a better life… just one percent at a time
The sudden onset of Financial Independence was a huge adjustment for me, and I found myself going through several emotions as I coped with this changed mindset and lifestyle. While adjusting to lack of structure and a shift in my social circle didn’t come as a surprise, there were plenty of mindset and lifestyle changes that I would have never expected.
Continue reading “Life After Financial Independence | Some Things I Never Expected”I wasn’t really prepared for life after leaving the rat race of my corporate job. My exit came a couple years before I planned due to a toxic work environment, and the realization that I actually had enough passive income to get by. Life after financial independence has had its ups and downs for me. And there’s a lot that no one really warns you about. Coping with Financial Independence came in stages for me, stages that may or may not be the same for everyone. But worth sharing.
Continue reading “Life After Financial Independence | How to Cope”
My path toward financial independence is at odds with the majority of the financial independence/retire early (FIRE) movement. Many FIRE advocates stress investing their savings in the stock market – specifically index funds like VTSAX. Save until you have 25 times your annual spend stashed away, then withdraw 4% of the dividends annually. There are finer points like rebalancing your portfolio, but that’s it in a nutshell. It’s easy, effective, and once achieved, takes very little time from your day, leaving you with the opportunity to retire early and enjoy life. But this crowd typically would not use real estate to achieve financial independence.
Continue reading “Why I Chose Real Estate to Achieve Financial Independence”
“I wouldn’t know what to do with myself on a sabbatical”
I was speechless when these words came out of my co-worker’s mouth. We were discussing our company’s sabbatical benefit, offered after seven years of employment, and I was still reeling from their recent decision to cut it. At the time, I had two options in mind for my “now-never-to-be” sabbatical. He, apparently, had none.
Continue reading “Embrace Boredom and Uncertainty for a Well-Rounded Life”
“Real wealth is not about money.
Real wealth is: not having to go to meetings, not having to spend time with jerks, not being locked into status games, not feeling like you have to say ‘yes,’ not worrying about others claiming your time and energy.
Real wealth is about freedom.”
Tweet from James Clear
Author of Atomic Habits
The term “financial independence” always felt like something rich people did.
Continue reading “Financial Independence”
I had almost no idea what I was doing during my first real estate investing experiment.
Worse, I didn’t know how little I knew at the time. If I did, I may not have dived in as quickly as I did. And for that, I’m grateful.
After some cosmetic renovations, I moved into my unit in an owner-occupied triplex. Immediately some maintenance requests came up. And questions about paying rent. Oh, and one unit’s lease was coming to an end in a couple of months… how would I find a lease!?
I thought the hard part of real estate investing was behind me. Turns out, managing a rental property is a whole other skill set. And I had barely scratched the surface.
Continue reading “Real Estate Investing and Corporate Nonsense”
Sunday afternoon, and I’m sitting on the floor in the middle of an empty apartment. A glass of wine in my hand.
A thirty-five-year-old manager at one of the largest IT companies in my city. The only things in my living room are a stack of a dozen boxes, an air mattress and two suitcases.
Continue reading “From Downtown Loft to House Hacking”
After a couple of years living abroad, I was home! Home to bigger everything… bigger food portions, bigger apartments, and bigger disposable income. I was immediately bitten by the consumerism bug.
And it was intoxicating.
At first the larger portions made me feel uncomfortable, but I quickly became used to them and thoroughly enjoyed the gluttony. The lack of walking made me feel lethargic, but I soon relished having a vehicle and the convenience that came with it. I reconnected with friends, and a couple of evenings a week enjoyed lively conversation over drinks. Somehow I stumbled on the best of both worlds, enjoying the excess of American life, while keeping the confidence and independence gained living abroad.
Continue reading “Bitten by the Consumerism Bug”
Happy thirtieth birthday to me.
Let the death march begin.
It’s okay, I had fun in my youth. Shenanigans in my teens, going for something between goth and heavy metal. Dating a local musician, going to shows, becoming the unintended groupie. And my minivan really rounded out the persona.
I embraced the academic world, took a range of classes – philosophy, world religion, literature, biology, psychology, statistics. Even stayed up late reading great works, and made time to go to a few shows every semester. Slipped away and reunited with my high school friends over drinks and live music.
And then I became a corporate whore and suburbanite.
Continue reading “An Experiment With Minimalism Across the Pond”The corporate Koolaid tasted delicious.
I broke my tooth six months into my new job. Paid time off was available to me to to visit the dentist, and insurance covered some of the cost. Every two weeks, a deposit came into my account like clockwork. It took a few months to stop thinking like an hourly employee, wondering if I’d have enough money for my bills, for my rent. Worrying that my schedule would be cut one week, hoping for overtime the next week.
Continue reading “My First House and Settling for the Suburban Life”