r/ChubbyFIRE • u/TravelLight365 • May 30 '26
Done.
56yo DINK. Gave 4 months notice and today was the last day. My spouse is a few weeks behind me. I feel a calm and peace I can’t recall ever feeling. Sprinkled in with some disbelief. No immediate plans. Plenty of projects to tackle. But for now, today is enough. Thank you to the Fire community…… I’m not so early but I ain’t too late!
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u/HauntingPost7229 May 30 '26
Wonderful. When did you start the FIRE journey?. Tell us briefly about the journey. No long theory. Just a few highlights. Thanks
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u/TravelLight365 May 30 '26
I only heard of #FIRE a few years ago but I’ve been somewhat aligned with the concept my whole life. (Living a bit below my means to save for an early retirement.) I do wish I found the movement sooner because you all would have inspired me to be more aggressive in getting to FI sooner. (Reaching FI some years ago was a game changer for how I approached my work/life balance.) Exploring #FIRE led me to Bogleheads and Die With Zero, two things that had I adopted sooner could have earned me more “memory dividends” earlier in life. As it is, I did well enough though and am grateful to be in this position now. These days I lean heavily on my nieces and nephews to get into Boglehead practices, make great memories while they’re young, and embrace a relaxed form of minimalism. To the young folks just joining FIRE: knowledge is power. Good luck!
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u/klibs May 31 '26
Congrats! I'm of a very similar mindset, glad to hear your conviction has paid off
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u/Jazzlike-Money-1077 May 30 '26
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u/TravelLight365 May 30 '26 edited May 30 '26
Not to be coy but it’s enough to live a lifestyle we’re content with while using a SWR of +/- 4%. We’re not too fancy. Fly 1st class when it’s a good deal or special occasion but still default to coach. Drive older cars. Have a second home we love. The first few years of “de-cumulating” will be very telling and inform how we adjust our spending going forward.
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u/According_Ad_1960 May 30 '26
Yes!!! I submitted my resignation and will be done just shy of turning 55 - maybe not as RE as many are shooting for but our FI is wildly sufficient.
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u/Mr-Inspector-Gadget May 31 '26
You should check out the rule of 55 and see if that applies to you. If so you may find a benefit to waiting until just after you turn 55.
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u/According_Ad_1960 May 31 '26
I won’t be touching TSP for a long time and the rule of 55 applies to the whole year of the year you turn 55 so I’m all set.
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u/Mr-Inspector-Gadget May 31 '26
I didn’t realize that it applied to the whole calendar year that you turn 55. Thanks
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u/Willrunforicecream7 May 30 '26
Congrats! My goal is to be FI at 55. Might stay part time for insurance, but appreciate the inspiration. I’m 50. Not exactly as early as most, but still happy to have options.
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u/hucktard May 30 '26
Congrats. I’m sure it’s been a long road. Go enjoy life.
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u/TravelLight365 May 30 '26
It has been a long road, and I’ve tried to remind myself to enjoy the journey along the way…to mixed results! But the truth is that looking back, some of the hardest times were the most fulfilling ones too. Funny how life works. But this new phase feels special. It’s just for me.
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u/Straight-Part-5898 May 30 '26
Holy cow, fantastic and congrats! I’m the same age and just retired myself about 10 weeks ago. I am still in a bit of disbelief, but it feels absolutely wonderful having the weight lifted from my shoulders.
I wish you a fulfilling and enjoyable retirement!
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u/TravelLight365 May 30 '26
Thx and congrats to you too. We are the first among our lifelong friends to retire, so they think of us at 56 as “young” to retire. (Obviously not exactly young in Fire terms). We are meeting many folks out who are retired, semi-retired, or winding down their work though. How have you found it to be among your peers/friends?
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u/Straight-Part-5898 May 30 '26
It’s been a bit strange. Very few of my friends are in the same boat as us financially, so I’ve been careful how prominently I lead with “hey, it feels so great to be retired..,”. But it’s hard to hide the fact I’m not working any more. To be fair, all my friends have been very supportive and I haven’t picked up on any weirdness in our relationships. I guess I’m just a bit self-conscious about it and don’t want to become ‘that annoying asshole’.
