Archives for March 2019

The Only Requirement for Membership is a Desire to Achieve Financial Independence

March 28, 2019 By Deanna 5 Comments

So as many of you know, I’m 9 years sober. Additionally, I dug my way out of debt and now am on the path towards financial independence.

I had the idea for this post the other day when I was telling someone the similarities I see with people in recovery and people in the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) community. This post is a dedication to the people in both communities.

Membership is Free

In recovery programs, the requirement to join is minimal. Basically, you need only have a desire for help. You don’t even have to have quit whatever addiction you want to recover from to join. You simply need the desire to quit.

Many people who come into recovery want to stop but don’t know-how. However, in being surrounded by an entire community that has found a way to abstain, they find hope. Within that glimmer of hope, many people find sobriety if they have the ability, to be honest with themselves and others.

I came into the FIRE community when I was still paying off my debt and had very little saved for my retirement. People welcomed me with open arms and cheered me on. Furthermore, those who had gone before me were willing to share how they achieved financial independence.

I soak up as much information as possible from the community. Now that I’m above the line financially, I’m taking the appropriate action steps in saving for my retirement.

Seriously, the only desire for FIRE membership is a desire to achieve financial independence.

People are Basically Persevering – Featuring Pomplas Pennies

March 25, 2019 By Deanna 4 Comments

Hello and welcome back to my series where I interview really interesting people and give them a platform to tell their story. If you are interested in being featured, please reach out to me.

Today I’m featuring Ethan & Rebecca from Pomplas Pennies. Rebecca is the author behind the blog. I met Rebecca through our local ChooseFI Group. She posted in our private Facebook group looking to connect with others in the community. I replied and we had our first meet up.

Rebecca & Ethan are millennials with promising careers but a lot of student loan debt. What is so impressive about this pair is their intentional lifestyle in an effort to get to zero. Furthermore, they are doing it as a team to build the future they want. As I learn more about their story, one word comes to mind – persevering.

So without further ado, here they are…

Learn Something New & Re-Wire Your Brain

March 21, 2019 By Deanna 4 Comments

“Every brain is wired differently.” – Dr. John Medina

I’m excited to continue with my series on brain health. In my sobriety, I’ve focused on understanding how to aid in the healing of my brain. I’m always fascinated by what science says; hence this series.

I’ve been reviewing the book, Brain Rules by Dr. John Medina. Additionally, one of my friends and readers has gifted me the book, Brain Food – The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power by Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D., INHC. As I read and unpack this book, I will be, no doubt, inspired to write some articles in this series on brain food.

For the purposes of this article, we are going to learn a little bit about how brains are wired and most importantly how we can change them. Spoiler alert: it involves learning new things.

And the really good news is that if you are on the path to better financial health through education, you are changing your brain!

The Benefits of Automation With Our Finances

March 18, 2019 By Deanna 8 Comments

My Dad gave me a great idea for a post and that is the benefit of automation. Automation is not only a time saver but can result in some reduced expenses and may even contribute to a higher savings rate.

Electronically Paying Your Bills

Most banks (or perhaps all banks) have an online portal to your account where you can set up bill pay. You are able to enter your different bills and pay them electronically each month. My bank even allows me to pay private individuals through this service and they will mail them a check at no cost to me.

Additionally, you can link certain accounts so that your bank will even notify you when bills are due.

You can essentially pay bills via this service one of two ways:

Set up recurring automatic bills – this works well if the same amount is due every month.
Manually log in and pay your bill when it’s due – this works well if the balance is different each month.