Author: Chris

Chris began his financial independence pursuit in 2007 as he learned basic personal finance from Get Rich Slowly as an aspiring web designer and novice investor. After several missteps, he learned the secrets of financial independence and began his pursuit of freedom.

He reached financial independence in 2018 with $1.2M and two businesses. He began the process of transitioning to early retirement in 2020.

Learn more: Meet Chris.

Categories
Finance

VTSAX vs VTI: Which Vanguard Fund Wins? (+5 Alternatives)

Slices of over 3,000 public companies in the US purchased in moments with low fees: VTSAX vs VTI and some alternative choices.

VTSAX vs VTI: which should you choose for your portfolio? Learn the pros and cons of these Vanguard funds and discover 5 more options for diversification.

Categories
Psychology

Why NOT to Turn a Hobby Into a Business: From Joy to Job

Are you prepared for a scene like this in order to turn your hobby to business?

Turning a hobby into a business can bring you riches or leave you with a lost passion. Here’s how to decide if it’s worth switching from hobby to business.

Categories
Psychology

The Value of Time: A Telling Tale of Spending vs. Living

Thinking about the value of time while hiding away on a recharge to the beach, ocean, and dunes of NC.

How do you set the value of time? Would you not spend $2M in exchange for 60K hours to do as you please? A telling tale of Chris & Irsch.

Categories
Finance

How to Retire Early With Real Estate Reader Case Study

We break down Mike’s family’s numbers to see if real estate investing is the best path to financial independence for them.

Could real estate investing be the route for Mike’s family to reach financial independence with their $1.5M net worth goal?

Categories
Meta

Reader’s Choice Donor-Advised Fund Launch and Blog Update

What can you do to make a change and give back to the community that helped you reach your goals? This month we're working on giving back directly through a donor-advised fund (DAF) and charitable giving.

Furthering our mission to give back, we’ve launched a donor-advised fund (DAF), funded with FIRE, where our readers choose the grant recipients.

Categories
Meta

Net Worth Revealed! (Jul. 2020 Update)

July 2020 didn't include any serious trips, but it did include some expenses from previous months like my adventure out west with a buddy!

Our dividends tumbled but an Accountable Plan rescued our savings rate! We’ve revealed our net worth details for a little financial voyeurism.

Categories
Psychology

Negotiating Pay Effectively: Why I Turned Down a $175K Salary

Financial independence is your permit to negotiating pay from a position of strength.

If money didn’t matter, wouldn’t that be your strongest position to start negotiating pay from? You can go from a weak position to the strongest with FI.

Categories
Travel

Staycation Ideas: Make the Most of Your Pandemic Vacation

A staycation idea to steal: local zip line and obstacle courses!

Steal our staycation ideas to make the most of vacation during the pandemic. Healthy, safe ways to have fun and explore home like tourists!

Categories
Psychology

How Much Money is Enough in 2023? (Find Your Answer Here)

How much money is enough is a question we've been working to answer for nearly a decade together. But, are we left praying at the altar of money rather than living life?

Wondering how much money is enough for you as inflation rages in 2023? Don’t fall for common traps. Learn how to find your “enough” and live a happier life.

Categories
Finance

How to Become a Millionaire in 10 Years (Debt to $1.2M at 33)

Planting seeds and letting time nourish their growth is how to become a millionaire in 10 years (or less!). This tree was shot on a beach of Grenada, fighting for its life alone, but thriving.

Our thirteen-year saga from student loan debt, to graduate school, shifting careers, and starting two businesses. At the lowest point, we went from a negative $107K net worth to $1.2M in nine years. This is how we became millionaires and reached financial independence.