#168 How to Build a Long-Term Wealth Building Strategy for FIRE

#168: How to Build a Long-Term Wealth Building Strategy for FIRE –

If you’re serious about following the FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early), establishing a robust wealth building strategy is paramount. 

Long-term wealth provides the foundation for living off your investments, granting you the freedom to pursue your passions and retire on your terms. 

Your wealth building strategy is the cornerstone of FIRE, enabling you to achieve financial freedom on your terms, in good economic conditions and bad.  

I discussed in a previous article how you can use wealth to fund early retirement, or to support whatever lifestyle goals matter most to you.

This article will provide a quick overview of how you can develop a long-term wealth building strategy for FIRE to weather the good times and the bad.

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#167 How to Build an Emergency Fund to Weather Economic Uncertainty and Prepare for Financial Freedom

#167: How to Build an Emergency Fund to Weather Economic Uncertainty and Prepare for Financial Freedom –

Your emergency fund can make the difference between a bumpy month and a financial disaster, depending on whether or not you’re prepared.

No one wants to need an emergency fund, but it doesn’t change the fact that life has a way of throwing curveballs.

We live in a time of uncertainty and constant change. The economic landscape and our personal finances can shift suddenly and unexpectedly.

Whether it’s a sudden job loss, an unexpected medical expense, or a major car repair, sudden events can derail your financial plans. That’s why building a robust emergency fund is crucial, not just in uncertain times, but always.

Your emergency fund can help you during trying times, turning what could be a major setback into a temporary, potentially frustrating, but resolvable situation.

In this article, I’ll tell you how to build an emergency fund (or emergency savings) to help you weather uncertainty and prepare for financial freedom.

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#164 FIRE Investment Building Wealth for Early Retirement

#164: FIRE Investment: Building Wealth for Early Retirement –

The FIRE movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is fueled by a core principle: strategic FIRE investment. It’s not just about saving; it’s about making your money work for you so that you can achieve financial freedom sooner.

Your investment strategy should be personal to you, your goals, risk tolerance, and priorities. They may change over time, and that’s ok too.

Your FIRE investment strategy should support your lifestyle goals, allowing you to achieve early retirement (if that’s your priority) in the timeline that you set.

The market fluctuates with time, so your investment strategy should be readied to withstand changing market dynamics. An emergency savings can be valuable to weather such challenges, and it’s something I strongly encourage having.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know to build a personalized FIRE investment strategy that will allow you to build sustainable wealth and achieve early retirement.

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#163 Unlocking Freedom in Work Life Balance and Career Happiness

#163: Unlocking Freedom in Work Life Balance and Career Happiness –

Life has frequent demands and work-life balance can feel like an elusive dream.

The world we live in is persistent, fast-paced, and sometimes relentless. The constant demands of work, family, and personal life can easily leave you overwhelmed and stressed. 

If you’ve faced burnout in the past like me, these may be familiar feelings. You might struggle to believe work life balance is possible, but you dream of a different way of living. 

Finding harmony between your career and day-to-day life is essential for your overall well-being and happiness. Find yourself out of balance, and some aspects of your life will undoubtedly falter.

It’s important to remember that work life balance is not about perfectly dividing your time equally between work and personal life. It’s about finding a rhythm that works for you, allowing you to prioritize your values and set boundaries that support your overall well-being.

In fact, I’ve heard work life balance rephrased as work life integration. Perhaps this outlook works better for you, or maybe you prefer the former.

Regardless, in this article, you’ll get a series of tips and tricks to help you identify when your balance/integration is out of sync, and what you can do to achieve a balance that supports your lifestyle and ambitions.

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#162 Easy Side Hustles A Pathway to Financial Freedom

#162: Easy Side Hustles: A Pathway to Financial Freedom –

If you’ve thought about boosting your income, you might consider starting one of these easy side hustles.

As the economy gets tougher, side hustles become ever more lucrative. They can be a great way to gain an upper hand when bills are tight and debt is an increasingly painful burden.

Side hustles can be a great way to boost your income and allow you to build a new skillset, meet new people, or explore different work opportunities.

Supplemental income via a side hustle can also accelerate your path toward financial freedom, providing a flexible and rewarding means to earn extra money while you pursue your passion(s).

I personally used a collection of side hustles to boost my income, pay off debt, fuel my journey to financial freedom, explore a new career field, pivot into the said career field, and expand my skill set. I’m an avid fan of side hustles (and passion projects), as they can provide numerous benefits.

