What does Flex FI do for me?

 So of course once I tried to set sights on just staying in this job and making it work, I had an instant case of buyer's remorse. 

As usual, I was clicking around job boards and FI blogs trying to find what I could find. 

I stumbled on some listicles about FI milestones and one that actually helped. I think it was FI 180?

Sometimes, I can just be very linear in my thinking. I honed in on 4% withdrawal rate and 25x expenses as my FI number. And for that journey, it still is.

However, this PF blogger described something called Flex FI. Basically as an intermediary goal to FI is a milestone of reaching 20x your expenses.  The blogger went on to say, with that ever touted Trinity Study, even at 20x your income and 5% withdrawal rate, you still have a ~80% chance of success. Good enough for me! 

Again, I don't need money forever. 

It doesn't soothe all my angst and hurt feelings, but it was just another layer of security. It provides an intermediate milestone before the big one. 

So in the back of my mind, I definitely hope to stay employed until FI ($500k) but that's a ways away yet. Flex FI ($400k) is much closer and can be something that seems attainable. 

So, if I can stay in the game just a little while longer, whatever happens at work will obviously be devastating, but I at least I have the option to Flex FI vs activating The Final Countdown. 

Ultimately, this number was a welcome mental boost to my journey. It just never even occurred to me because I never read the Trinity Study for myself. At least not that I can remember. 

This just helps me to soothe anxiety of life as a hectic Call Center Manager. I can lessen the pressure to find another job. I mean that would be ideal, but I don't have to worry about being laid off at work at the end of the year. It will be psychologically devastating, of course, but financially, I will have options - flexibility, if you will. And that is my ultimate money goal. 

So yeah the time horizon to Flex FI is potentially close enough that sticking it out as a Call Center Manager is an easier decision than putting myself through the psychologically labile process of interviewing. 

Until the next hit to my mental state, this is something in my toolbox to get through the next period of time. Day by day of course. 

If I can just get through this hurdle, that increases my chance of getting to FI. That is to say getting to FI without changing jobs.

My job doesn't change but its role in my life (i.e. impact to financial goals) and my approach and attitude towards it can shift.  The time horizon to Flex FI is more manageable than the years away from FI ($500k).

I think the other good thing about Flex FI ($400k) is that even if I reach true FI ($500k), I can feel a little less stressed about loosening the purse strings. I was a bit worried about being held to a $20k/yr budget but now I know I could go up to $25k/yr comfortably. That is breathing room I definitely wanted.