The beginning of the end...
I'm going to post hard numbers at the end of the month for you guys to critique, but for now I want to explain a little about how I got to this point. The first couple of posts will be a brief history of the past 2.5 years.
In the last part of 2008 I was a happily married man, but there was trouble in paradise. My wife and I had a wonderful marriage and we have remained good friends after the divorce. The problems began over, can you guess, MONEY! I came to our marriage with a lot of debts, CC, student loans, back taxes, personal loans. I was a mess no matter how you look at it. As a couple we made some big mistakes. Bought to big of a house then a boat, camper etc. The monthly bills piled up and before you know everyone is stressed about money. Working to much, not doing things together, blame, resentment all poor ingridents for a healthy marriage. My wife had tried to get me to file for bankruptcy (a lot of the debt was mine) I fought this for a long time. In the end she was more important than my credit, so I filed. Four months later we filed for divorce. This was possibly THE most devestating event in my emotional life.
I share these details so that you can get and understanding of where I have been and why ERE principles have become so appealing to me. Understanding this one piece of history will help you understand my current motivation and how I got to where I am. Next post I will cover what happened in post divorce life...
Thanks for reading.
ExpatERE Journal
Do overs…
When I was a kid we had a policy of what I remember being called a do over. Basically the do over allowed everyone another shot at whatever it was we were doing at the time. Games always had do overs. It was your second shot to be able to do better. After my divorce I needed a do over.
I was looking to take my shattered life and try to make the pieces fit back together. This was going to be hard. Maybe what I really needed was a new life. Not being in the best emotional state to make life altering decisions, I started thinking about working overseas. This wasn’t an entirely new idea as it had surfaced several years before, but I never acted on it. However, now seemed like the best time in life to get away and start over and that is what I did.
The first year I found myself as a civilian working for the U.S. gov’t in Iraq. I had traded locations, but really I was the same man with the same issues. Having better pay and zero expenses I still spent like I had all my life. The only thing now was I had more to spend. Typical lifestyle inflation without the lifestyle. At the end of that year I had nothing to show for being so far from home.
At the end of the contract I realized I was not ready to go home. How could I? I had come here to start over by paying off the debt I had. That goal was no closer to being achieved than it was when I first arrived. I seriously need to change my ways, not my location or any other outside variable. Just me. I can easily adapt to new situation, but changing my own behavior is a little more challenging.
My next contract, the one I’m currently in, brought me to Kuwait. For reasons I still can’t completely understand I did begin to change. I understood on an emotional level, not logical one that I HAD to change. I started saving. It was hard at first because I still wanted to spend what I was saving. I kept thinking of my saving as a big pot of money I was going to use to buy something. This slowly changed as I began to just let it accumulate. I began reading a lot of personal finance stuff. Books, articles, blogs whatever I could get my hands on. Then I started reading about investing. YMOYL changed my perspective. I needed to know what kind of investor I was and what I would be comfortable with. My reading was on a daily basis and I think that was what really helped the change solidify. If I had picked up a book or two and thought,” Yeah I should do that one day.” It would have never happened.
I then found Jacob’s blog and then ordered the book and now have become involved in the forum to continue learning and keeping motivated. I have to say that you guys have a different mindset than I have ever had. Yet, it is a mindset that I would do well to imitate. Changing oneself is hard, but sometimes it is desperately needed. Thank you guys for giving me a positive example to follow. I’m humbled at what so many of you have done and do at a much younger age. Impressive…
Here is what has happened in the last eleven months. I went from having 44k in debts and zero, yes that is correct, zero savings of any kind. Not even retirement. Sad isn’t it As of today I have 34K in debt and 54k in savings. If I can continue to progress as this rate I should be doing well over the coming years.
Now that the history lesson is over I will post about current numbers and where I want to go. Thanks for reading and I welcome any comments.
When I was a kid we had a policy of what I remember being called a do over. Basically the do over allowed everyone another shot at whatever it was we were doing at the time. Games always had do overs. It was your second shot to be able to do better. After my divorce I needed a do over.
