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!