My Life Dilemma :( My dream of being FIRE ?

[cristiansp]

So I'm going to draw this post out because I kind of need to. I have always wanted to be FI, ever since I was a kid, I felt like the idea of working for ever was stupid, and it didn't resonate with me at all. As an adult now, my feelings haven't changed, but have made me feel disconnected... from family, friends, and potential boyfriends. Mostly they're "ambitious guys looking for same."

Basically, some concepts from the Mustachian blog were automatically instilled in me. I live EXTREMELY FRUGALLY, I travel like 4 times a year, but for less than (E)1000 in total, I drive a Peugeot 107 2009 (very fuel-efficient), I save almost all the money that I make from work, and I still live at home with my family so I don't need to pay mortgages/rent/etc. Essentially - I know some people will look at me and say 'weirdo' - and I'm fine with that. I'm 25.

I graduated with a Masters' degree in accounting, and got a job (DUH) but I just felt really depressed and eventually quit - because my real dreams were to 1. be FI, 2. Act and perform, and 3. Voice act. Basically, as much as I wanted to be FI, I just felt (and really still do) that I don't know how. So I went back to my former summer job, and I work seasonally part-time as an English teacher, and also act from time to time in commercials or films, and plan on training further in the future (but that will be sponsored, I won't need to pay for it). I also built a recording studio, at home, and I use it to do voice overs, online, but - turning that into a lucrative career is turning out to be much more difficult than anticipated. But anyway, my lifestyle now is as close as I could get to FI - I'm basically semi-retired, I guess.

But I want to be FI. And essentially I don't know how. Mostly because, investing has always been discouraged in this household, my family lost a lot of money in the financial crash, and I would like to invest in real estate, but since I don't have a full time job, I couldn't get a mortgage. The index funds mentioned in this website sound kind of intriguing, though.

Forgot to tell you, I live in Malta (Europe). I'm not kidding when I tell you I save a lot - I've been able to buy my car without any loans, and I saved up 10K euros (working only part-time..)

However, essentially I'm not satisfied because, this is not going to lead me to FI, doesn't matter how much I save it's all just basically going into a savings account. And of course, until my family pass away - because at that point I'll need to pay for my own utilities and groceries. I'm not against moving out, I would like to do it, but I wish to be FI before I do it, moving out and then just working to pay rent seems counter-intuitive to me.

I maybe didn't specify enough, in which case, ask and I'll answer in tremendous detail, I have no issue, but basically, I am looking for advice, to become an awesome mustachian too.

[mozar]

Speaking of ambition, following your dreams and becoming financially independent are as ambitious as you can get. I think as far as your life goes, the only to go is forward. This means doubling down on acting etc. I strongly recommend you start writing your scripts, directing, acting in them and posting on youtube.  You're not going to get far waiting for people to give you work. Once you have built your following you'll want to move someplace like Toronto or LA so you can continue your career. You can literally go to an audition and say I have 10000 subscribers.  You'll look better than the other actors. Your going to have to put FIRE on hold probably. I understand that's scary but you are choosing a different path right now. Good luck, I'm rooting for you!

[Lady SA]

One thing that stands out to me is that you/your family is reluctant to invest in the market. One of the core mustachian concepts is you need to invest every spare penny that isn't going toward high-interest debt or optimized living expenses. If you are planning on being FI with just a savings account at a bank, you cannot use ANY of the mathematical projections we use because those are premised on people investing and continuing to invest through retirement. If you are living off a savings account, that money isn't "working for you", it is just sitting there, actively losing value because of inflation. You will have to work far, FAR longer to accumulate enough money in savings to live off of (which, by the way, would also put you over the insurable amount so if anything happened to your bank, you would lose everything).

The problem that your family ran into with losing money in the market was because they sold when things looked bad. If your family had held on and not touched their investments even when it was scary, they would have recovered--as long as they were invested in broad market funds and not specific companies (stock picking = gambling). The market as a whole is always changing and becoming more efficient and finding new problems to solve. There will ALWAYS be market downturns, but that isn't a surprise to us. Mustachians just know not to panic and lock in losses by selling at the bottom--instead we hold investments for the extremely long-term.

If your family is extremely risk adverse and doesnt agree with you investing... I don't see why this matters. You are an adult, no? You can go online and open up your own investment account at Vanguard (or the Malta equivalent, I actually have no idea if Vanguard is international or not) and not have to mention the fact you are doing so to anyone. You don't need your parent's permission. Then invest in some broad market funds, likely US based markets along with local funds and others for diversification, and then just set it and forget it. When the market is shaky, don't even log in or look at it, just LEAVE IT ALONE. Interesting reading for you: http://awealthofcommonsense.com/2014/02/worlds-worst-market-timer/