Have you seen these headlines? Simplifying Your Life, Retire in Your 30’s, or Live Like a Minimalist?

Only in the last few years have I learned what simplifying, minimizing, and the FIRE movement, is all about. I’m so glad I explored these topics as they’ve positively changed our lives considerably. Bringing less stress and more joy, less stuff and more freedom, less unhealthy habits and more pleasure, and even mo’ money but fewer problems.

I’ll explain a bit. In March 2013,  John and I got married. It was the third time for both of us.  Yes, the third time – for both of us – please #dontjudge #thirdtimesthecharm. While our lives are nowhere near perfect, in these past four five years we’ve experienced and accomplished much.

With a bit of effort, we’ve progressed significantly towards simplifying and improving our:

• Food habits – being more aware of what we put into our bodies for our overall health and energy, thereby losing weight and improving how we look and feel
• Fitness habits – finding what works for us, to increase our movement, enjoy greater function and stamina, have better bodies and more fun
• Home and space – minimizing things in our home and life and experiencing more choice, less chaos, and more significant happiness
• Financial habits – increasing our earnings, eliminating debt, growing our savings and investing for our future

Simplifying Nutrition & Learning to Eat Real Food

Four Five years ago, I was a bit overweight, suffering almost daily from migraine symptoms – headaches, dizziness and vertigo, brain fog, nasal congestion, and more – as well as experiencing digestive issues and joint pain. I had little energy and just felt blah most of the time. While I was not on any prescription medication, I often took over-the-counter pain, sinus, or allergy relief meds.

John was on high blood pressure medication and cholesterol-lowering drugs, he too was slightly overweight, with low energy levels and achy joints.

I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you. – Joyce Meyer

We didn’t think we ate a lousy diet per se, but we did eat out many nights, used some processed foods to fill our diet, drank a bit too often and I still had a sweet tooth.

Eliminating processed foods, gluten, and dairy, and eating real food – mostly organic – prepared at home was truly transformational for us.

Today, we are both at our ideal weight, John lost 15 pounds and me almost 25lbs., and we maintain our current weights fairly easily. John is off all medications. I very rarely have any migraine symptoms. We feel better, have more energy, and enjoy eating delicious, real food, while still enjoying the occasional libation, red wine, or craft beer.

Simplifying Exercise, Moving More & Having Fun

We’ve done indoor rock climbing, running, walking, strength training, kayaking, hiking, bowling, and golf – yes those last two count. We enjoy some more than others, have dropped a couple, completed a half marathon – #ourtimesucked but #wefinished.

Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors. – Norman Cousins

Strength training, mostly with simple body weight exercises, and distance walking remain our staples. Golf, hiking, and kayaking are limited due to Michigan weather. Unfortunately, shoulder injuries for both of us sidelined our rock climbing adventures – our favorite activity –  but we are still hoping to get back to it someday soon.

With continuous exercise habits that we genuinely enjoy we have transformed our bodies, eliminating body fat and increasing lean muscle. Now we have better muscle strength, energy levels, range of motion, flexibility, and endurance than we did four five years ago.

Simplifying Home & Life Towards Minimalism

Not only did we get married in the last four five years, but we also experienced some ‘life stressors’ if you will, including:

• Moving twice – buying one home, purchasing another and renting in-between
• Changing jobs – each of us twice, and me leaving mine in Feb. 2018
• Losing a parent – his mom and my dad
• Gaining a roommate – my mom
• Buying a 2^nd home – for mom to spend the winter months and for our future retirement
• Becoming accidental landlords – renting to relatives
• Becoming Grandparents – exciting and wonderful, but still a little stressful (how am I this old?)

All of these things, and other things I’ve probably forgotten chosen to forget brought many emotions and often time’s great turmoil. In efforts to cope with the often-compounding stress, I read numerous blogs and books on stress-reduction, minimizing, and simplifying life.

I desired the elimination of all the unnecessary from our lives to embrace and experience more of the good. Through great determination, we’ve given away or donated lots and lots of clothing, books, furniture, decorative items and household goods. We’ve also up-cycled other items and avoided buying/adding more ‘material things’ to our home.

We’ve found an endless amount of good coming from these efforts. While we still have some clutter, packed boxes and other non-essentials to eliminate, we’ve come a long way in reducing our ‘stuff.’

Simplifying Finances & Minding the Gap

The start of our new financial journey involved changing jobs, increasing education, and hustling on the side which boosted our earnings. With focused concentration, we spent mostly on needs versus every want and eliminated all non-mortgage debt.

With these practices, we widened the ‘gap’ between our earnings and spending every month.

Saving and investing the gap, increasing our retirement contributions, purchasing a sensible home, obtaining a 15-year versus 30-year mortgage, doing lots of DIY home maintenance and improvements, and selling our beloved Jeep Wrangler to drive older non-sexy vehicles, increased our net worth considerably.

In a nutshell, with all of the above (and some profitable stock market growth), in four five years we’ve:

• Eliminated all non-mortgage debt – over $90k paid off
• Established an emergency fund equal to 6 months of expenses
• More than doubled our retirement savings
• Increased the value of our primary home almost 30%
• Purchased a 2^nd / future retirement home
• Purchased a rental property
• Improved total net worth 200%

So much is possible (in a relatively short amount of time) with focus, determination, and consistency. I hope a bit of our story will inspire you. And I hope that if you aren’t already, you soon will take simplifying steps to eat better, move more, and mind the money gap.

Please join us and begin – or go further in – simplifying your life. With minimalization come great rewards. Eat real food, be active, and start on your path to financial independence. Experience your own positive physical and fiscal transformations.

What have you simplified or what are you hoping to simplify in your life?