2018 Savings Rate in First Year of Semi-Retirement!

Savings Rate Changes I've written in the past about how my high savings rate has been the key to being able to semi-retire after only three years of full time work. In fact, savings rate is the single most important factor in determining your financial independence date and has been the primary focus for me on … Continue reading 2018 Savings Rate in First Year of Semi-Retirement!

Getting Huge Value with the Amex Hilton Aspire Credit Card

One of my favorite things in the world is getting discounted or free travel. For that reason, the best credit card rewards are one of the things that I'm always on the lookout for. Sometimes this can mean going a little overboard, like earning over 1,000,000 points/miles in a three year period, but the value … Continue reading Getting Huge Value with the Amex Hilton Aspire Credit Card

15 Week Summer European Adventure in 2019!

After our semi-retirement last year in 2018, and a wonderfully successful 5 month trip around the world, it's pretty safe to say that Whitney and I are hooked on traveling and exploring various international destinations. We spent about a month in Europe during the trip last year, but most of our time was in SE … Continue reading 15 Week Summer European Adventure in 2019!

Progress to Financial Independence- December 2018

Mr. Market is Mad! Whew, December was a rough month for my net worth. The S&P 500 was down over 13% during the month, which makes it the worst month ever since I started investing seriously in 2015. Luckily I was overweight in cash, so my portfolio wasn't hit as hard as it could have … Continue reading Progress to Financial Independence- December 2018

Rental Property Investing 101

Today I'm excited to bring you a guest post written by James Lowery at RethinkTheRatRace.com about rental property investing. This is an area of investing that I've been interested in for a long time, but I haven't pursued just yet. James has a lot of experience in this area, and this post provides significant value on the … Continue reading Rental Property Investing 101

Five Months Traveling Around The World for Less than $37/Day!

We're Back! Whitney and I have been back in the United States for about three weeks now. It's hard to believe how quickly our five month semi-retirement trip flew by, but it was an amazing experience filled with memories that we will have forever. We were sad for the trip to end, but we were … Continue reading Five Months Traveling Around The World for Less than $37/Day!

Around-The-World Trip Update and Expenses: Hong Kong, China

If you haven’t read any of the prior expense reports from our trip, check them out below: Scotland Ireland Morocco London Berlin Munich Chiang Mai Luang Prabang Vientiane Chiang Rai Hanoi and Ha Long Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh Kuala Lumpur Siem Reap and Phnom Penh Hua Hin, Ao Nang, and Ko … Continue reading Around-The-World Trip Update and Expenses: Hong Kong, China

Around-The-World Trip Update and Expenses: Bangkok, Thailand

If you haven’t read any of the prior expense reports from our trip, check them out below: Scotland Ireland Morocco London Berlin Munich Chiang Mai Luang Prabang Vientiane Chiang Rai Hanoi and Ha Long Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh Kuala Lumpur Siem Reap and Phnom Penh Hua Hin, Krabi, Ko Lanta, and … Continue reading Around-The-World Trip Update and Expenses: Bangkok, Thailand

Progress to Financial Independence- November 2018

The last five months have really flown by! At the time of writing this, we have only two days left in our 5-month around the world trip before heading back to the States, enjoying the holidays with family, and getting on the job search for January. This trip has been wonderful, but Whitney and I … Continue reading Progress to Financial Independence- November 2018

Around-The-World Trip Update and Expenses: Hua Hin, Ao Nang, Ko Lanta, and Phuket, Thailand

If you haven’t read any of the prior expense reports from our trip, check them out below: Scotland Ireland Morocco London Berlin Munich Chiang Mai Luang Prabang Vientiane Chiang Rai Hanoi and Ha Long Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh Kuala Lumpur Siem Reap and Phnom Penh We spent 21 days and 21 … Continue reading Around-The-World Trip Update and Expenses: Hua Hin, Ao Nang, Ko Lanta, and Phuket, Thailand