General Thoughts Archives - Page 2 of 17

What Did We Just Do?!! Thoughts from a New Retiree

So, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out what I wanted to talk about for my first post as a new retiree. I have all these things on my mind, but I’ve been struggling to figure out just the right topic. And that’s when it hit me… why not just talk about some of the random thoughts that have been floating around my head this week? Maybe some of what’s going on in this noggin of mine could be helpful for the next guy or gal planning an early retirement. One of those thoughts is that even though you may already know it, the transition from working a 9-5 full-time job to not working is impactful in your

What I’ve Learned Throughout My Final Year of Work

Well, that does it… I’m officially FIRE (financially independent / retired early). 12/31/18 was my last day of “working for the man” hopefully for the rest of my life. Whoa. Hang on – I just need a second to process that. Damn, that feels good to think about! Woo-hoo!!!! Ok, thanks for that – I really needed to get it out of my system. The idea is still a little surreal and will probably take a while to make it feel like more than a normal vacation. Let’s get back to why we’re here today though. I thought it would be interesting to talk about what I’ve learned throughout my last year of work. Some of the things that transpired

No One’s Asked – Here’s Why You Should…

No one’s asked. Not a one. Not one single person in my entire office. I’m now just days out from my retirement – December 31, 2018, is my last day of work. I gave my notice in early summer and we kept it low-key in the office for a little bit while we worked out the game plan. However, I officially made the announcement to my engineers in a meeting on August 13. And as many of you know, the grapevine in almost every office spreads like wildfire. We have just over 35 people in my office and I think everyone knew the scoop within minutes. That means it’s been well over three months and no one’s asked. Ok, Jim

A Moment to Exhale… So Now What?

Well, we’re finally over the hump. We actually had a moment to exhale. We sold the house and moved into an apartment. Everything should start to get easier and easier as we get closer to the big move to Panama next summer. I started this post while at the airport on our way to Miami to get our cruise kicked off. We booked this trip at the beginning of the year thinking we’d have nothing going on at this time. Yeah, we were wrong. Once we got through security here at Hopkins airport here in Cleveland, I got a text from my agent telling me everything just finished. The closing is officially done and they’re in the process of filing

Money Throughout My Life

Money. We all know its importance or you wouldn’t be reading this post. Whether you like it or not, it’s what the world runs on. You could opt out of playing the game and become a hobo, but there are very few of us that can live happily ever after in that position. You can’t let money rule your life, but it’s important to understand its role. Once you can control your capital instead of it controlling you, you’re one step closer to freedom. The old adage that “money can’t buy happiness” is only partially true. It can’t directly buy you a life of bliss, but it can buy you freedom – and that freedom can give you the opportunity

FinCon… It’s Really All About the People

I’m writing this post on the airplane coming back from Orlando. I just got finished another great FinCon conference. Not only that, but I’m writing it while on the plane the old-school way – pen and paper. Sure, I’ve had to rewrite the whole thing to get it online because I bailed on bringing my laptop to the event. But I care about you guys so much that it’s worth the effort… you’re welcome. This is the second year I attended FinCon. Last year, I wrote a couple of posts recapping the event – My First 24 Hours with the J. Money Mohawk and My 6 Favorite Fincon17 Moments. This year, I decided I wouldn’t go into FinCon with a specific