4 Years of Early Retirement – Is It What I Imagined?
There have been a lot of articles written about the FIRE movement. Many of the articles explain the math behind early retirement. Or were written by people who are on the early retirement journey. However, articles about people who have actually reached the mountaintop of early retirement are much less common. While it may be exciting to follow along with someone on the internet as they side-hustle and save to reach a goal, if you’re actually thinking of an early retirement, seeing how people adjust to the post-FIRE goal is just as important. Are these people happier after they achieved their goal? Is their life perfect? Is FIRE actually a worthwhile goal?
I have absolutely no regrets about retiring early. The idea of working still physically repulses me. Actually, I’d say now, after 4 years, is the first time I’ve ever thought, “Hmm maaaaybe I could work again.”
~Jessica Byrne Financial Mechanic
One of the bloggers I followed closely for years hit her early retirement number and quit four years ago (it’s hard to believe it’s been that long already!). In this article, Jessica Byrne (aka the Financial Mechanic) looks back upon her past 4 years of early retirement and answers reader questions about her life. Jessica went on a period of extended travel, spending months in Europe, Southeast Asia, and even Alaska, but has now settled into a home base and is quite happy to be settled in a place. She highlights how she talks about her employment status to different groups of people and how she generally spends her time. Overall, it seems like early retirement is treating her well, and the article is definitely worth a read for people who are considering early retirement.
McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Burger King: Which Value Meal Offers the Most Food for Your Money?
It feels like inflation has been rampant ever since COVID happened. And nowhere does inflation hurt more than when it comes to the cost of food. While you can put off some purchases like a new car or new shoes, you have to eat every day. And with grocery prices skyrocketing, it can feel depressing to be stuck in a cycle where you have to pay more for less nutrition. Inflation has also hit restaurants, and now something that feels like it should be cheap, like fast food, also is surprisingly expensive. Many of us remember a time when McDonald’s had a dollar menu where you could get fast-food sandwiches for only $1.00. Now the “value” menus at fast food restaurants might contain a sandwich for $3.00 if you’re lucky.
Fast-food value menus have become surprisingly complicated. McDonald’s has meal deals starting at $5 and an Under $3 Menu, Wendy’s now offers $4, $6, and $8 Biggie Deals, and Burger King mixes limited-time bundles with Royal Perks offers that can change what you get for your money.
~Shay Huntley, Grocery Coupon Guide
With all of these increases in food prices, if you do want to buy fast food, you’re probably going to want to make sure you’re getting the best value. In this article, Shay Huntley of Grocery Coupon Guide compares the value menus of 3 major fast food chains: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King. Wendy’s and McDonald’s run similar 4-item value menus with a sandwich, nuggets, fries, and a drink. However, Wendy’s costs $6 whereas McDonald’s costs $5. It’s not necessarily so clear-cut however. Burger King deals give you less items for either $5 or $7 but allow you to choose your items so that you could get two sandwiches or a different combination that is more desirable. The article contains lots of ways to maximize your fast food purchase and is definitely worth a read if you’re craving a burger or some nuggets.
Costco Warehouse Prices Vs Costco on Instacart, Costco Same-Day, DoorDash, & Uber Eats
Many Americans love Costco. Known for its $1.50 hot dog deal and $5 rotisserie chicken, this members-only store sells large quantities of high quality consumer staples at excellent prices. If you’re a fan of Costco, you’ve probably also noticed that Costco can be an absolute zoo on the weekends. If you love the Kirkland brand but don’t want to circle the parking lot for a half-hour looking for a spot, perhaps you’ve wished that someone else could just do the shopping for you. Recently, Costco offered new ways to shop their products, using Instacart, UberEats, Instacart, and DoorDash, along with something called “Costco- Same Day”. But before you start adding things to your virtual cart, you might want to understand how much that convenience is costing you.
These are the average price markups, but all prices were within a range of less than 1/10th of 1% – so there were no outliers.
~G.E. Miller, 20something finance
Whether or not you think it’s “worth it” to have Costco delivered to you depends on how much you value your time and how much you hate shopping with the crowds at Costco. However, if you are deciding to have it delivered to you, you’re definitely going to want to go with the cheapest option. Luckily G.E. Miller did the hard work for you but putting items in different carts and comparing them to warehouse prices. The markups can range from as low as 10% to as high as 25%. Note that the 25% markup is if you don’t have a Costco membership. While this is certainly a big markup, it might be worth it if you really want one item at Costco but don’t want to pay for the yearly membership fee. If you’re looking to have Costco delivered, definitely check out Miller’s analysis before adding something to the cart.