Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect. -Mark Twain I think a lot about my life. Probably too much… Phase 1: Normal life Dates: 1973 to October 2012 Money: $0 to -$60,000 (college debt) to $700,000 My original life’s plan was to retire in my 60s. I call it my normal phase. At the age of 38, I found myself married … [Read more...] about Four Phases of FI
FI
Ask the Readers: Why FI?
Why FI??!!! Really Mr. 1500, what a crap title! Can't you come up with anything better? Yes, that is another horrible title. What I'm really asking is this: Why do you strive for Financial Independence? As crazy as it sounds, when I started this blog, I didn't really know what my goal was. I was running away from a stressful job, but not running toward anything except a … [Read more...] about Ask the Readers: Why FI?
$1,120,000! FI!! (and a bad case of Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia)
All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our lives, Choosing the shiny ones instead. -Thumbing my Way, Pearl Jam $1,120,000! Whoah, last week was interesting. If you've been paying close attention, you know that I made my goal*,**: And here is the proof: What did I do to celebrate? I took the family out to Dairy Queen for a treat. And … [Read more...] about $1,120,000! FI!! (and a bad case of Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia)
Ask the Readers: Do you take FI too Far? (I have)
Early in my pseudo-career as a blogger, a friend (thanks Wayne!) gave me the best writing advice: Write for yourself. So I have. This explains all of the fart jokes and related silliness. My writing is a reflection of my personality. I've never done SEO or keyword research to try to get Google to like me better. I just write what I want to write. In some posts, I go a … [Read more...] about Ask the Readers: Do you take FI too Far? (I have)
Thursday Rant: One Week is Weak
I had an amazing and disturbing thought the other day. First, I must give you some background. Work, work and work As long as I can remember, I've always worked and worked hard. Before I was 14, I mowed lawns, shoveled driveways, delivered papers and various other hustles. As soon as I turned 14, I started at my first real job. All through high-school, I kept various … [Read more...] about Thursday Rant: One Week is Weak