I was looking to take my shattered life and try to make the pieces fit back together. This was going to be hard. Maybe what I really needed was a new life. Not being in the best emotional state to make life altering decisions, I started thinking about working overseas. This wasn’t an entirely new idea as it had surfaced several years before, but I never acted on it. However, now seemed like the best time in life to get away and start over and that is what I did.
The first year I found myself as a civilian working for the U.S. gov’t in Iraq. I had traded locations, but really I was the same man with the same issues. Having better pay and zero expenses I still spent like I had all my life. The only thing now was I had more to spend. Typical lifestyle inflation without the lifestyle. At the end of that year I had nothing to show for being so far from home.
At the end of the contract I realized I was not ready to go home. How could I? I had come here to start over by paying off the debt I had. That goal was no closer to being achieved than it was when I first arrived. I seriously need to change my ways, not my location or any other outside variable. Just me. I can easily adapt to new situation, but changing my own behavior is a little more challenging.
My next contract, the one I’m currently in, brought me to Kuwait. For reasons I still can’t completely understand I did begin to change. I understood on an emotional level, not logical one that I HAD to change. I started saving. It was hard at first because I still wanted to spend what I was saving. I kept thinking of my saving as a big pot of money I was going to use to buy something. This slowly changed as I began to just let it accumulate. I began reading a lot of personal finance stuff. Books, articles, blogs whatever I could get my hands on. Then I started reading about investing. YMOYL changed my perspective. I needed to know what kind of investor I was and what I would be comfortable with. My reading was on a daily basis and I think that was what really helped the change solidify. If I had picked up a book or two and thought,” Yeah I should do that one day.” It would have never happened.
I then found Jacob’s blog and then ordered the book and now have become involved in the forum to continue learning and keeping motivated. I have to say that you guys have a different mindset than I have ever had. Yet, it is a mindset that I would do well to imitate. Changing oneself is hard, but sometimes it is desperately needed. Thank you guys for giving me a positive example to follow. I’m humbled at what so many of you have done and do at a much younger age. Impressive…
Here is what has happened in the last eleven months. I went from having 44k in debts and zero, yes that is correct, zero savings of any kind. Not even retirement. Sad isn’t it As of today I have 34K in debt and 54k in savings. If I can continue to progress as this rate I should be doing well over the coming years.
Now that the history lesson is over I will post about current numbers and where I want to go. Thanks for reading and I welcome any comments.
The Future...
The past year has been good. I have my feet back underneath me and I've changed my basic orientation to money. This behavioral change has been nothing less than miraculous in my book. I've gone from someone who basically spent every dime they had to someone who has been saving 70-80% of their gross pay. That is progress in my book.
Others are not sure how to take this change. It seems odd to them that I would intentionally abstain from having things. I don't have a car, bicylce, tv, cell phone and a number of other things. I have had people offer to give me things. They know I can afford it so I guess they just think I'm being cheap. How do you explain to people you just don't want "stuff"? I remember a conversation recently between two other friends that revolved around things they had or things they were going to acquirer. I sat and listened nonplused not at the content of the conversation, but that I had transformed so completely in the past twelve months so that I could not relate to the discussion. I had nothing to give and nothing to receive.
This has been a big psychological change for me. How does one orient themselves to a new world that exist without the desire for material substance? This is one I'm still working on and have problems with form time to time. It's a work in progress...
So what do I want out of this experience, this new life? Simple, to be free and flexible. To live where I want and do what I want and not be obligated to a geographical location or a job. That freedom is more valuable to me than anything else. FI is the bigger goal here. I rather enjoy my job and will continue doing it when I return to the states. It's interesting and challenging to me and honestly I would (may?) do on a volunteer basis if I was in area that needed it. So retirement in the traditional sense of the word is not what I'm after. I may work a year and then take a year off or maybe I will just work 6 months out a year and take the other six months as a road trip. Freedom.
