I am a recent convert and repentant sukka consumer. One of my favorite hobbies is homebrewing. Prior to discovering this blog, I had amassed a large collection of gear for this purpose, including an outdoor propane brewing set-up and a kegerator with 10 kegs. Whenever I received gift money from family, I spent it on my homebrewing gear. It was a gift, so why not spend it on something I enjoy?
The only problem with this line of thinking is that I currently have over $200K in student debt. It's actually the good kind (MD debt) and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn my profession, but goddamn, I was clueless about finance. It felt like Monopoly money to me.
After realizing that my debt was indeed an emergency and that my hair was in-fact on fire, I decided to get serious. No more frivolous purchases, no more eating out, no more expensive beer (well, maybe some expensive beer). Integral to my plans was downsizing my lifestyle and jettisoning my excess belongings, including my bulky homebrewing gear. I am preparing to move for residency and I plan to only carry what I can fit in my car. I will keep homebrewing, but using a smaller pot for stovetop BIAB (brew-in-a-bag).
I listed my homebrewing set-up on my club's list-serv and got an offer later that day. My homebrewing and kegging gear went to a loving household and I got a check for $850. Conveniently, this is almost exactly the remaining balance of one of my private undergraduate loans. Tomorrow, I am going to call the billing agency and settle it outright.
It's a small step (~0.3% of my total loan obligation) but it feels amazing to take the first step towards FI. I hope that someday soon I will be worthless and soon after that FI. I plan on working in my field as long as I enjoy it, but I think that I can achieve FI at the young age of 40 assuming that I can keep this momentum moving forward.
I just wanted to brag on this forum, since my peers are not generally interested in MMM principles.
