How I Became Financially Independent in 5 Years

Here’s my secret: I’m 32 years old and I am financially independent. And my husband and I did it all, from $0 to where we’re at now, in 5 years.

But let’s back up. Financial independence means I no longer need to work to support myself and my husband. This does not mean I’m filthy rich; this means only that if I stopped working right now, we would be able to continue living a simple life without needing to worry about paying the bills. If you actually do the calculations, that number is not as high as you might think.

Still, it’s a huge financial milestone that gives me a lot of freedom. Think about it: if you have enough money to cover my basic living expenses, why would you choose a job you don’t like? Why would you spend 8+ hours of my day, 5 days a week, with people whose company you don’t genuinely enjoy? It’s called financial independence because it’s the end of slavery — slavery to the rat race and to the whims of the corporate world. Financial independence gives you the freedom to design and pursue the life you actually want.

When my husband Rob and I moved in together, we had a negative net worth. We had his three teenage children living with us and neither of us had a job. We lived in a small town that didn’t have many job opportunities in his industry and I, with my Australian permanent residency still in progress, was not allowed to work in Australia. Finally Rob found a job in Melbourne, and we moved the entire family there. We signed the lease on a ridiculously…