Some questions for the already financial independent

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opinatron
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:22 am

Some questions for the already financial independent

Post by opinatron »

Hello all. My name is Marc and I’m from Spain. First of all forgive my English, since it’s not my first language and I’ll possibly write a bit weird :)

I write in a blog about money (mostly how to save it and how to invest it long term) called Opinatron (in Spanish) and I firmly believe in reaching early retirement. To encourage my readers to believe in the possibility of retiring early I’m doing a series of articles about people that already reached it, interviewing them. With 8 quick questions, people can really learn a lot about the experience of others and the interviews I got until now are really interesting and people loves it. I know it is a lot to ask, but I think if there was people here willing to answer the interview me and my readers could learn a lot and get new points of view, being this a great forum and one that has a completely different style from the ones in Spain.

If someone that has already reached financial independence was so kind as to answer the interview I’d be honored and really happy, I would then translate it to Spanish for my blog. I’m sure this forum’s visitors could also learn from your very interesting and experienced point of view.
Here are the questions:

• What motivated you to want to retire early?
• How old were you when you early retired and how many years did you have to work for it?
• How did you do it?
• Is it necessary to earn a lot of money to retire early? What’s the key factor?
• How would you define your investment strategy? What do you live from now?
• Which were your biggest hits and your biggest mistakes?
• If you had to give some advice to people that’s starting, what would it be? Whats your recipe to reach early retirement?
• What do you do now with your time? Was it worth it?

Thank you very much for your precious time :D

elegant
Posts: 102
Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:19 pm
Location: Land of Milk and Honey

Re: Some questions for the already financial independent

Post by elegant »

• What motivated you to want to retire early?

For me it was the combination of an unsatisfying career and reaching age 30 (one third-life-crisis)

• How old were you when you early retired and how many years did you have to work for it?

I found ERE in 2013. I was 29 at the time. I didn't really "work" for it because I was already pretty much financially independent given my existing savings and extremely low expense levels (single male, living with an aging parent). Jacob's blog gave me a conceptual framework to reorganize my thoughts about the subject. I also began to invest around that time.

• How did you do it?

I spent 70% to 90% less than what I earned for about a decade.

• Is it necessary to earn a lot of money to retire early? What’s the key factor?

Your expense level as a percentage of your total income.

• How would you define your investment strategy? What do you live from now?

I invest 50% in global stocks and 50% in local government bonds and cash. I don't touch my portfolio though. I have an apartment that I rent out for 1000$ and I make another 1000$ from passive online income. my expense level is about 500$ per month (sometimes even lower - I live with my mom and mostly study in university).

• Which were your biggest hits and your biggest mistakes?
That I didn't start investing sooner.
And that I didn't quit sooner, I think.

• If you had to give some advice to people that’s starting, what would it be? Whats your recipe to reach early retirement?

Don't share your efforts with anyone. Keep it a secret. People will not (and sometimes cannot) understand, see ERE wheaton scale.

• What do you do now with your time? Was it worth it?

I'm a full time student.

opinatron
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:22 am

Re: Some questions for the already financial independent

Post by opinatron »

Thank you both so much, so much interesting knowledge in a short space :D

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