If you’ve been following along for any period of time — on the blog, on Instagram — you might find yourself wondering if we have quietly lost the plot when it comes to financial independence related content. We haven’t discussed if the 4% rule is working out for us in the drawdown stage, analysis of our portfolio allocations, or how we’re maximizing our tax strategy.
In fact, a quick scroll through our (semi) recent blog posts and social media may convince you this is not a FI blog anymore. RV trip costs. Pacific Northwest adventures. How to leave home for months at a time. The occasional hiking photo. More hiking and travel photos.
Not exactly what most people picture when they think “financial independence blog.”
And honestly? I get that. Which is why I’ve been noodling on this question for quite a bit now. Let’s discuss.
What the FI Community Often Fixates On
First off, let’s be clear the financial independence community is incredible. I write this coming off the absolute high of spending last weekend at Camp Mustache Midwest (CMMW), our fifth time attending! Five years ago, CMMW was our first FI event ever. We certainly dove head first into the deep end. We didn’t know a soul, and were only brave enough knowing we could drive an hour home if it was too (crazy? cultish?) much. Two days later we knew with certainty we had finally found our people.
We love this community deeply. We love immersing ourselves with other smart, curious people who are trying to live an intentional life on an unconventional path.
AND. What we have also noticed when you spend extended time in FI circles, you’ll notice a certain gravitational pull toward the numbers.
The savings rate.
The portfolio allocation.
The 4% rule.
The net worth tracker.
Safe withdrawal rates.
How many years until reaching FI.
And that actually checks out because the numbers part is arguably the easier, more tangible part of the total FI equation.
For all the “numbers” people out there who feel their chest tightening… Let’s all take a deep breath together. There is absolutely nothing wrong with focusing on the numbers. Tracking and understanding your finances is undoubtedly how you get to financial independence. That is how we did it. We still track our expenses (monthly), watch our net worth, and Mike updates several tracking spreadsheets quarterly.
In our opinion though…
Somewhere along the journey focusing on the numbers can become a convenient distraction.
It’s much easier to watch the numbers climb instead of considering what you are actually climbing toward.
FI Has Always Been About One Thing
So if financial independence isn’t ultimately about the numbers, what is it about?
I was recently reminded why we wanted to pursue financial independence. While chatting with a Camp Mustache attendee struggling to get their partner on board to the concept of FI, they asked how Mike got me on board.
My answer: freedom.
Stripping away the spreadsheets and safe withdrawal rate debates, the actual point of financial independence is the freedom to live the life we want to live on our own terms, without money being the thing that stops us.
That’s it. That’s the whole thing.
For you, maybe it is spending time with your family. Starting a passion project. Focusing on your health. Traveling. Maybe it’s multiple things that evolve over time (that’s been our experience).
Financial independence is actually living the life you want.
Money is simply the tool.
We didn’t pursue FI to accumulate the largest possible pile of money, or to optimize indefinitely while years of our life tick by.
We’re Not Writing About Numbers Because We’re Living Life
So back to my original question… I feel pretty good saying FI Venturers might actually be more of a financial independence blog than I give it credit for.
We hit our FI number in early 2024. Since then we’ve spent over seven months traveling the United States in our RV, from wintering in Florida to spending over a month in Washington state. We’ve gone on adventures that wouldn’t be possible if we were still beholden to PTO requests and work demands. We’ve prioritized our health, relationships, experiences, and experiments – all on our own terms.
We’re not obsessing over the numbers or agonizing about safe withdrawals rate because we don’t need to. The financial foundation is built.
Now it’s up to us to do the things the foundation was meant to support.
When I share how much multi-month RV trips actually costs, that is our version of financial independence in action — it’s evidence that an intentional, adventure-filled life is achievable and real, not just a lunch break day dream. When I write about leaving home for extended periods, that’s FI in action. When I document the hikes, national parks, and places we’ve been because our time is finally our own — that’s making our “one day” dreams reality.
Our own conversations are much less about the numbers and more about what we want to do with the precious time we have.
Natural Progression of the FI Journey
The more I think about it, the more our mindset seems like a natural progression of the journey.
I liken it to our school experience… We spend years learning material. We study, work hard, stress about the tests that come along. Maybe we even do “extra credit” to build a buffer. But eventually graduation comes. We stop writing papers, taking tests, and instead start applying the knowledge in the real world.
I feel like that’s kind of where we are. The early and middle parts of our FI journey were consumed by learning and optimizing the numbers — concepts we could sink our teeth into.
Now the natural progression for us feels like financial independence is simply living. This looks like:
Slowing down.
Dreaming.
Allowing for boredom.
Experimenting.
Trying new things.
Learning.
Adjusting.
Leaning in.
I think that perspective — the view from the other side — might actually be pretty valuable to others on the journey.
So we’ll keep showing up — the adventures, the reflections, the real stuff. We hope our perspective and adventures in this teeny, tiny part of the internet helps inspire you. Not only that, we hope it empowers you to consider what living even means when you are building the freedom to define it exactly as you wish (what a gift!).
We’ll keep sharing. We hope you keep reading.
I’d love to hear your thoughts–do folks in the FI community fixate too much on the “numbers?” Is that a convenient distraction, or just a necessary part of the journey? Tell me your nuanced take in the comments below!
What’s new with us? After wintering in Florida during January and February, we’re enjoying a lovely spring at home. Mike is nearly finished with our new deck and I’ve taken up sourdough. It’s been nice to be home.
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