afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2018—2026

The money was enough. Learning to spend it took longer.

After a career in data and a cryptocurrency windfall, u/FI/RE_and_forget_it could finally stop. Sleep and unstructured days came easily; spending without a salary did not. Eight years later, art, reading and helping others fill the time, while the end of deferred compensation exposes an old discomfort: actually drawing down the money saved for freedom.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2018 · Personal
$4,000,000

Approximate starting net worth including house equity; the author described close to $4 million.

Source
Posts2
2019Year 1
Post 01

Freedom arrives before financial ease

“I didn’t know what to do with myself, but I got plenty of sleep”

u/FIRE_and_forget_itRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Slept, cycled, read and took music lessons as a loose routine emerged.
  • Turned down job offers and spent less than the planned allowance.

How it felt

  • Initially felt unsure how to use the time. “I didn’t know what to do with myself, but I got plenty of sleep”
  • Became interested in selected creative work for engagement rather than simply income. “it’s not about the money anymore, it’s about the experience.”
RecoveryMoneyFreedom
u/FI/RE_and_forget_it (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Publication date at available precision. Retirement milestones follow the author’s own count; a missing milestone is not inferred.

Reflections 1, 3 and 4.

Editorial summaries with short, attributed quotations. The original contains the full story.

2026Year 8
Post 02

The first withdrawals still feel strange

“There is very little I want or need and I have my health, friends, and the desire to keep learning and exploring and maybe in the future, shifting into a higher gear with my charitable giving as the world changes.”

u/FIRE_and_forget_itRead original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Reached the end of deferred salary payments and began facing withdrawals from principal.
  • Spent time on art, books, relationships and helping neighbors.

How it felt

  • Found drawing down money unfamiliar even after years of retirement. “I’ll acclimate, but it feels odd.”
  • Wanted few additional possessions; daily life already had plenty to offer. “There is very little I want or need”
MoneyCreativityEnough
u/FI/RE_and_forget_it (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Publication date at available precision. Retirement milestones follow the author’s own count; a missing milestone is not inferred.

Annual finances, end of deferred compensation and life reflections.

Editorial summaries with short, attributed quotations. The original contains the full story.

Research

Last checked Sep 2026. The accounts are self-reported. This timeline follows selected accounts, including recollections where labeled; it is not a complete archive.

  • Two milestones from an annual series are selected. Cryptocurrency materially contributed to reported wealth. The eight-year account still describes the end of deferred employment compensation.
  • This is a selection of reviewed updates, not a complete account history. No later life outcome is inferred from the absence of another indexed post.

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