Member-only story
To Retire 10 Years Early, Stop Buying These 10 Things
I’d rather burn my money than spend it on this…
Can you frugal your way to riches? Probably not.
Can you frugal your way to early retirement? Absolutely!
If you spend money on 1 or 2 of these things you’re probably going to be alright. Any more than that… it’s going to be very tough to retire early, let alone on time.
1. Credit card interest
This one shouldn’t come as a shock. I have to bring up avoiding credit card debt whenever I can.
Spending more than you earn and putting it on credit cards you can’t pay off monthly is robbing from Future You.
It’s a handcuff that prevents you from saving, investing, and achieving financial goals.
If you have credit card debt (you’ll know because you’ll be paying interest monthly) prioritize getting out of it with all of your focus and attention as priority #1.
2. Higher education
66% of public college graduates walk away with debt. The average debt at graduation from four-year public and private nonprofit colleges was nearly $30,000 in 2020.