Let’s face it, the economy and surrounding marketplace are tough (let’s not even talk about housing, yikes). Anything that can help you gain an edge is probably appealing.

In this article, I’m going to tell you about 10 easy side hustles you can start today to help you gain an upper hand in today’s economy.

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#161 11 FIRE Movement Websites to Fuel Your FIRE Journey

#161: 11 FIRE Movement Websites to Fuel Your FIRE Journey –

When you’re on your journey to FIRE (financial independence, retire early), access to resources (like FIRE movement websites) is essential.

The internet is a treasure trove of information, but it can be hard to find what you need when you need it (unless you know exactly what you’re looking for).

Along my journey, I’ve come across a number of FIRE movement websites (and books). Many offer a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to support your journey to financial freedom. 

These platforms provide valuable insights, tools, community support, and actionable strategies to help you achieve your FIRE goals sooner.

I’ve taken concepts from these resources where they helped me and learned to ignore anything that didn’t fit in with my personal circumstances. I encourage you to do the same.

In this brief article, I’m going to tell you about a few of my favorite FIRE movement websites.

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#160 FIRE Your Pot of Gold St. Patrick's Day Savings Tips

#160: FIRE Your Pot of Gold Savings Tips –

St. Patrick’s Day is a time for celebration, good cheer, and, of course, savings tips to snag the elusive pot of gold! 

While you might not find a literal pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, you can build your own pot of gold by implementing smart savings tips.

Solid savings strategies are critical when it comes to FIRE (financial independence, retire early), or just about any financial goal.

You’ll need to incorporate some other handy strategies along the way, but when you focus on your budget and savings, you’ll be off to a solid start.

In this article, I’ll provide a breakdown of some key savings tips to FIRE your pot of gold all the way to financial freedom.

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#158 Spring Break Activities on a Budget Easy Fun at Home

#158: Spring Break Activities on a Budget: Easy Fun at Home –

Spring break activities can make for memorable moments, offering a chance to unwind and recharge. You might prefer to travel and adventure with your family, though home activities can be just as worthwhile.

With rapidly rising inflation in the last few years, travel costs have been increasingly painful. So perhaps you plan on enjoying your spring break from home.

My family rarely (if ever) travels over spring break, opting instead to travel during less busy times of the year. It’s cheaper to travel in the off-season, plus we’ve never been a huge fan of crowds.

We usually plan on enjoying spring break activities close to home. Though to be truthful, it can be just as challenging to plan home activities, especially when you’re a career parent.

How do you keep the kids busy while enjoying some fun together?

The good news? An unforgettable spring break doesn’t have to break the bank, nor does it have to be challenging to plan.

In this article, I’ll share a series of fun, creative, and budget-friendly spring break activities you can enjoy with the entire family at home.

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#157 Disabled Employment How to Balance WorkLife and Health Demands

#157: Disabled Employment: How to Balance Work/Life and Health Demands –

Disabled employment can be difficult to navigate, but for some, it is worthwhile, meaningful, and sometimes necessary.

With employment, you gain access to benefits including a salary, health insurance, vacation time, and more. A career can also provide you with purpose and life satisfaction.

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, disabled Americans have had better access to employment opportunities. If you live outside the US, there are similar laws in countries including Australia, Canada, and the UK.

Although there has been a lot of progress since before these laws were passed, much of the world is still figuring out how to navigate the complexities alongside disabled employment, and disabled living for that matter.

In this article, we’ll discuss the complexities of disabled employment, exploring the ways to successfully balance work/life, and challenging health demands.

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#153 How to Build a Growth Mindset for Success

#153: How to Build a Growth Mindset for Success –

A growth mindset is a powerful tool that can propel you towards your goals. 

This mindset provides you with the belief that your abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. 

By cultivating a growth mindset, you can overcome challenges, embrace failures as learning opportunities, and achieve remarkable success.  

In previous articles, I’ve discussed how a growth mindset can support your goals for the upcoming year. We’ve also explored how your money mindset can shape your financial freedom journey. Last but certainly not least, we’ve explored how to cultivate a mindset for financial freedom.

But how do you cultivate a growth mindset that will allow you to achieve your most ambitious goals day by day?

Like your physical health, a growth mindset needs to be exercised routinely. In this article, I’ll tell you exactly how to “exercise” and develop a growth mindset to help you achieve your most ambitious goals, day by day, month by month, and year by year.

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