizard brain was too focused on the known and seemingly safe path.

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Update for Jul:

Current net worth: £618,963

To cover fixed expenses (lean FIRE): 2.8% WR required

To cover fixed + optional expenses (live as today): 3.5% WR required
NW deficit to 3.5% SWR: £-2,349. Years of savings needed: 0.0yr/Jul 2023

To cover YMOYL (real-world 12mnth average): 5.0% WR required
NW deficit to 4.0% SWR: £159,862. Years of savings needed: 3.1yr/Jul 2026

--

Well, that's another milestone hit! At this point, I'm pretty confident that we can live on what we have invested at ~leanFIRE mode. This has both given me an increased sense of relief, and also an increased sense of meaninglessness. Why am I working at my job now if I don't really need the money?

So, I've re-looked at the PERMA-V[1] theory this month, and I've decided I'm going to be more intentional about part-optimising for that going forward. I do think it's an overall good model and metric to run your life by. Initially I've realised I am (and have been) focusing too much only on Achievement, and not enough on the other points. Ttis is what my body and subconscious has been telling me for a while too - That I need to focus more on Relationships, and Meaning portions of the model.

I've also started to map out my post-salaryman life and it's highlighted the same areas that will be lacking - Funnily enough, the exact same areas and feelings I had on my test-RE 1yr off. So, pointing in the right direction now.

[1] https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/learn-more/pe ... -workshops
Last edited by fingeek on Mon Aug 07, 2023 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

DutchGirl
Posts: 1646
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:49 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by DutchGirl »

Congrats, and well done.

Yes, it does seem like it's time to focus on improving other aspects of life. I'm looking forward to reading about your path, here.

singvestor
Posts: 205
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:48 am

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by singvestor »

Congrats, LeanFI unlocked! I am curious what will happen next!

fingeek
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 8:16 am
Location: Wales

Re: Fingeek's Journal

Post by fingeek »

Thank you both for kind words. I wish you the best too!

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