Choices

Today I read an interesting article from Yahoo! Finance by Judy Martel about several couples who retired in their 30s. It is something I can relate to because I too retired from the corporate world at 38. There were common traits among all of them. They all said 'work hard, spend little, save a lot, and spend wisely'. Some of their additional tips are listed below.

• Set spending and investment priorities now for the future
• Stay 100 percent out of debt, except for a mortgage
• Invest in stocks through index and mutual funds
• Use the compounding effect of time by investing early
• Seek a partner with the same financial values

I think all of these are important, but the last one I think is imperative. We all make choices on a daily basis for the things we want, need, or feel obligated to. How well do those choices line up with the priorities that we set for our lives? If they are not in alignment, there will be problems.

These couples all made a choice that they wanted to be free from the working world. Sometimes people around them didn't understand or were jealous. Take a look at the excerpt below.

The Kaderlis say that when they first retired, people treated them like they were on an extended vacation and would soon return to work. "Some thought we were committing social and financial suicide, and others projected that we were selfish or lazy since we opted out of the mandatory working world. This included family members, friends and even strangers. Our choice of early retirement was too far out of the box for them."

Despite the obstacles or people around you that don't understand, these couples made their choice and worked their plan. They now have the time freedom, financial freedom, and the lifestyle to do whatever they want daily. They all used sound financial principles that have been around for centuries to achieve their goals.

The means and the resources are out there. The choice is yours.

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has.
He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:20-21 (NIV)

Information is not knowledge without action
Knowledge creates choices
Choices allow us to change our lives
Delta Inspire

If you have comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at the address below.
Email: DeltaInspire@panama-vo.com