My goal is to achieve FI while I'm overseas and then return to the states and choose where and how much I want to work. I've been working a budget and trying to see what it would be like in the states. I don't want or need home ownership, at leat not at this phase in my life. I'm thinking of south west Florida as my next "home" and I think that I will try the RV thing for a bit to see how I like it. There are plenty of RV parks in the area I'm looking at and I should be able to keep my housing cost at around 300-400 a month, after the purchase of a used RV. A total budget of 800.00 monthly living expenses is what I'm shooting for. For any who would like to speculate, do you think this is enough for a single guy with no other bills than living expenses? Since I will be working I would have extra if there was short fall, but I'm shooting for my savings to be enough to cover 800.00 in monthly expenses.
There it is, the future I'm working towards. Should have some numbers to post for July in the coming weeks....
The past year has been good. I have my feet back underneath me and I've changed my basic orientation to money. This behavioral change has been nothing less than miraculous in my book. I've gone from someone who basically spent every dime they had to someone who has been saving 70-80% of their gross pay. That is progress in my book.
Others are not sure how to take this change. It seems odd to them that I would intentionally abstain from having things. I don't have a car, bicylce, tv, cell phone and a number of other things. I have had people offer to give me things. They know I can afford it so I guess they just think I'm being cheap. How do you explain to people you just don't want "stuff"? I remember a conversation recently between two other friends that revolved around things they had or things they were going to acquirer. I sat and listened nonplused not at the content of the conversation, but that I had transformed so completely in the past twelve months so that I could not relate to the discussion. I had nothing to give and nothing to receive.
This has been a big psychological change for me. How does one orient themselves to a new world that exist without the desire for material substance? This is one I'm still working on and have problems with form time to time. It's a work in progress...
So what do I want out of this experience, this new life? Simple, to be free and flexible. To live where I want and do what I want and not be obligated to a geographical location or a job. That freedom is more valuable to me than anything else. FI is the bigger goal here. I rather enjoy my job and will continue doing it when I return to the states. It's interesting and challenging to me and honestly I would (may?) do on a volunteer basis if I was in area that needed it. So retirement in the traditional sense of the word is not what I'm after. I may work a year and then take a year off or maybe I will just work 6 months out a year and take the other six months as a road trip. Freedom.
My goal is to achieve FI while I'm overseas and then return to the states and choose where and how much I want to work. I've been working a budget and trying to see what it would be like in the states. I don't want or need home ownership, at leat not at this phase in my life. I'm thinking of south west Florida as my next "home" and I think that I will try the RV thing for a bit to see how I like it. There are plenty of RV parks in the area I'm looking at and I should be able to keep my housing cost at around 300-400 a month, after the purchase of a used RV. A total budget of 800.00 monthly living expenses is what I'm shooting for. For any who would like to speculate, do you think this is enough for a single guy with no other bills than living expenses? Since I will be working I would have extra if there was short fall, but I'm shooting for my savings to be enough to cover 800.00 in monthly expenses.
There it is, the future I'm working towards. Should have some numbers to post for July in the coming weeks....
@ExpatERE
The transformation you've undergone is inspiring. Keep up the great work.
WRT $800 per month. This seems reasonable in terms of Jacob's "big three" -- housing, transport and food. But I always like to be the devil's advocate about his optimism regarding health care. I have no reason to doubt that Jacob is as healthy and phyically fit as he states. Such a person, in his or her mid-30s, can get a HDHP with an HSA for less than $100 per month and be reasonably certain of avoiding most medical expenses absent a traumatic injury. But for those of us who are older or less fit, health care costs become the significant driver of our ERE budgets. I don't know where you fall on the spectrum, but bear it in mind as you plan on the $800 per month.
The transformation you've undergone is inspiring. Keep up the great work.
WRT $800 per month. This seems reasonable in terms of Jacob's "big three" -- housing, transport and food. But I always like to be the devil's advocate about his optimism regarding health care. I have no reason to doubt that Jacob is as healthy and phyically fit as he states. Such a person, in his or her mid-30s, can get a HDHP with an HSA for less than $100 per month and be reasonably certain of avoiding most medical expenses absent a traumatic injury. But for those of us who are older or less fit, health care costs become the significant driver of our ERE budgets. I don't know where you fall on the spectrum, but bear it in mind as you plan on the $800 per month.
