At the beginning of our journey towards financial independence, we did not share the same vision, objectives or focus as each other. Knowing what we know today, we would have done things differently. I never attained a six figure salary, earning just a little less than my wife, Jacinth. However, we consciously decided to focus on becoming financially free, and finally attained that goal this year. We started by concentrating on those steps that would bring us towards our goal. By setting clear objectives and writing down our plan, we engaged in change and learning and eventually realigned our life.
We never thought of ourselves as spontaneous or foolish spenders, no! We are sharing this as we credit our financial freedom to a revised budget and careful review of our spending habits.
However, I do have to admit, golf is an expensive hobby. I could easily spend over a hundred bucks in one day and sometimes went three times a week. Jacinth loves the spa and facials, massages, manicures and pedicures quickly added up too! I guess I should also mention my student loan debt. It’s quite manageable at $11000 but instead of focusing our efforts on paying it off, we extended our payment schedule and kept paying interest. All this to say that there was room for improvement in our budget and some reflection needed on our long-term goals and spending habits. We reset our plan and stayed the course for the last 10 years. We are happy to be without a restrictive 9 to 5 job, both semi-retired, in our early 40s. I golf four to five times a month and Jacinth is scheduled for the spa every Saturday morning. We now generate enough revenues from our investments, thanks in part to the equity we built in our home as well as some great investment vehicles.
We sacrificed 10 years to our plan and now live an amazing life. I love my wife and I love my life. By the way, we are now pregnant. Yes, imagine the time I now have for that little bundle. We are among “The Fortunate Few” and we wish this for you. If we can do it, you can too!
Steve
