Posts by David Baughier

We rarely think about retirement, much less achieving Financial Independence after college, during our college days or early twenties. We were fortunate to discover Financial Independence early on and shape our life so that we can appreciate the many freedoms it ushers. The two keys to Financial Independence everyone knows about are increasing your income…

Even though we all have our unique money journeys, I think my story is normal and I am just your average guy. I am an enlisted Marine who made far too many financial mistakes through my career, as many enlisted members do. Thankfully, I made some OK decisions along the way, like investing in the…

The Lottery of Life When I moved from Haiti to the United States at age 11, I knew I had won the lottery but I had no clue how much I had won. Growing up I knew we had it good compared to the people back in Haiti. I no longer went most of the…

I can’t believe that it’s only been a little over two years since my husband and I discovered Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE). It’s crazy that in such a short period of time, we were able to get closer to financial independence. And it didn’t take much, but a little bit of intentionality. Our journey…

I’m Becky, I’m 64 years old and have been married to Stephen for more than 40 years. We have three adult children. Like many, we’ve faced life challenges and didn’t always make the most calculated or ideal financial choices. While we are fortunate to have found sound financial footing, we’ve come a long way since…

Goats, Goals, and Delayed Gratification My Financial Independence (FI) story begins in my grandfather’s lap. He often read me the children’s book, Dr. Goat, which sits on my mantle today. This story is about Dr. Goat, a family doctor who makes house calls to treat sick animals. Near the end of the book, Dr. Goat…

With the script for the American Dream held tightly in hand, I set out to live my dream life by pursuing the one and only path. I knew that a college degree in a high-tech field would give me a head start. I found a career with a real honest-to-goodness pension plan and a 401(k).…

I was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela in 1980 and I think that makes me a borderline millennial with some behaviors from Generation X. I was raised by frugal parents who taught me the value of hard work and saving for the future. Modest Beginnings My parents came from low income families. In South America this…

If you told me I would grow up to be an entrepreneur, I would’ve said you were nuts. My path to entrepreneurship hasn’t been easy. It started in college. I spent four years laser-focused on whatever it took to get the ultimate job and be “successful.” Thankfully, I formed great relationships and took entrepreneurship courses…

I am an enlisted service member with the U.S. Air Force. My wife is a medical writer with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. We are DINKS (dual income, no kids) and will be financially independent (FI) in April 2020 but will continue working for a little longer in pursuit of “Fat FI.”  Although it has been…