#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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#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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#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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#152 How to Land a Fun Job A Guide to Career Happiness V4

#152: How to Land a Fun Job: A Guide to Career Happiness –

Finding a fun job can be more than just a career move; it can be life-changing. 

Depending on your values, an ideal job might align with your passions, challenge you intellectually, and/or bring some kind of joy to your life. It can even be a pursuit that provides immense life satisfaction.

A so-called fun job can boost your morale, productivity, and overall well-being. It can help you feel productive and purposeful in life.

At a basic level, your job provides you with resources and tools (via compensation and training), enabling you to achieve your financial goals, FIRE (financial independence, retire early), financial freedom, or otherwise.

But it can be more than that if you invest the time in finding your version of a fun job. Trust me when I say it’s worth it.

If you’re tired of the daily grind, you might be longing for a job that brings you joy and fulfillment. A job like that might also feel like a bit of an impossible find.

Perhaps you’re asking yourself: “Is it actually possible to find a fun job for me?”

Don’t despair – it is possible to find a job and career that fulfills you, and I’m about to tell you how.

In this article, I’ll walk you through 10 simple steps you can take to find your ideal “fun job.” Let this serve as your guide on your journey to career happiness and fulfillment.

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#151 Tools for Success Driving Growth with Your 2025 Goals

#151: Tools for Success: Driving Growth with Your 2025 Goals –

The new year is a great time to set ambitious goals, but don’t forget to incorporate tools for success that chart a path to achievement.

Good intentions provide a solid foundation, but to ensure your journey is successful you’ll also need a mindset that is focused, resilient, and driven.

How do you build a mindset for success? With repeated, deliberate action.

Your mindset for success will empower you to achieve your most ambitious goals throughout the next year and beyond. Your tools for success will make them achievable even sooner.

In this article, we’ll explore how a mindset for success can empower your journey, and we’ll explore some valuable tools that will propel your goals forward into the next year, and beyond.

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#149 Holiday Hustle 10 Ways to Boost Your Finances

#149: Holiday Hustle: 10 Ways to Boost Your Finances –

The holiday season is a time of joy, cheer, and the busy holiday hustle.

Covering unexpected expenses this holiday season might be challenging, but the holiday hustle doesn’t have to drain your wallet. 

You can enjoy the festivities without compromising your financial goals with a little planning and creativity. 

Ideally, the holiday season is a time for you to enjoy more time with loved ones, the magic of the season, and look forward to a bright new year to come.

It might be a stressful time of year, but there are ways you can strategize and plan to make it a wonderful time of year for yourself and your loved ones.

This article is designed to help you holiday hustle your way to financial success. So if you’re ready, here are 10 tips to support your financial future this holiday season.

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#148 A Holiday Guide for FIRE Tools for Financial Freedom

#148: A Holiday Guide for FIRE: Tools for Financial Freedom –

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and while you’re busy buying gifts for loved ones, a holiday guide for FIRE may be a great gift for yourself. Or perhaps it may inspire other gift ideas for your loved ones.

The holidays bring fun and a season of magic, but these times can also be stressful. With frequent activities and a shopping list that seems to never end, you might feel overwhelmed.

If you find yourself frequently feeling overwhelmed this time of year, take time for self-care. Perhaps you want to reassess where you stand on your FIRE goals, or maybe you’d rather relax and enjoy the holiday season with a new FIRE resource.

Regardless of where you stand this holiday season with goals or self-care, this holiday guide for FIRE will give you a list of valuable resources and tools to explore. Use this upcoming holiday guide to help you stay on track with your FIRE journey, or to help a loved one as they begin to explore a similar path.

In this article, I’ll share a list of some of my favorite FIRE tools and resources. This list includes books, courses, software, communities, and other valuable tools to support a FIRE journey.

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#146 10 Ways Financial Independence Leads to a Happier Life

#146: 10 Ways Financial Independence Leads to a Happier Life –

Financial independence is more than just a financial goal; it’s a catalyst for a happier and more fulfilling life. 

By achieving financial independence (or financial freedom), you gain the freedom and flexibility to pursue your passions, reduce stress, and create a life that truly aligns with your values. 

You can spend more time with loved ones, retire early, travel the world, take a sabbatical, start a passion project, or simply spend more time relaxing.

The FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) provides tools and strategies to help you achieve financial freedom, but more about that later.

Studies show that happiness skyrockets after retirement. Why not seek a happier lifestyle – on your terms – sooner?

In this article, I’ll introduce the FIRE movement and outline ten ways financial independence can lead to a happier lifestyle.

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#145 Is It Worth It to Refinance Car Loans Or is it Better to Focus on Other Goals

#145: Is It Worth It to Refinance Car Loans? Or is it Better to Focus on Other Goals? –

If you’re looking for simple ways to save money each month, it might make sense to consider opportunities to review and refinance car loans.

After housing expenses, your car loans are often the 2nd largest expense you may pay every month. You might even be surprised how much money you can save simply by refinancing.

I’ve refinanced my car loans to get a better APR, and refinancing my student loans was one strategy I used to pay off $85k of student debt in 18 months.

Refinancing car loans can be a strategic move to save money on interest payments and potentially lower your monthly payments. However, it’s essential to weigh the potential benefits against the time and effort involved.

In this article, we’ll weigh whether or not it’s worthwhile to refinance car loans, and we’ll dive into the pros and cons.

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