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Performance Update 42/50: The FInal Piece of the Puzzle

July 25, 2016 by Mr. 1500 Days 98 Comments

My main goal is to build a portfolio of $1,120,000* in 1500 days**, starting from 1/1/2013 and ending in February of 2017. I made my goal a couple months ago, but believe that it’s a worthwhile exercise to continue with my financial updates until the end of 1500 Days, so I continue.

It’s time to take a look back at June. First, I must tell you about the last piece of the FI puzzle which recently fell into place, just like this scene in Tetris:

Score!
Score!

I like to talk all high and mighty about how quitting my job will be a time to do all kinds of wonderful things; read, exercise, spend more time with the kids, volunteer, blah, blah, blah. While all of that is true, it won’t be all books and hikes. There is one activity that I’ve never mentioned, but I look greatly forward to.

Super Mario!

I’m not one of those dudes who gets crazy into computer gaming. I haven’t played any kind of video or computer game since my teens. However, I have fond memories of my original Nintendo. I spent too much time on summer breaks playing Super Mario Brothers, Metroid and the Legend of Zelda. One of the things I want to do in retirement was play these games again. There are emulators and you can even buy old systems on eBay, but those options all seem like a lot of work for a potentially subpar experience.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I was doing my morning business (yes, pooping) when: BOOM! This popped up in my news feed:

Screen Shot 2016-07-20 at 6.58.51 AM

For only $60, I can buy an official Nintendo machine with most of the games that I loved. Woot!

I have cleared my last retirement hurdle.

Performance Update: June

June was loaded with excitement: Trump! Brexit! By the end of the month, the markets had mostly righted themselves and my portfolio have recovered. I started the month at $1,120,445 and ended about $10,000 higher at $1,131,764. This is a new end-of-month high:

Screen Shot 2016-06-30 at 8.18.00 PM
Clicking this link will be one of the best decisions of your life –>> Personal Capital***!

Here is what my numbers looked like on 6/30/2016:

2016

  • Days elapsed: 181
  • Days remaining: 184
  • 2016 gains: $73,803 (including 401(k) and some after tax contributions)
  • 2016 401(k) contributions: $42,500****

Since the start (1/1/2013)

  • Days elapsed: 1276
  • Days remaining: 224
  • Gains since 1/1/2013: $545,721
  • Needed to quit work ($1,120,000 in investments): Mission accomplished!
  • Net worth*****: $1,381,764

One More Year?

This blog is about a lot of different things, but at the core is my journey to Financial Independence. I’ve been working nonstop since I was 14. I’m 42 now, so I’ve been working for 28 years straight without ever having much more than a week off. No sabbaticals. No three week excursions to Europe. Not even two weeks off in a row. Work, work, work. For two-thirds of my life.

However, I don’t regret it. I’ve had a good career and worked with great people, especially at my current job. I’ve been there since 2002 when I signed a contract for two years. Somehow, it turned into 14. While it has been amazingly stressful at times, the project has been a large success. It’s a wonderful feeling to build something that thousands of people use every day. And then there are the co-workers.

I try to keep everything work related at an arm’s length, but I consider some of the people I work with to be friends and good ones at that. I haven’t built my social life around these people, but I go out of my way to see them whenever the opportunity presents itself. The last thing I’d ever want to do is leave without turning my duties over to someone else in a manner that facilitates nothing but a smooth transition. There is no way I could leave with just a two week notice. However, it would be a bit weird telling people that I’m leaving in five months. My compromise is to lay some groundwork.

I’ve been dropping some hints about future plans that may not include work. My boss was too smart not to catch on. Last week, we had a discussion where he asked me if I’d be willing to stay on in a limited capacity for… wait for it… One. More. Year. It would be no more than 20 hours per week and my current duties would be significantly reduced. It is tempting. Under this arrangement, I’d work Tuesday through Thursday. Three days on, four days off. I’ve given it a lot of thought, but it’s too early to commit to anything. I like my options.

*My goal isn’t to have $1,120,000 at the end of 1500 days, but at any time before the day count was up. Why? It all goes back to the 4% Rule. Remember that our little friend, Mr. 4%, is nothing more than the most conservative safe withdrawal rate. So, if I were to quit my job now, I could spend about $44,000 in my first year of retirement. I’d stick very close to that number too because market valuations are ambitious. Let’s say that Mr. Market caught a cold tomorrow and my portfolio dropped down to $800,000. No big deal. This would mean I’d be safer stretching my spending a little north of 4%.

