Freedom
From Junkie to FIRE
- Reader Case: Young and Worried About Finances - February 24, 2020
- From Junkie to FIRE - February 17, 2020
- Our 2019 Finances - January 6, 2020
I am continually inspired by people who take the time to write to us and share their story of how they overcame their own personal hang ups about money, life, or whatever to get on the path to FIRE. We’ve all been there. I myself grew up in abject poverty and suffered from a brief addiction to purses. But some people had it even worse. Some people were actual addicts. And that’s who we’re talking to today. Ryan, thank you talking to us. You have quite a unique journey in that you were homeless and a drug addict at one […]
Happy New Year and Reflections on 2019
- Reader Case: Young and Worried About Finances - February 24, 2020
- From Junkie to FIRE - February 17, 2020
- Our 2019 Finances - January 6, 2020
As my last post of 2019, I wanted to say Happy Holidays to everyone. Hope you had a great year, and here’s to 2020 being even better! Now, at the end every year, in between celebratory champagne and the New Year’s Eve countdown, Wanderer and I always love to reflect back on everything that happened during the year. And boy, do we have a lot to reflect on. So much has happened this year! I swear I’ve been saying this every year since we retired in 2015, but every year it just seems to be getting even more cray cray! […]
Let’s Go Exploring! Taiwan: The Heart of Asia Part 2
- Reader Case: Young and Worried About Finances - February 24, 2020
- From Junkie to FIRE - February 17, 2020
- Our 2019 Finances - January 6, 2020
The WRONG way to eat xiao long bao (soup dumplings) Step 1: Shove entire soup dumping into mouth. Step 2: Bite down and unleash an inferno of soup lava onto tongue. Step 3: Run flailing and screaming, mouth first into a nearby lake The RIGHT way to eat xiao long bao Step 1: Take a tiny bite from the side, creating a small hole in the skin. Step 2: Let the steam escape. Sept 3: Slowly sip the soup through the hole. Place sufficiently cooled xiao long bao in mouth. Chew. Step 3: Avoid getting 3rd degree mouth burns. Success! […]
Let’s Go Exploring! Taiwan: The Heart of Asia
- Reader Case: Young and Worried About Finances - February 24, 2020
- From Junkie to FIRE - February 17, 2020
- Our 2019 Finances - January 6, 2020
“Duìbùqǐ. Bùhǎoyìsi“ (I’m so sorry. So embarrassed). This was by far the most common phrase I heard in Taipei, Taiwan. No matter how bizarre or ridiculous my request was. It was always met with a sheepish smile, a polite nod, and the re-assurance it was always their fault for not going out of their way to give you whatever you wanted. The Taiwanese love being helpful. My friend and fellow early retiree Jeremy (a.k.a GoCurryCracker) who lives in Taipei says that the biggest difference between getting on a subway in China versus Taiwan, is that if you see an old […]
FIRE Doesn’t Fix Everything
- Reader Case: Young and Worried About Finances - February 24, 2020
- From Junkie to FIRE - February 17, 2020
- Our 2019 Finances - January 6, 2020
My alarm clock taunted me. 3am, 4am, 5 am. I could barely lift my eyelids. Sleep weighed me down like a thick blanket, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t fall sleep. Every time I drifted off; a shot of adrenaline would kick me awake. What if I don’t get this project in on time? What if I get fired? What if I’m a huge failure? I don’t think I can do this anymore. Where’s my life going? What’s the point of all this? My brain was a broken record player. Play. Pause. Repeat. Play. Pause. Repeat. […]
