Big Goals for 2026, What FI Means to Me, Net Worth Calc Plus Community Wins

My Year End Win…. From Fake FI to Future FI

Coast FI, Barista, Fat Fi, Lean Fi…. none of them could ever be me. So I jokingly thought of myself as “Fake FI” (perhaps the fake it till you make it approach), but nevertheless, I stayed the course!

Back in 2021 I stumbled across the FIRE movement and ChooseFI. My financial awakening began and I never looked back! As a NYC public school teacher and a very “late starter” (in my 50”s), I was far from your “typical” FIRE person. I listened, read, and learned a ton! If there was one message that resonated, it was to take action!! I focused on the 4 Pillars; tightened my spending, paid off debt, increased my income, and maxed out my 403b contribution rate. I even opened a VTSAX (because JL Collins said so-LOL!). Just a few years in, I felt in control of my finances- well, almost. There was still one looming and seemingly insurmountable debt: my huge student loan.

How could I ever be financially free with that student loan debt? No matter how aggressive I was in trying to pay it off, I would soon reach retirement age and still have those shackles keeping me from feeling free. Somehow I didn't lose sight of the goal. I kept listening to Choose FI, Catching Up to FI, and others, and held on to hope.

My quest led me to the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program which would forgive up to 17,500 dollars if accepted. I eagerly applied and waited. Much to my dismay, I was denied. The following year I reapplied–and again, denied. Discouraged but not defeated, I did some more research and learned about the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness(PSLF). This program forgives the remaining balance on loans after making 120 qualifying payments. Now I was absolutely sure this was the one as I was a public school teacher in a high needs area, and I had been diligent in making payments. So I applied! One incorrect click on the application and BAM–DENIED! So much for “3rd times a charm.” One strength that I proudly carry and learned from my parents is GRIT. I made some phone calls, sent lots of emails, asked a bunch of questions, and reapplied for the 4th time. At this point I had been at it for a couple of years since my first application.

Then came the break–actually the blessing! The email that changed the course of my FI journey; my public service as a NYC school teacher had been acknowledged, my application was finally accepted and the remaining balance of my student loan was forgiven in full! Thank you LORD!

That was the day I went from “Fake Fi” to knowing for sure I was finally on my way to “Future FI!”

And so my Year End Win is not just the huge blessing of the loan forgiveness(including a considerable refund for overpayment), but the shift in mindset and the invaluable testimony that persistence– and a little “fake it till you make it” can reap unimaginable outcomes.

Time to pay it forward! With the refund, I made a large donation to my church’s roof restoration project (a beautiful 100 yr historical landmark in the heart of Queens,NY) and made a scholarship donation to a summer camp where my daughters received scholarships as teens. Most importantly, I shared my journey and testimony with my adult children: live life with hope, discipline and persistence; be grateful when the blessings come–and never forget to pay it forward!

I’m still a few years from retirement and it's not all that “early’, so I decided to personalize the ‘RE’ in my FIRE journey… Financial independence to Reset my Energies!

— Daisy

This message is about 5 years over due. My first win was the fateful day I stumbled across the ChooseFI Podcast and decided to attend my first meet up in Jacksonville, FL.

It was in Oct 2020 Brad and Rebekah did a great job making me feel welcomed. I have always been a money nerd and didn't have anyone else who viewed money the way I did. I knew I had found my tribe. I was a natural saver and investor so I was well on my Fi journey being in the group helped me identify the finish line. I started becoming more involved in the local group often scheduling around them so I would be able to attend.

While attending the local meet ups I learned about Camp Fi registered for my first one that just happened to fall on my anniversary but my wife was kind enough to let me attend because she understood what the community means to me. While there Stephen was really awesome as a first time attendee he allowed me to be a panelist on the case studies I was thinking wow he just met me, I'm not know in the community outside of my local meet up and he allowed me to have a voice.

While attending the following year I asked Stephen to be a presenter the next year. March 2025 Campfi arrived little did I know that CBS Sunday Morning would be recording a piece there and I would be featured on a National Broadcast allowing me to share my story! I could go on and on regarding how that fateful day in Oct 2020 changed my life since then I reached early retirement in 2024, started a platform called Everyday Money Heroes and have become a Financial Literacy Advocate in my community were I conduct Quarterly Financial Literacy Workshops where I share the core principles of FIRE to people who have never heard it encouraging them to join our local group and lobbying with the elected officials to have a citywide Financial Literacy Day.

— Nik

1% better was going on a weekend trip with my book club! All of us are moms and it was so nice not to be in charge of anyone but ourselves. I used points for the airfare and then enjoyed using fun money for great food, the hotel, etc. It was a great trip and we're already planning the next one!

— Allison

Sent the link to my brother for unclaimed property. He had three different claims under his name that totaled $1,000! Just spreading the word when I can.

— Christopher

I have a few wins that have added up to more than 1% over the course of the past year or two. The first was huge-my husband is a military veteran but never followed up to see if he qualified for disability income. A friend of his finally convinced him to go through the application process.

Long story short, his medical concerns were military service related, and we now have income that we never counted on in the past.

A second win, is that I discovered eligibility for citizenship in Europe through one of my ancestors. I spent a lot of time finding paperwork and learning a language, but very soon, my son and I will be European citizens. This broadens the possibility for living, working, traveling, or college beyond the US.

— Amy

A wedding win - My partner and I recently got married and I’m so proud of how we did it! Rather than giving into what everyone else wanted and the big, expensive tradition that weddings can be, we decided to elope in the mountains and make it a luxury, week-long experience for the two of us. All in all with photos, an officiant, flowers, etc we planned to spend a total of about $4k in Breckenridge and Aspen. Our loved ones came in with a couple generous gifts that covered about half of the costs, something we’re incredibly grateful for. The entire experience was exactly how we wanted it: full of lovely scenery, hiking, food, and quality time.

To make it even better, we decided last minute to book a honeymoon to Maui, using the companion pass, airline points, etc and my (now) husband’s excellent happy-hour finding skills! We were able to keep a week and half long honeymoon under $5k for flights, Airbnb, and all food and entertainment.

This has been our biggest example of value-based spending, and I’m incredibly happy to start a marriage based in a place of travel, relaxation, and saving lots of money!

— Alex