Route to Retire ...the path to financial independence

There is a Secret Formula to FI, But It Ain’t No Secret!

Everyone likes a secret, but a secret formula? Even better! Now that we’re only a few months out from me quitting my job, we’re starting to share the news more with friends and family. A lot of them seem to be a little confused, but then we talk about our planned move to Panama and it takes most folks to a level beyond comprehension. Eventually though, we tend to get past that initial shock. And then the “bold” ones out there muster up the courage to ask some questions. But most importantly, they want to know how we did it… What’s the secret formula for reaching financial independence? I think it’s a fair question. After all, people as a whole tend

I Was Wrong… It Really Is Who You Know

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I’ve always hated this saying. It implies that hard work won’t get you as far as knowing someone will. As if you can get further just by knowing people instead of busting your butt! It’s insane… but I think it’s true. From my first job, all I ever did was bust my @#$ doing the best I could. While others played around at the companies I was at, I always focused on the job at hand. In my mind, that’s what I was getting paid to do – work. So that’s exactly what I did. It wasn’t that I was a non-social guy before – I just figured that if someone’s

2 Weeks Notice? Here’s Why I Gave My Boss 6 Months!

When you’re deciding to leave an employer, it’s customary to give 2 weeks notice as part of your resignation. The idea is that it gives the company enough time to transition the loose ends over to another employee. Really though, in many places, that’s not a lot of time. If you’re in a very complex position or a company that’s project-oriented for instance, 2 weeks notice is barely enough to get the ball rolling. And it’s likely to leave a lot of unanswered questions. The problem is that some employers take someone leaving as personal – a slap in the face. And because of that, if you give them more notice, it’s possible they just let you go before you

Considerations for Planning to Retire Abroad

With our recent announcement of us moving up our early retirement date to the end of 2018, the pressure’s now on. We’re now planning to retire abroad to Panama in the summer of 2019. The news was exciting for us to share, but now reality’s setting in. Although a year seems like a lot of time, there’s really a lot that needs to be done. It would be one thing if we were just moving to another country for a couple of years. However, we’re planning to actually retire abroad for the long haul. And with that, comes the need to sell everything. Not only our house, but our cars, furniture, TVs, books – you name it! We’re planning to walk

Shit Just Got Real… Moving Early Retirement Up to 2018!

So things just got interesting here in the R2R household. We’ve decided to move our early retirement date up to be 12/31/18. Yeah, that’s right – just over six months from now. Crazy, right? Then to top it off, we decided to push up our move to Panama as well. We’ll now be starting that adventure about a year from now in the summer of 2019. Making the decision to move up our early retirement date isn’t a decision we’re taking lightly. Although we’re excited to move onto our next adventure, any changes we make on the “when” can have a profound impact on our future. But it’s something we’re ready to do. The opportunity is now here so we’re going

If You’re Not Happy Now, FIRE Can’t Fix That… Baloney!

Much of what I’ve read lately seems to revolve around the idea that if you’re not happy today, you won’t be happy once you reach FIRE (financial independence / retire early). After all, happiness is more than just whether or not you’re stuck in the rat race. If you’re not content with your life now, how will quitting your job make any difference? Hmm, yeah, I’m sorry… I’m not buying it. Now before you jump to lashing out at me in the comments, give me an opportunity to explain. I do think that you need to be somewhat happy with your life to begin with. If you’re just normally a miserable person, chances are you’re always going to be a miserable

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