My wife and I both rocketed up the tech ladder – is it safe to slow down without risking our jobs?

thinkOne of the best situations anyone can find themselves in is when their job is going better than expected. The hope is that you hit six figures early on, and the sky’s the limit from there. If you are fortunate enough, you’ll not only hit the six-figure mark but also make your way toward millions in net worth. 

In the case of one Redditor and his spouse, who posted in r/ChubbyFIRE, both are in their late 20s and on their way to riches with “high-paying tech jobs.” With a $1.1 million net worth in retirement accounts alone, it’s hardly surprising this couple is already thinking about when they can retire. 

The Situation 

In their late 20s, this Redditor and their spouse found themselves with two high-paying tech jobs and have continued to earn more through sheer luck and overperformance. As a result, they have $1.1 million in retirement accounts, of which 90% is in ETFs. 

Additionally, they have around $600,000 in equity in their $2.3 million home and are targeting $6 million as their FIRE number. While the Redditor doesn’t hate their job, they struggle mentally with some of the workload. 

Thankfully, they have received multiple promotions because of their desire to overperform, which has directly led to early income jumps. However, they are now considering what would happen if they decided to take things a little easier for the next few years. 

Of course, this raises fears about what will happen if they start underperforming, giving them even more to consider. The original poster directly asks this question to the ChubbyFIRE crowd, hoping to find reassurance that they can begin to slow down. 

The Job Reality

As unfortunate as it might be, it’s a harsh reality check that most people don’t enjoy their jobs and work because they have bills to pay. The first commenter in this post says exactly this, reminding the original poster that “every job has parts that someone doesn’t like.” This is how the world works, for better or worse, but it’s not a reason to necessarily want to slow down. 

I agree wholeheartedly with this individual by saying that if this Redditor is only in their 20s and already starting to focus on retiring early, it’s likely affecting how they work. Still, something else could potentially be going on mentally.

It’s not a good mindset to think you have to slow down with work so early in life, and it’s a reason to potentially consider talking with someone outside of work who might be able to find a different root cause. 

Another possibility is that this individual needs to move to another company, even if it means reducing their salary. In their 20s, it’s doubtful the original poster can escape the rat race of corporate life, so they might want to find a company that offers a lighter workload without sacrificing their financial goals too much. 

What About Family? 

The bigger concern here that doesn’t get talked about until someone in the comments brings it up is what about family? The Redditor responds that they are waiting till their early 30s to have children, but this is something that is only going to bring about more anxiety. 

Kids are beautiful, but require lots of attention, care, and, most importantly, money. Raising a child will only stress the poster’s mental load even more than the job, so this individual needs to find the right headspace career-wise before considering having a family. 

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