The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life

$5k/mo is not that significant compared to your spending power on $12m investable assets which is something like $400k+ per year conservatively. Everyone is saying you need to give spending, normally that is a valid comment but as an air traffic controller and SAHM I highly doubt you are spending $400k+/yr. Assuming you are currently living somewhere in the ballpark of within your means, you now have more money than you will ever need. Your daughter is 9. In 3 years she'll be 12. 3 years is 1/3 of the time she's going to remain under 18. I would quit now/soon (you don't need to rush to any decisions, but I wouldn't work 3 years for benefits you don't need). Spend the next few weeks reading the following books: A Richer Retirement Tax Planning To and Through Early Retirement The Psychology of Money and The Art of Spending Money Ern's SWR Series (note I think this leans more conservative than necessary, but is still worth reading).

> i have been depressed for a long time thinking we will not make it. I am totally burned out, and I fear I will not be able to get back to corporate anymore. Bur again, rerunning the math I have realized we are in a likely position to make it. Financial insecurity and career insecurity are real concerns that I've been processing myself and once I'm at peace with it (leaving 10 year comfortable career in tech), it feels good. Lots of soul searching to realize that I need this mini-retirement in order to live well, parent well, invest in our marriage, etc. We've done the math too. Our estimated fix expense (rent, school, etc) runs around 2k so as long as our passive income (dividend, stock, rental, whatever) can cover it with some left for saving, we'll be ok. Take time to process not just the math but the psychology and emotional journey of all this.Read:- The psychology of money- Simple path to wealth- Art of spending money (I haven't read but I probably need to) I'd like to think of it as a practice retirement run. If you hate all the freedom, I'm sure there'll be jobs at corporate for us to come back to if we must (ugh..)