Jim @ Route To Retire

It's All About the Expenses...

It’s All About the Expenses…

22 Comments / Spending, Debt, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Saving / /

You’re doing your best to get yourself on the right track with your finances.  You’re working your way out of debt and have turned your eye toward reaching financial independence.  But the media wants you to focus on the money you have coming in.  I want you to focus on your expenses instead. First of all, know that your income is important – no doubt about it.  In my article The Steps to Wealth, the first thing I talk about is getting a […]

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Company Match

Why Your Company Match is So Important

19 Comments / Investments, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE) / /

For many employees, a 401(k) plan or similar defined contribution plan is the biggest retirement asset they have.  The goal is obviously to grow that investment as much as possible and a company match can help accelerate that process. I’m in a fairly lucky situation at work.  My company has a pretty unusual match.  In a nutshell, they throw in a company match of 35 cents on the dollar. Did you notice I didn’t say “… up to 6%” or anything like

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Wringing Out the DRIPs in My Dividend Stocks

Wringing Out the DRIPs in My Dividend Stocks

17 Comments / Investments, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE) / /

When I started to get a little more serious about reaching financial independence a few years ago, I started dipping my toes into different ideas as I learned more about them. One of those ideas was to start investing in dividend stocks. Dividend stocks are great because you don’t usually focus as much on appreciation as you do on the regular payoffs you get from the stock.  That means passive income, which is something we all know and I love.  I

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Blogging for Money

Blogging for Money and Fun

14 Comments / Self-Employment, Blogging, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE) / /

The Route to Retire blog was born in the spring of 2015.  I had a pretty good idea of the game plan for the site, but it’s definitely continued to morph into something more as I continue on the path for financial independence.  There are a number of reasons I first started this site: Sharing my own financial knowledge Accountability Documenting my journey Learning from others Blogging for money   Sharing my own financial knowledge The biggest reason I started

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With Multiple Income Streams Comes Great Power!!

With Multiple Income Streams Comes Great Power!!

20 Comments / Motivation, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Real Estate, Saving, Self-Employment / /

I thought today we’d talk about little bit about how having multiple income streams can help to fortify your wealth as you continue your path toward financial independence. From the time I was six years old, my mom raised my brother and I as a single mom and did a pretty good job if I do say so myself! 🙂 One of the things I remember as a kid was that we each had our own savings account at an old savings and

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Bringing the Fun Back to the Workplace

10 Comments / General Thoughts, Motivation / /

This post is a lot different from the regular ones you’re used to with me.  I recently had a moment of reflection and wanted to share it with you… I continue to read everything I can get my hands on to help expand my knowledge and better both my life and that of my family.  I’m currently reading Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People.  Yes, it’s a classic and I should have read it years ago, but I’m only

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Downsize My House to Quit My Job Sooner?

Downsize My House to Quit My Job Sooner?

22 Comments / Debt, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Real Estate, Saving / /

My wife and I are very happy with our neighborhood – we like where we live, we like our neighbors, and the schools are good. But I recently had a thought… the only thing holding me back from reaching FI (financial independence) is the dollars owed on my mortgage.  Granted, I’ll reach FI before the mortgage is completely paid off, but for my plan to work, those extra payments for a couple of years will make things a little tight.  So, here

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Budgeting vs. Paying Yourself First

Budgeting vs. Paying Yourself First

20 Comments / Saving, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE) / /

There are a lot of personal finance sites on the Internet.  Although there are really only a handful of real topics out there (i.e. spending, saving, investing, taxes, etc.), what helps attract readers is the author’s take on the various subjects. One thing I noticed on most of my cohort sites out there is the focus on budgeting.  So here’s a unique perspective… I’ve never budgeted. That’s right.  I’m probably in the minority, but I’ve never set a budget for

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Timing the Market

Timing the Market – A Smart Move?

10 Comments / Investments, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE) / /

There’s been something that’s been eating at me for a couple of months now.  The stock market seems too bloated right now and I’m thinking about moving my money out of it. No, no – I’m not trying to be the guy timing the market.  I just think I should move the money in my 401(k) to cash for a little bit and when the market crashes, I’ll be able to buy again at much lower prices.  My 401(k) would

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There's No Easy Money

There’s No Easy Money

8 Comments / Real Estate, Education, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Motivation / /

We’ve all seen ’em… the infomercials telling you that YOU can be rich by just following a few simple steps to buying real estate with no money down.  Think of it – none of your money is involved and soon enough you’ll be retired, sitting on the beach with an endless supply of piña coladas being served to you day and night.  Easy money… it’s that simple!! Wait – what?!  Who buys this crap anyway?? I do. Well ok, I

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