35, 330k NW. At a crossroad and I need advice what's next

[pixelsage]

A bit of a background but the tldr is:

• Moved across the pond to the Bahamas to maximize my earning potential and take advantage of the zero income/capital tax.
• My exwife divorced me last year because I was not hustling enough and she wanted someone to be in a "powercouple" with. She was earning 2x my salary and constatly asked me to earn more. She is with a multimilionaire now.
• We divided our assets based on what we were earning. I got 1/3 she got 2/3.
• Working as a data manager / project manager at a law firm for $120k net (about $180k gross for you US folks). I'm going to convert from now on to euros. So my salary is about €111k net. Exponentially increased my salary over the last 5 years from €15k to now €111k.
• three master, four languages, about 10 PQE.
• Monthly I save about 50-60% of my salary
• I hate my current job and I truly mean it when I say hate. We can't work remote and the work is so boring that I fall asleep in front of my screen. My back is getting destroyed, my life is running away from me and I count the time left to leave the office. When I leave work I'm so mentally drained that I just go back home, workout a bit, read, drink and go to sleep. and the job is the definition of a bullshit job. Making stuff so multimillionaires can have more millions.
• I'm completely alone, tried to make friends but everyone has either a family, is busy or is only temporary on the island. I also gave up on dating as everyone that I meet is only focused on how much I earn. Anyway...
• My assets are:
  • a 401k matched by my employer. I think it is $1k monthly in total being deducted. I also have some "retirement/pension funds" in Germany, France and in my home country but I will not qualify to get them as I didn't work enough in one country + I don't think that there's a retirement for us millenials in 30 years time.
• I don't have any liabilities but maybe over the next 5 years I will need to take care of my parents that are getting older.
• I've been job hunting for the last 7 months and didn't get one single call. Nothing. I've been sending about 40-50 reseumes a week.

My goal: To FIRE ASAP somewhere in Greece or south of France and enjoy my freedom. But now I don't know what to do, like I'm completely lost and I have nobody to talk about it. I always wanted to have €1M in the stock market + a paid primary residence + a rental. I'm at least €1M behind my goal and with the skyrocketing real estate prices, the inflation and the job market I'm totally at a loss.

Why €1M? Because with the capital taxes, inflation that can go to 10% and the 4% rule I would like to have at least 3000 net a month.

I spent many years reading blogs, books, subreddits about investing and businesses. Tried a multitude of things and I came to the conclusion that you FIRE only in one of 4 ways:

1. a vast network of friends that can tip you off about good trades. Look at politicians, CEOs, friends of CEOs
2. Inheritance and rich family.
3. A very narrow and well paid job. Doctor, big law lawyer, protfolio manager, cybersecurity manager
4. A business owner with a unique idea.

I have none of them. I don't have anyone to talk to, my family is poor, I'm not a specialist and I have no idea for a business. So this is the conclusion I came around to:

• Buy asap 2-3 rentals in Poland, renovate them and rent them out. The prices are skyrocketting so I need to buy them asap. Two years ago I would be able to buy 3 rentals and now only 2.
• Invest into single stocks and hope for a big lucky breakthrough
• Jump ship and do everything to get a better paid job.
• Open to any ideas.

Have a great day

Edit. You want an example out the left field? 1.2m at 33. Post from 18 hours ago on chubby fire. 2 kids, 1.2m, stay at home mom and 280k income for a tech employee. I'm so behind it's scary.

 

[notausername]

@pixelsage IMHO you are doing great with the finances but you are not taking care of your personal relationships. You should think less about money and more about what makes you happy. Life is short.

 

[jill70]

@notausername And probably not come to Reddit looking to help vindicate choices you know aren’t good for you…

 

[mcrkilljoy]

@notausername Yeah - More money won't buy your happiness here

 

[pradek]

@notausername Exactly what I was thinking reading his post.

Focus on living, you're making plenty money enough to not have to worry about it in 10+ years. But live now. Maximize how you enjoy life now outside of work.

 

[pixelsage]

@notausername Thank you and I know it that I need to take it more slow. But the thing that gives me anxiety attacks is the uncertain future and working my whole life. As you said life is too short to sit in an office till I die.

 

[galaxyquxxn]

@pixelsage And life is too short to work dead end boring life sucking jobs during your prime physical years.

You literally have one life, and you are on the Bahamas. Its a beautiful island and you are stuck working and sleeping through it.

