Hello, and thanks for checking out my blog!
I go by the moniker “Cubert”. 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) resides 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 Economic 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.
The spring of 2020 was the original retirement target, set six years earlier in 2014. Here it is, 2022, and I’m still clocking in at my job. I 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.
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 401(k) 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
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Cubert has been featured at the following sites:
(Click here for a full list of guest posts and podcasts)
