Gen Z Guide to FI

It’s been 4 weeks since I quit my job. Why is time moving so quickly now that I have no job?

In the past week, I came from an intensive conference in Washington, DC to prepare for b-school. It was the MLT Professional Development (PD) conference. I had an interview for an internship which was pretty good practice whether I get the job or not.

I learned from this conference that I have no interest in consulting. I had been feeling this way for a while but after spending a full day in consulting boot camp, I was sure that it didn’t spark joy. I have decided to throw all my energy into marketing as a solid backup plan if I can’t break into the film/streaming space. I was pretty happy to at least leave this conference with some clarity and a job interview.

So let’s talk cash, I spent $404 on the DC portion of my 2 week east coast trip (I’m counting Atlanta as east coast, please don’t fight me). I booked a one way non-stop flight with Alaska airlines from SFO – IAD. The flight was $Free.99 + $5.60 using points I earned from my Alaska Bank of America credit card. Unfortunately for my sanity, I booked a red eye even though I promised myself I’d prioritize my sleep more. I was so exhausted when I arrived at the conference but I made it baby. Also, Alaska requires you to pay the tiny $5.60 fee with the Alaska credit card to get a free checked bag. I did not do that so I had to pay $35 to check in my luggage. I was pissed, definitely closing that card once the 1 year mark comes. I am still gonna call the customer service line to try to get this refunded.

The $404 was a mix of Ubers, Amtrak to NYC, food & some other poorly planned things on my part (like spending more on an expensive day pass at a hotel because I was damn tired after red eye or the unexpected Alaska baggage fee). That being said, I’m writing from NYC now and I think I’d spend much less on this leg of my trip. I spent 3 days in DC; I’m spending 7 days in NYC; and I am spending 6 days in ATL.

In terms of my NYC trip logistics, I’m staying with a friend who has been keeping me well fed. So far, my housing and food costs have been basically non-existent. I am apartment hunting so I am only spending money on transportation. I already did the touristy things back in 2021 so I don’t have much interest in doing that again.

Today, as I walking in Queens, I came across a park and sat there to drink my tea. I realized this is something I have never done. Or at least I have no recollection of doing that in a long while. There’s no rush. There’s only me, my tea and the hustling and bustling of NYC. I know this phase of my life won’t last forever. I am happy that I get to experience this in my young adult life.

I just wanted to use this post as a reminder of what my post FI life could look like. I don’t expect my life situation to be anywhere close to the same when I’m 40 but I hope I’d have time to leisurely sip tea for an hour at a park regularly.

XOXO Gen Z Fire Baby