Saving

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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Why is Financial Independence Such an Uphill Battle?

Why is Financial Independence Such an Uphill Battle?

10 Comments / Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), General Thoughts, Saving / /

I spend a lot of my time every day focusing on my path to financial independence.  I have a game plan that I feel even more confident about now that I got a second opinion.  But that doesn’t stop me from looking for ways to expedite the process. I’m constantly educating myself by listening to podcasts relating to personal finance and real estate.  And I’m reading every book I can get my hands on related to those topics as well as closely

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The Quest to Trim the Fat and Simplify

The Quest to Trim the Fat and Simplify Life

16 Comments / Motivation, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Saving / /

For most of us in a first-world country, it’s almost natural in an unsettling way for us to accumulate crap. Not only do we have junk we don’t need (although we think we do when we buy it), we also spend money needlessly on things we think will simplify our lives. The problem is that most of the time we buy something – be it a product or a service – with the intent of it making life easier or better,

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My Experience with a Certified Financial Planner

My Experience with a Certified Financial Planner

20 Comments / Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Saving, Taxes and Financial Planning / /

Recently, I decided that I wanted a second opinion on my game plan.  Although I’m pretty confident on how to make things work, I decided that this is important enough to warrant bringing in someone else to look everything over and give some unbiased input.  So I recently hired a certified financial planner. I thought this would be a great opportunity to take you through the process from start to finish to give you a better idea if this is something that you

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It’s Not How Much You Make, It’s How Much You Keep

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

As I was going through college, I had my mind set on getting rich.  I envisioned a good job that paid a ton of dough.  After all, the more money you make, the richer you are, right?  Fresh out of college though, I wasn’t building savings, I was chasing the money to have and to spend in the present day. And I did alright.  While I was still in school, I was working at Walmart.  I started out with it being

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Do I Cut Back on my Roth to Reach FI Sooner?

Do I Cut Back on My Roth to Reach FI Sooner?

23 Comments / Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), General Thoughts, Investments, Real Estate, Saving / /

As some of you know, I’ve been a little bummed lately with my countdown to financial independence (FI) and early retirement being a ways out.  Although I have a plan to retire before my 50th birthday, I just feel like this is too far out. Every day that I spend at work is one less day that I get to spend with my daughter.  Granted, this is the summer when she’s not in school, but it’s tough regardless (which I’m sure it

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It's Time to Step-Up Your Game for Retirement!

It’s Time to Step-Up Your Game!

16 Comments / Saving, Debt, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Motivation / /

Hey everyone, it’s time to talk about something that most of us out there know, but not enough of us are talking about.  And with that, I’m referring to retirement savings.  Although this is a site focused on financial freedom and early retirement, the fact is that most of us out there have a slim shot at either one of these. I almost threw up when I learned on The Motley Fool that the average American’s 401(k) balance is $72,383.  And even worse,

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Using a HELOC for Smart Reasons

Using a HELOC for Smart Reasons

12 Comments / Real Estate, Financial Independence / Retire Early (FIRE), Investments, Saving / /

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is an interesting entity.  In essence, it’s a line of credit that a lender gives you using the equity in your home as collateral.  A HELOC is similar to a home equity loan and this sometimes causes confusion with borrowers.  There are a few differences between the two though… Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) Does not necessarily advance you all the money at once – you are given a line of credit you can draw from as needed

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I'm a Cheap @#$... and Proud of It!!!

I’m a Cheap @#$… and Proud of It!!!

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

When I was a kid, I was a good saver.  Every penny I got was definitely a penny I saved.  I wasn’t necessarily cheap and still bought candy and toys, but I was just good at saving.  As I got to high school, the trend continued and I continued to be careful with my money, especially once I got my first job and learned the importance of hard work. Then things changed. That’s not to say that I didn’t have a

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