25M(ailman), 8% time through my LeanFIRE journey, between Dec 2025 and Jan 2036. 3375 days left.

[u/The_Beep]

Last post

Net worth: $41k
(HYSA: $3.1k, Traditional TSP: $20.2k, Roth IRA: $11.5k, Brokerage: $6.2k)

• Working hella overtime at the Post Office lately; my base rate as a PTF City Carrier is $26.3/hr, but I'm having ~55hr workweeks pushing my effective gross salary up to ~$85k for the past couple months. The job itself has been stressful and I don't really have a life outside of work, but I am one persistent, driven bastard. No way am I interested in being a corporate wagie for any longer than I need to; when I turn 35 y/o and qualify for SS, I'm outta here.
• Moved to a 100sqft. room in a shared single-family house for $700/mo, incl. utils/in-unit laundry. No WiFi but I got my backup phone using Visible+ ($205/year) for an unlimited data hotspot. No need to ride my e-bike, now that the closest bus stop is 3 min. away and the offices I work at are at most a half-hour bus ride. Having to share a bathroom with 2 people and the overall house with 4 is awkward, but it's not so bad when I'm the youngest by far in the house. I think I got a good deal. Moving was expensive and I've been burning way too much money eating gas station slop, so I'm gonna try my hardest moving forward to keep my monthly non-investment/rent spend <= $500.
• Been doing my fair share of credit card/bank account churning. Got the Wells Fargo checking $400 bonus, currently trying to get a $550 checking bonus with FourLeaf Federal Credit Union, and got a Capitol One Savor card recently for the $200 statement credit bonus. When I stop overeating and reach a stable maintenance weight, I'll start giving plasma for money too.. cause I don't have the drive to go work beyond the Post Office.

Made significant changes to my investment strategy: I'm still maxing my Traditional TSP/Roth IRA, and trying to invest >= $500/mo into my brokerage.

- TSP is 3:2 I Fund/C Fund, and I'll rebalance on a yearly basis depending on what I see regarding the funds' performance.

- In my Roth IRA, 50% of biweekly contributions split between SPMO/IDMO, 50% split between AVDV/AVUV/AVEM/IAUM/BTC.

- Brokerage will automatically invest 50:50 FTEC/AVDV, hoping for a sort of barbell effect. Brokerage has a significant position in Kraken Robotics that's down ~24% and I can't wait to let go of it once things break even. No more single stocks for me, the risk isn't worth the return.

- Even though I only gave myself ~10 years to LeanFIRE: Momentum/Value/Growth ETFs are more than enough for my goals. Still got significant crypto ETF positions in my Roth/Brokerage, but mostly just holding them for now.

[u/Relative_Hat_7754]

Waiting for a stock that's down to get back to cost basis before exchanging the proceeds into another investment is poor logic. If you believe you have another investment option today that will outperform your current stock holding that is at a loss from this point forward, then a rational investor exchanges those proceeds today into the more promising investment.

[u/The_Beep → u/Relative_Hat_7754]

I don't like losing money. I get there's a small opportunity cost, not immediately going elsewhere--but me selling at a 24% loss means I lost like, $300 for nothing. It'll eventually go back up, I just made the mistake of listening to advice that wasn't suitable for me and buying single stocks near ATHs, without researching.

[u/Relative_Hat_7754 → u/The_Beep]

That's too bad - was hoping my advice was being received by someone rational.

[u/anteatertrashbin → u/The_Beep]

you’re just losing more money by waiting. cut you losses.

[u/UncleMeat11 → u/The_Beep]

"I don't like losing money. That is why I will choose to lose even more money."

[u/808trowaway → u/The_Beep]

For a CS grad, the way you think is very strange.

[u/minormisgnomer → u/The_Beep]

You can write your losses against ordinary income if it’s in a brokerage. I ate $20k losses and swapped into tech a few years ago… I now apply $3k or whatever against my income until that runs out and that swap turned out to be very lucrative

You should get the fuck out now if it’s a trash stock. This is a real thing and if you’re not familiar with it you should look it up. Tax loss harvesting

[u/One-Region2048 → u/The_Beep]

Note all the downgrades. If you lose 10 straight hands of blackjack, it doesn't mean the next one has to be a winner.