**My original goal was $1,000,000 and no debt, I later raised the goal by $120,000 to $1,120,000 because I will have debt in the form of a mortgage which I firmly believe in not paying it off. My compromise is to have enough money put away to cover the mortgage at the time of retirement. So, to retire today, I would need about $1,120,000.

***This is an affiliate link. If you sign up, the blog (me) makes some cold, hard cash. Personal Capital is a totally free and awesome way to keep watch over your investments. It’s worth it for the fee analyzer alone. I would never recommend anything that I don’t personally use and completely believe in, so give it a try. If you’ve already signed up through the link, please know that you are a fine person of above-average intelligence.

****My 401(k) contributions include my own, Mrs. 15oo’s, and the contributions from my corporation. Self-employment with a solo 401(k) is a very powerful savings tool. I should have done this years ago.

*****The numbers on the right side of the page only reflect my investments and cash. Net worth includes, but is not limited to:

  • Home equity
  • Cars
  • Bicycles
  • My damn porch posts!: Check it out, finally done! I have no idea how much value something like this adds to the home, but I do know that it adds more than the $700 that I spent in materials. The posts costs me much more than $700 in time spent. However, I’m picky and wanted the job done in a very particular way. Do I regret spending close to 200 hours on the project? Ask me in a year…

IMG_20160713_192423630

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Filed Under: Performance Tagged With: june, performance update

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Matt @ Distilled Dollar says

    July 25, 2016 at 4:58 am

    The Tuesday through Thursday option sounds perfect (if it was me), but I’m real curious to see what you’ll do. I’m far removed from having enough to ER, but I can see how the “one more year syndrome,” is a real temptation. If you love the job and find value in the work, it seems like an extremely difficult choice, especially when you consider the alternatives.

    Nice work on the porch posts. I couldn’t believe $700 until I read the 200 hour line. A job well done!

    I’m glad you mentioned the video games. I have an odd dream of doing something similar: working hard just so I can sit in a room on a Tuesday afternoon and play video games. I fluctuate between that dream and doing something more productive, but then I give in to my boyhood dreams and think: that would be awesome!
    Matt @ Distilled Dollar recently posted…Earning an Extra $13,291 in 6 months through BloggingMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 5:38 am

      Yeah, I would feel a little silly playing Metroid at 11am on a Monday (Metroid Mondays?), but life has to be a balance…

      And yeah, the Tuesday through Thursday option is very tempting. Market valuations are a little scary now, so this would allow me to pad things a bit.

      Reply
      • Chadnudj says

        July 25, 2016 at 6:08 am

        I’d consider that Tuesday through Thursday option for even longer than a year. You might find that you enjoy work/the people at work when you’re only doing it 3 days a week while enjoying the other 4. And every year you spend “working” a bit part time like that is another year you don’t need to touch the nest egg.

        And I’m sure you could come up with some good ways to use the money, too — 529s for kids? A separate “vacation fund” to fund your retirement travel (where you spend only the interest/dividends it kicks off, and it thus grows over time)?

        Reply
        • 1500 says

          July 25, 2016 at 8:31 pm

          Agreed! Perhaps I’ll find that I can do 3 days until I’m 45?Dunno. The experiment continues…

          Reply
  2. Eric Bowlin says

    July 25, 2016 at 5:07 am

    It’s tough.

    Working is always tough to turn down. All that extra cash, very little work… now the stress is gone because you don’t actually need the job.

    Or, you could spend your free time using your knowledge to earn more money…real estate, picking the next apple, or whatever else you’re good at.

    I’m curious to see what you’ll do.

    Quick Story:

    One day I was randomly not working. While sitting on my couch I decided to browse the MLS, found a property, made an offer, and made 20-30k equity plus 8-10k/year.

    Imagine if I had to work that day? That’s what working can cost.

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 5:37 am

      “One day I was randomly not working. While sitting on my couch I decided to browse the MLS, found a property, made an offer, and made 20-30k equity plus 8-10k/year.

      Imagine if I had to work that day? That’s what working can cost.”

      Wow, that is a great story and I always forget to consider the incredible benefits of time. Thanks for the reminder!

      Reply
      • redrider says

        July 25, 2016 at 11:55 am

        Or you can just browse the MLS at work, like I do, and end up with 25 properties in the last 5 years!

        Reply
        • 1500 says

          July 25, 2016 at 8:32 pm

          Ha ha, nice one! Multitasking!

          25 properties? Nice work redrider!

          Reply
          • redrider says

            July 26, 2016 at 1:05 pm

            Yes, I can’t wait to leave, trying to make it until next May but we’ll see what happens. Want to pay off all the loans that I can before I quit and I’m still trying to figure out health insurance. Its so expensive in Iowa, probably everywhere, and another hike coming. What is your plan for health insurance?

