Category: Financial Independence

I go out sailing once or twice a month now. My skills have drastically improved over the course of nearly two years since picking up this hobby. I still have some moments out on the water where things can become hectic by the intense wind that rushes in from the Pacific during the summer afternoons.…

I don’t check my pay stub too often. When I was an hourly worker I inspected each pay stub with great care, ensuring my time given to my company was paid for. Nowadays, being on salary means I can get complacent as long as the amount my company deposits into my bank account is consistent.…

My beloved 2011 Honda Civic is gone. This wonderful commuter car that hummed along the Bay Area freeways consuming only 35 mpg, proudly displaying 200k miles on her odometer…is dead. I purchased my late Honda in 2014 for around $10k. It was used and had 75k miles on it. I got lucky a few years…

I wake before dawn each morning and stumble out of my warm bed and into the cold morning for money. I leave my wife and kids for most of the day in its pursuit. I give the best hours of my life to a corporation in exchange for it. And then at the end of…

After what felt a brutal winter by California standards, warm weather has finally arrived in the Bay Area. And with that, the year is nearly half over. Where has the time gone? My youngest is nearly six years old. My oldest is finishing third grade. I will be turning 40 this year. My wife is…

I’ve always been attracted to the allure of international stocks and bonds. They get a bad rap these days, and for good reason if we look back over the past decade and compare them to the S&P 500. What draws me towards international markets is as easy as one word: diversification. Boiled down, proper investing…

I recently returned from a voyage to the apex of American consumer culture. The place is about as opposite to FIRE as one can get. A place where money flows like a smooth yet powerful river in one direction. A place where fanatics roam around freely displaying their allegiance to “the” corporation with tattoos, branded…