7 things I refuse to spend my money on so I can retire early

how mindful spending helped me quit my means to an end job at age 31

I know how dreadful Sunday evenings can feel when you have a means-to-an-end job.

I know what it feels like to crave freedom and meaningful work.

In 2020, everything looked good on paper. I was working a career that would make my ancestors proud, and would make me look impressive to most people in society.

Except there was one problem.

I felt trapped.

I wasn’t inspired.
I wasn’t challenged.

When the global pandemic hit? I was relieved to be able to work from home.
That is not a normal reaction, but it was the true state of my inner world.

I was so relived to be able to at least enjoy the comfort of my own home.

I didn’t have to have to wake up before my circadian rhythm was ready.

I didn’t have to have to take my morning coffee to go.

I didn’t have to have to do my work in a cubicle inside a lab with limited access and no windows.

After two years of mindful spending and aggressive investing, I unlocked a level of freedom that I thought I would have to wait at least 8 more years to unlock.

I didn’t realize I could quit my good job, reinvent my career, and engage in meaningful work in my 30s without ever having earned a six-figure salary.

After now having practiced mindful spending for 5 years, I have come to realize that this approach to spending made the things I do chose to buy infinitely more satisfying – like how reducing processed sugar makes fresh fruit taste vividly sweeter.

The 7 things I don't spend money on (so I can retire early)

This week on YouTube, I'm sharing some of the big ticket items that I choose to optimize in order to create more freedom and space for meaningful work in my life:

1. High transportation costs

2. Solo living

3. Packaged groceries

4. Full-price travel

5. Excess taxes

6. New furniture

7. Financial advisor fees

In the video, I will go into more detail on each one and share some practical tips for each item. For full-price travel, I share 3 life changing trips I’ve been able to go on using credit card points. Spoiler: I got engaged, married, and went on a honeymoon on credit card points and had such a dreamy, luxurious experience.

IMPORTANT NOTE
This is not a prescriptive list. My invitation here is not to have you copy this list, instead it’s an opportunity for you to see how a real person in her early thirties made and continues to make mindful and practical decisions to further her financial goals while still living a happy life.

I’d love for this to be an opportunity for you to reflect on which spending you accept by default and ask yourself:

What spending patterns am I accepting without question? Where might intentional shifts create not just financial abundance, but a richer, more meaningful experience of daily life?

None of these changes required extreme sacrifice for me. Each one created space for what matters most to me (which is time freedom and meaningful work), while teaching me profound lessons about value, choice, and satisfaction.

What about you? What matters the most to you and what financial shifts are you willing to make to make that a reality? Let me know in the comments of this week’s video. I’d love to get to know you.

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Resource Corner

1. Save money on your auto insurance

Are you overpaying on your auto insurance? I have a better idea. Get a better quote and use the savings to put towards your current financial goals instead.

2. Open up an investing account or HYSA

Your cash is losing purchasing power to inflation. It’s time to make financial decisions in your best interest. Find an investing or HYSA account today.

3. Find a professional advice-only advisor*

Do you have a one time investing question you want to run through a certified professional that legally has your best interest in mind? Or do you need help developing a strategic plan? How Nectarine can help: retirement planning, portfolio review, estate planning, 401k rollovers, tax planning, Getting started with investing, Investing for kids, and more. Find an advisor today!

4. Find more thoughtfully curated resources HERE.

*I am not the creator or employee of this company, but I will be compensated by them if you use my affiliate link. As with all affiliate partnerships, I am incentivized to share these links which is a conflict of interest.

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Weekly Challenge

Moving forward, I want to give paid subscribers access to weekly challenges so you’re able to make meaningful progress on your FI journey, and get some special value from these weekly emails.

To my free subscribers:

Talk soon,