afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
People
Selected life timeline 2023—2024

Six months off revealed a taste for short contracts

Leaving full-time IT security work created room for children, fitness and home projects. After decompressing, this retiree discovered that solving problems still mattered, and began choosing small engagements instead of resuming a permanent full-time role.

Finances
Net worth at retirement2023-12-22 · Household
Not established

Departure balance not disclosed in reviewed passages.

Source
Income after retirement2024 · Household
30,000 unspecified dollars/year

Dollar currency unspecified; earned through contracts.

Source
Reported spending2024 · Household
100,000 unspecified dollars/year

Rough estimate, not fully calculated; dollar currency unspecified.

Source
Posts2
2024Year 0.5
Post 01Recalled in 2024

Decompression, then an itch

“Got a bit bored so took a contract, decent pay, $1500 per day. was for 170 hours spread out over about 5 months, so about 10 hours per week.”

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

Life at the time

  • Spent the first six months without paid work.
  • Devoted time to children, getting fitter and household projects.

How it felt

  • Work stress took about three months to ease. “Took about 3 months”
  • Eventually became bored enough to accept a small contract. “Got a bit bored”
RecoveryWork
u/nzanon (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Explicit retrospective in dated source; year approximate from stated elapsed years.

Life: first six months and ensuing contract

Explicit retrospective in dated source; year approximate from stated elapsed years.

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

2024Year 1
Post 02

Choosing the size of work

“I have found I do like the firefighting work of being able to solve problems and make a difference and I like the industry I work in so don't see myself giving up on it entirely at this point.”

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

Life at the time

  • Completed a roughly ten-hour weekly contract and began helping a friend three days a week.
  • Keeps up with the industry through personal research.

How it felt

  • Enjoys solving difficult problems and making a difference. “being able to solve problems”
  • Cannot imagine returning to a permanent full-time role. “Never see myself going back to full time”
RecoveryWork
u/nzanon (opens in a new tab)
Notes

Dated publication describing current life.

Life and Future

Dated publication describing current life.

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

See how these posts compare with other people’s experiences.

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.

  • Dollar denomination and location are not specified in reviewed authored passages.
  • The six-month moment is an approximate retrospective interval.
  • Selected public self-reports, not a complete archive or independent verification of finances.

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