I’ve always enjoyed anything where I can build and improve on something and watch it grow. Perhaps this stemmed somewhat from all of the real time strategy games I grew up playing with my brother, or maybe all of the RPG’s I dedicated my youth too. However, growing up and being an adult certainly comes with some newfound realizations. First, you have to schedule your own doctor and dentist appointments, and second, you have to figure out what you want to do with your life.
Ultimately, I want to be free. I don’t want to wake up for a paycheck. Life shouldn’t be about living for the weekend and working 9 – 5 while your health slowly deteriorates and suddenly you find yourself at 65 with creaky knees and gout and wonder was it all really worth it? What I want to share with you are how my wife and I plan to achieve financial independence. I hope to outline the strategies we plan to incorporate and use on our path to freedom.
I’ve noticed there are plenty of articles out there talking about some kid who retired at 30 with a million dollars in the bank and now lives on a beach in Thailand. There’s a picture of this kid with a big toothy grin, a Mai Thai in one hand, the other with a big thumbs up and a caption that says, “You can do it too!” It’s bullshit. If you seen an article like that, run. Fast. They are peddling a dream, not illuminating a path based in reality.
So why listen to me?
Good question. Probably because I won’t lie to you.
Building Wealth, Life, Sacrifice
I’m eternally grateful for my parents. Whether they know it or not, they have served as my example and template for how to achieve financial success. They started with nothing but worked hard their entire lives to not only ensure that my brother and I would have every available opportunity we desired, but they also built and planned a life for themselves to enjoy. I remember stories from when we were little and hearing about how my Dad, who was a garbage man, would come home with a small pickup truck’s worth of people’s discarded items. They’d be broken, warped, or just scuffed up and he’d repair, buff, and refinish these abandoned items and then my Mom and him would have massive garage sales selling all of my Dad’s repaired wares. My Mom worked full time as a school teacher, one of the first female biology teachers in the school district. She got her master’s degree in counseling and health while working full time all while raising two toddlers.
What I learned from my parents is that building wealth will require some sacrifice. Mostly, that sacrifice involves time. It takes time to establish a budget, time to improve yourself and get that certification or degree. Time taking on extra work. And time learning about how to put some of that extra money you earn to work for you.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to impart some of the things I’ve learned and teach others some of what I’ve learned on my quest for financial independence.
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