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What is FI? Financial Independence

What is FIRE? Financial Independence Retire Early 

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Granada, Spain

Summary: How Can You Achieve FIRE (financial independence retire early)?

Pay off all debt.

Budget, budget, budget ... decrease your spending rate, and increase your savings rate!  (Savings rate is key!)

Invest, invest, invest.

Figure out your FI (Financial Independence) number.

Be prepared, and have back up plans (safety margins).

COVID-19 Definitely Taught Us: Go back and check those safety margins again.  Be flexible!

Reach your FI number!  Now you can live off your investments (4% or less), and there are other ways you can pull from your retirement early (here and here).

Enjoy FIRE!  Done.

Need extra help along the way?  We are here to help!

Want to start at the beginning of our story?  Start down below.  Thank you for taking flight with us!  (I’m continuing to add and edit).

Enjoying our FIRE path in Spain (Monachil, Spain).

2018

September 2018:

Taking Flight With Financial Independence (September 1) 

Can You Reduce Your Spending? (September 3)

What Are You Going To Do?  (September 4)

How To Invest Like A Pro (For The Average Joe) (September 7)

Financial Independence With Kids?  But Kids Are So Expensive!!  (September 9)

How To Survive The Next Financial Apocalypse (September 11)

How To Make $1,000,000 in 8 Years (September 16)

Start Spreading The News: FI (Financial Independence) and Travel (September 19)

What Do You Mean I Can Still Buy Starbucks? (September 22)

Take Me Out To The (Cheaper) Ball Game (September 27)

Financial Update: August 2018 (September 29)

October 2018

Taking Flight To Spain: Flamenco Master Class (October 3)

Family Of Four: One Year Budget In Spain Less Than $40,000 (October 7)

The Stock Market Was Down This Week.  Did We Panic?!? (October 13)

FI With Kids: Easy Color Theory Science Experiment (October 23)

Did We Just “Lose” $55,000 In 3 Weeks? (October 28)

November 2018

How A Family Of Four Lives On A Teacher’s Salary (November 4)

2019

January 2019

Is The 4% Withdrawal Rate Safe? (January 20)

May 2019

Travel Gear: Would You Become A Nomad? (May 26)

June 2019

Travel Hacks: Flights And Running Up Those Credit Cards (June 1)

FI With Kids: Family Memberships (Bonus: Travel Gear!)  (June 10)

A Shortcut To $1,000,000 (June 16)

5 Year Window: Would You World School? (June 29)

July 2019

You Can Access Your 401k Early (Before It’s Too Late!) (Part I) (July 7)

Travel: Can You Travel And Save For FI? (CO Trip) (July 14)

Home Sweet Home: Renter’s Equity (July 20)

Family of Four: One Year Budget In Spain Less Than $30,000 (An Update!)  (July 29)

August 2019

Travel: Paradise (Anguilla) (August 11)

You Can Access Your 401k Early (What Steps Does It Take?) (Part II) (August 17)

Early Retirement: The “What Abouts” (August 24)

September 2019

FI With Kids: The Arts And Ice Cream (Free!) (September 3)

How To Feed A Family Of Four On $75 Per Week (September 8)

FI With Kids: Fun Friday Food (September 15)

The Stock Market This Century: Would The 4% Rule Be Safe? (September 21)

December 2019

FI In 2020: New Year, New Beginnings (FI In Five Years Or Less!?) (December 29)

2020

January 2020

Becoming Nomads: Travel Gear (Travel Pillows) (January 12)

Early Retirement: Year 1 Withdrawal Strategy (And One-Way Tickets!) (January 18)

Why Spain?  Why Granada? (January 26)

February 2020

Taking Flight: How To Avoid Foreign Transaction Fees And ATM Fees (February 1)

Non-Lucrative Visa: How Do You Live In Spain For More Than 90 Days? (February 9)

How Much Cash Is Under Your Mattress? (February 15)

What If Your Life Was Off The (Traditional American) Beaten Path? (February 23)

March 2020

Did Your Investment Account Catch A Virus This Week? (March 1)

April 2020

Choose Your Own Adventure: So What Is Next? (April 19)

Major Cleanup?: Can FIRE Survive Covid-19? (April 26)

May 2020

Transitioning From Crisis Schooling To City Schooling (May 2)

Early Retirement During A Global Pandemic and Financial Apocalypse (May 24)

FI With Kids: Summer Schooling To City Schooling (May 31)

June 2020

How The Pandemic Changed My Full-Time Job Into My First Side Hustle In Early Retirement (June 6)

What If You Could Have Recess In A Sculpture Garden? (June 21)

July 2020

FI: Do You Take Advantage Of Your Local Library? (July 2)

City Schooling: What Will School Look Like This Fall? (July 5)

What’s Important For Your Quality Of Life? (July 11)

How Can You Join Our City School Adventure? (July 18)

How To Adopt Positive FI Habits During The Global Pandemic (July 22)

FI With Kids: Visit The Children’s Museum During A Global Pandemic? (July 26)

August 2020

City School: Raising Kids To Be FI (Financially Independent) (August 1)

401k Basics: Strategy To Increase Contributions And Your Paycheck (August 8)

September 2020: City Schooling Art Adventures (August 15)

FI: So You Are FI?  How Do You Give Back? (August 26)

2021

March 2021

Early Retired And Obtained Our Visas To Spain: How Did We Do It? (March 23)

Financial Update And The Importance Of Cash (March 31)

April 2021

Withdrawals In Year 1 Of Early Retirement (April 18)

Moving Abroad: Four Take Flight During A Global Pandemic (April 22)

Early Retired And Finally In Spain: Madrid (April 26)

May 2021

Month One Of Early Retirement (May 2)

Non-Lucrative Visa To Spain: Empadronarse (May 8)

Moved Abroad: But What About School?! (May 13)

One Month Of Groceries In Granada, Spain (May 16)

Non-Lucrative Visa To Spain: TIE (Tarjeta De Identidad De Extranjero) (May 19)

FI With Kids: How Do You Afford Field Trips And Adventures? (May 28)

June 2021

First Early Retirement Trip: Introducing La Herradura, Spain (June 5)

Early Retirement: May 2021 Monthly Expenses (June 9)

Travel: Early Retirement And Málaga, Spain (June 21)

How To Enroll Your Kids In School In Spain (June 30)

August 2021

Travel: Early Retirement And Nerja, Spain (August 1)

What To Look For In An Airbnb? (August 10)

Quality Time In Early Retirement (August 23)

September 2021

Albaicin: What Is It Like To Live In A UNESCO World Heritage Site? (September 2)

Alhambra’s Generalife (Granada, Spain)