Maus... Thanks for compliment and the words of encouragement.
Healthcare is certainly a concern I have had not just for myself, but others. I do think that those expenses will be a factor for many people going into retirement. I've been fortunate to have the good health I do. I don't have a history of anything and go to the doc every few years for routine check-up. Blood work, B/P and all the other tests come back normal. I know that this may not last forever even though I do keep myself active and eat (mostly) healthy. No smoking, social drinker.
Here are my thoughts on handling this expense in the future from most favorable to least favorable options. I would enjoy hearing what you and others think about this.
Option 1: Same thing Jacob does, high deductible insurance plan for catastrophic events. I've been paying car insurance and health insurance for years and I have never had to file a claim. I do realize the trend could change, but...
Option 2: There are some very good hospitals overseas that cater to the heathcare "tourist". These are very nice facilities with competent staff that can perform procedures for a fraction of the cost in the US. I know this will be a bit controversial to some, but I have friends who work in the healthcare field and have had surgeries perfomed overseas that say it was a wonderful experience and they would do it again. Something to think about.
Option 3: Stay nine more years overseas in my current position and qualify for the healthcare portion of the company pension. This is the least desireable option.
For me, I'm thinking a combination of options two and three would work for me.
Healthcare is certainly a concern I have had not just for myself, but others. I do think that those expenses will be a factor for many people going into retirement. I've been fortunate to have the good health I do. I don't have a history of anything and go to the doc every few years for routine check-up. Blood work, B/P and all the other tests come back normal. I know that this may not last forever even though I do keep myself active and eat (mostly) healthy. No smoking, social drinker.
Here are my thoughts on handling this expense in the future from most favorable to least favorable options. I would enjoy hearing what you and others think about this.
Option 1: Same thing Jacob does, high deductible insurance plan for catastrophic events. I've been paying car insurance and health insurance for years and I have never had to file a claim. I do realize the trend could change, but...
Option 2: There are some very good hospitals overseas that cater to the heathcare "tourist". These are very nice facilities with competent staff that can perform procedures for a fraction of the cost in the US. I know this will be a bit controversial to some, but I have friends who work in the healthcare field and have had surgeries perfomed overseas that say it was a wonderful experience and they would do it again. Something to think about.
Option 3: Stay nine more years overseas in my current position and qualify for the healthcare portion of the company pension. This is the least desireable option.
For me, I'm thinking a combination of options two and three would work for me.
Nice work Expat! Congrats on making the change. We all change and have those epiphanies at different times in our lives, some earlier, some later. The important thing is that you made the change. Stick with it and I'm cheering for you! It's hard being gone overseas for big chunks of time, so I commend you there as well.
Keep up the good work and sooner or later, just watching your money grow will become a hobby in itself. Freedom comes with this and with Freedom comes contentment and happiness!
Good Luck-Mater
Keep up the good work and sooner or later, just watching your money grow will become a hobby in itself. Freedom comes with this and with Freedom comes contentment and happiness!
Good Luck-Mater
Thanks for the encouragement Mater. The change has been a long time coming. I hate that I couldn't see it earlier and potentially avert the financial and marital collapse that occured. I suppose for some of us it take being on our back to see the way out. I'm hoping I can maintain the same rate of change in the coming year as I have over the past one. Thanks again and stay safe.
For some reason I've been dreading this post. It's kind of like having guests who you have not met come over to your house unexpectedly and seeing everything in disarray. Oh well, I guess I'll get over it.
Here are how things look by the numbers. Keep in mind that the asset column was zero eleven short months ago. The income is higher than normal this month due to annual bonus and the montly expenses have a few annual and semi-annual payments this month. I know that my expenses don't count me as extreme, but I'm still working towards the point where the reduction in my expenses becomes "painful" and then adjusting upward from there to be comfortable.
