Over the past few years, my organization has grown rapidly and it has forced me to consider getting a Master of Business Administration (MBA). It originated out of a feeling of insecurity that I couldn’t be successful without a related degree. Many of my peers in similar nonprofits have either an MBA or MPA, so maybe it was time for me to do the same. Here’s what I was able to figure out.
Now that we have embarked on our journey to financial independence, actively pursuing a life with more meaning and happiness, I have a completely new perspective on life. While it did not happen overnight, this new perspective is radically different than how I used to see the world and how the majority of Americans live their lives. This new perspective, and arguably the financial independence movement, is driven by one of the most powerful words: enough.
We are just beginning our journey to financial independence, but I can’t help but reflect on the years leading up to us getting serious about financial independence. The small lifestyle decisions that we have made over the past 9-10 years have allowed us to start with a goal that is within reach.
Our plan to reach FI is not to deprive ourselves to build up a nest egg so that we can relax later. And to be clear, our journey to financial independence is not about early retirement. We are not looking to not work or sit on a beach for 50-60 years. Instead, this journey is about lifestyle design, freedom, flexibility and security. We plan to take very intentional actions so that we can adjust our lifestyle along the way. Here’s a detailed look at what our plan currently looks like.
As part of our journey to Financial Independence (FI), we are looking to find ways to shorten the time to reach FI. To make that happen, we’re focusing on reducing our food expenses. It’s something that we’ve tried to accomplish a few times over the past 10 years, but we’ve never been that serious about it, and haven’t seen the results we wanted until recently.
