Hello & Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.
My name is Gretchen and I’m passionate about helping people get off the hamster wheel that is too many bills, not enough money, and out of control spending. I named this blog Living on Fifty (formerly Retired by 40) to reflect our desire to live on 50% of our income, something that I believe is achievable by nearly EVERY family. You can read more about my vision for Living on Fifty here if you would like.
I started this blog while pregnant with our daughter, after realizing that my husband and I had too many bills for one of us to stay home, and my husband made too little money to justify putting her in daycare.
We were between a rock and a hard place.
So I started reading personal finance blogs. I learned how to cut costs, pay attention to my budget, and give myself grace when I failed. It has taken us 3 years (so far!) and during that time we’ve learned so much.
We’ve Completely Transformed Our Lives
During 2015, we completed the #30k2015 challenge. Our goal was to pay off $30,000 of debt during the year, and although we didn’t quite pay off $30k, we did pay off $24,000. We’re on track to not only become debt-free, but to develop enough passive income streams and save enough money that we can retire when we’re 40.
We’re also saving darn near 50% of our income every month – something I believe every family can benefit from.
At Living on Fifty we talk about money, frugal living, budgeting hurdles, travel and much, much more! I am always completely transparent because this blog is my accountability. Knowing that you, my readers, are watching my every move forces me to confront my spending problems, find creative solutions, and alter my lifestyle!
I also believe that my commitment to transparency helps, you the wonderful readers that have taken on this journey as well, who have completed it an can offer encouragement, and even to those who are just looking for a pick me up.
Real life, that’s what I’m about, and I don’t sugar coat.
Why Debt-Free?
I’m glad you asked! It’s several reasons, really.
- I want options – I love working and have no desire to quit my job, but I want to have the financial ability to walk away from my job if it no longer suited me.
- I want to travel – I did not grow up traveling, and so I have this yearning to see the world. i also want my daughter to be a well-traveled girl, and let ‘s be honest – traveling takes money, even when done frugally!
- I want to spend quality time with my daughter – not being tied down to my job means that if my job demands too many hours of me, I can walk away!
- I want my husband not to have to work – You can check out this post for more information, but suffice to say, I love having him stay home with our daughter. It gives me peace of mind, and allows his body to take a break!
I have since paid off my credit card debt, and continue to use credit card responsibly in order to reap the rewards! I pay off my balance every month and am always on the lookout for a new credit card with a big sign-on bonus!
Money Saving Tips
- 9 Ways I Keep Food Costs Under $300 a Month
- How We Paid Off $24,000 of Debt in 2015 {On A $30,000} Salary
- 21 Things Frugal People Don’t Do
- 5 Creative Ways To Build a Professional Wardrobe On A Budget
- 5 Things I’m Giving Up To Get Out of Debt
- How To Feed Your Family On $300 A Month
- 9 Personal Finance Milestones Everyone Should Achieve Before 30
Make Extra Money
- 5 Ways To Make Money Online – While You’re At Work
- How I Earn $1,753 In Passive Income Every Single Month
- How I Made $33,000 Blogging in 2015
- 7 Ways To Make An Extra $100 a Week This Summer
- How To Start A Blog
- How To Turn Your Blog Into a Business, Even If It’s Not That Big
- My Blog Income Reports
Investing & Credit
- 9 Things You Must Do If You Want to Retire Early
- Why You Don’t Need $1,680,000 To Retire
- Everything You need To Know About A Roth IRA {In Terms You Can Understand}
- 8 Financial Tools That Make My Life Easier
- 5 Ways To Check Your Credit For Free
- All of my Net Worth Updates
Inspiration For Your Journey
- The Truth About Living Withing Your Means
- To All Of You Who Struggle
- 11 Things You Should Know When Paying Off Debt Gets Hard
- 30 Christmas Traditions For When The Budget Is tight
- A Day In The Life Of A Work From Home Mom
You’re going to want my Marriage & Money workbook – and you don’t have to be married to use it successfully. This downloadable ebook is FREE when you sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter, and it will take you from a financial mess, to a financial success with the exact framework my husband and I used to stop fighting about money, get on the same page, and completely transform our finances!
It’s yours free, as a thank-you from me to you, for signing up for my newsletter.
Also, keep in touch by following me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – I would love to connect with ALL of you on your favorite social media sites!
If you would like to know more about me and my family’s journey, check out my About Page.