One of the earlier episodes of the Choose FI podcast is titled The Why of FI. In it, the hosts discuss why someone would choose a lifestyle focused on aggressive saving, which seems to some like deprivation. From my time in the FI community, I haven’t seen much deprivation. Instead, I see a group of people pursuing their life goals while the rejecting rampant consumerism that adds to lifestyle inflation. The FI mindset is one focused on paying yourself first through saving and investing, while only spending on what you find value in. Everyone has a different “why.” Some want the flexibility to travel long term and some just want to retire early to a part time job that makes a lot less but brings more joy. For me, my why has more to do with the finite time that we all have. I want to be able to spend the most amount of time with my family that I can, and I see FI as a great way to do that and more.
Yes, There are Twins
My wife and I were surprised to learn that she is carrying twins over the summer. We were at the first ultrasound appointment. The doctor was looking at what we thought was our only baby. explaining that the heart beat looked great. Then he moved the sensor a little bit, saying “And there’s baby B.” Our first feeling was shock, but that changed to cautious excitement at the thought of our twins. Eventually we found out that they’re both boys. They gave us a stress free pregnancy. They were healthy at all the appointments and have been head down for the past few months or so. Over the pregnancy, I’ve reached other big milestones. I defended my thesis and graduated with a master’s degree. Then I started my first real adult job. The boys even graciously waited until after my job’s good health insurance kicked in last month. And now, at the time of writing, the boys will be here imminently
Frugal Jon, the FI Twin Guy?
I won’t lie, the twins have gotten me excited about all new ways to be frugal. My wife and I have come up with a bunch of ideas to help us save money. The blog will benefit in some ways from these two content machines entering our lives. I’m still going to focus on personal finance, investing, and value based frugality, but the twins will definitely make some big appearances! I enjoy reading about other parents who are pursuing FI, so I’m excited to add my voice and efforts to the conversation. The twins have certainly required us to add some new line items to the budget, but since we’ve kept our expenses low we’ll still be able to meet our long term savings goals with only a little bit of juggling.
Bringing it all into Focus
I’ve been dreaming and planning for this season of life since I was in still in undergrad. I became interested in FI after being introduced to Mr. Money Mustache when I was in undergrad. The idea that you’re able to take control of your life and have more flexibility is tantalizing. I made a general plan while finishing undergrad and planning for grad school. Without any school loans, I could afford the opportunity cost to go to grad school on an assistantship. From there, I planned on working as an engineer and aggressively saving/investing. Then, after saving for a good period of time, taking a lower paying job as a teacher or other position where I’d get summers off to spend with my family. That’s why I spend time considering what is enough, both in my family’s lifestyle and in my career ambitions. I’m trying to bring what’s really important in my life into focus. For me, right now, the twins are helping me do just that.
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