Blog Feed
The Stock Market Hits A New High
Woohoo! The stock market just reached a new all-time high. It’s party time. In April, the stock market dropped precipitously due to tariffs, uncertai…
Using AI to Help Pay for College
Last week, our son graduated from middle school. He will start high school in a few months. Wow, where did the time go? It feels like he just started…
Retirement Transition is Tough!
Hey everyone! It’s been 2 months since Mrs. RB40 retired from her career. Unfortunately, she is having a tough transition into early retirement. This…
Is It Time to Replace Our 15-Year-Old Car?
How are everybody’s vehicles doing? I hope your car is going strong because new and used vehicle prices are more expensive than ever. The average pri…
May 2025 FIRE Update
Hey Everyone! Did you have a good month? May was another hectic month at the RB40 household. I felt like I was a full-time chauffeur for the family. …
Get Ready for Summer 2025!
Hey everyone! I hope you had a good Memorial Day Weekend. I heard on NPR it was one of the busiest travel days ever. We didn’t do much, though. We ..…
13 Years After Early Retirement
Hey everyone! It’s been 13 years since I retired from my engineering career. Wow, has it really been that long? Hard to believe, but it’s true.…
The Rental Condo is Off The Market
As you may have surmised from the accompanying image, I spent some quality time with the toilet over the weekend. Earlier this year, I heard the toil…
April 2025 FIRE Update
Hey Everyone! Did you have a good month? April was a hectic month at the RB40 household. RB40Jr was busy with school, debate, Ultimate Frisbee, marti…
What if You Always Maxed Out Your 401k?
What’s the surest way to become a millionaire? I can tell you right now – max out your 401k contribution every year. It will take a while, but I guar…
Defying Gravity
Hey Everyone! Have you seen the movie Wicked? We watched it at home last week. It was so good! We saw Wicked on stage about 16 years ago. I loved ...…
Don’t Panic
Whew! Another crazy week in the USA is over; only 197 left to go. Student visa revoked. ICE tracking down and detaining international students. Legal…
March 2025 FIRE Update
Hey Everyone! Did you have a good month? March was a pretty good month at the RB40 household. We visited my brother during Spring Break and had a gre…
Series Binge: Severance
Hey Everyone! I am back from Spring Break in North Carolina. We visited my brother and his family in Cary, a suburb of Raleigh. Wow, that town is inc…
Spring Break 2025
Hey Everyone! I hope you’re enjoying Spring Break! This year, we are flying to visit my brother and his family in North Carolina. I haven’…
5 Things to Do Before a Recession
Things are not looking good. Consumer confidence is falling like a rock. Eggs are $10.99/dozen at Safeway. Inflation is going up all over the place. …
How to Prepare for an Unexpected Retirement?
Hey Everyone! This one is for all the harried federal government workers out there. Most civil servants are dedicated and hardworking people. It’s a …
February 2025 FIRE Update
Hey Everyone! Did you have a good month? February was another hectic month at the RB40 household. I was busy fixing up our rental condo. That’s done …
Should You Sell Stocks When You’re Fearful?
Are you optimistic about the stock market this year? Investor sentiment turned negative last week and the stock market sell-off has begun. Will the s…
Are You Ready for More Inflation?
Are you ready for life to get more expensive? The January 2025 CPI report indicated inflation has ticked up. The year-over-year CPI is at 3%. That’s …