I’ve been a little distracted this past week with the kids and summer. I have so many topics I want to cover, and I occasionally don’t write them down so I end up forgetting what I wanted to talk about.

This past weekend I was helping an elderly aunt of mine get some errands done before she has surgery. As a budget-conscious and frugal person, I had to stop myself from lecturing her about how most off-brand food is made in the same factories as name brand and, in some cases, like Aldi’s, holds the production to higher standards. This is a pretty good overview.

My aunt is a fiercely independent woman who is not very happy about needing help as she ages, and I understand that she’s been budgeting and has been successful without my input on her grocery spending. I think this is a key component of many of the financial issues that plague people. They don’t budget below their means; therefore when places like the FIRE community are chasing easy reductions in spending, over priced name brand food and high grocery budgets are quick kills.

During my drive out to her house, I finished the Caleb Hammer Joe Rogan episode. For anyone unaware, Caleb Hammer is a podcaster that helps people budget and manage debt, but in a more fun, roasting style. The idea of never splurging on a grocery run, let alone regularly shopping at premium stores, is so foreign to me after years of lean, intentional frugality that I was shocked at how much the small amount of stuff she bought ended up costing.

While the trip was several weeks worth of stocking up for her, the cost was half of my monthly budget for a family of five. I love that she’s a person who has handled her finances extremely well all of her life and groceries don’t cause her stress — which is why I wouldn’t say a word about it to her. That being said, it really reinforced to me that the method I advocate for with our $350 grocery budget is my family’s best path. It frees up so much more that can go toward investing in our freedom.

There is no singular journey to Financial Independence. There are many paths, and many ways of doing things. It’s always Math: spend less than you make, and invest the rest. The higher percentage of your income that you save/invest the faster you reach FI. The less money you live on, the less total you need to make working an option instead of a necessity.

~~Miniwing~~
Investor, Stoic, Parent