afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2023—2026

He retired with $2.7m. Three years later, he wanted back in.

A father of four walked away from engineering to reclaim family life. Three years later, with more wealth but higher spending and an appetite for professional challenge, he accepted a job again. His account resists an easy verdict: he values the years away, yet no longer wants exactly the life he left work to build.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2023 · Household
$2,681,000Source
Invested assets at retirement2023 · Household
$1,739,000

Author definition subtracts primary-home equity; includes rental equity and other assets. Not a liquid securities portfolio.

Source
Reported net worth2026-02-27 · Household
$3,607,000Source
Reported spending2025 · Household
$112,000 / year

Excludes mortgage principal and includes car depreciation, so the total uses a different definition from typical spending figures.

Source
Posts3
2023At departure
Post 01

Leaving room for family and outdoor life

“I can not mentally call it retirement as my small brain can’t seem to get over the fact that my money would last our lifetime.”

u/outdoorfire38Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Gave notice at 33, planning more time for four children, outdoor activities and home projects.
  • Kept returning to work as an option while reassessing the household finances.

How it felt

  • Found it difficult to describe the departure as permanent retirement. “I can not mentally call it retirement”
  • Preferred thinking of it as a long break or mini-retirement. “I am calling it a mini-retirement or long sabbatical”
FamilyOutdoorsChange
u/outdoorfire38 (opens in a new tab)
Notes

month_explicit_in_post

Opening account of giving notice

Current Numbers

Opening family context

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

2024Year 1
Post 02

Busy days with less urgency

“Feeling of what's next lingers but giving myself time to enjoy slowing down has been a gift.”

u/outdoorfire38Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Made breakfast, walked children to school and fitted exercise and projects around family.
  • Spent more than expected while household net worth also increased.

How it felt

  • Felt busy but less rushed, with more room for the people and activities he valued. “It is nice to not be in a rush.”
  • Still wondered what the next challenge might be. “Feeling of what's next lingers”
RoutineFamilyOutdoorsPurposeSlowing down
u/outdoorfire38 (opens in a new tab)
Notes

source_date

Surprises/comments / item 1

Surprises/comments / item 10

Numbers / Net Worth

Numbers / 2023 Spending

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

2026Year 3
Post 03 Change announced

Announcing a return with different priorities

“I do not regret having a 3 year sabbatical even though my income will be less considerably less (60-70% of previous).”

u/outdoorfire38Read original post (opens in a new tab)

Life at the time

  • Accepted another engineering job after three years away.
  • Hoped the lower-paid role would preserve flexibility; that outcome had not yet been tested.

How it felt

  • Wanted challenge and mentoring alongside concerns about higher spending. “I want a new challenge somehow.”
  • Valued the family experiences during the break and did not regret taking it. “I do not regret having a 3 year sabbatical”
WorkPurposeFamilyFreedomMoney
u/outdoorfire38 (opens in a new tab)
Notes

source_date

Why am I going back? / Non-Financial

Opening summary

Quick Background

Interview process after 3 years removed

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.

  • No second-year update found; do not assume one never existed.
  • No reviewed report confirms the announced job start or experience afterward.
  • Account/search visibility is incomplete; no private or deleted content investigated.

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