The First Steps to Starting Your Path to FI as First Responders

The first thing you have to do is to sit down and write down all your monthly expenses for your family. Write down everything. The mortgage payment, car payment, car insurance, food, water, gas, electricity, the ballet lessons, your credit card debt, and etc. I’m sure you get the point. If you have a large

Why is Financial Independence (FI) Important for First Responders?

When I first became a deputy, financial independence was far from my mind. To be honest, I did not even know what financial independence was. All I knew was I was making great money (compared to making $12.25 an hour from my previous job), had great benefits, and fulfilled my dream of becoming a peace

How To Do a Simple Budget

Doing a budget to see what your income and expenses are quite simple, but it requires a little bit of math. First thing to do is get a piece of paper and pen to write your income and expense down. It’s easy to do it in your head and get an estimate. But once you

The Difference Between Want and Need

Do you know the difference between want and need? If you don’t, let me explain. Buying something you want is something you don’t absolutely need, but you buy it anyway. An example would be from the previous post. Do you absolutely need a new car when you already have one that is running perfectly fine?

My First Financial Mistake as a Police Officer

Looking back at the beginning of my career, the first financial mistake I made in my career was when I bought my sports car. Even worse was I was given advice by people older than me not to buy a car first, but to continue living with my parents and to save up for a

The Beginning of FIRE for First Responders

I thought I would give it a shot and write about FIRE for first responders. Also, I would like this page to be a place where other like minded first responders can come together to talk about FIRE and other aspects of the occupation (stress, long hours, etc.). My background as a first responder is