July 2011
Assests
401k: 17,120
Brokerage: 42,350
Cash accounts: 8,243
Debt
Student loan: 22,000
Bankruptcy: 15,000
Income: (Gross) 14,872
Expenses:
Tax 1392.73
Gifts/Donations 1100.00
Financial Services (yearly) 450.00
Auto Insurance (semi-annual)413.03
Bankruptcy payment 286.00
Food: 191.94
Housing: 146.07
Utilities: 79.87
Shopping: 26.48
Bank fees: 22.00
Health and Fitness: 10.66
Personal Care, Entertainment, Misc: 4.80
Total: 4123.58
Next month the income will be lower. The expenses will probably be close to the same maybe more as I have an annual leave coming up. Let me know what you guys think
Here are how things look by the numbers. Keep in mind that the asset column was zero eleven short months ago. The income is higher than normal this month due to annual bonus and the montly expenses have a few annual and semi-annual payments this month. I know that my expenses don't count me as extreme, but I'm still working towards the point where the reduction in my expenses becomes "painful" and then adjusting upward from there to be comfortable.
July 2011
Assests
401k: 17,120
Brokerage: 42,350
Cash accounts: 8,243
Debt
Student loan: 22,000
Bankruptcy: 15,000
Income: (Gross) 14,872
Expenses:
Tax 1392.73
Gifts/Donations 1100.00
Financial Services (yearly) 450.00
Auto Insurance (semi-annual)413.03
Bankruptcy payment 286.00
Food: 191.94
Housing: 146.07
Utilities: 79.87
Shopping: 26.48
Bank fees: 22.00
Health and Fitness: 10.66
Personal Care, Entertainment, Misc: 4.80
Total: 4123.58
Next month the income will be lower. The expenses will probably be close to the same maybe more as I have an annual leave coming up. Let me know what you guys think
Even though it may have appeared that I had given up on my ERE adventure, rest comfortably knowing I'm still on track and have good news to report.
The last couple of months I've been on leave and as a result have not reported or even kept careful tabs on spending categories. I should be back on track in Nov.
The good news is I've paid off my bankruptcy case... 2 years early!!! This is big time for me. As those of you have read the early entries know, I filed for bankruptcy I did right around the time of my divorce. I'm so happy to have this done with. This leaves me one more student loan and I'm hoping to have it paid off by the end of the year. Then I can welcome 2012 as a debt free man. *sigh*
The last couple of months I've been on leave and as a result have not reported or even kept careful tabs on spending categories. I should be back on track in Nov.
The good news is I've paid off my bankruptcy case... 2 years early!!! This is big time for me. As those of you have read the early entries know, I filed for bankruptcy I did right around the time of my divorce. I'm so happy to have this done with. This leaves me one more student loan and I'm hoping to have it paid off by the end of the year. Then I can welcome 2012 as a debt free man. *sigh*
m741--- thanks for the words of encouragement, it means a lot. You are right. At the beginning of the year I did pay of the one student loan that had a high interest rate. After that I started saving like it was my job. It was the age old question of whether to pay of debt or save. I liked the ideas of having some money on hand. I went back and forth on this most of the year, but over the last couple of months have really felt that I needed to be debt free to really get where I want to be. Now, I'm pushing hard to see if I can do it by the end of the year.
DutchGirl---- thanks you too for the words of encouragement. I really did feel like this would be crowd that could appreciate this step in my journey. Digging ourselves out of the holes (graves?) we dig for ourselves is not really glamorous, but a necessary step along the path. I wish you the best as well as you continue along your journey. Question? How does your bf feel about you contemplating ERE?? I ask b/c I have not been dating since I started this transformation and I'm curious as to how a future partner will respond to my new found frugal ways.
DutchGirl---- thanks you too for the words of encouragement. I really did feel like this would be crowd that could appreciate this step in my journey. Digging ourselves out of the holes (graves?) we dig for ourselves is not really glamorous, but a necessary step along the path. I wish you the best as well as you continue along your journey. Question? How does your bf feel about you contemplating ERE?? I ask b/c I have not been dating since I started this transformation and I'm curious as to how a future partner will respond to my new found frugal ways.
