My coworkers believed they were indispensable and didn’t prepare themselves for the possibility. It’s a shame, because it made finding a new job so much more difficult for them when they did get cut. It was a life altering lesson for me. You are right there aren’t any guarantees in life. It’s best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Thank you for the comment.

My company started laying people off and everyone said, “it won’t happen to me” or “I have valuable knowledge that no one else has been trained on.” They all lived in denial until one day the security guards came and told them to leave the building. They were so shocked. I was prepared, but still shocked. You never think you will be the one to let go. Unfortunately, our company chopped hundreds of people so while the first few rounds the bosses decided to pick and choose, by the end they were just crossing names off a list without much thought about it. It’s crazy how many people pretended nothing was happening until they literally walked out of the building for the very last time.

There can be a lot of risk in the FIRE movement. As we maximize the value of every dollar through investments and real estate we can create slim margins. Once you reach FI you are probably fine, but you can take a very risky path to get there as quickly as possible.

I’ve been tracking your recession prep mode and I cannot believe how steadfast you have been in your preparation of it. I am so glad that you are feeling confident with the amount of money you’ve saved. I started this post, because I know so many people with teeny, tiny emergency funds who don’t seem worried at all. It’s great to live without fear, but I have been encouraging my friends to save in case they lose their jobs. You never know when the axe is coming and you can feel very secure one day and lose your job the next. Of course, they think I’m paranoid, but I’ve lived through it. I love that you are still saving aggressively and giving without endangering your finances. That’s how we should all live our lives and it’s what my husband and I are doing too! Trying to keep us all as content and healthy as possible during this time. Stay safe and well!

You are absolutely right that people treat debt too lightly in good market. It is helpful to have minimal or zero debt before a downturn, but it’s not always the best idea to pay off debt after a job is lost. At that point, cash is really important and that calculation becomes more complex.

Now our focus is mainly on continuing to save aggressively, spending wisely (we are continuing to give to help people out while we can without endangering our own finances), and keeping our jobs intact. And keeping our family going day to day! ♥️