What is the single best thing you did to get where you are today?

[Pete]

Learning consciousness can be controlled, allowing me to live a life as simple as possible, yet filled with happiness and meaning.

[endthefed]

what a homogeneous bunch! great thread.

my keys match the bulk here - save like crazy, no new cars, spouse, no stupid debt

i do use smart debt - to invest. unsecured fixed low interest rate loans helped me along. i still read every offer that comes in the mail. i save the good ones -- just in case i find something to invest in.

[freebird5825]

Busted my keister in high school to earn a scholarship, so I could get a tuition free college education (BS Physics).

[jayc]

1) Systems/Finance in college.

2) Switched to IT contract/consultant early to increase salary. Always worked at least 2 jobs/accounts for first 12 years.

3) Rental property and 1031 tax exchange.

4) Saved (keogh/sep/ira) as much as I could early to exploit compounding with tax defer.

5) Married spouse that worked. Make no mistake, it took 2. DW handled daily operations and I was in charge of real estate/investing and the big picture. (LBYM - lived on 1 salary, the lowest)

The harder we worked, the luckier we got.

[jayc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan My other Grandad went quietly - not yelling and screaming like his passengers. I also had a Great Grandfather who knew exactly when he was going to die - the judge told him. ... and another of my Great Grandfathers almost died in World War I but survived a mustard gas attack - he ended up a seasoned veteran. Back on topic.... I guess the best thing I've done to get where I am today is to laugh through everything that life throws at me. Humor is the best medicine.

May I use these lines if you are not in the same room. Thanks.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayc May I use these lines if you are not in the same room. Thanks.

You certainly can - be my guest

[treypar]

I fortunately earned a full academic scholarship for my both Bachelor and Master degrees in engineering. I was offered a scholarship for my PhD but DW said that it was time to get a job. I ended up getting a great job.

[kcowan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayc May I use these lines if you are not in the same room. Thanks.

You may want to check it out with the originator of said expressions.

[Koogie]

a > No kids
b > Start own business
c > Be a cheap bugger
d > Have a compatible spouse

[ScottFromUtah]

What we did to help us be able to retire 2 years early:
1. Both DW and I got a Ph.D. and had good jobs.
2. We worked our tails off as university faculty and as authors of textbooks.

We would be better off (or would have been able to retire even earlier) if we had not:
1. Had 7 kids, helped them all through college, and helped them get set up when they got married. Our reward: 20 grandkids so far.
2. Traveled throughout the world (before we got too old).

But I wouldn't have changed a thing.

[michelle]

Without a doubt, my choice of spouse is the reason we become financially independent. We are two peas in a pod. Great match, great life. While we will semi-retire early, I doubt either of us will fully retire until a very ripe old age. The work is too good.

Second would be the jobs we chose. Good pay for time spent working, ignoring the training to get there of course.

Third would be our children. It wasn't until we had them that life seemed to have a lot more purpose. Our goals were no longer aimed simply at pleasuring ourselves as we had for almost 40 years. Granted, we still find plenty of opportunity for pleasure.

Sorry to hear such defensive positions regarding the choice to be childfree. It's a very personal decision, one that we struggled with ourselves. I do agree with other posters about the exaggeration of the costs of raising children. I'm sure someone can pull one of those ridiculous estimates of raising a child from one the newspapers somewhere which are published for their sensationalism, but in reality, most parents know that the incremental cost of a child is not that much more than what it costs for two of you. Perhaps slightly more expense for the infant, and college kid (if you decide to fund this endeavour...many don't). I respect the decision to be childfree (one we made over and over again before switching gears in the twilight of our childbearing years), but I trust that there are other personal and lifestyle reasons for choosing to be childfree rather than simply early retirement.

[MasterBlaster]

Quote:

Sorry to hear such defensive positions regarding the choice to be childfree. It's a very personal decision, one that we struggled with ourselves. I do agree with other posters about the exaggeration of the costs of raising children. I'm sure someone can pull one of those ridiculous estimates of raising a child from one the newspapers somewhere which are published for their sensationalism, but in reality, most parents know that the incremental cost of a child is not that much more than what it costs for two of you. Perhaps slightly more expense for the infant, and college kid (if you decide to fund this endeavour...many don't). I respect the decision to be childfree (one we made over and over again before switching gears in the twilight of our childbearing years), but I trust that there are other personal and lifestyle reasons for choosing to be childfree rather than simply early retirement.

Any man who hates small dogs and children can't be all bad - W.C. Fields

[martyb]

Right after leaving active duty with the USAF, I went to work for the federal government. The timing of this is important, because had I waited a couple more years, I wouldn't be about to retire with a fully COLA'd pension under the old Civil Service Retirement System. That program went away shortly after I started. I'm grandfathered though. Not because I was brilliant, but just because I couldn't think of anything better to do, I stayed with the federal govt., and will be able to retire in January, 2013. I also smartly stayed in the Air Force Reserves, and just retired from that on 1 April, this year. That means I'll be seeing another pension, COLA'd, starting on my 60th birthday (7 yrs from now). Those 2 pensions, along with my TSP & Roth IRA money, wife's 401K & Roth, will hopefully mean we'll be able to sleep well, travel a little, & enjoy our retirement years. The only other biggie we'll need is good health. Can't buy that, but fingers are crossed...