It’s Monday morning, and I’m doing my best to stay awake while sipping coffee. After getting back from a cruise yesterday, I spent the evening catching up on laundry, bills, and sorting through the mail. I woke up this morning feeling wiped out—exhausted, in fact—and still need to put in a full day’s work. As much as I’d rather be doing almost anything else right now, I know that nobody will handle my responsibilities for me.
While I’d love to take the day off, I do enjoy self-employment. The flexibility and freedom of working from home are things I wouldn’t trade for anything. My worst day working at home is still better than my best day at a traditional job. But, there’s one goal I’m constantly striving for: financial independence.
What I truly long for is the day when I no longer have to work for a living. A day when I wake up and can do whatever I want without worrying about earning money or checking off a to-do list. That’s my dream: freedom.
The Goal: Financial Freedom, Not a Luxury Lifestyle
While I wouldn’t say no to a luxury sports car or a beachfront mansion, my real dream is much simpler. I want to wake up each day free from the need to work. I dream of sipping tea while reading a book, taking naps without feeling guilty, and enjoying long walks without stressing over tasks that still need to be done. It’s not about the stuff—it’s about having the time to do whatever I want without the financial pressure.
How We Plan to Achieve It
We’ve got a plan in place to work toward this goal, and while it’s a slow process, we are making steady progress:
- Saving Consistently
We prioritize saving, and I share our monthly budget breakdowns to keep ourselves accountable. We aim to put away at least $2,000 each month for retirement, which includes both my savings and Greg’s (though I don’t share the details of his). On top of that, we’re also putting aside additional cash for emergencies and future opportunities. - Paying Off Debt
For a while, I was aggressively paying off our mortgage, but moving houses threw things off track. Now, I’m back on track, paying down the mortgage again—though at a more measured pace. Additionally, we’re using the rental income from our properties to pay down their respective mortgages. At this rate, we plan to have everything—our house and rental properties—paid off in less than 12 years. - Staying Debt-Free
Achieving financial independence means adopting a strong anti-debt mentality. Not only are we paying off our existing debt, but we’re also committed to never taking on any new debt again. The only exceptions might be for business loans or purchasing another income-generating rental property. - Fighting Lifestyle Inflation
As tempting as it is to spend money on lifestyle upgrades, we’re focusing on keeping our spending in check. We don’t mind spending on vacations, but we’re avoiding big expenses on things like newer cars or unnecessary services. We prefer to buy used items and keep our lifestyle simple.
The Long Road Ahead
While it feels like we’re moving at a snail’s pace, I know that with persistence, we’ll eventually reach our goal of financial freedom. Until then, we’ll keep working toward that dream, making smart financial decisions along the way.
What’s your dream goal? What steps are you taking to make it a reality?
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