Do we have many other already FIREd folks here? I FIREd 2 years ago and kind of felt like I lost my online community was I hit my goal. I’m more than happy to share my experience with folks still in the boring middle but am hoping to find some already FIREd folks to discuss the after FIRE life too.
Yep, FIREd Jan of 2022. Was sweating it out last year, but starting to feel a bit better with the markets and inflation this year.
Cool. I had to force myself to stop checking my balances all the time. The transition from saving to spending was very weird psychologically. There was one big dip that had me questioning my decision but I got over it pretty quick when I started thinking about going back to my old job.
I retired July 1, 2022! It’s been a little stressful figuring some things out, but it’s been great overall. I don’t miss the alarm clock!
I love not having a set schedule. Ive wanted to do volunteering somewhere just for the socializing but having to commit to a set volunteer schedule has held me back from following through on that.
I felt like I needed some structure, so the first 6 months I took a couple of art classes. Now that I am a year into it, I’m ok without things scheduled. But I liked having a gentler introduction into having a bunch of free time. And I am getting better at initiating social times with friends!
I FIRE’d March 2023. Mid-40’s S_NK previously in tech. The first two months I felt really free. I traveled quite a bit and connected with a lot of people. But now that the dust has settled, people no longer seem to care or reach out as much. I’m starting to self-doubt and am sometimes worried if I killed my career. What if I can’t find another job if I need to? What if I get bored? I still check my accounts often and need to remind myself that it’s better to be frugal and bored than working and miserable. :)
Do you think you’ll realistically need to go back to work? Is the lack of social engagement becoming an issue? Genuine questions, not loaded.
I think I’d feel more comfortable spending if I built more cushion by working another 2-3 years. I have so much fear that I’ll run out of money despite my calculations showing I’m okay as is. I feel like the lack of social engagement is/will be an issue. All my family and friends are still working and I don’t always want to hang out every weekend either. I miss talking to my coworkers about things I know really well. Now that I think about it, maybe I’m missing intellectual stimulation…?
