We are currently testing lifestyle without work. We got to this point after many years of learning about FIRE on many blogs and in many books which I will mention on this website.

How this all happened? Well FIRE was a dream of both of us last ten years. Not because we are so lazy that we never want to work. But as most of people, our day to day jobs were not satisfying and we wanted to have a freedom to do whatever we want – travel, surf, cycle, study, write this blog, learn more about finance and real estate, meet friends, improve knowledge of FIRE and pass it on, fight consumerism, polution, and whatever else not bringing income. Therefore we needed some passive streams to support us while doing all this activities.

On the top of this we have beautiful twin baby boys, which we are looking after both full time now.

So there was a great reason to test early retirement. Couple weeks ago I have resigned from my job in finance for education institution. Job was fine, colleagues were nice but I couldn’t imagine to do the same thing for another 12 years. This decision made us full time carers at 43 in my case, living of the fruits of our previous low cost lifestyle, saving and investing.

So far all good as twin boys keep us very busy. we both have heaps of hobbies so without work there is always something to do. Our current investment income is sufficient but modest so we do try do make money on side to supplement it. I think we are very lucky to spend all our time with boys and it is mentally beneficial not to have a boss.

I have done lots of reading about early retirement in your 30s and 40s but mostly in the US and lots of blogs are describing journey to FIRE but authors are not there yet. We must be one of few pioneers of FIRE in Australia as there are not many people following this lifestyle dreams and even less of them if any are there at least judging according to the blogs relating to early retirement in Australia I could find. I think our journey to FIRE can be easly replicated as we were never making much more than average incomes. Though here I must admit it should be reasonably easy in the first world countries like Australia or Germany. Coming from eastern european country which got rid of communism only in 1989 I dont think it would be easy to retire early when average wage is about US$400 per week. Income is just one important part of FIRE mindset. Others are what percentage of that income is saved, investment attitudes and investment income requirements in retirement. Also it is flexibility. You need to be flexible to live where you can afford it, drive what you can afford or eat what you can afford. All of it is well described in other FIRE blogs and i will be touching these in other postings.

We will keep you posted about significant changes in our life. We are only at the begining of the new road and it is both scary and exciting.