Interview No. 1: The Couple @ForBetterorWorth
What do you do?
Higher education
Risk management at a bank
Ages?
37 and 34 years old
Where do you live?
Georgia
Salary?
$255,000 annually (combined)
When did you learn about FIRE? (If you don’t know what FIRE is, read more here)
We learned about it 4 or 5 years ago just by reading different articles and blogs. It wasn’t until we joined Instagram that we saw how large the community really is and that really made the difference for us. What’s funny is I only recently considered us FIRE (Financial Independence/Retire Early). Before that, I just thought we were saving and investing more than the average couple!
Why do you want to reach financial independence?
1. To live life on our terms.
2. To give our daughters a life we could only dream of.
3. Give back and serve our community.
How do you currently have your money allocated?
We have about 85% in index funds (a large part of our investments are with VTI), 5% in tech stocks, 5% in a REIT ETF, 3% in crypto and 2% in cannabis.
Average savings rate?
We aim for 40% but it’s probably 30 to 40% consistently.
What has been the most difficult part in this journey?
Honestly getting started and trusting the process. It’s slow at first and it’s hard to get the momentum going. But once you start to trust the process and stick to it, you will start to see real gains.
If you could offer someone a piece of advice to help them on their path to FI, what it would be?
Ignore what others around you think. If you’ve done the math and come up with a plan and can execute, then go for it! Others will try and project their fears and insecurities on to you. Don’t let them!!!
If others want to follow your FIRE journey, where can they find you?
Follow us on Instagram @ForBetterOrWorth
Interview No. 2: Brennan and Erin @budgetdog
What do you do?
A CPA offering personal finance products, courses and services to anyone and everyone
Design sales
Ages?
29 and 30 years old
Where do you live?
Cincinnati, Ohio
When did you learn about FIRE?
I learned about FIRE when I was 23 years old.
Why do you want to reach financial independence (FI)?
Family and time.
How do you currently have your money allocated?
We currently have our money in the following allocations:
What’s your average savings rate?
We are currently saving 65% of our income.
What has been the most difficult part of this journey?
The most difficult part has been remaining consistent.
If you could offer someone a piece of advice to help them on their path to financial independence, what would it be?
Get on a detailed and written plan as soon as possible and make sure to discuss finances with your spouse!
If others want to follow your FIRE journey, where can they find you?
Follow us on Instagram @budgetdog and check out our resources here.
