Hey, everyone! It has been 13 years since I retired from my engineering career. Wow, has it been so long? It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Time flies.
The big news this year is that Mrs. RB40 has barely jumped to early retirement. She prefers to go to work, but her office environment has become extremely toxic this year. Fortunately, we prepare for this situation and she can decide her future without worrying about money. It’s so bad because she loves her job and isn’t ready to retire. Oh, that’s life. Things will never stay the same. You must accept the change and adapt.
SAHD
Another big change this year is that the RB40JR becomes a teenager. He is taller than me now! Great, but a little sad. He is now more independent and prefers to spend time with his friends rather than his parents. This is a huge change than my first retirement. At that time, we spent almost every waking moment together. I miss those wonderful times sometimes. He is such a cute kid.
In a few months he will start high school and be more independent than ever. He will ride his bike to school and hang out with his friends. The era of middle school is flying around, and I’m sure high school will end instantly. Soon, my days as SAHD will end. It’s a bit sad, but I’m glad our son grew up to be a smart young man.
blog
Another important part of the past 13 years is blogging, but that is also changing. Blog traffic and my online revenue have been down for several years. Soon, blogging will become a hobby, not a side-business. (A hobby lost money.) I plan to continue publishing this week. But, I’m not sure what will bring next year. If the site does not generate revenue, it is difficult to maintain motivation. Release frequency may drop. We will see what will happen.
finance
Financially, we did a great job. Our net worth has grown since I retired in 2012. We have Mrs. RB40 for thanking you for this. Her income allows our net worth to grow in the long bull market. Now that she is retired, we may start to lower our savings next year. I’m not too worried because we still live too much. Over the next 4 years, our annual expenditure should be less than 3% of our net worth. After the RB40JR starts college, our annual spending will pass through the roof. I think we’ll be fine in the long run, but it’ll be painful in college unless he gets some kind of scholarship.
What’s next?
I retired from my engineering career and became a SAHD/Blogger. Thirteen years later, the finish line of both projects is within sight. What should I do next? I’m not sure. My new hobby (pottery) is fun and takes up a lot of time. I even sold a few pieces on the art sales last month, but I doubt pottery will generate positive cash flow. Pottery is an expensive hobby.
Anyway, I have 4 years to figure it out. We still have a lot to do before our son graduates high school.
- Rental apartments for sale.
- Duplex for sale.
- Moved to California and closer to Mrs. RB40’s parents.
- Establish ADU in the backyard of Mrs. RB40. He has an acre, plenty of space.
- Help RB40JR to go to college.
- Figuring out how to live in Thailand for 6 months/year.
- Mrs. RB40 also needs to figure out what to do next. She is not ready to retire.
All in all, the past 13 years have been pure gravy. Life has always been great and I appreciate it’s very good. I don’t regret it. We would be rich if I kept working, but the last 13 years as SAHD/Blogger has been invaluable. If I stayed at Intel, I would be in pain. They have gone to hell since I left.
Thank you for all your support over the years! I’m really grateful. Continue chasing dreams! Can be done.
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Passive income is the key to early retirement. This year, Joe is investing in commercial real estate with CrowdStreet. They have many projects all over the United States, so check it out!
Joe also strongly recommends providing personal capital to DIY investors. They have many useful tools that can help you achieve financial independence.
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