With the second kid on the eay we are facing a similar decision but I can’t say I have anything useful to add. I’m not super concerned about the money though since arguably its just part of building the life I want to live.
That’s ultimately what it came down to for us as well. Yes it would have been nice to keep the numbers on the sheet, but I had to remind myself that the purpose of FIRE (at least for us) is to be able to live stress free (or at least with significantly less stress), enjoy life and the fruits of our labor, and be able to give generously and help those we love and care about. The car, while a temp setback in terms of immediate liquidity, hits all three of those on some level. It’s just hard to make that mental shift. As one of my mentors has said in the past, “earning money is easy, spending it is hard” (tongue in cheek obviously on the first part)
With the second kid on the eay we are facing a similar decision but I can’t say I have anything useful to add. I’m not super concerned about the money though since arguably its just part of building the life I want to live.
That’s ultimately what it came down to for us as well. Yes it would have been nice to keep the numbers on the sheet, but I had to remind myself that the purpose of FIRE (at least for us) is to be able to live stress free (or at least with significantly less stress), enjoy life and the fruits of our labor, and be able to give generously and help those we love and care about. The car, while a temp setback in terms of immediate liquidity, hits all three of those on some level. It’s just hard to make that mental shift. As one of my mentors has said in the past, “earning money is easy, spending it is hard” (tongue in cheek obviously on the first part)
Now I just have to get over my dislike of the automated plastic computers all modern cars have become.