Saving Archives - Route to Retire

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

Total Wireless… Same Verizon Network, Less $$$

I debated quite a bit about writing this post. What makes a post on Total Wireless as a cell phone provider any better than the cable-cutting posts that you see all over the place? The last thing I want to do to you as my readers is provide a disservice by focusing too much on the small side of savings. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this is something that you need to be familiar with. And the reason why is because this small change can save you a ton of dough without a difference in service. Interested? You should be. I switched over a year ago and I’m just speaking from experience. I

Why the Rich Get Richer

Have you ever heard the saying “the rich get richer”? It’s the go-to cry of the American working man and woman against the inequality that seems to arise when more fortune seems to fall on the wealthy. I started thinking about that saying recently and you know what? I think it’s true. It’s not that hard to see that the middle class is slowly being squeezed out. Wages for middle-class Americans have been relatively stagnant while prices continue to rise. On the flip side, the wealth of the top 1% continues to grow to tremendously disproportionate levels. But why is that – is there a reason that the rich get richer? The more I thought about it, the more I

How to Pay Yourself First

Pay yourself first. I’m sure we’ve all heard it a million times. It’s simple and to the point. If you want to build up your wealth, you need to pay yourself first. When I was a teenager, that mantra was something my grandfather used to preach to me repeatedly. He was truly an inspiration to me – he retired when he was in his mid-forties and lived to be in his mid-nineties. So when he would tell me something, I would pay attention. But, I didn’t really fully get it. Pay yourself first? I mean I understood the idea that the more money you saved, the further ahead you would be. However, if you had bills to pay, you had bills

An Easier Way to Track Your Expenses

You’ve heard it before – be sure that you track your expenses! But why would you want to do that? And is there an easy way to make it happen? When most of the mainstream media in the financial space talks, they want to push you toward using your income as a gauge on how prepared you are for retirement. You’ll hear various numbers thrown around such as that you’ll need 80% of your pre-retirement income to make it through retirement. I get it. That’s fitting for a lot of the general population. Most folks just tend to spend everything (or more than) they make. They’re probably not on track for retirement so the advice isn’t terrible. However, you’re likely reading this

The Power of FU Money

FU money… the dream of many a worker around the world. If you’re not familiar with the concept, FU money (aka F-you money) is the idea that you’ve accumulated enough bankroll that you can tell your boss “f*** you” if needed. Maybe you’ve just had enough and can’t take it anymore – you just want to quit and do something else. FU money gives that power… that flexibility. Perhaps you’re ready for a career change. On the other hand, maybe you want to take a mini-retirement – a break of sorts. FU money can help. Now don’t get me wrong, FU money is not necessarily financial independence. It can be, but it doesn’t need to be. You might not have

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