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lilacorchid
- Posts: 476
- Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:20 pm
- Location: Canada
Congrats on paying off your bankruptcy! One step at a time will get you there, and that was a big one!!!
I read through all your first posts, and I can relate to not having anything to say while your friends are talking about all the things they are going to buy. My closest girlfriend will sometimes call me up and ask me if she needs new clothes and I usually laugh and tell her she's calling the wrong person if she wants to hear yes!
Seriously though, I find it makes people feel uncomfortable when I talk about ERE or even retiring MMM style, so I generally just observe the conversation and make some polite sounds at the right intervals. I get tired of people looking at me like I'm a wee bit crazy.
I read through all your first posts, and I can relate to not having anything to say while your friends are talking about all the things they are going to buy. My closest girlfriend will sometimes call me up and ask me if she needs new clothes and I usually laugh and tell her she's calling the wrong person if she wants to hear yes!
Seriously though, I find it makes people feel uncomfortable when I talk about ERE or even retiring MMM style, so I generally just observe the conversation and make some polite sounds at the right intervals. I get tired of people looking at me like I'm a wee bit crazy.
I think part of it is that my boyfriend has some similar ideas.
My boyfriend wants to have "fuck you" money, as he calls it. Enough money to say "no" to any job that he doesn't like - and "fuck you" to any employer he doesn't like. (He's a freelancer). He doesn't necessarily want to stop working when he's earned enough to comfortably do so, but the idea that he can choose whether or not to work then, appeals to him too.
Another good thing is that he, like I, couldn't care less about keeping up with the Joneses. So we both don't feel like spending lots of money on certain things.
Finally, he acknowledges that it's my life, not his. As long as I pay my share of the household expenses, I'm free to spend the rest on whatever I want.
So I think a future partner can be OK with this. Things like "how to spend money", "whether or not to have kids" and "religion" are, I think, major components in the success or failure of a relationship. But small differences can often be overcome by compromising; and there are definitely people out there who can appreciate you and your new-found frugality.
My boyfriend wants to have "fuck you" money, as he calls it. Enough money to say "no" to any job that he doesn't like - and "fuck you" to any employer he doesn't like. (He's a freelancer). He doesn't necessarily want to stop working when he's earned enough to comfortably do so, but the idea that he can choose whether or not to work then, appeals to him too.
Another good thing is that he, like I, couldn't care less about keeping up with the Joneses. So we both don't feel like spending lots of money on certain things.
Finally, he acknowledges that it's my life, not his. As long as I pay my share of the household expenses, I'm free to spend the rest on whatever I want.
So I think a future partner can be OK with this. Things like "how to spend money", "whether or not to have kids" and "religion" are, I think, major components in the success or failure of a relationship. But small differences can often be overcome by compromising; and there are definitely people out there who can appreciate you and your new-found frugality.
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lilacorchid
- Posts: 476
- Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:20 pm
- Location: Canada
DutchGirl, your boyfriend and my husband sound a lot a like in one way... they both want the "FU" money. 
Expat, my husband did not start out on the ERE train. He's actually more of a spender by nature, where I was pretty miserly and then had a tendency to spend like crazy on stupid things when being so miserable got to me. I've enlightened him regarding saving up FU money and he has convinced me that spending money can bring me pleasure. We are not at either extreme, so it wasn't too hard to find a common point. Also, just by going on a date with someone and observing can tell you a lot. If you take your date on a nice picnic with homemade foods and they scoff and wonder why you didn't take them out for a $100 dinner, you know you probably don't jive on the financial front.
