You’ve probably heard the saying, “Earn More, Spend Less, and Invest the Rest.” The Wealth Building Triangle is a way of visualizing each piece of that equation and how they combine to move you toward financial independence. As the visual below shows, the three sides of the wealth building triangle are: Savings rate, Income, and …
Continue reading “The Wealth Building Triangle: Income–Savings Rate–Rate Of Return”
Hey everyone! Working mom here supporting a family of four. Budgets are tight, but I know my plans are tighter. Our work lies ahead of us and I’ve been excited about it since day one of this journey. However, we probably aren’t the best example of a FI fam and here’s why: We have student loan …
Continue reading “Why We Stink At FI–But Are Doing It Anyways”
Well it wasn’t actually a single moment, it was a series of moments which led to another moment. The Trudge “Trudge” verb – walk slowly and with heavy steps, typically because of exhaustion or harsh conditions. Synonyms: plod, tramp, drag oneself, walk heavily, walk slowly, plough, slog, footslog, toil, trek, clump, clomp, lumber. It started one day when I left the train at my station on the way …
So I have a pretty dramatic testimony, and I plan to be raw about it here in hopes of inspiring you. I’ve made a TON of financial mistakes and just recently discovered FI and before that Dave Ramsey. This has all occurred in my late 30’s/early 40’s. I’m a late bloomer. Where I’m From I …
Continue reading “How Hitting Rock Bottom Put Me On The Path To Financial Independence”
We are so excited to announce that the Playing With FIRE Documentary is finally available for purchase on streaming services! No more waiting for a local showing. You can now watch it at home any time you want… and with whomever you want! So get ready to have that showing party. Get Playing With FIRE …
Continue reading “Playing With Fire Is Now For Sale On Streaming Services”
A recent opinion-piece in the New York Times caught my eye. The column was applauding a college cost calculator published by several top-ranked private universities. I gave it a shot and liked the calculator well enough. It was simple, needing only 7 sets of information, required no personal information, and gave enough information to be …
One of the most difficult things that will slow down your path to FIRE is debt. And one of the most common sources of debt is the student loan. It sets your financial independence timeline back by years, and even worse, you gotta pay it off using post-tax dollars. Smarter people than me have figured …
Continue reading “How my son saved 2 years and $18,258 in college tuition”
Investing your money in the stock market doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful and you certainly don’t have to spend dozens of hours researching to succeed for the long-term. In fact, I would argue that the most effective long-term wealth building strategy for the stock market also happens to be the simplest. We love …
We started ChooseFI.com as a financial independence laboratory. While many aspects of your journey to FI are simple (save a significant percentage of your income, invest most of your money in low-cost index funds, max out your 401k, etc., etc.) there is still a lot of room for experimentation, especially on the making money side …
Continue reading “Welcome to the Fishbowl: FI Experiments for 2017”
Well, maybe things aren’t so bad. As of July 4th, 2016 my retirement accounts matched the remaining balance on my student loans. Neither of those numbers is particularly impressive but it allows me to claim a net worth of $0. Net worth is a snapshot in time, it does not define you or even give …
Frugal Living is the Fastest Way to Financial Independence So I’m not naturally frugal. I don’t crave minimalism or get express enjoyment from having less. If I could drive a massive 2016 Silverado without payments I would probably go for it. But, I am a practical frugalist. I realize that the dollars and cents add …
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