          • 1500 says

            July 27, 2016 at 5:52 am

            Health insurance! Currently, my wife works and as long as that continues, we’ll get it from her employer. After that, we’ll go on the ACA. We were on it before she had a job and it was fine. It works out awesome for the early retiree though since our income will be low and we’ll be eligible for subsidies.

  3. Kate @ Cashville Skyline says

    July 25, 2016 at 5:28 am

    My father just retired last November and was offered the change to stay on part-time, as well. He started collecting Social Security early, so he can’t earn too much, but 1-2 four hour shifts per week seem to be okay. Originally, I was skeptical. I saw how stressful being a pharmacist was for him and thought getting out 100% was the right move. But he seems to really enjoying to chance to see his co-workers and he’s never working alone at night (his least favorite shift!) Then again … that new NES seems a lot more fun than working part-time! Hahaha. Are you playing Pokemon?
    Kate @ Cashville Skyline recently posted…The Cost of Being an Artist in NashvilleMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 5:41 am

      That is a great story about your dad. Thinking on it and my own situation, it’s too bad that most folks don’t have this as an option. It would make the transition to retirement a lot easier.

      No Pokemon for me. Yet…

      Reply
      • Gwen @ Fiery Millennials says

        July 25, 2016 at 11:04 am

        Peer pressure! We’ll get you catchin em all soon enough 🙂
        Gwen @ Fiery Millennials recently posted…Dating in the FI WorldMy Profile

        Reply
  4. The Green Swan says

    July 25, 2016 at 5:39 am

    I would be tempted to stay on for One. More. Year. in that situation. Personally, I’d need a little more cushion to feel comfortable taking 4%, especially in a hopefully long lived retirement. One more year would mean more income to live on that year and pad your accounts while also one less year relying on them.

    I look forward to hearing your decision though, thanks for the update!
    The Green Swan recently posted…Our Experience Revealing Early Retirement Plans to Family, AccidentallyMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:45 pm

      Yeah, I’m very conservative too, so I don’t mind some padding…

      Reply
  5. Wayne says

    July 25, 2016 at 5:55 am

    Yeah, I need to preorder that NES. While I still have my original NES hooked up to my sole remains CRT TV…..just so the grandkids can play Duck Hunt. Hopefully the games will truly be in HD otherwise those giant pixelated people will be hard to watch after we are used to detail.

    Reply
  6. Biglaw Investor says

    July 25, 2016 at 6:02 am

    The repeated warning from most people who achieve early retirement is that there’s a big adjustment to filling your time with projects that make you feel good. And that makes a ton of sense. By your own admission you’ve been working nonstop for 28 years without much of a break. It’s going to be a tough transition no matter what.

    Of all people, I think YOU will have the easiest time transitioning but that Tuesday-Thursday options sounds like an awfully nice way to make the transition easier, pad the bank account a bit more and adjust to life without the Man.

    Obviously if you don’t like it, should be pretty easy to quit.

    Will be interested to see what you do!

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:50 pm

      “Obviously if you don’t like it, should be pretty easy to quit.”

      Yeah, I said the same to the wife over the weekend.

      I think it would be a nice transition too and like someone else said, I may choose to stay on for even more than a year…

      Reply
  7. Physician on FIRE says

    July 25, 2016 at 6:06 am

    The dreaded OMY offer dangling out there. Working from home gives you some additional flexibility. I imagine you could do some work from remote locations with a good internet signal and laptop? Or do you need the full home office setup?

    I think you’ll be fine with or without the OMY income. You’ll have other revenue streams, including this blog, and others I’m sure once you have more time. You may do as well or better once you have the time to do something more creative and perhaps entrepreneurial.

    Cheers!
    -PoF

    p.s. Today marks the first day spellcheck did not have to fix my typically botched attempt at spelling entrepreneurial.
    Physician on FIRE recently posted…The Sunday Best (7/24/2017)My Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:52 pm

      Ha, “entrepreneurial” is a pain in the butt. So is “millennial.”

      Yep, my work is very flexible. As long as I have my laptop and the internet, that’s all I need. I’m very fortunate to have a gig this good.

      And yeah, I have loads of ideas that I want to work on…

      Reply
  8. TheMoneyMine says

    July 25, 2016 at 6:10 am

    I know that if I was set on leaving but I was offered an option to stay for one more year, the job would have to be something that I really care about. If this is just for a handover, 3 weeks is usually enough.
    Would you regret NOT staying for another year? Would you prefer working Tues-Thur instead of playing Mario Tues-Thur? 🙂
    TheMoneyMine recently posted…Why I joined the board of my HOA to protect my investmentMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      Yeah, I do really care about the job, but everything must come to an end. I have other living that I need to get working on. Some of which include Mario and Luigi!

