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Personal Finance With a Purpose

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Cubert’s 5 Year Plan to Retire Early (Year 7 and Counting!)

CubertHello, and thanks for checking out my blog!

I go by the moniker “Cubert” (He/Him). The anonymity allows me to keep a low profile while remaining employed in Corporate America.

My family (2 kids and my lovely wife, Mrs. Cubert) reside in Minnesota. To keep up my cardio (and my sanity), I ride my bike to work a few times a week, from April to October. (At least I used to, before the pandemic.)

We don’t live a lavish lifestyle. But since achieving financial independence in 2020 we allow ourselves some fatFIRE indulgences. We keep two paid-off cars in the garage and we live in a modest, well-maintained 1,400-square-foot home.

I preach often in these pages about the importance of balance and avoiding regrets as we move from one day to the next in our increasingly hectic lives. This is not a “frugality above all else” kind of blog.

Here are Cubert’s most popular posts for you to get grounded on the “never retire maybe philosophy”:

  • The Airbnb Experiment
  • What Are the Alternatives to Retirement?
  • Pursue Purpose and Struggle, Not Happiness
  • The Economical Benefits of Being a Landlord
  • How to Make a Million Dollars in 10 Years
  • How to Survive (and Thrive) in a Dreaded Cubicle Job
  • Early Retirement Due to Stress: Freedom From the Grind
  • Small House vs Big House: Why Smaller Homes Are Better

 

Personal Finance With a Purpose

Early Retirement, powered by Financial Independence, also known as “FIRE”: That’s the premise of this blog.

Spring of 2020 was the original retirement target, set 6 years earlier in 2014. Here it is, 2022 and I’m still clocking in at my job. I just need to break my addiction to paychecks!

As you read through the blog’s archives, it won’t take long before you spot the skeptic in me. Is early retirement all it’s cracked up to be? Some days I dream about new adventures. Even simple things like reading (and taking naps) have me longing to escape the cubicle lights.

But there are some rewarding aspects of a day job. Right?

Money is vital, but sadly, personal finance isn’t a subject you learn enough about in school, much less from your parents. The trick is to master money and relationships TOGETHER.

Oh, and don’t be just another Ebenezer Scrooge with mountains of cash and no purpose in your life. Regrets will eat you alive.

 

Cubert family
When you need a break from career mountains, get out to the real ones!

 

How I Achieved Financial Independence

In 2013 I leveraged what few assets we had to purchase a few real estate rentals. We now have five rentals in total, one of which is an Airbnb rental. Real estate not only provides cash flow (if done right), it also provides some amazing tax advantages.

We keep our other investments basic, with 401K dollars fully allocated to low-cost index funds. But the real key is to avoid spending money on frivolous crap. At work, climb the ladder with leadership and people skills, and push for raises and promotions you know you deserve!

Remember always: Fancy vacations, big houses, fast cars, and other indulgences won’t matter if you’re stuck in a job you hate.

Nowadays with Financial Independence attained, we look forward to contributing some of our wealth to meaningful causes (Givewell and Children’s Heartlink), using donor advised funds and matching corporate donations.

I hope you’ll visit often and leave comments! It’s a joy to share my journey with like-minded people and even the contrarians too. 🙂

Cheers,

-Cubert

Remember to subscribe to my newsletter and get updates each time a new post is published. Gracias!

 

Cubert has been featured at the following sites:

(Click here for a full list of guest posts and podcasts)

 

physician on fire logo

 

apex money

 

Collecting Wisdom

personal finance blogs

 

campfire finance

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CubertTired of the corporate cubicle grind? If so, grab some popcorn, and follow Cubert’s ups and downs as he torments himself with the prospect of Early Retirement. Is it all it’s cracked up to be?

Cubert is a proud supporter of Children’s Heartlink and GiveWell. All blog earnings are donated to these and other worthy causes.

Categories

  • Airbnb Hosting Strategies (10)
  • Cubicle Survival (25)
  • Early Retirement (28)
  • Health and Lifestyle (25)
  • Minimalism (23)
  • Personal Finance (28)
  • Real Estate (13)

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Featured

The Airbnb Experiment

The Alternatives to Early Retirement

Is Stress a Good Reason to Retire Early?

How to Survive Your Cubicle Job Years

The Millionaire Next Door Formula

The Benefits of Being a Landlord

Pursue Purpose and Struggle, Not Happiness

The Power of the Humble Complaint Letter

Should I Keep Working in Order to GiveWell?

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