Most don’t stop to think about how much they might be missing by working “just one more year.” It’s impossible to put a price tag on some of the experiences Eric + Jason have had since leaving full time work behind. In today’s episode, they talk about things they’d never have done before retiring early, the freedom that FIRE afford, and much more. Don’t miss the show notes below for details on their work history and their journeys to financial independence.
Show Notes
Essential Background:
- Are you new to the show? To find out where our FIRE paths began along with more on our backgrounds, you’ll want to watch our first three episodes: “Our Financial Past and our FIRE Present – Two Sides of FI“, “Two Careers, Two Paths to Financial Independence“, and “Financially Independent. Retire Early? Let’s Discuss!“
- Determining when to retire is certainly an important and also very individual decision, with many associated factors. So it’s no surprise we have tackled the topic in several episodes over item – most notably in “How Do I Know When I’m Ready to Retire?“and “It’s Harder to Retire Than I Expected”.
- “One More Year” is a concept that has come up numerous times over the show’s history, most notably in “One More Year: My Decision to Postpone Early Retirement” and “Do I Wish I’d Worked One More Year?“
- In this episode, Jason mentioned his family’s 5-week vacation as a true indicator of how different travel can be post-RE. For all the detail on that trip and much more, check out “How We Travel: Pre + Post Financial Independence“.
- Eric’s path to 90% passive income is truly impressive, and enabled his ability to achieve FI. To learn what his approach was like and to benefit from the many lessons he learned, check out Passive Income = A Path to Financial Independence (Part 1) and Lessons Learned in 7 Years Earning Passive Income – A Path to FI (Part 2). You won’t want to miss the show notes for these given all the valuable content Eric has linked here.
- Did you see our recent episodes regarding Eric’s spouse, Laura’s, decision to retire from her career as a scientist? If not, you’ll definitely want to view:
- The story begins with One Step Closer to FI/RE – Giving Notice. In this episode, Eric and Laura discuss their preparations as they near their FI number and Laura prepares to notify her employer that she’s leaving. Recorded in the fall of 2023, this behind-the-scenes discussion was prepared for publication the week Laura submitted her resignation notice.
- Next we published Unexpected Reactions to My Early Retirement, Contempt, concern, surprise, envy, admiration, and support; just a few of the reactions Laura received when she announced she was retiring early, closing her biomedical research laboratory, and beginning a new phase of life beyond work. Some reactions were expected and some surprised her. In this episode, Eric and Laura unpack these interactions and chart their next steps as they prepare to leave work and step into early retirement.
- What’s it really like to be 5 days away from early retirement? The last chapter (so far) in this story is Retiring (Early) in 5 Days. Am I Ready? Whether you’re questioning if early retirement is worth leaving a dream job, wrestling with your professional identity, or wondering how it feels when that last paycheck stops, Laura’s story offers inspiration and real-time insights about one of life’s biggest transitions.
- We’ve released a number of milestones-related episodes, charting our FIRE journeys, a number of which are among our most popular content. These are a great way to get caught up on our backgrounds. Here’s the list of all of them.
Have you checked out the Two Sides of FI Discord server? If you’re not familiar, this is an instant messaging social network. Ours is meant to be a community for viewers of our show, as well as a space to discuss all things relation to FIRE. It’s totally open, free of charge, and is anonymous as you’d like. This makes it a safe space to talk about financial topics you might otherwise be sensitive about sharing. Come check it out and see if it fits your interests! There are both desktop and mobile apps available.
Did you know Jason resumed blogging? To be notified of his future posts, please consider subscribing here. He’s also archived his old blog, which documents the first two years after he retired from his career, which started even before Two Sides of FI began. Get more information on those archived posts here.
- Links + Resources
- Eric’s business: 30X40 Design Workshop
- Jason’s blog: the next phase is now
- Eric’s YouTube Channel
- Our podcast