Here’s how Clarisse turned her financial life around and bought a home: My husband and I got married young—he was 18, and I was 19. By the time I was 21, we had our daughter, without really thinking about the financial aspects of having a baby. We were pretty immature back then. Luckily, our parents […]

I’ve spent years diving deep into personal finance, always on the hunt for that elusive secret to amassing great wealth. Fast forward twenty-five years, and here’s what I’ve figured out: there isn’t a secret. Building wealth is mostly about common sense, discipline, and giving it time. Essentially, all of the financial tips out there can […]

Today marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo for me. While it’s National Novel Writing Month, I’m not actually writing a novel. Instead, I’m challenging myself to produce 50,000 words for my blogs and freelance work. I’ve been a bit lazy this past October, recovering from FinCon and lots of travel, but those are just excuses to […]

Hi there. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? You still look great. Wondering where I’ve been? Well, that’s a story for another day. I took a break from blogging, and now as I share my goals for 2016, I’m inspired by folks like Chris Guillebeau and Maria who sum up their aims in two […]

Today, I want to share a post thanks to Alex from Mutilate The Mortgage. He’s giving away some free gifts just for readers of Reach Financial Independence (RFI). Check out www.MutilateTheMortgage.com to learn how you can pay off your mortgage in less than 10 years! Last year, my wife and I escaped to Fiji and […]

A few years ago, my wife and I decided we wanted to visit Singapore because she had a friend living there. We thought it’d be a great chance to see her friend and her friend’s husband while exploring a new part of the world. We also wanted to visit Hong Kong, a place I’d always […]

Buying a house is a significant milestone in life. I remember when I bought my first property—I had no idea what I was doing and made a few mistakes. On my second purchase, I nearly ended up without a place to stay for a few days because I underestimated how long closing would take. Now, […]

“Chasing Pavements” is a song by British singer Adele, inspired by a personal incident with her boyfriend. After discovering he had cheated on her and punching him in the face at a bar, she walked down the street alone, wondering what she was chasing. She realized she was chasing something empty and unattainable. The term […]

I can’t believe it’s been two years since I arrived in Guatemala with just one suitcase, ready to start a new life in the remote Northern region of Petén. My now ex-boyfriend and I had bought a house there that I’d only ever seen in pictures. Here’s a quick recap of everything that’s happened since. […]

Kayla from FrugalRules.com here. As a personal finance blogger in my mid-20s, I love discussing money topics of all kinds. Today, I want to share why frugality alone won’t lead you to financial independence. From personal experience, I’ve learned that just cutting back on expenses isn’t enough to achieve financial freedom. After graduating from college […]