      Reply
  9. Fervent Finance says

    July 25, 2016 at 6:36 am

    Wow that sounds like a decent offer (if it truly is 20 hours a week). Maybe you have some wiggle room to up your rate in the process too! I’d definitely consider it with only having to work 3 less than 8 hour days per week.
    Fervent Finance recently posted…5 Nights in Cancun on PointsMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Financial Samurai says

    July 25, 2016 at 6:54 am

    One more year sounds like a breeze! When you know there’s a limit, anything is possible!

    One more year is also a long enough time for you to work on any sighting comes in the meantime, especially if you are only working for 20 hours a week. Such a no-brainer! It’ll be like summer school again we don’t have to take anything too seriously, and you just get the credit.

    Sam
    Financial Samurai recently posted…How To Develop Emotional Intelligence: The Key To An Easier LifeMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      Ha ha, summer school, only better! Since I work from home, I don’t even have to get dressed! #TMI

      Reply
  11. Kalie @ Pretend to Poor says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:12 am

    Gorgeous porch! And a nice-looking portfolio, too. That’s interesting that you shifted your goal to a higher total to accommodate for mortgage debt. I absolutely see why you’d do so, though we lean toward the debt-free camp just by inclination. The math is on your side, though!

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      I’d love to have no debt, but I also love borrowing money at 3.25%!

      Reply
      • meiling says

        August 21, 2016 at 9:31 am

        I just cant see how you able to make more than 3.25% in these days if you use borrowed money to make money.

        Reply
        • 1500 says

          August 21, 2016 at 12:03 pm

          I’m a buy and hold guy. Check this out: http://thume.ca/indexView/

          Reply
  12. Mr. Tako @ Mr. Tako Escapes says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:27 am

    Wow, that one more year option sounds kick-ass. 20 hours a week is nearly optimal on the cost-benefit-happiness curve. If you have the option to renegotiate your rate to something even higher…I say go for it!

    Most tech companies would never give you this option, and working ‘a little’ makes work seem way easier.
    Mr. Tako @ Mr. Tako Escapes recently posted…Post Financial Independence GoalsMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 8:58 pm

      “Most tech companies would never give you this option, and working ‘a little’ makes work seem way easier.”

      Yeah, I don’t think it’s an option with most good jobs! I’m incredibly fortunate to have these options. I’m thankful each and every day.

      Reply
  13. Mrs. Picky Pincher says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:33 am

    Mr. Picky Pincher got super excited about the Super Mario, too! It was a little before my time, but I have a feeling that we might be getting the “new” NES as well. 🙂 Man, that’s great that you’re getting options at work at least! That shows that they like having you around. 🙂

    That’s funny, my goal is FI and to retire early, but I haven’t given much thought to the actual process of retiring. My plan is to retire by 35. Do I get a retirement party or what? How far ahead do you tell your employer that you’re leaving for good? Hmm.
    Mrs. Picky Pincher recently posted…Be a Mistake FactoryMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:03 pm

      Retirement party? Nah, call it something else. “Stop working and Start living” party maybe. I’ll bring the beer.

      Reply
  14. Kathy says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:38 am

    I loved those old Mario games. Wish I could find an old console and games at some garage sale for a couple of bucks. Congratulations on exceeding your goal. When we retired, it didn’t even enter our minds to work part time. It seemed that even 20 hours was more than we could stand, plus, unless the hours are very flexible, it still interferes with the freedom to do what ever you want, any time you want. But it all depends on what makes you happiest both financially and emotionally.

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:04 pm

      The 20 hours wouldn’t be permanent, just another year or two. Like you say, I really want control over every waking hour of my life.

      Reply
  15. Mrs PoP says

    July 25, 2016 at 8:39 am

    hahaha! Now you definitely need to come visit us down here. There’s a retro-game shop that’s not too far from our house on the way to the beach. =)
    Mrs PoP recently posted…Happy Friday – Shut the Front, Err, Cabinet Door!My Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:05 pm

      !!!

      Retro games are cool, but no way I’m wasting a minute of potential beach time there!

