Interview: @organized.finance
What do you do?
I am a software engineer working at a tech company in San Francisco!
What’s your age?
I am 22 years old.
Where do you live?
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (California).
Salary?
$112,000 base salary + $37,000 RSUs.
You can find details of my income here
When did you learn about FIRE?
A friend of mine introduced me to the concept of FIRE. After that, I read “The Simple Path to Wealth” by JL Collins. Since then, financial independence and early retirement have been major goals for me!
Why do you want to reach financial independence?
I want to have the flexibility and freedom to decide how I spend my time. I do like working, but I’d prefer to work because I enjoy it, not because I am compelled to for financial reasons.
How do you currently have your money allocated?
Approximately 54% of my money is invested in tax-advantaged accounts, 37% in invested in my brokerage accounts, and I have about 9% in cash.
Average savings rate?
My savings rate post-graduation has averaged about 50-60%.
What has been the most difficult part in this journey?
A difficult part in this journey has been keeping myself from getting too obsessed with the numbers. I have been learning to allow myself to make purchases that bring me joy, even if they have no practical purpose. Enjoying your life and giving yourself grace is a big part of the FI journey too!
If you could offer someone one piece of advice to help them on their path to FI, what it would be?
Remember that everyone’s path to FI will look different. We all start in different places, we all discovered the FI movement at different stages, and we all have different circumstances affecting our ability to work towards FI. I think setting realistic goals for yourself is key, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t have the same timeline as someone else!
