How to enjoy Financial Freedom now while still working towards it
The pursuit of Financial Freedom has a magical allure to it.
For some, Financial Freedom might entail sipping margaritas on a beach and for others it might be as simple as not waking up to an alarm clock every day.
No matter how you define your ideal day after achieving Financial Freedom; are there aspects of it which can be enjoyed now while we are counting down to Financial Freedom?
Looking back to some of my happiest memories; it would be the time spent during school and college. Although I did not track my exact net worth; I am quite sure it was a fraction of what I currently have. The simple pleasures in life such as having a leisurely meal with loved ones, road trips, spending time with friends over a simple cup of coffee, walks in the park are some of the memories which come to mind.
Most things in life which bring you pleasure cost very little money. While this blog is focused on growing, preserving, protecting and thriving with your financial assets; we are equally focused on living well and making each sunrise count.
Several bloggers who have achieved Financial Freedom mention that they were so focused on achieving financial independence that their everyday lives along the journey became miserable.
They would avoid going to restaurants or weddings because it would involve spending money and delay their Financial Freedom. Or they would want their partners to head back to work instead of letting the new mom take time off to be with the child. Skipping baby showers can save some money but memories created by conjuring up baby names last forever.
As long as it is not too expensive. add little luxuries to your budget. In fact, if you like take a trip and check out some of the fun things to do in Maui. Financial Freedom is worth it only if you enjoy the journey.
You don’t have to put your lives on hold until “someday”. We could all enjoy life now while counting down to our Financial Freedom number.
Take time to stop and smell the roses along the journey.
Pick up some hobbies to widen your horizons.
[bctt tweet=” Each day is a gift and we need to enjoy it “].
Let us visualize what our ideal day would look like after achieving Financial Freedom.
What are the activities that bring you joy? Which of these activities can you start incorporating in your life today?
John Dealbreuin came from a third world country to the US with only $1,000 not knowing anyone; guided by an immigrant dream. In 12 years, he achieved his retirement number.
He started Financial Freedom Countdown to help everyone think differently about their financial challenges and live their best lives. John resides in the San Francisco Bay Area enjoying nature trails and weight training.
Here are his recommended tools
M1 Finance: John compared M1 Finance against Vanguard, Schwab, Fidelity, Wealthfront and Betterment to find the perfect investment platform. He uses it due to zero fees, very low minimums, automated investment with automatic rebalancing. The pre-built asset allocations and fractional shares helps one get started right away.
Personal Capital: This is a free tool John uses to track his net worth on a regular basis and as a retirement planner. It also alerts him wrt hidden fees and has a budget tracker included.
Credit Karma partners with Equifax and TransUnion and offers free credit reports and free credit scores updated weekly. It also provides alerts when it detects unusual activity on your credit files. Monitoring your credit report for errors can save you thousands.
Fundrise: One of the top real estate crowdfunding platforms for non-accredited investors. Sign up for free and look at passive real estate investment opportunities with low minimum (only $10).
Streitwise is available for accredited and non-accredited investors. They have one of the lowest fees and high “skin in the game,” with over $5M of capital invested by founders in the deals. It is also open to foreign/non-USA investor. Minimum investment is $5,000.
PeerStreet has a low $1,000 minimum, which allows for better diversification for real estate accredited investors. You can define the criteria based on rate, LTV, duration, etc., and use their automated investing feature to place you into investments that match your criteria. Or manually select the investments.
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