      Reply
  16. Done by Forty says

    July 25, 2016 at 8:56 am

    Great work, man. You guys are an inspiration to Mrs. Done by Forty and I, and we’re even stealing your goal: $1M plus enough to pay off our newly found $100k mortgage. 🙂

    Side note: I have a hacked Wii that has all my childhood games on it. I played some Contra and, man, sometimes you are better off just leaving those memories where they are. Nostalgia is fragile, and not everything from the eighties plays that well thirty years later.
    Done by Forty recently posted…What Happens When Humans Need Not ApplyMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:06 pm

      Man, this is a serious bummer, but the thought that the games may not live up to the memories also crossed my mind. I’ll probably still buy the NES because I’m stubborn though. Does beer enhance them at all?

      Reply
      • Done by Forty says

        July 26, 2016 at 12:02 am

        Sounds like an experiment for this weekend. I’ll let you know.
        Done by Forty recently posted…What Happens When Humans Need Not Apply?My Profile

        Reply
    • theFIREstarter says

      July 31, 2016 at 3:29 pm

      This is so true. I got my old Commodore 64 out a few years ago and played some of the games before I sold it on eBay. They were slightly sub par we’ll leave it at that. My 9 year old nephew played on it for about 5 minutes and got bored, but at the time they were the pinnacle of games technology so they seemed futuristic and amazing! 🙂

      Reply
  17. QCI says

    July 25, 2016 at 9:44 am

    I hope he is paying you for the free book advertising 🙂

    Reply
  18. Maggie @ Northern Expenditure says

    July 25, 2016 at 10:00 am

    1) That is my FAVORITE moment in Tetris.
    2) I have seen and been tempted by that very same NES offer. I’m the old-school Nintendo or nothin’ kind of girl! 🙂
    3) Congrats on the onward and upward movement.
    4) When would your work situation start? What if you started it next month and then you’d really only be planning to work 6 months longer than originally planned and less hours!?
    5) I LOVE the house!
    Maggie @ Northern Expenditure recently posted…We’re Early Retirement FraudsMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:15 pm

      1) I know, right?
      2) It will be mine. #November
      3) Thanks!
      4) It would start 12/1, although I may ask for it sooner like you suggest.
      5) Thanks! Almost done, almost…

      Reply
  19. Kyle says

    July 25, 2016 at 10:06 am

    Your slowly getting buried in comments, soon you’ll have over 100 comments per post lol. I can’t wait to start really building momentum on my FI journey. I’ve made great progress, but it’s hard to fully appreciate what you’re building when you have a far journey ahead yet. It’s like I’ve just graded the lot and poured the concrete foundation, but there’s still a lot of work ahead before I have a house.

    I met with my cousin recently whose a contractor, I may start doing side work for him. Make some cash on the side, learn a lot more about working on homes. Win Win.
    Kyle recently posted…When can I retireMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:16 pm

      Nice work learning some construction skills. I’m up for some carpentourism too if you have a project. I do love the Land of Cheese and Beer in the summer.

      Reply
  20. Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions says

    July 25, 2016 at 10:14 am

    I did the Tuesday-Thursday gig two years ago (well…and I was on a college calendar – so I had 6 weeks between semesters off too…) and it was great! That was actually my last year of “full-time” work. Then I moved into the total downshift to where I am today. We were Donkey Kong and Space Invaders players in the Atari days. Played Pitfall for hours too..
    Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions recently posted…Should We Allow Pets in Our Rental Property? Calling Pet-Lovers, Tenants and Landlords – Give Us Advice!My Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      Pitfall!! I remember that one! How about Defender?

      The 6 week off situation sounds pretty awesome! Maybe I’ll push for that too?

      Reply
      • Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions says

        July 26, 2016 at 3:45 pm

        Definitely remember Defender! And the 6 weeks off was a huge reason I kept working (well…and the week off at Thanksgiving, Week off at Spring break…and the break from mid-May til end of August…) You should put in for Tues-Thurs work and all those times off too! (And I do think beer would help the Atari experience these days….)
        Vicki@Make Smarter Decisions recently posted…Negative Equity Can Be RefinancedMy Profile

        Reply
  21. Jacq says

    July 25, 2016 at 10:41 am

    I’m sure it’s tempting, one more year of padding the 401k too. Would your boss got for a 6 month agreement & see how it’s going. At month 3 you could discuss if it’s going well, and you’ll do the next 6 vs wind down then?
    Best of Luck deciding!

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:18 pm

      Yeah, 6 months of 20 hours/week sounds a helluva lot better than another year. Best of all, it would end at the end of May. I’d be wild and free just in time for summer…

      Reply
  22. Gwen @ Fiery Millennials says

    July 25, 2016 at 11:07 am

    My sister has already told me she’d like the NES for her Christmas present. Since I’ll already be buying one….. might as well just buy another one! Plus, the new controllers would be awesome to have with my classic games on my Wii U!

