How to put out a FIRE? Use Liquidity

Recently our plans for FIRE took a slight turn for the worse.  It’s a reminder that paper profits can flatter your balance sheet but when the SHTF it’s all smoke and mirrors. The importance of liquidity is hard to ignore.

Anything which has a value which depends on the whims of individual buyers is a risk.  Think fine wines, classic cars, private shares, property, antiques, stamps.

You could have just invested in a FIRE extinguisher!

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The Dangers of Double Counting

I’ve just uncovered a mistake in my Expenses Spreadsheet.  It tracks all of my Income, Outgoings, Assets, Liabilities and Transfers.  I’ve been keeping it in some form for 17 years and if I spent as much time as I have working on it, learning the piano, I’d be a maestro!

Graphs I like: Income vs. Outgoings

One thing that the Gentleman loves and always has is a good graph!  
If a picture says a thousand words, then a graph says a thousand data points!  A good graph can summarise a lot of thought and allow you to understand something that is truly complex with just a few lines.

Stocks and Shares – more like Shocks and Scares?

This week has seen some pretty volatile movements in the stock markets.  I’ve not been paying much attention to the news but I’m sure it’s a combination of US sanctions, problems in the Middle East, blood letting FAANGs and new next financial crisis beginning.  It almost makes you take you eye off the Brexit shenanigans!

Month End: November ’18 – assets and spending

Where has the year gone???  It’s almost bloody Christmas and there’s nothing but Christmas tunes in the shops – I’ve not seen the sun in week and it’s getting very very cold!!!

Well, at the end of the month it’s time to set some time aside and go over the Gentleman’s Family Finances and this November has been quite good, and after October it’s a welcome relief!

Places I hide my money: Abundance Investment

This is a post about one place where I put my money – Abundance Investment – it’s a good combination of renewable energy projects which means investing in a more ethical manner,  good returns on your investment and a hedge away from the ups and downs of the equity markets.  As Abundance put it “That’s people who want to invest for a rainy day, and would like to build a better world at the same time.”

Ready, Aim, Fire: double my take-home pay

As part of my READY, AIM, FIRE thinking towards FIRE, I’ve now cut my excess pension payments as part of my salary

Month End: October ’18 – assets and spending

What a difference a month makes!!!

Whilst I was enjoying family bliss away from the world, the world was going to pot!  Stock markets were crashing and all sorts of scares were about.  I didn’t pay much attention to it, although  I did see it as a buying opportunity.  But mostly my focus was on family – but since you wouldn’t put a price on your kids, I’ll leave them out of the equation.  So, here’s how the month went for us:

Places I hide my money: RateSetter

This is a post about RateSetter and how I see it as useful for planning for FIRE.  GFF is still on paternity leave and hopefully everything is fine with the family and new baby.

Pay less into your pension to retire early!

I’ve recently had a look at our family finances and I’ve become increasingly concerned with the high level of family spending and high levels of retirement saving – including workplace pensions & the LISA.