Amy Rutherford: In 2006, we met in colorful Colorado. Back then, we were mindless spenders. We tracked every penny we spent and weren’t concerned about the big dollars that were flowing out of our bank account. We thought our spending level was okay because we weren’t in debt (other than our mortgage) and were maxing out our 401ks while adding to our savings and investment accounts at a steady pace. Even so, we spent an average of $115,000 per year for many years. This number doesn’t include income taxes, savings or payments to our mortgage principal. JUST SPENDING! When we started to look into our retirement, we assumed we would spend $120,000 a year.
We had an epiphany in 2014. Spending less meant we didn’t have to work as long. Cutting back made us happier and kept moving up our planned retirement date. By living with less, we were able to say goodbye to our careers in 2015.
From the beginning of our relationship, we treasured experiences over things. As we continue to downsize, our new life is filled with fun, frugal (or free!), fulfilling activities and we’ve never been happier. We spend less time acquiring, maintaining, upgrading, insuring and thinking about our stuff. While it may be cliché, less truly is more. In 2016, we spent $43,000. That year, we took 3 international vacations and traveled (by plane) around the US several times. Tim had back surgery that year which meant a $6,000 deductible. So, $43,000 isn’t lean or mean. There’s fat in there, too. We continue to seek and find ways to further reduce our spending.
We are re-engineering our new lives with purpose. Our path includes more travel and embracing a healthier lifestyle. These days, we are active volunteers, house sitters and travelers.
We blog at http://www.GoWithLess.com. We write about how we retired in our forties and how we plan to stay there.
Related Posts
Mimi Emmanuel- Mimi Emmanuel lives with her family in a treehouse on volcanic rock overlooking the bay. She shares lunch with her friends the butcher birds and Layla Joy her puppy. Mimi writes from her recliner with ear mufflers on, and a cup of chamomile tea beside her. For exercise she wiggles her toes. You
Read MoreElisa Canali- Elisa Canali is a Transformational Life Coach and Business Mentor and intuitive. She empowers women (and sometimes Men) To tell their stories, share their gifts and make money online. Her zone of genius is the capability to translate spiritual insights into actionable steps that create aligned and mind-blowing results. She has the gift
Read MoreAbout Dan TiemanDan Tieman is the Co-Founder of Protocol Solutions, a medical device equipment company dedicated to helping patients worldwide heal without drugs or surgery. He is also the founder of Stealth Media,… … a marketing consulting firm that specializes in generating new patients for medical clinics. Under Dan’s leadership, Stealth Media has grown to
Read MoreAndrew Buckwalter- Andrew Buckwalter was born in Texas and raised in Arkansas. I graduated from The University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I met my wife, Natalie, while in college. After graduation, we decided to move to Nashville and married shortly after in 2001. We bought a house, started a family,
Read MoreElizabeth Sacco Elizabeth Sacco, mom of 4 boys, conceived, developed, and patented Diabetic Dabs® after her son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and there was no safe or appropriate method of wiping away the blood after each glucose test. Designed with an adhesive backing the dabs can attach to the testing kit or any
Read MoreNako Mbelle Nako Mbelle has over 15 years of experience in the technology sector and has held roles in Business Development, Strategy, Sales, Marketing Analytics and Recruiting. She is the Founder and CEO of FinTech Recruiters, a global recruitment firm that she started in 2014; to meet the growing worldwide demand for experienced
Read MorePrevious Episode 1454 S.Collin Ellsworth is an author and the podcast host of “10000 Lakes, 10000000 Books.” Recently, she became a co-leader of the Chanhassen Authors Collective. Ms. Ellsworth lives with her partner, Matthew, 11-year-old daughter, and a 1-year-old son in Bloomington, MN. S.Collin’s Profile: linkedin.com/in/s-collin-ellsworthListen to another #12minconvo
Read MoreKimberly King helps grow your company sales, build new business relationships and turn prospects to customers /Ep 2855 Kimberly King is an experienced Sales Manager/ Business Development Manager with a demonstrated history of working in sales, business development, marketing, and the events services industry. Kimberly is a strong education professional with a Master of Science
Read MoreJennifer Thompson- Jennifer Thompson says being deviant, doesn’t just sound like fun and a little irreverent. Being Deviant will increase creativity, increase innovation, and increase profits. True innovation has no competition. Innovation is a Top 5 priority for executives and most have no idea what it means to be truly innovative. Come explore how
Read MoreNico Mellet- Nico Mellet: Meticulous Financial Analyst who undertakes complex assignments, meets tight deadlines and delivers superior performance. Possesses practical knowledge in corporate finance and financial accounting. Applies strong analytical skills to inform senior management of key trends and relationships. Operates with a strong sense of urgency and thrives in a fast-paced setting. Fluent in
Read MoreJohn Stollmeyer- I describe myself as a conceptual artist and deep ecologist presently focused on edible landscaping. I have been teaching, designing and implementing permaculture ethics and principles around the Caribbean with the goal of inspiring self sufficient communities and sustainable human cultures. Doing ecological regeneration: planting trees, digging ponds and contour drains and constructing
Read MoreDr. Mary Jo Odom- Dr. Mary Jo Odom is a global transformational leader, who believes in activating purpose, empowering vision for personal, professional and societal change. She is a professor, author, speaker, coach, storyteller, strategic visionary, humanitarian, and social change agent. Dr. MJ is the CEO of An Eagles Journey and Vesicle Learning Inc. She has a
Read More