    PS the porch posts look great!
    Gwen @ Fiery Millennials recently posted…Dating in the FI WorldMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:19 pm

      I thought I saw you ahead of me in line for the NES? First you beat me in the 5K and now this. I can’t win! 🙂

      Reply
  23. Steven says

    July 25, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    20 hours, Tue-Thur, hmmm how about 24 hours 1 day and you treat it like a firefighter, you know only work when called. You would be allowed to sleep, work out, read, eat dinner, etc. Ask for that please.

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:19 pm

      I’d totally do it. I’ve always envied the firefighter schedule.

      Reply
  24. Tom says

    July 25, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    Love the blog! I’ve been following your journey and comparing it to mine for quite awhile now.

    I would like to point out one thing though. Given your portfolio construction the 4% rule doesn’t really apply. Holding individual stocks makes the portfolio much more volatile. Apple, Facebook, and Google may be doing great now, but take a look at the Nifty 50 from the 1970’s to see what can (will) happen to a concentrated portfolio over time.

    You could sell all the individual stocks and reinvest in VTI, but the tax consequences need to be factored in when computing total net worth. I have a similar issue in my portfolio, although with different stocks. I’ll sell them at some point but don’t want to take the tax hit during my working years.

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:25 pm

      I have a post coming up on my portfolio and about 60% of it is funds, so you’re completely right. However, I have a couple tricks up my sleeve:
      1) I’ve been selling the stocks. My portfolio has changed since I last posted about it in 2015. It will take me another 3 years or so to rebalance to where I need to be, but it is happening, taxes and all.
      2) With the money the blog makes, the 4% spending comes down to somewhere around 2%. The blog isn’t forever, but I’ll take the padding.
      3) The wife still works. Even without the blog income, she makes enough to support us without having to tap the next egg one bit. She won’t work forever (retirement is more fun with a partner), but she loves her job and has no plans on leaving any time soon.

      With all of that said, I do enjoy a little drama in my life (AKA stock picking), so my portfolio will never match the ones described in these studies. However, I also plan to be flexible and pay very close attention to my money. If my portfolio goes down 30%, hello Uber! 50%? Hello one more year!

      Reply
  25. Tawcan says

    July 25, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    The markets sure have been hit lately eh? Whatever happened to worries about Brexit?

    That’s cool your boss offered a part time option. Definitely too early to decide now but certainly something to consider next year when you’re closer to calling it quit.

    Reply
    • Tawcan says

      July 25, 2016 at 6:14 pm

      Stupid phone and auto correct. I meant hot.
      Tawcan recently posted…Weekend Reading – Summer vacation editionMy Profile

      Reply
      • 1500 says

        July 25, 2016 at 9:26 pm

        Yeah, markets have been on fire. Craziness.

        Reply
  26. Linda@Frugal Turtle says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:19 pm

    I used to love Zelda on the Nintendo! The Nintendo is really the last gaming system that I used! I stopped playing when I was in my early teens. Mr. Frugal Turtle has been trying to convince me that I can play old school Zelda on his XBox 360. He really wants me to play video games, any video games, but I’m just not a gamer. At least I haven’t been for twentysome years.

    Good luck on deciding what you want to do! I think either way you’ll be happy with your decision. There is no wrong choice.
    Linda@Frugal Turtle recently posted…Three Great Benefits of CampingMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:27 pm

      Mr. FT is a wise man. Listen to him.

      And Zelda was awesome! LOVED that game.

      Reply
  27. Badbreath says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    I think its a great option to ease in to vacation OH I meant retirement. I wonder what they are going to do when I start talking about retirement with my megacorp in about two-three years. Should be fun since I am one of the top project leaders in the understaffed department

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:27 pm

      Ha ha, maybe you can get a sweet option like me? Tell them you want a helicopter for the commute too…

      Reply
  28. Finance Solver says

    July 25, 2016 at 8:50 pm

    Yeah Super Mario, I miss that game so much..

    One more year and then you can be retired all you want and have no stress! That’s fantastic, it’s really hard to be financially independent and you’ve achieved it 🙂 After working for 28 years, you will feel like 20 hours a week is a breeze and as a bonus will get paid for those hours. Would like to hear your decision in a future post.
    Finance Solver recently posted…Rule for Buying Depreciating and Expensive StuffMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:28 pm

      Yes, Super Mario. Man, those were great games. Simple and well designed…

      Reply
  29. Jason says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:42 am

    Well this the beauty of FI you have lots of options. If you decide to do just one more year I don’t think you should feel bad or like you are going some purpose of the blog. That has been the whole purpose of this journey to have options. And if that means you work a little…so be it.

