Dreamcatcher: Posts and podcasts that inspired me this week

Welcome to the Dreamcatcher, where I share the things that inspired me in some way this week, whether to take action or think differently.

Saying farewell to early retirement – Fiery Millennials

Gwen is taking herself out of the traditional workforce to go on an entrepreneurial vision quest. Good for you, Gwen! Her story was featured on Marketwatch, and of course the Internet being what it is, people immediately picked apart everything. But she took the high road in her response, where she calmly explains why the haters aren’t looking at the whole picture as they cut apart the pieces. Throughout, she explains how chasing the early retirement dream actually led her to the realization that she wants to live the entrepreneurial lifestyle, not quit working for money. It’s awesome to see someone have that realization and run with it, giving all the haters a wave and smile as she goes.

Escaping the monotony of the cubicle life – Life Zemplified

In a similar vein, Amy has decided to step away from her full-time job earlier than expected to take advantage of her newfound status as a grandma. She’ll also do some entrepreneurial gigs to make some cash in between doing all the other things she wants to do. As she writes, “Eliminating debt, mindfully spending, maximizing our savings, and investing in mostly index funds, has set us up nicely to take a detour from our original path.” That’s really the key with all of this. By giving yourself breathing room financially, you open up breathing room in life to explore a different place you never knew you wanted to go until the train was right there. None of this stuff is actually about money. It’s about the freedom to follow your heart without always having to ask your wallet if it’s OK.

What I discovered in Hawaii: Aloha minimalism – Keep Thrifty

Just reading Jaime’s post about the family’s trip to Hawaii makes me feel relaxed! I haven’t been to Hawaii, but my wife has been talking about doing it for the past couple of years. Seems like this is one trip we should start looking into. And while I’m normally a hotel and tourist trap kind of guy in a lot of ways, this AirBNB and laid-back beach life idea sounds super appealing.

Debt payoff vs. investing – Countdown to FI podcast

I just met Mr. and Mrs. CTF recently and was really impressed by their openness and honesty. They are pursing FI with younger children, and they’re making headway by living frugally and taking advantage of all the different ways to reduce their taxes, increase their travel and get more out of life. For people (like me) who are trying to do the same, and with kids in the picture, it’s nice to hear from a couple living the same reality. I could definitely follow their lead and re-evaluate some of the spending we’re doing and look at our savings buckets again.