A Way to Less……. Stuff! (Minimalism)

On 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. 

Tidy desk, tidy mind!
Tidy desk, tidy mind!

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

Continue reading “A Way to Less……. Stuff! (Minimalism)” →

A FIRE Trial Run

On 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” →

Sanity, Saving & Singing!

On By Miss WayIn Education, FIRE, Mental HealthLeave a comment

“A smile is a facelift in everyone’s price range” 

Tom Wilson

Music teaching can be such a rewarding job.  

The privilege of introducing music to young children and witnessing the joy it brings them never fails to make me smile. Nothing can compare to the power of an assembly hall full of children singing a song they love, as one. It does wonders for your mood on a rainy Monday morning and makes it all worthwhile!

Singing is good for your mental health!

I qualified as a secondary school music teacher in 2012. I now enjoy a portfolio career as a peripatetic music teacher. My current timetable looks like this: Continue reading “Sanity, Saving & Singing!” →

Our Version of FIRE

On 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?

Continue reading “Our Version of FIRE” →

What is FIRE?

On By Mr WayIn Finances, FIRE2 Comments
FIRE means different things to different people…..

FIRE, or Financial Independence, Retire Early, is a fast-growing movement of people looking for a different way in life.

Saving a high percentage of your earnings allows you to retire significantly earlier than traditionally possible. The percentage of your earnings which you save is known as your savings rate. A popular target is to aim for the 50-70% savings rate bracket, allowing you to retire after roughly 9-17 years of work.

This opens a whole world of opportunities for the rest of your life.

So how could you possibly save so much?

Continue reading “What is FIRE?” →

Welcome!

On By Mr WayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Is this another one of your bright ideas?

That was the response from family when we mentioned an interest in moving abroad for work. 

This response seems symptomatic of the general apathy shown towards anyone willing to do something a bit different in life. Imagine if we had shared our desire to achieve financial independence!!

The vast majority of modern society are fed the typical story throughout childhood of:

Get good grades, go to uni, get a good job and work hard

Continue reading “Welcome!” →