Introducing… Michelle @ FrugalityandFreedom

Welcome! Thanks for visiting this little corner of the financial independence internet universe.

My name is Michelle, a single mid-30s South Australian on the path to financial independence.

I work in the events industry which is often a lot of fun, but can also come with variable income and a mix of jobs each year. Having decided on this career path 12+ years ago, I knew I had to get savvy to make the best of my modest income. I was also bitten hard by the travel bug around the same time, so wanted to make sure I could fund a yearly international trip safely.

After studying up on the basics of personal finance, I started to grow my savings and dabbled in buying my first shares in 2010. I soon fell down the financial independence / ‘FIRE’ movement rabbit hole around 2012, discovering bloggers including Early Retirement Extreme, Mr Money Mustache, JL Collins and more. These gave me insight into using money to buy time freedom at an early age. I got serious and started investing up to 65% of my then full-time wages in index funds to build passive income.

Not satisfied to race to the FI finish line and risk burnout or delaying joy, I have taken two six-month mini-retirement trips abroad in five years. I am currently on my third of these ‘adult gap year’ adventures: a year of slow travel around the USA mid 2018-19, with short festival work at Sundance, SXSW, Coachella and more.

Making annual international budget trips a priority since 2007, I have been to 40 countries so far, including Ecuador for a Chautauqua with some of these blogging heroes!

I now typically work the equivalent of six months a year in short-term jobs to cover my expenses and invest a little, while my index fund portfolio slowly coasts to my ‘leanFI‘ number by age 40(ish). While I’ll then have the option to retire early, I don’t plan on quitting work altogether as I enjoy the social aspect, the perks of attending events, the deeper way I relate to a city when working there vs just travelling, and also the security of maintaining employability through ongoing additions to my résumé and skillset.

For me, the pursuit of FI is a natural intersection of other key interests: reducing environmental impact, embracing minimalism, gaining peace of mind, and embodying independence and resilience as a single woman of the world.

Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or email for more musings on financial independence, budget travel, frugality, minimalism and environmental awareness. 

I love to hear from readers and others in the FI community, so don’t hesitate to drop me a line at michelle [at] frugalityandfreedom.com.