Grateful to be working in tech making ~500k. VHCOL. Two more years until initial vest ends. Stock gains have contributed to increased TC. Hoping to reach ~3M NW(liquid) by EOY or early next year, and achieve our initial FI goal. Spouse and I want to travel the world for a couple of years, and start a family by 38. Since fertility drops sharply after 38, we have done IVF freeze as a backup. Really torn between quitting and traveling next year VS waiting for another two years to collect additional ~1M-1.5M. If we wait for 2 years, we earn additional money and will probably be closer to 5M NW but will be late to start a family, and won't have enough time to travel many countries. If we quit next year, we give up the money and the stock boosted TC, but will have the freedom to travel for 1-2 years, and then start a family by 38. All of this is assuming we don't get affected by layoffs, and stock market holds. In that case, we will travel. Traveling without kids is a priority since traveling with a kid adds a lot of restrictions. WHAT TO DO? #fire
Just travel with kids. Or just travel with them when they’re older.
Take it from me. Don't rely on the current stock price to be the same or higher in 2 years. I've had hundreds of thousands of dollars slip through my fingers. Do what's best for you right now for tomorrow may never come.
I don’t get this. Why spend your days only saving and then try to cram traveling, kids, etc into the final years before 40.
Have traveled decently in my mid 20s-early 30s living in hostels but have a desire to travel more and live in different countries without having to worry about money or a job.
If you want to start a family, do it as soon as possible. It’s not very difficult traveling with kids. But the older you get, the tougher it becomes to start a family and the higher your risks of birth defects.
Have kids now if you want them and you're married. No guarantee you'll be able to later.
Exactly. Stop using any form of birth control immediately.
Just because you did Ivf freeze doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy at 38
Right, I'm amazed how idiotic people can be. Giving birth is not like walking into a car dealership, sign the papers and drive way. She is already a geriatric risk pregnancy case.
OP will need a high risk obgyn too.
Go travel. It is much harder with kids and just different experiences. Travel for 1 year as a compromise if fertility is an issue or worried about savings.
Just have a kid now, you already have almost 3M NW. Your can both take parental leave and still collect a paycheck. Then after paterental leave is done, you should just so your travelling and stuff as the baby will be old enough to fly. Stop trying to optimize to the extreme your life. You don’t know if you will even live to see 2 years or whether you can successfully conceive two years later. You are gonna be old af for your kid to the longer you delay
I think fertility drops sharply after 30, not 38. You may want to continue working and focus on having kids now.
It also drops after 35. It depends on the two individuals more than anything. If OP smokes too much weed that lowers sperm count considerably
Getting dawn syndrome is much more likely too
The math doesn’t add up. Do you not pay taxes? lol.
Counting 2022 to present stock appreciation perhaps
TC is actually slightly higher than mentioned considering avg stock price, and doesn't include spouse's income which is variable ~150k. Not considering significant growth on the investment portfolio either. Spend is low