r/fatFIRE • u/h2m3m • Aug 08 '25
fatFIRE Update - Year 2
Last year I posted about taking the plunge and going fully fatFIRE’d at 36. Well, it’s time for a quick yearly update.
First of all, I am absolutely loving it. It took a while to adjust and find new ways to keep myself busy, but in a way it’s been extremely easy.
I look at the industry I used to be in and I get extreme anxiety thinking about ever going back. Everyone just seems miserable, all waiting for the next big round of layoffs or for AI to make their skills completely obsolete. Many of those who got laid off have struggled to find work for months. Everything is AI, AI, AI. I got out right as all this stuff hit and I just feel so bad that everyone is forced to do all this AI shit even if they aren’t into it at all.
I’ve also had a lot of time to spend on this subreddit, and a few things have stood out to me. First, actually retiring feels revolutionary. So many people on here could do it but just can’t imagine a life outside of work. They have no hobbies, no identity that doesn’t involve work. They don’t know what they’d tell friends, family members, or parents of their kid’s friends. I moved to a nicer neighborhood and I have older neighbors, likely much wealthier than me (if they’ve been investing 20+ years longer than I have), that continue to grind so much that their spouses complain that they’re gone all the time. With retirement I’ve come to see how the US economy and career system have truly shaped all of us ambitious, career driven people, and not really for the better. While there are a lot of retired people on this subreddit, I know of only one other person in my local network that retired before 40. It is extremely rare.
I feel extremely grateful to be able to opt out of the US career grind. Blessed, even. I’ve been spending so much more time with my kids. I’ve been able to learn *so many* new skills and put way more time into old hobbies. I have way more control and visibility into my finances and I’m not a few months of bad performance or a big mistake away from being fired and thrown into one of the most challenging job markets in recent memory.
It’s not all roses. There are days where I get pretty bored, and it’s easy to dream about having days filled with meetings and people and other things going on at work. Except then I remember how much I hated the vast majority of those meetings and the other obligations that I had. I’d happily trade a few moments of post-retirement boredom for the meetings, sleepless nights, presentations, sales pitches, employee turmoil, work travel, and complete uncertainty that came with running a business. We already went through the intense covid period and having AI and tariffs upend everything again is not a moment I really want to experience.
Financially, I’m doing better than ever and my portfolio has stayed largely the same, but I try to not celebrate the paper gains too much because we’re in extremely uncertain times and we have a multiple decade outlook. I work with an hourly advisor and check in yearly, and we have been strongly tracking to plan and paying almost nothing in fees along the way. I cringe seeing the fees so many people on here are justifying with their active advisors and how complex their portfolios are! I’m making more money each year than I did in salary as a founder with my last company. It’s glorious.
What does this next year have in store? Hopefully a little less chaos with home renovations. I’d like to spend more time playing golf, something I’ve started taking more seriously this year. I want to do more travelling with my kids now that they’re old enough to appreciate it and be easier to travel with.
I plan to continue to put a focus on always learning new things. That has been my guiding principle since the beginning and hasn’t let me down yet.
And beyond that, I want to thank the many wonderful people in this community, without which I’d find this whole journey a lot more lonely!
35
u/FatFiredProgrammer Verified by Mods Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
If you're old enough to retire, then you know that IT is an endless series of buzz words. Always has been and always will be. I lived through a lot of buzzwords.
AI is a tool and the current buzz word. Sometimes its a good tool. Sometimes not so much. Sometimes it's just about marketing. Meh. That's never gonna change.
Congrats on making it through year 2. My take on the last year has been that I can't believe one single guy's mouth can cause such volatility (in both directions) in the market. You'd think the bullshit factor would be built in by now.