We Retired Early on $88k Combined Income | Our Exact Roadmap Part 1

How do you retire at 43 with 4 kids on an $88,000 average combined income? It starts with a roadmap. In Part 1 of our 20-year FIRE journey, we’re taking you back to the very beginning. From Jerad starting out at age 23 with a $42,000 salary to the radical life shifts that allowed us to cut our living expenses to just $30,000 a year, we are opening up our books and sharing the raw data. In this video, we break down: -The 401k Habit: Why we prioritized maxing out contributions ($15k+) from day one. -The Investment Pivot: Moving from basic mutual funds to a strategic Index Fund allocation (S&P 500, Mid-Cap, and Small-Cap). -The "Michael’s" Epiphany: How a $1,000/month craft store habit was the "leak" standing between us and financial freedom. -Real Estate Milestones: Buying our first home on Lake Norman and the decision to downsize from a $2,000 mortgage to a $1,000 mortgage in Bluffton to find our "gap." -Stewardship & Nicaragua: How a mission trip with Samaritan’s Feet and The Hope Project changed our perspective on wealth forever. We didn't win the lottery or have high-tech salaries. We were consistent, we made pivots, and we focused on stewardship. WATCH PART 2 NEXT: We cover the "Acceleration Phase" (2017-2026), including our move to Charleston, raising 4 kids, house sale profits, LEGO investing, and the final 7,000-mile road trip to retirement! Video Timestamps: Part 1 (2006–2016) 00:00 – Intro: Retiring at 43 on an $88k Average Salary 00:56 – 2006: The $42k Start & The 401k Habit 01:39 – 2007: How Jerad & Amber Met (The Beginning of the Quest) 03:04 – 2009: The Investment Shift (Mutual Funds vs. Index Funds) 04:08 – 2010: Buying our First House on Lake Norman ($375k) 06:38 – 2012: Our Wedding & The Famous "Michael’s" Budget Audit 07:29 – 2013: Cutting the Budget (Plugging the Financial Leaks) 10:24 – 2014: Nicaragua Mission Trip & A Shift in Stewardship 12:12 – 2015: Aggressive Mortgage Payoff & Building Homes Abroad 13:41 – 2016: Living on $30k/Year (The Leanest Year) 13:54 – 3 Key Lessons from the First Decade 15:14 – Coming Up in Part 2: 4 Kids, $300k Profits, & Full Retirement #FIREMovement #FinancialIndependence #EarlyRetirement #OurMoneyQuest #InvestingForBeginners #financialfreedom If you’d like to support our family’s journey and the production of these videos, you can buy us a coffee here! We truly appreciate every bit of support from this community. ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/ourmoneyquq Whether you are just starting your Money Quest or you’re looking for advanced investing tips, our goal is to provide the community, inspiration, and data-driven insights you need to take control of your future. Join the Quest! Subscribe for weekly videos on how to build a life of freedom, one investment at a time. ✔️SUBSCRIBE ► https://bit.ly/3BmHUxG 🙌 FOLLOW US ♦ Instagram | https://bit.ly/3bfxV2X ♦ Tik Tok | https://bit.ly/3jIC04g ♦ Facebook | https://bit.ly/2ZC3Lo3 ♦ Buy Me A Coffee | https://buymeacoffee.com/ourmoneyquq 💻 E-MAIL ► ourmoneyquest@gmail.com 🎶 MUSIC ► https://elements.envato.com/ ——————————————————————————— ⚖ DISCLAIMER All of our videos, posts, reels, or stories are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. Please do your own research. Consult a certified & trusted financial planner who will put your interests above their own before following any advice we may offer.