It all depends on where you live. I doubt where he lives (Longmont CO) is that expensive. There are plenty of places in the USA where 25k will go a long way. Remember he has no mortgage and other debts. If he has relatively low property taxes and doesn't care about having a new car every 5 years etc., then 25k a year is more than enough. It certainly isn't poverty level or anything.
I don't get why people on here are so negative about it. Don't be bitter because you live in the valley and spend 2k+ a month just for a crappy apartment. It just sounds like this guy values his time more than money. He might not be spoiling his kids with tons of toys or free college, but at least he is there for them. I'll warrant many of the entrepreneurs hackernewsers look up to don't spend nearly as much time with their family as this guy. Their too busy making money as a way to keep score in their "life." This guys just living his life.
I agree he sounds happy, but it's important to remember that happy means different things to different people. Life is short and you only get one shot at it, so if you get a lot of enjoyment out of a new car every 5 years, hell, go for it. Be smart about it, make sure it's something you really enjoy and not just a temporary distraction, but do it if it brings you lasting enjoyment.
Some people, in my experience, really enjoy being frugal. Having a wad of cash in the bank is what makes them feel secure and happy. Others, not so much. To each their own.
One nice thing, being able to live reasonably happily on $25k is nice to see if nothing else than that's probably what a lot of today's middle classers are likely to get in SS benefits down the road. And given the dismal savings rates, that's a fine thing. The trick is to pull it off you need to have a paid for home and live in a relatively affordable location.
Of course that's another thought, retiring at 30 means your SS benefits are going to be small or non-existent. If this guys rental properly burned down and his investments tanked, that could turn into a pretty bad situation someday. As much as I hate to rely on SS for retirement it's the closest thing to a guaranteed income many of us are going to get, and retiring early means opting out of that.
> It all depends on where you live. I doubt where he lives (Longmont CO) is that expensive. There are plenty of places in the USA where 25k will go a long way.
Yeah, but that's one of the constraints I'm talking about. There are many worthwhile places to live on the planet that would be out of that range.
> I don't get why people on here are so negative about it. Don't be bitter because you live in the valley and spend 2k+ a month just for a crappy apartment.
I'm not and I don't. :) He just happens to be espousing a (rather extreme) philosophy that I disagree with, and I think people might want to think twice before following in his footsteps.
I agree with you that people that spend so much time at work that they don't have time to spend with their family should probably think twice about that too. Just because I said I disagree with one extreme doesn't mean I agree with the other extreme!
I don't get why people on here are so negative about it. Don't be bitter because you live in the valley and spend 2k+ a month just for a crappy apartment. It just sounds like this guy values his time more than money. He might not be spoiling his kids with tons of toys or free college, but at least he is there for them. I'll warrant many of the entrepreneurs hackernewsers look up to don't spend nearly as much time with their family as this guy. Their too busy making money as a way to keep score in their "life." This guys just living his life.