From Broke College Student to Financial Independence in 15 Years
In 2005, I was afraid that I would end up homeless. I was working hard as a college student and juggling two weekend jobs to pay the bills. Every time I passed a homeless man on the way to class, I wondered “could that be me one day?”
I was clueless about personal finance beyond the checking account that my parents set up for me so I could run my life.
My parents spent all the money they made, so I didn’t have a role model for investing either. Until an investment advisor from church convinced my dad in 2001 that his kids should throw the little savings they had into a high-cost mutual fund. It promptly lost half its value, so I was scared of the stock market too.
Then, in 2005, I was introduced to Dave Ramsey. The basic concepts and Baby Steps taught by Dave were a great introduction to the world of personal finance and how to set myself up early for financial success. And my faith in the stock market was renewed.
As the Great Recession hit during my first year out of college, my wife and I turned our attention to real estate. Our first investment was a huge challenge with an eviction, significant tenant-caused damage, and falling home prices. But we learned and went on to build a small portfolio of rental homes that are cash flowing nicely today.
Simultaneously, I earned my master’s degree in engineering, and we invested consistently in the stock market, increasing contributions to equities as we turned more attention to growing our careers. All the while, I found myself studying personal finance constantly in my free time and realized that it was a passion of mine.
After my daughter was born in 2015 and my wife shifted to part-time work, we paid off our mortgages to provide more security and better cash flow. Investing heavily and riding solid stock market and real estate gains through the craziness of 2020 allowed us to claim Financial Independence (FI) and dream of a life where we could both take control of our time and be present for our daughter.
For the last several years, I had spent too many early mornings, late nights, and weekends working. The work was intellectually stimulating, professionally fulfilling, and financially rewarding. But it was stressful and difficult for my family at times. I also spent too many hours sitting in front of a screen at work and too little time taking care of my health to the level that I desired.
Looking into the future, I wanted a different life for myself and my family—one that allowed me to pursue my dream to write about personal finance while traveling and spending more time outdoors. At that point, our financial independence became the tool to confidently transition to the next phase of our life.
I’m passionate about writing and teaching, others about personal finance and helping them to achieve FI and live their best lives. Spending some of my prime hours working on this project—sharing the knowledge and experiences that I’ve learned and continue to acquire along the way—is extremely fulfilling for me. And I’m grateful for all those who have supported me on this journey.
About this website
Pathway to FI exists to educate people no matter where they are on their journey to financial independence.
Do you sometimes feel like you are not in control of your own time?
Have you been stressed out, burnt out, or depressed in the face of another long day at work?
Could you imagine what financial independence could do to bring you back into control?
Pathway to FI will help you solve this problem by building FI quickly for an amazing future while living a great life now.
And if you’re already at the Summit of FI and planning the Descent into retirement, let’s take this journey together!