How this couple ditched the FIRE movement and couldn’t be happier: 'We now have the option to enjoy our lives.'
Early retirement is something most people write off as a pipe dream. For me, I didn’t even know it was possible until I read some articles online about people my age throwing in the corporate towel forever. Turns out, what it takes to retire early was way more than my husband and I bargained for — and not worth our happiness.
Fortunately, the home inspection revealed sheets of black mold hiding in the attic and we were able to pull the plug, get our deposit back, and breathe easy once again. On the heels of that relief we both decided it was high time to get our financial act together. But, there was a bit of a catch. Although I had a higher than average salary, my husband’s work was project based and unpredictable. That meant we needed to optimize our finances in every way if we wanted to retire early. We increased our monthly income through side hustles and committing to a lifestyle of extreme frugality in an effort to bolster our savings rate.
Time dragged on and after about two years of extreme frugality, my husband and I just couldn’t shake the feeling of self-imposed deprivation.On top of it all, I started to experience some minor, age-related health issues. My eyesight started to wane and I begrudgingly gave in to glasses. Then, my doctor told me that if I wanted to have another child we would likely be facing fertility treatments.
Yes, I realize that I am one of the lucky ones and that not everyone works for a company that offers these things. And yet I also realize that I would be a fool to walk away from it in exchange for living frugally off of our savings and crossing my fingers hoping that nothing catastrophic happens for the next few decades.
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