Category: Finance

The Stock Market Ride

Published on by RV-on-FIRE.com1 Comment

Anyone who has watched or invested in the stock market knows that it is not always for the faint of heart. The market has a way of making you really feel good just before it punches you in the gut.

I enjoy watching the daily ebb and flow of the market. I know I’m in it for the long haul. I don’t worry about big drops or big gains on any given day. The dollar amounts can be sizable, but I don’t need that money today. If you are a person who’s stomach turns at the thought of losing the equivalent of someone’s annual salary on a bad day, week or month, then it’s best you focus your attention elsewhere and stay away from CNBC. Continue reading “The Stock Market Ride” →

Expenses = FIRE Extinguisher

Published on by RV-on-FIRE.com2 Comments

As we continue down this road of self reflection, it is painfully obvious that controlling expenses is the number one priority for anyone pursuing financial independence. I know, thank you Captain Obvious! There is more to this than I originally thought of or considered when we set ourselves on this path. Not only are we trying to cut expenses to increase our savings rate now, we are cutting expenses to create a new baseline for our lifestyle in the future. Continue reading “Expenses = FIRE Extinguisher” →

April 2019 Financial Update

Published on by RV-on-FIRE.comLeave a comment

April is always one of the worst saving months for us historically. Unfortunately, this April was no different. I always play a little game of Russian roulette with our taxes because I despise government spending and waste in general. I choose to hold onto my money as long as possible before the politicians get to waste it; especially state government like we have in California who waste countless taxpayer dollars on lame ideas like a high speed rail line. Um, it’s California! We like our cars and we are not taking a stupid train anywhere, but I digress. Continue reading “April 2019 Financial Update” →

What Is Your Investment Strategy?

Published on by RV-on-FIRE.comLeave a comment

As I await my final statements for the month of April, I was thinking about my current investment portfolio and what changes, if any, I need to make.

I previously admitted that I went through a long period of time where I didn’t care bother to track or deal with my investments. Just based on this, my portfolio probably needs to be reworked. But there are now other factors at work. Continue reading “What Is Your Investment Strategy?” →

First Quarter Update

Published on by RV-on-FIRE.comLeave a comment

The first quarter of 2019 was a welcome change from the end of 2018. It was also what I consider the beginning for us in terms of our pursuit to achieve financial independence.

We had purchased our new RV in the middle of 2018 for which we used a significant amount of cash. Then I stumbled upon a blog by Mr.1500 at 1500days.com which peaked my interest in the #FIRE movement. Following his blog and journey to #FIRE was an awakening for me. It made me question our lifestyle and ultimately helped set us on our own journey to achieve a life detached from the constraints of a required work day. It’s amazing that such a simple concept can change one’s life so dramatically.

Here is how we ended the first quarter of 2019.

Portfolio- $935,504 (Cash and Investments)

Portfolio Goal – $1,500,000

Amount needed to reach goal – $564,496

Our portfolio increased by $104,025 which is about 12.5% from the end of 2018.

Net Worth – $1,125,231

Roadmap to the Future

Published on by RV-on-FIRE.comLeave a comment

We have been doing some soul searching trying to figure out how much money we need to save to reach financial independence. This of course depends on the level of spend we expect to have each month in the future. In this post I will outline the framework of our plan to reach FI. I don’t have an exact timeline yet as that will need to be sorted out as we transition through our plan. Continue reading “Roadmap to the Future” →

Finance Wishes and RV Dreams

Published on by RV-on-FIRE.com3 Comments

I spent some time reviewing our financial situation and had mixed reactions to what I found. I have been in the accounting field for almost all of my professional career which you would think lends itself to smarter money decisions. In fact, when my wife and I first got married I used to watch every penny in and out of our accounts. I would religiously track our investments every month. Continue reading “Finance Wishes and RV Dreams” →