Financial Independence

During America Saves Week, the Consumer Federation of America encourages people to focus on their financial security by pledging to save money, reduce debt and build wealth over time.  It’s a great opportunity for you to put your action plan in place. What action plan you say? If you don’t have one, today’s a great […]

Flexibility. Being financially independent (FI) – or very close to it – gives you the flexibility to embrace new opportunities, and deal more easily with challenging life situations you may have never even imagined. When I first embarked on the FI journey in 2013, it was all about chasing freedom. Initially, I dreamt of escaping […]

After becoming financially independent a few years ago, I chose to “downshift” from full-time work as a college professor to teach part-time and (mostly) online. I continue to work with students because it’s my passion. But I also plan to maximize my pension by reaching a 30-year service milestone before I retire at 55.  But […]

My 20’s were very different from my business partner, Vicki’s. While she was making smart money moves right out of college, I was juggling responsibilities as a working single mom living paycheck-to-paycheck. Married to my high-school sweetheart, I had my first child at 20. At the time I was the breadwinner in the family. Through […]

It always feels good sharing smart decisions you’ve made. But people won’t trust you if you don’t own up to mistakes too. While I made some great money moves right out of college, there were definitely things I could have done differently in the following decade. Now, I can share the financial lessons I learned […]

I was lucky enough to land the first job I interviewed for after graduating from college. A month after my 22nd birthday, I packed up the apartment I shared with my college roommate and started hunting for an apartment in a new city. While I was excited beyond belief, I’ll admit – I was a […]