How to Build the SlowFI Life of Your Dreams

Hello FIRE community!

Many people believe that achieving Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) is only possible for those with high incomes and significant savings rates. However, the SlowFI approach offers a pathway for lower income earners to work towards financial independence while enjoying a rich, fulfilling life along the way. Unlike traditional FIRE, which often involves aggressive saving and sever frugality to retire as early as possible, SlowFI focuses on enjoying life now while steadily working toward financial independence. It’s about balancing present happiness with future security. You don’t have to sacrifice today to secure tomorrow, but know that some sacrifice and hard choices will be required. Here’s how you can build the SlowFI life of your dreams by incorporating key principles of this mindful and balanced lifestyle.

1. Embrace the Surprising Wealth Journey

The Surprising Wealth journey is all about balance and implementing concepts of SlowFI. Instead of deferring all enjoyment and personal fulfillment until reaching financial independence, SlowFI advocates for a lifestyle that allows for happiness and meaningful experiences throughout the journey. This makes it much more sustainable feeling, which you will need, because this path is a marathon and not a sprint. By prioritizing work-life balance, quality relationships, and personal well-being, you can live a richer, more fulfilled life while still making progress toward your long-term financial goals.

2. Evaluate If You Are Running The Right Race

As you embark on your SlowFI journey, it’s crucial to ensure you’re running the right race. Are the goals you’re striving for truly your own, or are they influenced by what others expect of you? Imagine achieving all your goals—would you genuinely love the life that follows?

Take, for instance, the corporate high-flyer who earns a six-figure salary and enjoys prestige but misses out on their children’s milestones because of a relentless work schedule. While society might applaud their success, the personal sacrifices might not align with their true desires.

Or consider someone residing in a high-cost suburb, always striving to keep up with the neighbors. What if they reevaluated their entire life plan and allowed themselves to dream differently?  Could move to the country farmhouse they’ve always longed for, or find a remote job that allows them to sell everything and travel the world using geo-arbitrage? Sometimes, our dreams are closer than we think when we’re willing to redefine success and make substantial changes.

To create your dream life, start by visualizing a perfect day and week. How do you feel waking up in the morning? Who do you spend your time with? What activities fill your days? Perhaps you see yourself having a relaxed morning coffee with your partner, working on passion projects, spending afternoons in nature, and having time for family dinners and hobbies. This vision can guide you toward goals that resonate with your authentic self, leading to a life you’ll love every day.

3. Value Experiences Over Status and Things

A frequent tenet of SlowFI is valuing experiences over material possessions. I consider this to be an amazing like hack in creating your dream life. Experiences often bring more lasting joy and fulfillment than things. Activities like traveling, spending time with loved ones, and pursuing hobbies create memories and connections that enrich your life in ways that possessions cannot. A dream life doesn’t have to mean an expensive life. If you are solving for your core desires, you can creatively build that dream life. By prioritizing experiences, you can cultivate a deeper sense of happiness and satisfaction, making the most of your financial resources.

Want to spend more time with friends? How about hosting them at your house for snacks and games, or suggesting a nearby hike, or offering to ride around with them while they run errands?

Want to take more trips, but don’t know how to pay for it? Make saving for it a game. Visualize what you want, set the intention, and build a plan. Then cut ruthlessly on mindless spending and any areas you don’t really care about. In my case, I often cook at home instead of eating out, because I know that’s a $20-$50 decision that can go straight to my travel dreams instead.

4. Create Work-Life Balance

Achieving a healthy work-life balance brings numerous benefits, including reduced stress, improved mental health, and enhanced overall well-being. SlowFI encourages working fewer hours or finding flexible work arrangements to create time for relaxation, hobbies, and family. This is a superpower of living below your means. It creates the space in your financial life to make choices that aren’t only motivated by money. By striving for work-life balance, you ensure that your pursuit of financial independence does not come at the cost of your health and happiness.

5. Practice Mindful Spending

Mindful spending is about being intentional and thoughtful with your financial resources. It involves aligning your spending with your values and priorities rather than succumbing to impulse purchases or societal pressures.

In my case, this looks like the older, reliable, paid off car that I’ve been driving for 10+ years. Or our choice to live in a tiny “starter home” for 13 years before “upgrading” to a bigger home. These choices allowed us to spend more on other things we value like: aerial silks and jujitsu classes, real estate investments and retirement contributions, travel and tools, working fewer hours.

This approach helps you make financial decisions that enhance your overall well-being and support a balanced lifestyle. By practicing mindful spending, you can avoid unconscious expenses and focus on what truly matters, leading to greater satisfaction and financial stability.

6. Prioritize Health and Wellbeing

Prioritizing health and wellbeing is essential for a fulfilling and balanced life. Good health allows you to enjoy your experiences, maintain energy and focus, and reduce stress. This encompasses physical, mental, and emotional well-being. By making health a priority, you can improve your quality of life and ensure that you are able to fully engage in the activities and relationships that matter most.

