079 | Embracing Retirement | Amy and Tim Rutherford

079 | Tim & Amy Rutherford talk about early retirement, living with lower expenses and a busier schedule of fun, free activities, and what life changes they made to get there.  

• How did Amy and Tim meet and what were their spending habits at the time?
• What did “frugal” look like for Amy and Tim initially?
• With enough money in the bank, cutting their spending gave them an opportunity to retire almost as soon as they became aware of financial independence.
• Managing spending is equally as important as replacing income when it comes to reaching financial independence.
• Optimizing life is one of the most enjoyable things Amy & Tim ever did.
• What factors did Tim & Amy consider prior to leaving the workforce?
• • Physical health
  • Mental health
• How did a chart help Amy get excited about saving?
• “What’s tracked and measured can be improved.”
• There are fun, free activities in every part of the world.
• How do Tim & Amy fill up their days now that they’re retired?
• • Walking
  • Inviting friends for dinner
  • Finding local activities
• Who are Tim & Amy’s “tribe” and how do they find them in new cities?
• What does it look like for Tim & Amy to be house sitters?
• • They watch houses and pets, for free, with a place to stay for free.
• How much are Tim & Amy spending now, and how did they get there from $115k?
• Tim & Amy are actually living below their current budget – they aren’t missing out on things they wish they weren’t.
• “I want to walk the world while I still can.”
• How do Tim & Amy describe their retirement?
• Would Tim & Amy consider selling their house and traveling full time?
• How would people get started with house sitting?
• • House Sitting Magazine
  • House Sitting World
• Tim & Amy buy experiences instead of things.

For the links to resources mentioned in this episode, go to http://ChooseFI.com/079