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I have been so busy just going about my everyday business, that not only did I forget my blog anniversary earlier this year but I completely skipped last year’s anniversary! Must have been menopausal brain fog! Oh well!

Happy  belated 12th birthday to Quietly Saving! 🙂

Anyway, wow, long time or what!

My blog is ancient! Old school and retro? I’m fine with that!  It  works for me – so many (far glossier and modern) FIRE blogs have fallen by the wayside over the years, disappearing into the internet abyss. Sadly, I’ve not had the time (yet) to seek out new ones to add to my redundant blog list. Think the young people aiming for FIRE prefer vlogs.

Last Woman Standing

Do I still enjoy writing this blog? Yes, I still find it freeing to be able to write like this. The blog helps me focus, documents my journey, helps motivate me, it’s a place to empty some of the thoughts rattling around my head or to articulate ideas. It also keeps me accountable.

Some might describe my progress over the years as ‘plodding’ but the truth is, I’ve just gone as fast I’ve wanted to; I was never in a rush to FIRE and I’ve not suffered from FIRE burnout, have just steadily and purposefully moved forwards at my own comfortable pace, step by step. It’s my race, not anyone else’s.

Well, the wheel of time grinds onwards and last month, my blog turned an epic TEN YEARS OLD!

Happy 10th birthday to Quietly Saving! 🙂

Long time or what! Except it hasn’t really felt that way.

My blog is positively ancient compared to some other FIRE blogs (not that there are that many these days), considering how many have fallen by the wayside and dropped into the abyss of the blog graveyard over the years. In the words of good old Elton, “I’m still standing!” 🙂

Last Woman Standing

Even after 10 years, I still enjoy writing (most of the time) – the blog is a means to help me focus, to document my journey, to help motivate me, a place to empty some of the thoughts rattling around my head or to articulate ideas. The blog was never about making me money, else I would have given up after year 1!

Some might describe my progress over the years as ‘plodding’ but the truth is, I’ve gone as fast I’ve wanted to; I see it as steadily and purposefully moving forwards, step by step.

The last couple of years did feel like a bit of a slog – there was barely any progress with my Future Fund due the stock markets creeping along sideways, it was all quite disheartening and demotivating but I doggedly kept at it.

At no point in the last ten years have I ever thought about quitting my goal and I don’t feel burned out from my FIRE journey, probably as I’ve just gone along at a pace I’ve been comfortable with.

That said, neither am I all bright-eyed and excited as I was at the beginning of my journey – what has crept in recently is a little trepidation as I am now on the last leg of my journey. I feel that a slight mindset change is required but I’m not quite there yet – my mind seems to be a little hesitant about taking that next step.

I need to start thinking seriously of ‘what happens next’, look into more detail on how I am going to fund my life post work, look into what my life will look like. The word ‘decumulation’ keeps popping up at the back of my mind and I’m currently just batting it away, like an annoying fly. Don’t worry, I will get my head round this.

Humdrum

Gosh, so I’ve been posting my numbers monthly (with some glimpses of my life) for a whole decade!

It’s all been pretty mundane stuff – I reckon I live a relatively ‘ordinary’ life, one which is filled with a lot of routine, same-old-same-old stuff, with good things far outweighing the bad.  My life is not action-packed, there’s very little drama and no cliff-hangers!

I am mostly an optimistic person, this governs how I live my life and also I think how I invest (whether that’s good or bad, haha!).

I think I’ve gotten the right balance with my life vs aiming for FIRE because as far as my nearest and dearest are concerned, I’m just living a normal/mundane/modest/boring (delete as applicable) life on a middle income, except that I have a fanciful idea of retiring early.

What have I been doing these past 10 years?