Baby Van - Sis

Listen, I don’t do numbers. As you may have read by now, my brother and I are a good balance, like yin and yang. I like colors and flowers. He likes numbers and metrics.  So when it  comes to tools to help benchmark your journey to FI, I don’t tend to get them fully. But what keeps me motivated on my journey? There has to be little wins because the road can be long and it is very easy to fall off the bandwagon of freedom.

My husband and I opened a Vanguard account a few months ago. We sold our first home and had a lump sum of money we were not sure what to do with. This is when I asked my brother his suggestions and the rest is history. They say to pretend you don’t have the money in the account and to just “forget” about it. I am not good at forgetting. I like to look at the account every few days and watch it grow.

It’s like raising a child and its name is Van. Van is small at first and needs lots of attention, but does not contribute a whole lot. You research schools and decide which is best for your family; the account. Then Van goes to that school, gets a report card, and a good student reward 4 times each year; dividends. You can decide if you teach Van to put that money back into his schooling or if he wants to use it for a new toy. As Van grows you start noticing his rewards are larger and he is contributing to the family more and more.

Sometimes Van surprises you, really does great in school and grows a lot. These times can be exciting and you really get to see him grow. Sometimes Van gets in a fight and loses. He might disappoint his parents, but in the end you still love him. You have to stick with it, because you know that Van will rebound and grow from his low points.

Then someday, Van is big enough that he can take care of his parents on his own. All their hard work paid off. All the sacrifices they made no longer seem so big. Van now is able to give back to his parents and pay them back for their sacrifices.
Like raising a child, investing for early retirement can be hard. It's a lot of work and is not always cut and dry. It takes time and commitment, but the growth as a family you receive in return will be worth it in the end.

Whether you have a sticky note on your desk with your 2080 number or you picture a little baby named Van, perception can make all the difference on your FI journey.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FU vs FEveryone Money - Bro

The concept of FU* money is nothing new . The general idea is that you have enough money that you can tell someone (like a co-worker, boss, or bosses boss) FU and still be okay financially. Recently I stumbled across the concept of FEveryone money. FU money and FEveryone money might sound similar but the magnitude is different. FEveryone money is FU money taken to the next level. FU money is almost the same thing as an emergency fund. In a way it is an emergency fund on steroids. This money gives you room to speak your mind. If for some reason you need to quit your job FU money allows you to say “FU”. Eventually you will need to figure something out but you have the breathing room to figure things out. As your FU money grows the number of options you have grows. Starting out you might need to find a similar job a few months after saying FU. As your FU powers grow you might need to still get a similar job but a year or two after saying FU. Eventually your FU cushion might grow to the
Read more

Why I FI - Bro

Image
My wife and I were out with some friends when the topic of FIRE came up. We are open with these friends and we informed them that we hope to be FI in 5 years or less. You could almost see their minds blow. They simply could not wrap their head around the fact it was possible much less why you would want to be FI. (It did not help matters that I referred to it as retiring early instead of financially independent) After this conversation it got me thinking about why I want to be FI. The first and foremost reason for FI is the security. My job is our family’s only source of income. If for some reason I lose my job then my family needs something they can fall back on. As our investments grow they become the equivalent of someone working full time at Colorado’s minimum wage*. Instead of being a one income family we are now a two income family with the second income is continually growing. The second reason for FI is optionality. Having a large amount of savings simply allows us to
Read more

Surviving VS Thriving - Sis

Image
We are all trying to survive, everyone is just trying to do the best they can. I don’t want to only survive though, I want to thrive. I want to live a life of passion and purpose. I want to have more good days than bad. Simple changes and one’s mindset can help promote a life of thriving. Thankful Happiness Reactive Ingenuitive Value Educated … like what I did there!  Thankful : I wake up every morning trying to be thankful. Some mornings are harder than others but before I get out of bed I try to think of one thing I am thankful for. It helps set my mindset positively and shows gratitude to the things around me. To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. -Reba McEntire Happiness: Turn that frown upside down. You alone can only create your own happiness. Choose a life filled with joys, as small or big as they may be. Learn to deal with and conquer challenges and find happiness in all areas of life. My mission
Read more