As for FIRE, to be putting an end goal of 10 years at 25 y/o seems bonkers to me. You must absolutely hate working.

[u/BlazeDemBeatz]

Different people have different goals and I understand that. But trying to live off social security at 35 doesn’t seem very logical.

[u/The_Beep → u/BlazeDemBeatz]

That is absolutely not the plan.

I just want to work 10 years so I can qualify for it, but I'm aiming for a net worth of $600-800k split between my TSP, Roth & brokerage.

[u/zzzacmil → u/The_Beep]

Your benefits would be incredibly low. SS calculates your benefits based on your 35 highest earning years. If you do not have 35 years of wage history, all of the remaining years are entered in as zeros. You might as well count on not getting anything at all.

[u/Lalokin → u/zzzacmil]

This is not true. He probably will hit the first bend point by 35 (currently 1286 per month).

• The Social Security Administration replaces 90% of your average indexed monthly earnings up to the first bend point ($1,286 in 2026). • Progressive Design: This high replacement rate gives lower-income workers a larger proportional return on their lifetime taxable earnings.

Subsequent Brackets (2026)

• Second Bend Point: $7,749 • Second Bracket Rate: 32% of earnings between $1,286 and $7,749 • Top Bracket Rate: 15% of earnings above $7,749

Getting to the first bend point will be much faster than the second bend point. Most people don't ever make it past the second.

[u/The_Beep → u/zzzacmil]

Yeah, but it's better than nothing. I'm confident I can reach LeanFI in 10 years so I just made Jan 2036 my cutoff point. You'd be surprised to learn there are lots of people in the FIRE community that reach financial independence in less than 10 years, then they're like "shit I should've waited a couple years more so I could qualify for SS"

[u/ten_year_holder]

Keep going. I’d do a few things differently, but learning and adjusting are part of the process. You’ll figure things out for yourself, which is often more valuable than being told what to do. Just be mindful of how you spend your time.

[u/Lalokin]

Have you not worked before? Not even part time? Wondering why it would take 10 years to get 40 work credits. You do not need to work a full year or make a high salary to get your 4 annual credits. They dont have to be consecutive years either.

[u/The_Beep → u/Lalokin]

I have only entered the workforce last year.

[u/Lalokin → u/The_Beep]

Gotcha. Were you at college before then? How come you only entered last year?

[u/The_Beep → u/Lalokin]

Yeah, was in college for 5 years for a B.A. in Computer Science, got the degree but had little to no experience/internships to show for it, was job-hunting for over a year to no avail, then decided fuck it I'm gonna go work at the Post Office.

[u/All-Theory-No-Talent]

I wish you luck. I'm also working in a government job which likes to give alot of OT.

[u/The_Beep → u/All-Theory-No-Talent]

Thanks. Hang in there, it can be so physically/mentally taxing sometimes.

On Sunday, us CCA/PTF carriers do Amazon package delivery only; the last Amazon Sunday for me was rough. I worked from 10am to 11pm. I've never seen "Extra" Penalty Overtime in my payroll until now, they really had me working in the pitch black dark.

[u/Educational-Exit767]

Looks like the OT is your turbo boost, which is solid. If you can keep that 500‑max spend and have a high‑yield savings buffer, you’ll be in a good spot when you hit 35 and start tapping SS. Just remember to keep a buffer for the Post Office’s unpredictable schedule – a day or two of PTO can knock you off the 80‑hr target. All that deducted, your plan feels lean and doable.

[u/Lebraan]

Keep driving son. Keep your spirits high and keep working hard. Don't ever let the nay sayers tell you it's impossible or you can't do it.

[u/The_Beep → u/Lebraan]

Thank you! Trust me, if you see my repost on r/USPS, there are PLENTY of naysayers. Me talking FIRE there is like talking in an alien language or speaking in tongues to them, but I hope a few of them are inspired nonetheless.

[u/Lebraan → u/The_Beep]

Dude, FIRE is a marathon mind game. If you believe it IS possible, I promise you. It takes some sacrifice and some deliberate decision making, but at the end of the day it's just math. You can make it work.