I don’t have a FIRE number and there’s a reason for that. I don’t want my goal to be a certain dollar amount. I want my goal to be a certain lifestyle. As I wrote in my About page, my goal is to get to the point of financial flexibility so I can explore other opportunities without financial burden to myself and my family. Truthfully, I don’t know what the FIRE number would be to get me to that financial flexibility.

My goal isn’t a number. My goal is a certain lifestyle. I have a family to support so my one requirement is any change cannot financially burden us. Otherwise the change does not support the lifestyle I am trying to achieve. What lifestyle am I trying achieve?

• No debt
• Actively investing
• Actively saving
• Building income streams
• Building passive income
• Continually learning
• Teaching my children and others
• Not being locked in or tied down
• Building financial confidence
• Influencing and supporting others
• No financial burden
• And seeing the world

If I can achieve this lifestyle without having to worry about how I will afford it, then I have reached my goal. I can’t say it’s a certain number that will get me there because there’s a number of things that can’t be quantified like teaching my children or building financial confidence. These are actions and behaviors which are constantly active and continually applying in my life.

How will I know if I reached Financial Independence since I’m not quantifying an actual number? Great question. I think it’s going to require a combination of a couple of things. One, knowing how I will afford medical insurance for me and my family. Two, will I be able to support my children all the way through college? If I can find the answers to both of these, I might be able to finally say I reached financial independence.

If you have a FIRE number, that’s great. It’s a goal you set out for and a great milestone to achieve. For me, if I set a FIRE number and I achieve it, what’s next? Like I said, there are a few items in my list that aren’t as quantifiable. So for that reason, I’m not setting a FIRE number rather a FIRE lifestyle. If you are interested in following my journey, email subscribe to get alerts of latest posts or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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