Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Delightful Dongzhi, and A Festivus for the rest of us! Happy Holidays, Everyone!!!
2025 is cooked, done, Finito! Good riddance. It’s been a crazy year for the RB40 household. There were many changes, and not all of them were good. However, I’m an optimist, and I’d like to focus on happy thoughts. Here are some impactful events that happened this year.
Mrs. RB40 retired early!
Mrs. RB40 wanted to work until our son graduates from high school in 2029. Alas, the plan was foiled when the opportunity to retire early came up this year. She worked for the federal government. The current administration wanted to reduce the workforce and encouraged many workers to leave. Mrs. RB40 liked her work and she didn’t want to retire. However, the opportunity was too good to pass up. She retired with a small pension and kept the same healthcare plan. She wouldn’t have gotten them if she retire in 2029 as planned. The transition to retirement was tough at first. She likes being productive and contributing to society. But she’s getting used to it. All in all, it worked out pretty well for us.
RB40Jr started high school and thrived
Our son started high school and became a full-on teenager. He joined the debate club and racquetball team. He is taking Algebra, Robotics, Computer Science, and Physics. High school seems to be going very well for him. He has a ton of friends and is on the phone with them constantly. I don’t know what the heck they talk about for hours on end. Teenager stuff, I guess. He isn’t a little kid anymore. It’s a bit sad, but I’m glad too. I have a lot more personal time these days. I’m still driving him all over town, though.
The Retire by 40 blog is winding down
This year, I had some difficulties writing a new blog post every week. I’ve been at this for 15 years, and I’m worn out. The blog traffic continues to decline, and we barely made enough income to keep the site running. Next year, I plan to post less often as I meander toward full retirement. AI is taking over, and they will only get better. Blogging is pretty much dead. I had a good run. Thank you for your support over the years! I appreciate all of you very much.
Declining Health
Growing older is no fun. Mrs. RB40 is in the process of moving her dad into an assisted living facility. He fell several times this year, and now he can’t walk. They weren’t bad falls, but I guess it’s a progression toward losing his mobility. He is in rehab now, but I’m not hopeful. Mrs. RB40 is in California to take over the house, car, and the rest of his estate. She has a ton of stuff to do.
I also got some bad news from my dad. Recently, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is getting more tests, and we’ll figure out the treatment plan soon. I’ll go to Thailand for 6 weeks next summer to see what I can do to help. I plan to spend a lot more time in Thailand after RB40Jr graduates from high school. This is a good opportunity to start that process. This summer, I’ll see a dentist, an optometrist, and maybe get an annual checkup while I’m in Chiang Mai. Healthcare is way cheaper there than in the US. I have a condo in Chiang Mai and a tiny house in Bang Saen, near the beach.
Mrs. RB40 and I are also dealing with some health challenges. My triglyceride level is very high, and my blood pressure isn’t good. I also have dry eyes, elbow, and knee pain. Lastly, the rainy weather is weighing me down more than usual this year. It’s depressing. I’m ready for nicer weather. I can’t handle the dreary Pacific Northwest winter anymore.
Personal Finance
We did pretty well financially in 2025. The stock market went up, and our net worth is higher than ever. As I told my brothers, Billionaires are raking it in. Millionaires are doing okay, and the working stiffs are barely keeping their heads above the water. That’s life in the USA these days. I’m glad we invested when we were young. Life is harder than ever if you have to depend on a paycheck. Next year, we’ll transition into full retirement and draw down our savings. We spent way less than 4% of our net worth this year, so I’m optimistic it will all work out.
Alright, that’s a wrap for 2025. I hope you have an awesome winter break. RB40Jr and I will fly down to California for Christmas. Mrs. RB40 is already there. Hopefully, the flight won’t be too hectic. I’ll be back in 2026. Best Wishes to everyone!
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The following two tabs change content below.Joe started Retire by 40 in 2010 to figure out how to retire early. After 16 years of investing and saving, he achieved financial independence and retired at 38.
Joe recommends Empower for DIY investors. They have many useful tools that will help you reach financial independence.