Imagine you DONT get to FiRe. That means you threw away your life for nothing.

Fuck money and live in the moment. You might actually enjoy it.

 

[shedacares]

@pixelsage I can’t give you any advice besides the hint that you might be very deep in an echo chamber that makes you think that you don’t do enough.

Your ex, the “asap” mentality, you thinking your 100k+ job is not enough, etc.

You are doing well. Don’t stress yourself. That can hurt you more than you might think.

 

[pixelsage]

@shedacares It is definetly an echo chamber as everyone I'm surrounded by are only driven by one thing only. I will pull my hair out if I hear another cryptobro trying to sell his magic next-ftx idea at the bar I go to.

And i know that unhealthy what I'm doing but sitting at a desk at 55 is also unhealthy and I know that's probably the only time of my life where I'm able to maximize my earnings.

 

[werfel]

@pixelsage You might be ran over by a truck next week and all you have been doing is maximize earnings.

 

[galaxyquxxn]

@pixelsage Fuck maximizing earnings. You're making 100k+ net. Use to have some fun.

 

[christian783]

@pixelsage You had another, almost identical, post here a few months ago.
Most people told you that the key to happiness isn't just money and from the way you write you really seem miserable.
People tell you exactly the same thing now
And from the bottom of my heart, as someone that cares a lot about some people with mental challenges, they are all right. Focus on being happy. Even if you FIRE tomorrow, do you think that would make you happy? Or would everything else snowball you and keep you forever miserable?
If multiple people on a subreddit dedicated to finance tell you to not worry about money so much... Well.. that should ring a few bells, shouldn't it?

 

[pixelsage]

@christian783

even if you FIRE tomorrow do you think that would make you happy?

A milion time yes. I can't describe how happy I was between jobs when I had my freedom back. I could do everything and anything. Listen to birds while drinking my morning coffee, going for a jog in the forest, reading books in the garden.

And here I am dying of boredom destroying my back at a bullshit job and seeing my life wasted. But on the other hand I know that without money I can't have the future I want so I that's why my post.

But I hear you, I should take things more slowly but comparison is the theft of joy and when I speak with some peers and they tell you how much they were making at the age of 23 when you lived on 2k a year it hurts

 

[jamie75]

@pixelsage I am doing all those things....with a part time job earning me 1100 euro net.... and my pension will also be a bit less then that...its about perspective...

 

[pixelsage]

@jamie75 And how do you see your future? Where do you see yourself in 20 years? Still with this part time job? And you belive you'll get your pension?

 

[jamie75]

@pixelsage how i see my future when i finish my studys i want to open my own company ( small (alternative energy))

i just want to work for myself and knowone else.

in 20 years i have a small house and kids with my girlfriend

i am currently 33 years old

i tell u why i am in general happy in my life...
i have no deadly sickness( cancer )
i can stil move my body and do sports
i have my family and my friends and all of them are also healthy and having a good life ( working class)
i live in a country thats very reach ( German speaking)
great System

i dont fear war or death or have the fear of starving even if i have no job..

i am one of the richest people on the earth also by income ...compared to most people on the planet

yeah sometimes i struggle like everybody...but everyday if i think about it how lucky i am to be healthy and alive

 

[pixelsage]

@jamie75 You know that if you want to have kids and you are 33 already then you need to have them now? And kids are expensive. You think that 1100 is enough to support a family? I'm not criticizing, just asking for your perspective.

 

[jamie75]

@pixelsage 1100 might not enough my girlfriend works also fulltime[sup]^[/sup] and also you get help from the country for every kid. with a combined income of 3000 euro yeah i thinks its okey to raise a family.

in the next 4 years i dont plan to get kids so no problem. but then. end when my study ends i of course will have more money.

i will not have a problem to find a good job..good for my parameter not yours[sup][sup]100k+[/sup][/sup]

i know plenty of people with a income of 2500 brutto raising kids ( both Partners) i dont see the issue

 

[pixelsage]

@jamie75 So you believe in the country that it will give some sort of child support and that you will find a good job at 39 years old for 100k+ while raising a kid? And you want to fire 6 years after that?

 

[jamie75]

@pixelsage no no. i think your standard is 100k+ [sup]^[/sup]

mine is not if i have 2500 netto a month my life is great

fire? what do you mean?

i wanna be selfemployed out of uni. i already work in my field that i will be selfemlpoyed full time after i finish studies