Of those who are on the path to financial independence and early retirement, there seem to be two camps. The first is that group of people who believe “that sounds about right” is more than adequate in terms of preparation. For them a rough 4% rule is all the calculation they need to pull the plug and walk away from paid employment and they will deal with whatever happens when it happens.
Tag: financial plan
Trimming the Fat – Preparing a Leaner FIRE Plan
Well – here I find myself in my mid-forties contemplating a ridiculously early, albeit leaner retirement than planned. The route from fat to lean has been surprisingly easy to find. (If only this were true in other areas of life (sigh)….imagine becoming leaner rather than fatter with the passing of time…)
Time will tell whether it is as easy to execute. Continue reading “Trimming the Fat – Preparing a Leaner FIRE Plan”
Aspiring to be Rich – What Does that Mean?
Before I discovered the concept of financial independence and before I realised early retirement was achievable for someone like me, I was still interested in educating myself about all things money and gaining wealth. I knew that the way to a rich life was out there somewhere and I wanted to find it.
I think I am just one of those curious people. I didn’t want to be working into my sixties, that’s for sure but other than that it’s hard to describe what I was looking for. What did I mean by the concept of a rich life? Continue reading “Aspiring to be Rich – What Does that Mean?”
Safety in Numbers – Refining the FIRE Plan
As I get ever closer to my FIRE date and am facing the possibility of a much earlier exit from my current job than planned, the geek in me has gone into overdrive and I have been spending some time (…..ok, A LOT of time) reviewing and refining the numbers. Continue reading “Safety in Numbers – Refining the FIRE Plan”
I’m Afraid I’m Going to Quit Before I’m Financially Independent
This is one of those weeks where I could so easily throw in the towel.
(I make no apologies – there is some ranting in this post. Sometimes I just need to get things off my chest).
I had a couple of black days on my tracker and that combined with the beautiful weather we are having means I am yearning to be free of this job millstone and get on with real living. Continue reading “I’m Afraid I’m Going to Quit Before I’m Financially Independent”
Half Year Financial Update
As a FIRE enthusiast, the end of the month is eagerly anticipated. Spreadsheets at the ready, I update my numbers, track my progress and work out how much closer I am to reaching that Financial Independence goal. Happy as a pig in s*** – is there any better way to spend a Saturday afternoon….?
June is even more special as I can look at my progress for the half year 🙂 (Maybe I need to get out more….?). Continue reading “Half Year Financial Update”
Financial Resilience – Being Bullet Proof
I have been thinking about financial resilience this week.
I spend a lot of time considering ways to earn more money, or ways of saving money by reducing my spending, but is there a chance of losing what I already have?
We can take insurance against major catastrophes. And so, heaven forbid should my house burn down or I’m involved in a car accident, I would not need to be concerned about money and could focus on dealing with the fallout instead. But life is full of twists and turns and whoever really knows what is around the next corner? What about those things we don’t always insure against or don’t even think about – am I in good enough shape to withstand any shocks to my finances? Would my early retirement plans be derailed if something major were to happen? What could those shocks even be? Continue reading “Financial Resilience – Being Bullet Proof”
Rethinking the FI Budget – What Do We Really Need to Include?
It may have taken its time to arrive, but the weather is finally Spring-like in the UK. Every morning, I take the dog for a walk around the the nearby lake before most of the city is awake. When the weather is good, it’s my favourite time of day. No people around except for the occasional other dog walker or early morning runner. No traffic noise. The sky this morning was a beautiful pale blue; sunlight sparkled on the water and the sight of my dog galloping through the shallows chasing her ball was an advert for pure joy.
This. Just this.
If life was as simple as this, who would need an escape? Continue reading “Rethinking the FI Budget – What Do We Really Need to Include?”
Show Me The Money – A.K.A. My Financial Plan
Early retirement is a big deal. For most people it is not going to happen by accident and needs to be based on a solid financial plan.
I’ve talked about how I got to this point in my journey here. What about moving forwards? Where is the money going to come from to live? What will I draw down from and when? What other income streams will be coming in and what back-up plans do I have? Continue reading “Show Me The Money – A.K.A. My Financial Plan”
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