Leif Kristjansen

10 Questions with Five Year FIRE Escape

February 6, 2020 by Mr. 1500 Days 2 Comments

On Monday, Leif from Five Year FIRE Escape guest-posted with his thoughts on buying a ball and chain, errrr home. Today, he's back to answer my 10 Questions.Leif is quite the character who has ambitions to become a toned-down Elon Musk. Perhaps on Ambien...Take it away Elon, errrr Leif!There are approximately 476,492,292,928 personal finance blogs last time I … [Read more...] about 10 Questions with Five Year FIRE Escape

To Rent Or Own: An Odd Tale Of Buyer’s Remorse

February 3, 2020 by Mr. 1500 Days 9 Comments

Today's guest post comes from Leif over at Five Year FIRE Escape. Leif bought a home, but now questions the purchase...Have you heard the sad, sad news that us millennials will be stuck renting forever? I know. How unfair. And here’s some more sad news: If you do own a house, it sucks in retirement. From your math teachers to your parents to the random … [Read more...] about To Rent Or Own: An Odd Tale Of Buyer’s Remorse

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
4/1: $3,861,599
5/1: $3,694,445
6/1: $4,089,141
7/1: $4,384,858
8/1: $4,539,865
9/1: $4,468,622

Gains: $1,355,801

Overall
Gains since 1/1/2013: $3,882,579
Net worth***: $4,698,622

* 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!