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 27, 2016 at 8:54 pm

      Yeah, I just don’t want to overstay. If I die broke, that would be a failure. If I die with $10,00,000, that would also be a failure…

      Reply
  30. Seeking Saturdays says

    July 26, 2016 at 8:36 am

    Awesome about making your goal already!

    I secretly have the same goal of getting back into the NES games I loved so much as a kid and beat them all over again. There were plenty of great ones that I had never even played since you couldn’t even rent them “back in the day”! Over the past few years I had gotten into the new Zelda games but they really do take so much time that I think I might have to keep that for later.

    BUT – One thing I’ve noticed though is that if I stagger playing new games about 3-4 years later, you can then get them at fire-sale prices. It’s so great!
    Seeking Saturdays recently posted…No Paychecks for the Rest of the Year (An Update!)My Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 27, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      Yeah, the games are complex. I enjoy the simplicity of the older ones.

      Reply
  31. mrplantingourpennies says

    July 26, 2016 at 10:19 am

    Dude! I can totally see you getting way into EVE online. Or maybe dwarf fortress?

    http://www.ibtimes.com/eve-online-battle-control-most-boring-video-game-world-2352253
    mrplantingourpennies recently posted…Happy Friday – Shut the Front, Err, Cabinet Door!My Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 27, 2016 at 5:52 am

      Never heard of any of those! Perhaps…

      Reply
  32. Brad @ RichmondSavers.com says

    July 26, 2016 at 11:23 am

    I’m definitely buying the new Nintendo — can’t wait!! I keep checking Amazon to see when the pre-order opens up; so far nothing…

    Can’t imagine how many hours I’ll spend playing that!
    Brad @ RichmondSavers.com recently posted…Our 10 Night Family Trip to San Francisco for $44.80My Profile

    Reply
    • Wayne says

      July 27, 2016 at 9:59 am

      Amazon now has an option to have them send you an email as soon as it is available. Sign up on that page.

      Reply
  33. Edif says

    July 26, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    That’s awesome, see how much of a raise you can get for staying!

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 27, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      Ha ha…

      Reply
  34. RoseRelish says

    July 26, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    While it’s tempting to accept the very enviable offer to work 20 hours over 3 days, I don’t think it’s worth the trade. It takes away your flexibility. Sure, it’s more flexibility than you have today…but it’s not the total freedom you’ve been working so hard to achieve. What if you want to take a month long trip to South America at the drop of a hat?

    I remember your pal Mr. Money Mustache’s “Safety is an Expensive Illusion” post.

    http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/07/safety-is-an-expensive-illusion/

    Perhaps staying part-time fits your desired way to spend your life. But if it’s only for the money (which it seems is more for “safety” than funding life at this point for you), consider the risks. Best of luck and congrats again on being so valued by your employer.
    RoseRelish recently posted…Happy 16 Month BirthdayMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 27, 2016 at 5:50 am

      Good point RR. I think about stuff like this every day. And you’re right, at this point, I’m just building up a hug margin of safety.

      Reply
  35. sponge sister story lover says

    July 26, 2016 at 4:23 pm

    needs more spongeSister stories!

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 27, 2016 at 5:48 am

      Ha ha, soon…

      Reply
      • sponge sister story lover says

        July 27, 2016 at 9:18 am

        I hope she learns from you eventually…

        Reply
        • Wayne says

          July 27, 2016 at 10:00 am

          Magic 8 Balls says “unlikely”.

          Reply
          • 1500 says

            July 27, 2016 at 8:56 pm

            Ha ha, she just traded in her paid off car for a 5 years of payments. Same car, but a hatchback instead…

  36. Team CF says

    July 27, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    Not sure what the NES will go for in Europe, but I’m seriously tempted to get one too!
    Love the old school stuff, great memories.

    Porch does look great! You can be proud of yourself.
    Team CF recently posted…Frugal-licious? The Samosa!My Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 27, 2016 at 8:56 pm

      Thanks CF!

      Reply
  37. sponge sister story lover says

    July 28, 2016 at 8:11 am

    If you want to go the frugal route, get a Raspberry Pi for 25-35 bucks and just load up Kodi and a bunch of emulators.

    If you are looking for a turn key solution:

    http://pi-tendo.com/

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 28, 2016 at 10:01 pm

      Yeah, I’m a software developer and I’ve been eyeballing Pis for a long time. And you are the second person this week to tell me about Kodi.

