Courtesy of Sam Dogen.
- Sam Dogen was at first stressed about buying a bigger house in San Francisco in October 2023.
- In order to afford it, he had to sell some investments and temporarily give up on early retirement.
- He now has to go back to work, but he said he's fine with that as long as his family is happy.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sam Dogen, a San Francisco-based author and former investment banker who is part of the FIRE — financial independence, retire early — movement. As he wrote on his blog, he is giving up early retirement to buy a bigger home. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.