Continued Observations and Surprises at Four Years of FatFIRE Retirement
In 2019, I started a thread asking, What surprised you in early retirement? Now, four years into my own FatFIRE journey, I’m revisiting the topic to share what I’ve learned and what has surprised me along the way.
Context for readers
For additional context, you can check out a few related threads that accompanied my transition:
– Winding down a career and moving into retirement
– Other perspectives from folks over 50 who began winding down
Financial perspective
– Year-to-date, my net worth is down about 30%. Put in proper perspective, though, and the situation looks different: we’re living on roughly a 2% withdrawal rate in a very high-cost-of-living area, up from about 1.5% in December 2021. Total net worth is essentially where it was a year ago, thanks to several strong years prior. Since retirement in 2018, we’re up about 68%. I had been drawing cash to build a war chest for downturns, aiming to cover several years without selling investments. There are other ways this could have been managed, but the approach has provided peace of mind and is working thus far. My portfolio is primarily a long-term stock mix with a paid-off home. It isn’t a textbook Boglehead allocation, but my advisor notes that if overweighting a single company is necessary, choosing a strong, well-positioned one isn’t a bad bet.
Family and relationships
– A major motivator for retiring was to avoid the distraction of work during my child’s teenage years and to spend meaningful time with family. I was one of those people who claimed I quit to devote more time to loved ones, and that was a genuine objective. The pandemic year of 2020 delivered far more time with family than I could have anticipated. My spouse works part-time, and even with one child, the pandemic schooling felt like a full-time job for all of us. We’re also at a stage where our aging relatives require more attention, and retirement has reduced the internal conflict of balancing work with caregiving.
Social life and professional relationships
– Many former work colleagues have drifted out of my everyday life. Keeping my LinkedIn profile current has helped, and today most of my professional interactions involve networking, volunteering, or mentoring rather than in-person lunches. I’ve enjoyed participating in a volunteer-led tech project that connected people for social good, and I’ve found value in mentoring, even if it’s less frequent than in the past. Most of my personal friends remain employed, and the pandemic dampened large-group socializing.
Professional life and achievements
– It’s been interesting to observe peers taking on ambitious projects and celebratory wins on a global scale, even as I’ve moved away from my prior emphasis on titles or awards. My own professional recognitions are largely tucked away, and I’m not sure where to find them without digging—but I feel the impact of my career more in the shift I’ve made toward teaching and guiding younger drivers, which is deeply satisfying. A friend approaching retirement contemplates a “slightly chubby” FatFIRE phase, planning occasional paid work in roles like hardware stores. He weighs the potential joy of global travel against worries about status, titles, and perception from former peers.
Volunteering and social impact
– Volunteering has grown into a cornerstone of my time, filling gaps in my schedule with purpose. There’s a real shortage of capable, driven volunteers, and many skilled people remain employed, delaying their foray into giving back. I strongly encourage people with capacity to pursue a side gig for social good alongside or before hobbies. I’m serving on one non-profit board and have two more opportunities knocking. I logged nearly 550 hours with one organization last year. While I occasionally wonder if a paid role would yield a greater impact, the current arrangement is personally rewarding. I’m also mindful of the balance between philanthropy, personal wealth, and supporting the next generation.
Lifestyle and spending trends
– I still avoid the “lottery syndrome” in conversations about retirement. Early on, I’d say I was taking some time off; now, after four years, I still hesitate to label myself as fully retired in casual discussions. People often react with a mix of envy, curiosity, or worry. I know relatives who want to escape the rat race but struggle with the idea of letting go, including concerns about supporting their kids’ college funds. We’re relatively quiet about our situation, which helps minimize uncomfortable questions or expectations.
Lifestyle changes and priorities
– Our lifestyle has remained largely consistent, with some increases in certain expenses. We’re investing more in home renovations to improve quality of life and exploring the idea of renting spend time around the world—spending a month or more in different places. I’m content with my 20-year-old truck that still meets my needs, though I’d like more modern safety features, a better stereo, and the like. Health remains a top priority for the whole family, so we’re investing in gym memberships, trainers, suitable clothing and gear, and home equipment. I’ve accumulated a surprising number of purpose-specific shoes, reflecting a shift away from aggressive shopping toward purposeful spending. I try to avoid letting price drive every decision, focusing instead on long-term priorities and the considerable luck we’ve had.
Closing thoughts
– Our journey in FatFIRE retirement continues to evolve, with ongoing adjustments to financial strategies, family priorities, social commitments, and personal fulfillment. If you’re navigating a similar path, you’re not alone in recalibrating expectations, facing conversations about retirement, and balancing prudent planning with meaningful living.
If you’d like, I can tailor this into a more formal blog format with sections, subheadings, and bullet points suitable for a WordPress post, including SEO-friendly headings and a concise conclusion.