Expat, my husband did not start out on the ERE train. He's actually more of a spender by nature, where I was pretty miserly and then had a tendency to spend like crazy on stupid things when being so miserable got to me. I've enlightened him regarding saving up FU money and he has convinced me that spending money can bring me pleasure. We are not at either extreme, so it wasn't too hard to find a common point. Also, just by going on a date with someone and observing can tell you a lot. If you take your date on a nice picnic with homemade foods and they scoff and wonder why you didn't take them out for a $100 dinner, you know you probably don't jive on the financial front.
lilaorchid--- Thanks for the encouragement!! The part of not being to relate well with others is a challenge sometimes. I live in a community camp provided by the company I work for. It's nice and keeps living expenses way cheap. Most people talk about their last travel adventure, shopping trip or new "x" they want to get. It's hard to add to this conversation about how I'm excited that instead of getting a new pair of sandals I super glued the old ones and made them good as new, or how I'm saving the some of the plastic and glass containers and using them for other things instead of just tossing them out, or how I'm trying to adjust my eating habits to need less food. They don't get it and I usually just keep to myself. But, I find comfort in here with like minded souls so, it gives me a place to share these new behaviors I'm learning. Also like the idea of picnic date. Not just for the low cost, but b/c that just sounds enjoyable. Hell, I might take myself out on a date.
DutchGirl--- thanks for insight on the relationships. I like your BF's concept of FU money! I'm trying to figure out just how ERE is going to work for me. I'm not sure I want to leave work. It is a career that if there was a need I would volunteer to do it. Just not in the same capacity that I do now. However, I would like the ability to pick and choose where and what I want to do. That luxury requires me to at least have some financial freedom which is what I really want more than anything. I will continue to stay where I'm at for the moment as it is good for me on so many levels, not just financial.
DutchGirl--- thanks for insight on the relationships. I like your BF's concept of FU money! I'm trying to figure out just how ERE is going to work for me. I'm not sure I want to leave work. It is a career that if there was a need I would volunteer to do it. Just not in the same capacity that I do now. However, I would like the ability to pick and choose where and what I want to do. That luxury requires me to at least have some financial freedom which is what I really want more than anything. I will continue to stay where I'm at for the moment as it is good for me on so many levels, not just financial.
All right 
Actually, I also don't know what I'll do when I've reached my financial independence. You see, I've never been financially independent before, so I can't really predict my reaction . I might continue working too, or maybe just work less hours, or switch jobs to a less-demanding one. Who knows? But indeed, having a bit of money will probably make me feel a bit more secure, and that is always nice. (I will need some years too, before I reach the FI stage, so we'll see what happens in the meantime).
Actually, I also don't know what I'll do when I've reached my financial independence. You see, I've never been financially independent before, so I can't really predict my reaction
. I might continue working too, or maybe just work less hours, or switch jobs to a less-demanding one. Who knows? But indeed, having a bit of money will probably make me feel a bit more secure, and that is always nice. (I will need some years too, before I reach the FI stage, so we'll see what happens in the meantime).DutchGirl--- I know what you mean. I can't imagine what it will be like to FI either. Hell, I can't imagine what it will be like to be debt free!! I've had debt all of my adult life which is actually quite sad when you think about it. However, they are both feelings I am more than willing to explore!!
ANOTHER MILESTONE!!
Due to a really good gain on a stock pick (HGIC at 27.67 you guys know the rest:-) and a tax refund from the fed I went ahead and paid off my student loan in full!! Yep, that is right. ExpatERE is now a debt free man!! WOW. This just blows me away. Achieving this two months earlier than I had wanted to makes it even sweeter. This still has not fully sunk in. This is the first time I've been debt free in my adult life. Sad, but exciting at the same time. I think I'm off to a good start for 2012.
Here is how things look at the moment:
Assets:
Cash--2174
Investments: 47842
Property (vehicle) 5500
Debt: ZERO!!
Excuse me while I go dance a jig in the streets!!!
Due to a really good gain on a stock pick (HGIC at 27.67 you guys know the rest:-) and a tax refund from the fed I went ahead and paid off my student loan in full!! Yep, that is right. ExpatERE is now a debt free man!! WOW. This just blows me away. Achieving this two months earlier than I had wanted to makes it even sweeter. This still has not fully sunk in. This is the first time I've been debt free in my adult life. Sad, but exciting at the same time. I think I'm off to a good start for 2012.
Here is how things look at the moment:
Assets:
Cash--2174
Investments: 47842
Property (vehicle) 5500
Debt: ZERO!!
Excuse me while I go dance a jig in the streets!!!