How much do you know about financial independence?

In my brief stint as a sometimes shop rat I had pretty good luck selling full face helmets to parents for xmas presents by telling them it was an insurance policy for the orthodontic work … they always fell for it

I'm not saying that getting braces for your kids is bad, but implying that everything is coming out of left field suggests that there might be another perspective to hold when it comes to financial independence. I "needed" braces when I was a child but my parents couldn't afford them, so I got mine as a adult. Even then it was only out of a purely selfish need to appear aesthetically more pleasing to the public. It really boosted my own vanity.

Perceived haves and needs are a really easy way to keep paddling your canoe upriver. You don't need to buy coffee every day, you don't have to own a car in the city. These are choices that everyone makes.

So the next time something comes at you, shift your perspective to one that serves your goal or dream of financial independence. Or not. The choice is yours.

I found this article helpful in the past.

Totally understand the wants / needs way of living. In our case the girls inherited my side of the bad and the overbite and crowding was not allowing the adult teeth to even come in. So it was not an option.

If we had waited to until teenage years the teeth would have been overlapping and jaws would have to be broken. Young age they still have plasticity in the lower jaw.

Cost would have doubled for sure.

there have been a few mentions by me and others of plans to get away from a full-time 9-5 job, and i just wonder if that day comes, or just gets pushed back because of a new house, new kid, etc…not doubting anyone's personal goals, i am just curious if they are stories of people actually pulling this off, or are we just fooling ourselves while trail worker is the only one who figured it out

although I'm quite flattered, I definitely don't think I have it all figured out. If I was smarter I would work more, invest more, probably do alot of things differently BUT I've found a scenario that seems to work so I just roll with it and keep fine tuning the system..every year the system seems to work a bit better. It might stop working one day then I'll be eating my words and probably talking to some of you next to the water cooler on lunch break.

Mostly I'm just a dirtbag who didn't want to stop snowboarding and mountain biking when everyone else started getting "serious" about life. The only reason I think it's sustainable long-term is because I don't see my needs or wants changing in life. Of course I want to have kids in the next few years (kids are THE best thing in the world imo) but I see lots of kids growing up all over the world without a ton of money, but a whole lot of love. Like Enduramil says, when you're not working to pay someone else to raise your kids at daycare every day you can give em a whole lotta that good stuff :)

Follow Gotham's advice - tune out the noise and follow your dreams. The rest really does take care of itself. Believe in something and eventually it will become a reality!

Definitely, but you can't put a price on having kids.

But you can on all the accessories.

Mostly I'm just a dirtbag who didn't want to stop snowboarding and mountain biking when everyone else started getting "serious" about life. The only reason I think it's sustainable long-term is because I don't see my needs or wants changing in life. Of course I want to have kids in the next few years (kids are THE best thing in the world imo) but I see lots of kids growing up all over the world without a ton of money, but a whole lot of love. Like Enduramil says, when you're not working to pay someone else to raise your kids at daycare every day you can give em a whole lotta that good stuff :)

!

Other thing I forgot to add to the Stay at Home Dad was it is amazing how less stressed you are when not running around trying to do it all…work, look after my daughter, and so on.

And I am a Dirtbag as well. And can say now that Gabi is in grade 2 I can get out to ride and such when she is in school.

I know a guy.

It's just a matter of ignoring the noise, and putting your passions first. Then literally follow your dreams Colin.

Merry Christmas.

thanks dude, merry christmas to you too, i lurk here enough to know you are the dude who sold most of your stuff, and is currently riding your bike for 10 years or so with your partner? that is very awesome and all the best to that.

edit: saw hecklers link to your page

colin

Couple thoughts for the brown baggers:
1) What would happen to our economy (and your investments) if we all acted like Trail Worker?

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/04/09/what-if-everyone-became-frugal/

MMM can answer this far better than I. I'm still working, not sitting under an oak, pontificating.

I thought it was a cedar, inhaling.

Another thought for the "what if everyone were a brownbagger and saved their pennies…

Yeah, right.

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/british-columbia/topstories/boxing-day-bargain-hunters-head-out-as-stores-open-early-1.2884182

The line I had to wait in for a new gas range at Home Depot was silly.

the only thing i know about financial independence is i cant believe i have made it to 44 and not skidded on the streets.

Some guys have all the luck, some guys have all the pain, some guys get all the pain,some guys get all the breaks, some guys do nothing but complain!

whaoo whaoo wahoo….whaoo whaoo whooo a oo

I thought it was a cedar, inhaling.

:lol:

Just ran the numbers on a recipe I've been making recently, chipotle baked beans with rice, made into a burrito. I do the rice and beans from bulk dry. The two of them come to $.24 a serving (pretty generous serving), and then I throw in a tortilla for another $.13. Homemade salsa for about half the cost of storebought (so fresh though) and extra chopped cilantro add a little to the price(haven't bothered to run those numbers quite yet). Breakfast burrito? Add a couple eggs. It's really not bad eating. I also started making my own granola from bulk oats.

I'm trying my best to get on the financial independence train by reducing costs where I can. My food spending was out of control.

Just ran the numbers on a recipe I've been making recently, chipotle baked beans with rice, made into a burrito.

I'm in Mexico and I'm pretty sure that you can make it cheaper than I could here. Crazy.