Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way

by Tanja Hester

My money’s mission is to provide for my life of service, adventure, and creativity, eventually allowing me to retire early and stop working for money. To support that mission, I will stop shopping online without a list, I will stop shopping at Target, and I’ll notice when I’m spending aspirationally in hopes that a product will make me better in some way. And I’ll be more mindful about the money I do spend on adventures so I get the full experience without spending more than I must. My money’s mission is to enable me to travel more and spend more time with my kids, made possible by saving enough to scale back my time at work. To support that mission, I will stop buying the kids toys and clothes they don’t need and didn’t ask for, I will delete my credit card numbers from Amazon and other sites so that it’s not so easy to make impulse purchases, and I will notice when I’m spending money to keep up with the neighbors.