Hi, welcome to the blog and the journey. I am glad you are here. I always struggle talking about myself but here goes. My name is David and my Financial Independence journey started in 2015.
My Career
I’m a retired veteran who served in the Marine Corps. We all have a unique story to share and learn from. I made a lot of dumb financial decisions in my life. My main job in the Marines was Aviation Operations. I scheduled flights and tracked all flight data in the units I was in. I have gone to a plethora of military schools and have held a variety of billets. They range from being a Martial Arts Instructor Trainer 2nd degree, Force Fitness Instructor, and most recently Drill Instructor.
I have traveled a lot because of my career and have lived in CA, FL, AZ, HI, and VA. I have also deployed to Iraq in 2006,2007 and 2008. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. These deployments and living in the Middle East has given me an incredibly unique and humble outlook on our life here in America. I will always be grateful for these experiences and to have helped as many people as I have in my career as a Marine.
The Pivot
2015 was a rough year for me, I just got divorced and moved across the country for my career. I had $20,000 to my name and knew I wanted better for my financial future. That moment was a pivotal point in my life in every aspect. From there I started to dive down the rabbit hole of finance. Shortly after, I found the FI/FIRE community and felt like I found my tribe.
I started to get serious about my path in 2016 and started to use Vanguard for my investing.
The Bullet Proof Plan
My plan was straightforward. I would use low-cost Index Funds and take the guesswork out of investing by capturing the entire market while just seeking average returns. The math was simple, the plan was bulletproof, and I was executing it flawlessly.
Index Funds are my Side Hustle Hack, I earn money from them while making money at my W-2 career, while I sleep, and while I enjoy life!
The longer I have executed this plan the better it has turned out. Even with the dips and roller-coaster market, I am still on track. I track my progress through my Monthly Net Worth Update. It’s so interesting to me to see the progress, especially over the years. Add my pension and health benefits to this and you will see how incredibly sound my plan is. It’s as badass as Captain Marvel.
Now Let’s Teleport To The Present
I reached FIRE in 2023 at 38 years old. I’m now married and living in an RV full-time. My wife encouraged me to start building my FIRE lifestyle before I retired early. I’m loving the RV lifestyle and the flexibility and freedom it has given us. I even do a Monthly RV Cost Post to show the actual costs of our RV lifestyle.
The RV life has made me more intentional, flexible, free, wealthier, and just overall more aware of who I am and what I value.
Of course, I must share some pictures on my about me page. Here are just a few of my favorite parts of the Journey.
My Focus And Purpose Of The Blog
I started the blog to honestly get better at writing it was something I felt I needed to improve and thought what better way than to share my writing with everyone to see? The following big reason was to hold myself accountable which is a heck of a lot scarier when you are as transparent as I am on the blog sharing everything for the world to see me either succeeded or fail.
Yet over the last seven years, the purpose has evolved into something so much more about others than about me. Now the purpose is to help others, teach them new skills, encourage them, coach them, and share my wins and losses so others can do better than me.
I want to guide and help people get Healthier, Wealthier, and Happier 1% at a time.
The Shadow Of the Math
The journey is not all about math, there needs to be fulfillment, purpose, community, relationships, creativity, and whatever else brings you value, enjoyment, and happiness. This is a crucial part of the journey that gets left out. Don’t get blinded and too focused on the numbers, remember to build and design the life you want.
We get so focused on the numbers we forget to create a life of fulfillment.
I’m incredibly grateful for my journey and where the FI/FIRE community has taken me. Where does the path take us now that I am FIRE? Stick around and see!!!