I have been binging the ChooseFI podcast recently and as they say representation is important. One of the amazing things about financial independence is that people have achieved it from all walks of life and through various methods. While there is a lot of commonality in methods: spending less than you earn, investing in index funds, maxing out retirement accounts, there is a lot of difference in the backgrounds of each member. Some are married with families, some are single, some came from high paying jobs, some achieved financial independence on median salaries, some were entrepreneurs, some discovered FI while in their early 20’s, while others didn’t discover it until later in life.
While there are numerous stories already, I believe there is room for more stories, and I hope to be able to reach others to help people see that it is possible to not have to work until 65 and that it is possible to save money. So, who am I?
I am a 32 year old male who grew up in the Southeast. I come from a middle class family who thankfully taught me the value of reading and the value of saving. I went to a small private religious school from K4-12th grade, and then went to a small liberal arts private college to pursue a theatre arts degree. I graduated in four years without debt thanks to my wonderful family, scholarships, as well as the federal work study program. Thankfully, I have been employed in the entertainment industry ever since. As you can probably tell by the site name, I have spent most of those years on the road touring National Broadway Musicals across the USA and Canada. This means I am usually away from home (I still live with my parents) for months at a time, originally staying in hotels, and now mostly staying in Airbnbs. I am currently single and own a 2006 truck and a bicycle.
As mentioned earlier I was thankfully raised to save, though until the past two years it had never been a huge focus of mine. It happened, but I believe that was more a circumstance of only being able to own two suitcases worth of belongings, and not having many needs. So, my plan moving forward is to share tips and tricks for living frugally, saving, and investing that I have picked up while studying and reading about the FI movement.
