A Way to Less……. Stuff! (Minimalism)

On March 23, 2019April 5, 2019 By A Way to LessIn Minimalism, OptimisationLeave a comment

To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness
Bertrand Russell

Minimalism essentially means wanting less ‘stuff’. Clearly this fits well with those seeking financial independence. When you discover such a productive and worthwhile way of using your money, you no longer want to splurge on unnecessary things.

We really identify with The Minimalists’ definition of minimalism. They essentially explain that minimalism can mean different things to different people depending on your priorities. Being a minimalist is more about intent than any particular number of items owned for example. The intent to reduce your consumption and free your mind from the stress of ‘stuff’ can have a huge impact on your day to day happiness.

Owning stuff comes with responsibility. Each item requires maintenance, upkeep and/or storage. This process saps your energy – financially and mentally.

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A FIRE Trial Run

On March 21, 2019April 5, 2019 By A Way to LessIn Africa, FIRE, TravelLeave a comment

Africa Series – Part 1

The world is always open, waiting to be discovered
Dejan Stojanovic

For quite a while now we have been deciding what the next step in our lives looks like. After much discussion, including options such as working abroad, travel, starting a family etc (see Our Version of FIRE for more), we settled on the idea of a FIRE trial run!

OK we’re not actually retiring, or even leaving our jobs. Actual FIRE is still a distant dream. But we’re taking an extended break in summer 2019 to travel for a month!

But how does this fit with our frugal tendencies and our ambition to achieve FIRE?

‘Be Present’

A concept which we have raised previously is to ‘be present’. What we mean by this is to enjoy the journey to FI as well as the retirement itself! It’s very easy when seeking financial independence to get bogged down in saving every last penny and forego experience until a later date. Delayed gratification is a core principle of FIRE after all! We have been trying to optimise our spending to increase our savings rate and this trip will have a huge impact on those numbers. But it’s important to strike a balance. It essentially boils down to this: Continue reading “A FIRE Trial Run” →

Our Version of FIRE

On March 18, 2019April 5, 2019 By A Way to LessIn Finances, FIRE2 Comments

In “What is FIRE?” we mentioned that the ‘end goal’ of FIRE differs for everyone. For us, it is important to understand the purpose of gaining our financial independence. This understanding gives us the desire and motivation to continue following the ‘unconventional path’ of frugal living.

The question posed by FIRE is a fascinating one, and we see it as a more ‘sensible’ version of the classic:

What would you do if you won the lottery?

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