Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Winter Solstice, and Happy Holidays! Happy holidays to everyone! ! !
2025 is done, Finito! Good to get rid of. It’s been a crazy year for the RB40 family. A lot has changed, but not all of it is good. However, I am an optimist and I like to focus on happy thoughts. Here are some of the impactful events that happened this year.
Mrs. RB40 is retiring early!
Ms. RB40 wants to work until 2029 when our son graduates from high school. Sadly, that plan fell through when the opportunity to retire early came up this year. She works for the federal government. The current government wants to reduce the workforce and encourage many workers to leave. Ms. RB40 loves her job and she doesn’t want to retire. However, this opportunity was too good to pass up. She retired with a small pension and kept the same health care plan. If she retires in 2029 as planned, she won’t get the money. The transition to retirement was difficult at first. She enjoys being productive and contributing to society. But she’s used to it. All in all, this worked well for us.
RB40Jr starts high school and thrives
Our son started high school and became a well-rounded teenager. He joined the debating club and the squash team. He is studying algebra, robotics, computer science and physics. High school seemed to be going well for him. He has many friends and talks to them frequently on the phone. I have no idea what they were talking about for hours on end. Teenage stuff, I guess. He is no longer a child. Although a little sad, I am also very happy. I have more personal time these days. Still, I drove him around town.
The Retirement at 40 blog is coming to an end
This year I’ve had some difficulty writing a new blog post every week. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and I’m exhausted. Blog traffic continued to drop and we barely had enough revenue to keep the site running. Next year, as I slowly move toward full retirement, I plan to post less frequently. Artificial intelligence is taking over everything, and they’re only going to get better. Blogging is pretty much dead. I had a good run. Thank you for your support over the years! I’m so grateful to all of you.
declining health
Getting older is no fun. Ms. RB40 is in the process of moving her father to an assisted living facility. He fell several times this year and now can no longer walk. These falls were not serious, but I guess they were part of the process of losing his mobility. He’s recovering now, but I’m not hopeful. Mrs. RB40 showed up in California to take over his house, car, and remaining property. She has a lot to do.
I also got some bad news from my dad. Recently, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is undergoing more tests and we will have a treatment plan soon. I’m going to Thailand next summer for six weeks to see how I can help. RB40Jr After graduating from high school, I plan to spend more time in Thailand. This is a good opportunity to start the process. While I’m in Chiang Mai this summer, I’ll be seeing a dentist, an optometrist, and maybe an annual checkup. Healthcare is much cheaper there than in the US. I have an apartment in Chiang Mai and a small house in Bangsaen near the beach.
The RB40 ladies and I also face some health challenges. My triglyceride levels were high and my blood pressure was bad. I also have dry eyes, elbow and knee pain. Finally, this year’s rainy weather has caused me more stress than usual. How frustrating. I’m ready for better weather. I can no longer stand the dreary winters in the Pacific Northwest.
personal finance
In 2025, we are in a pretty good financial position. The stock market is up and our net worth is higher than ever. Like I tell my brothers, billionaires are making a killing. The millionaires are doing just fine, while the working class are barely making ends meet. This is life in America right now. I’m glad we invested when we were young. If you have to rely on a paycheck, life will be harder than ever. Next year, we will transition to full retirement and withdraw our savings. Our expenses this year are well below 4% of net worth, so I’m optimistic everything will work out.
Well, that’s it for 2025. Hope you have a great winter vacation. RB40Jr and I are flying to California for Christmas. The RB40 ladies are already there. Hopefully the flight won’t be too crowded. I will be back in 2026. Good luck to everyone!
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