Author Topic: Moving lit my FIRE!  (Read 2226 times)

JenniferOnFIRE

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Moving lit my FIRE!
« on: May 02, 2015, 03:24:27 PM »
Wanted to share with you how moving set me on the path to FIRE and invite you to share your stories!

I enjoyed living for a while in the Pacific Northwest early in my career, but eventually my upward mobility became blocked by a stagnant organizational structure and I decided to move back to the Deep South to be closer to my aging parents.  Little did I know that that change would put me on the path to FIRE! 

The job change alone netted me a 30% raise in income.  I was able to max out both my IRA and my 401(k) and quickly began amassing additional savings on top of that.  Throw in a low cost of housing, a beautiful location with plenty of free outdoor recreational activities, an educated workforce, and friendly neighbors who have a strong sense of community, and my quality of life improved, too.

As my salary grew, my lifestyle didn't change much.  Not sure how long it took me to hit the 50%+ savings rate, it was probably about ten years ago, but without any hardcore constraints on my part, I have now achieved FI.

I've had bristles for decades (though that name for it hadn't been invented back then), ever since a bad boss experience solidified my determination to always be financially able to walk away from a job.  And my attitude toward spending was greatly influenced in my young adult years by the concepts in "Your Money or Your Life" and the "Tightwad Gazette" (two classics that I would recommend to anyone starting down this path).

Not sure I'll grow out the full mustache (I plan to indulge myself with quite a bit of comfortable traveling post-RE), but my bristles have served me well!

Would love to hear your stories about how making a major move improved your situation!

minority_finance_mo

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Re: Moving lit my FIRE!
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2015, 04:09:51 PM »
Great story.

I always prided myself in being financially savvy. I worked when I was a pre-teen (not sure if that's legal, but it was a cash job) and all through college, holding multiple jobs at once. Two things drove me most to this forum: first, the fact that my parents worked hard their entire lives (my dad hasn't worked less than 60 hours the past two decades), and have close to nothing to show for all that hard work. I definitely did not want to end up like that. Secondly, I hated the leverage employers have over employees: when you rely on someone to put food on the table, your head tends to do more nodding than shaking. I want to get to a place where I don't have to nod my head so damn much... Early retirement is nice, but not really where my head is at since I'm in my 20s. Financial independence - now that's a train I'd like to ride.

forummm

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Re: Moving lit my FIRE!
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2015, 01:48:52 PM »
Nice! We also moved and the lower cost of living has helped our savings rate too. And as we've gotten raises here and there our spending has actually decreased as we've optimized our lives a bit more over time. It feels pretty great right?