      Thanks for the link!

      Reply
      • 1500 says

        July 28, 2016 at 10:03 pm

        Do the games save? Like in Zelda where you’d save your state, does that work with an emulator? I don’t need a turn key solution, but I don’t want to spend 8 hours setting it up either…

        Reply
        • sponge sister story lover says

          July 29, 2016 at 10:13 am

          You can save a current “State” which is even better.

          Reply
        • Wayne says

          July 31, 2016 at 4:13 pm

          The new classic NES will include the easy save feature as well.

          Reply
  38. Dividend Growth Investor says

    July 28, 2016 at 9:45 am

    Congratulations on your success.

    I am interested in seeing where your journey takes you next.

    In my case, I would take the 20 hour opportunity, if that means I get to postpone tapping my nest egg for a year. On the other hand, if this prevented you from pursuing other adventures where you can potentially earn more ( flipping houses), then perhaps it may not be worth it. I have two left hands unfortunately, so in my case I would take the 20 hours 😉
    Dividend Growth Investor recently posted…Four Attractively Valued Dividend Growth Stocks For Further ResearchMy Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 28, 2016 at 10:04 pm

      Yeah DGI, it’s all about opportunity cost. Each minute I’m at work is a minute that I could have been doing something else. I have no flips at the moment, but that could change very quickly…

      Reply
  39. Mike says

    July 28, 2016 at 10:17 am

    Don’t discount a Raspberry Pi 3 running RetroPie. For about the same price or less, you’ll have a great little linux computer able to run games for a ton of old systems. The trade off is the nice little Nintendo case on the official one, but you get more flexibility with the Pi.

    Reply
    • sponge sister story lover says

      July 28, 2016 at 5:45 pm

      the guy i linked to above sells the nintendo style case.

      Reply
  40. InsiderAccountant says

    July 28, 2016 at 9:00 pm

    Old school Nintendo is good, but you went a bit too old school with the NES in my opinion. Now the Super NES (SNES for the nerds) is the way to go. I bought mine about 3 years ago for about $80 from a pawn shop and it’s still going strong. It seems a bit expensive compared to your NES, but I like to think that’s because it’s so cutting edge in comparison.
    InsiderAccountant recently posted…I’m still here – I’ve just been busy building!My Profile

    Reply
    • 1500 says

      July 28, 2016 at 10:05 pm

      Hmmm, maybe I’ll spring for both?!! Livin’ it up!

      Reply
  41. Zaxon says

    July 29, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    It is worth having a small tier of investments to ride out down periods. Such as cash emergency fund. CD’s. Yes, even bonds. Just enough to ride out a year or so of “wtf, why would i tap my portfolio after a 40% correction”.

    Reply
  42. theFIREstarter says

    July 31, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    That Nintendo thing looks so cool!

    I think you can download the old games (think SNES rather than NES though although not 100% sure) on the Wii, I’ve had one for about 5 years and still haven’t got around to looking at how you do this yet. Another one for when FIRE means more time to do stuff like that! 🙂
    theFIREstarter recently posted…The House Crowd – tax efficient investingMy Profile

    Reply

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Freedom!

My goal was to build a portfolio of $1,000,000 by February of 2017; 1500 days from the birth of this blog (January 1, 2013). And hey look, I’ve since retired!

Investments only (primary home excluded)
1/1/13 (The Start): $586,043
1/1/14 (1 Yr Later): $869,635
1/1/15 (2 Yrs Later): $987,351
1/1/16 (3 Yrs Later): $1,057,961
1/1/17 (4 Yrs Later): $1,257,128
1/1/18 (5 Yrs Later): $1,527,701
1/1/19 (6 Yrs Later): $1,549,440
1/1/20 (7 Yrs Later): $2,035,040*
1/1/21 (8 Yrs Later): $3,379,746**
1/1/22 (9 Yrs Later): $4,762,642
1/1/23 (10 Yrs Later): $3,112,821

2023: Investments only
1/1: $3,112,821
2/1: $3,582,368
3/1: $3,716,852

Overall
2023 investment gains: $604,031
Investment gains since 1/1/2013: $3,130,809
Net worth***: $3,946,852

* The big jump between 2019 and 2020 was partly because we bought another home, but kept the previous (much more expensive) one as a rental. We have since sold it.

** Tesla.

*** Includes our primary home equity in addition to our investment portfolio.

Finally, we still have about $290,000 in mortgage debt (which I love!). No regrets about the debts!

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Investing is risky business. The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only. As with all matters financial, proceed with caution. Do your research and seek professional advice.

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