As someone who has some “invisible” health challenges, building a life that allows me to have time flexibility to rest when needed and to have financially secure to work less when I don’t feel well, has been invaluable. Prioritizing wellbeing equally with earning has been helped my navigate stressful times with more grace and ease. Investing in your wellbeing pays dividends in every aspect of your life. Health is wealth.

7. Set Flexible Goals

Financial goals should evolve as your life and circumstances change. Adapting your financial goals ensures that they remain relevant and achievable. This flexibility allows you to respond to unexpected opportunities and challenges, ensuring that your financial plans continue to support your overall well-being.

How much we spend and what we spend it on has shifted from our 20s, to our 30s, to our 40s. We all change and grow over time with particular interests or responsibilities shifting as we move into new life stages. By regularly reviewing and adjusting your goals, you can maintain a sense of progress and purpose on your financial journey.

8. Invest in Relationships

Strong relationships are a cornerstone of a fulfilling life. They provide emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging. Investing in your relationships with family and friends enriches your life and creates a support network that you can rely on. Building your network of colleagues, peers, mentors, and advisors will help you gain the knowledge and resources needed to excel in your work/business/investing endeavors.

By prioritizing quality time and meaningful connections, you can build stronger, more resilient relationships that enhance your overall well-being. The time and effort you invest in your relationships pay off in the form of lasting joy and fulfillment, personal growth, and often a sense of purpose and belonging.

9. Enjoy the Journey

Finding joy in the journey is a key principle of SlowFI. Instead of deferring happiness until reaching financial independence, find fulfillment in each step of the journey. Appreciate the progress you make, celebrate small victories, and find joy in everyday experiences. Practice gratitude by actively looking for and appreciating the good things in your life, while also asking the question: “How can I build more of those things I want into my life today?”

By focusing on the present and savoring the journey, you create a more balanced and satisfying life. By seeking ways to make your day to day life even more fulfilling, you can build you dream life in real time, rather than a future fantasy in your head. This approach helps you stay motivated and engaged, ensuring that your pursuit of financial independence is a positive and enriching experience.

Go Build the SlowFI Life of Your Dreams

Building the SlowFI life of your dreams involves embracing a balanced, intentional approach to financial independence. By valuing experiences over things, creating work-life balance, practicing mindful spending, prioritizing health and wellbeing, setting flexible goals, investing in relationships, and enjoying the journey, you can create a life that is rich in joy and fulfillment. SlowFI is not just about financial independence; it’s about creating a life that you love, every step of the way.

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#LiveALifeYouLove #LivingWithIntention #FinancialIndependence #WealthBuilding #LifestyleDesign #FinancialFreedom #SlowFI #GetRichSlowly #SurprisingWealth

Let’s get curious….

How would your dream life look if you balanced your work commitments with more time for the activities and experiences that bring you the most joy?

Imagine a life where your spending aligns perfectly with your values and passions. What experiences would you prioritize to create lasting memories and fulfillment?

What changes can you make to ensure that your health and wellbeing are at the forefront of your journey, enabling you to enjoy every step towards financial independence?

These questions are designed to inspire reflection and action towards aligning your life with your values and goals. By exploring these questions, you can gain deeper insights into your financial journey and identify actionable steps to move closer to your goals. Financial independence is a personal and unique journey for everyone, and we hope these questions inspire you to take meaningful steps towards your own financial freedom.

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A Bit About Us

Our journey began with humble beginnings. We’ve navigated through the challenges of creating a life and a living we love, while earing low to median incomes. What started as a modest dream of being able to retire someday has turned into a concrete plan. We’ve been on the SlowFI path, consistently saving and investing for 20+ years. Our income over time has stayed roughly in the 50th percentile, so we are truely everyday Americans. We’ve achieved remarkable results through living below our means and consistently investing the difference. Now in our mid-40s, we are in the top 20% for U.S. household wealth for our age group. This has been possible through conscious spending, consistent saving, strategic investing, and a commitment to lifestyle design where we spend generously on things that bring us value and contentment, while cuting back on things we are ambivalent about. It can be daunting when you hear the stories of tech workers or doctors or other people with large income shovels. We want to share how an everyday couple with median US income has built wealth for the future, while also creating a life we love today.

Why Financial Independence?

Financial Independence means having the freedom to make choices that aren’t dictated only by the need for a paycheck. It’s about gaining control over your time and energy, and being able to pursue what truly matters to you. For us, it’s about creating time for friend & family, travel, and the experiences that bring joy and fulfillment.

Join Us on the Journey

In January 2021, I ran some calculations, projected our investment growth, and analyzed our current spending levels. After adjusting our spending assumptions for future inflation, I realized we could replace our earned income (trading time for money) with investment income (our money making money for us) in approximately 10 years. With 90 months left to go, we’re solidly on that path and we want you to join us. Whether you’re just starting out or well on your way to financial independence, Surprising Wealth is here to support and inspire you. Together, we can make every month count and turn dreams into reality.

Thank you for being a part of our community. Let’s embark on this journey to financial independence together!

Disclaimer: All the tips and stories here are from my own journey toward financial independence. Remember, what worked for me might not work for everyone. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial, legal, or tax advice. Always consult with a professional before making any significant financial decisions.