Episode 032 – How I worked for 5 Years to Reach FI at 26 | Young FI Guy
Hello from the UK! In this episode our guest, Young FI Guy, talks about how he became financially independent at the young age of 26, how he would do it all over again and picking the right career. A fascinating listen.
We also talk about:
- Are high paying jobs recommended?
- The possibility of earning money in a different and flexible way
- The most important part of reaching financial independence
- Should you really do what you love?
- What he does every day
- Whether he recommends his path to other 20 year olds
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Getting a high paying job as a young adult
Young FI Guy explains that the career you choose really depends on what you really need, what you want most in your life. For him, his purpose of becoming FI was to have a closer relationship with his family, to have the freedom to work when he wants and to be with the people he loves.
His path to FI was simple: earn a good salary as an accountant and save over 50% of his income. He was actually always on his path to FI, since he started saving at a very young age. This allowed him to quit his job at 26 and now at 28 he feels more free than ever. Would he recommend it to other 20 years old? He says he would do it again for himself, but that everyone is different and that it depends on what you value the most. It gets pretty deep 👀
The day to day of a 26 year old FI guy
Yes, it’s pretty crazy that YFG reached FI at such a young age. So it was interesting to hear what he’s doing now at the age of 28 to occupy his time.
He tells us he still works 2 days a week, manages his blog and then rest is occupied by house work, meeting up with friends and so on. Not a bad life 😎.
He tells us that for the future he wants to dedicate his time to helping others, to taking care of his family and being there for them. He realised that those years of intense work as an accountant meant that he wasn’t always there for them, and that now is the time to appreciate and be with them.
Reaching FI from a positive mindset
YFG defines success through his relationships with others, not his career. This is why he is so much happier spending time with friends and family rather than on his career. For him, FI was not an escape, it was a means to an end.
He tells us that it’s important to work towards FI from a positive mindset rather than a scarcity and negative one. Alvar also relates to this; he was a hardcore saver when he was younger and didn’t focus enough time on enjoying the journey. YFG agrees that if you know what to focus on and what makes you happy, FI becomes an enjoyable journey that helps you reach your goals.
What do you think? What is your definition of success? 😛
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