The biggest inspiration that helped me grow my portfolio and achieve financial independence was the fact that other people out there have done it and are talking about it on the internet! That’s why I started this blog – so I could spread the word and let you know that, dear reader, financial independence is possible for anyone.
So to help spread the word, I’m going to start sharing the people, or, ‘FIRE-starters’ who inspired me the most. They come from different generations and backgrounds, but they all have the following things in common:
- They each had a reason to pursue FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) that was unique to them
- They kept a budget and lived frugally
- They invested in the stock market through low-cost, broad-based index funds and stayed the course through major market drops
- Many of them lived in cost-effective parts of the world while their portfolios grew, a concept known as geo-arbitrage
- They chose not to follow modern social pressures to accumulate stuff. They used money to buy their freedom instead
So make yourself a nice cup of pumpkin-spiced something, pull up a comfy chair and let’s find some inspiration from the FIRE-starters out there who are living their best lives and want to show us how!