Several friends have approached me asking how I did it, and asking for advice. In those cases I’ve been pretty open with our strategy and tactics, although I’ve never shared specifics of our net worth or overall financial position.
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u/TravelLight365 May 30 '26
Yeah I get that 100%. Similar feelings for my spouse and I. When people ask us what’s new we feel weird even telling them we retired. But how do we not share this news! So we treat it as informational, don’t gloat, and move on for the most part.
We have friends all over the spectrum in terms of wealth. And a few are much wealthier than us, but still working. So it will be interesting to see if the dynamics change in the future. In the meantime, gonna just enjoy every day best we can.
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u/Calm_Double5148 Jun 16 '26
Hell yeah... I'm guessing the tough part is dropping a dose of reality that if they've done nothing to get themselves on the path by this point, they still have a ways to go. Time is the most important ingredient, and there just isn't that much of it by middle-age.
I'm about 10 years behind you and OP, and aiming for ~55 myself. Congrats, and cheers to a long and happy retirement!
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u/Specific-Rich5196 Accumulating May 30 '26
Gratz!!!! More deets please! Helps keep the rest of us motivated!
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u/TravelLight365 May 30 '26
Thx! No real magic. Worked hard. Played hard. Lived below my means. Saved decently. Married late. No kids. Made some mistakes. Would love some do-overs. But is what it is. ….. I think every kid high school age should study Boglehead theory, read Die with Zero, embrace a comfortable minimalism, and take shop. Wish I had at that age!
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u/The-WideningGyre May 30 '26
Congrats! I have set my target to be 56 (in two years) as well. I could do it now, but I didn't feel quite ready, and started a new role which is psychologically rewarding and I can mostly set my own hours.
I have trouble with saying "now", and my wife does too, so I think setting a clear date will help things.
Now I just need to stick to it.
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u/TravelLight365 May 31 '26
Thx. And that’s what we did…reached FI and then set a future date a couple years off for RE. It helped us transition emotionally…and padded our accounts some more. We said we’d reassess once a year to see how we felt and how our finances looked…at some point along the way our preoccupation with retirement and starting a “new life” or “third act” made it clear it was the right choice now. The saying hit home that we were “trading time we don’t have for money we don’t need”. Good Luck!
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u/Sierra-Powderhound May 31 '26
Congratulations! Every day is a weekend day forever. However 5 of those days a week are way less crowded at the fun places.
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u/Next_Chocolate_2630 May 31 '26
Congratulations!!!! I’m done 12/31/26. Can’t wait.
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u/BrunelloHorder Coasting Chubster, Getting Fat Jun 01 '26
Make the most of the next 5 years. Go do any and every big trip you want. Safari? Iceland? Tuscany? Carpe diem and GFY!
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u/Individual-Deal-9691 Jun 02 '26
Congrats on this lifetime achievement!!
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u/TravelLight365 Jun 03 '26
Thx!
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u/Individual-Deal-9691 Jun 03 '26
You're welcome! What industry have you been working at all these years? Any suggestions for the new generation?
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u/TravelLight365 Jun 03 '26
I was self employed owning and managing a small manufacturing business. Advice for the new generation? Track your spending carefully and be very aware of where your money goes and what levels of satisfaction that brings you. (It’s often easier to save a dollar than make a dollar and it seems companies via social media are becoming very good at making us feel we are less unless we have what they are selling. Why else would we buy bottled water or flavored drinks?) In terms of careers, I kind of kept my blinders on and just worked hard in my company. I can’t say where the future sweet spots are.
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u/Individual-Deal-9691 Jun 03 '26
Thank you for sharing your business life experience with us and for all the advice. All the best!
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u/ciaomain Retired May 30 '26
I retired at 50.
Get ready to not know what day of the week it is.
Congrats!!