A little over a year ago, my wife and I went to an open house for a fancy, big house. It was in a good neighborhood, close to my wife’s family, and ideally situated for both of our commutes. The house was amazing. Fully renovated. A large lot. Gorgeous finishes. Great curb appeal. It even had a mother-in-law living area that could be separated from the rest of the house and probably used as the occasional Airbnb space.
Financial Independence
I Don’t Have A FI Number Anymore
Today, if you ask me what my FI number is, my response is that I really don’t have one anymore. Let’s look at three reasons why I don’t have a FI number these days. Maybe some of these reasons apply to you too.
I’m Not Financially Independent – But I Sure Act Like It Sometimes
I’m not financially independent – not even close. To support my lifestyle, I have to actively earn income, whether that’s by writing, side hustling, or doing whatever else it is I do for a living. Here’s the interesting thing though. Even though I’m definitely not financially independent, some people seem to think that I am. […]
There Are Very Few Decisions That Will Ruin Your Life
If you spend too much time listening to what most people tell you, it can often feel like we don’t have much room to make mistakes. I know that’s how I’ve often felt. For most of my life, I was taught that you needed to do things a certain way – go to a good […]
People Smarter Than Us Know Things That We Don’t – And That’s Okay
If you want to get a big case of FOMO (i.e. fear of missing out), all you have to do is sit down and read some financial news. You’ll kick yourself at all the big investments you’ve missed out on over the years. Bitcoin to $100,000! Gamestop making people millionaires! Teslanaires balling out! And now […]
Lessons In Real Hourly Wage From Delivering Food On My Bike
A great lesson for anyone thinking about how money works is to think about the concept of real hourly wage. If you’re paid an hourly wage, you know what you make for each hour that you work. And if you’re paid a salary, you can figure out approximately what you make per hour. For example, […]
Once You Hit Coast FIRE, Things Become Much Easier
My wife and I are currently in the market for a new house. We have plenty of money saved, have a high household income, and after a decade of living well below our means, we think we’re ready to start inflating our lifestyle a bit more (or a lot more if we’re being real). I’m […]
Barista FIRE: Not Quite Financial Independence, But Pretty Close
When it comes to the different sub-genres of FIRE, my favorite is probably what has been coined Barista FIRE. I wrote about Barista FIRE several years ago in a post I titled The Dream of Barista FIRE. In that post, I thought about some of my favorite jobs I had back when I was in […]
Becoming A Millionaire With The $30 A Day Retirement Strategy
There’s a little-known fact about investing that most people don’t appreciate until they really think about it. That fact is this: if you give yourself enough time, the amount you have to save in order to end up with a large sum of money is actually very reasonable. Perhaps nothing can open your eyes to […]
Coast FIRE: The Tipping Point On The Path To Financial Independence
A brand of FIRE that everyone pursuing financial independence will have to hit at some point is Coast FIRE. Coast FIRE is defined as when you have enough money saved up that, without any additional contributions, the growth on that initial nest egg will be enough to fully support your lifestyle at traditional retirement age. This is possible because of the power of time and compound interest.
