111. Moving Closer to Financial Independence

In today’s episode, I spoke with Marian, who in turn spoke on behalf of herself and her husband, Jon. Originally from the Netherlands and now based in New Zealand, they’re in the middle of a big transition, preparing to sell their home in the greater Wellington region and move down to Canterbury as they edge closer to semi-retirement. It’s a big transition in many ways, but moving location is something this couple have regularly done throughout their lives, and Marian in particular enjoys the whole process of heading off to live in a new house and discover a new area. Today’s episode gave me a fascinating insight into growing up and working in the Netherlands, and how and why a couple would want to give all of that up to move to New Zealand. Born savers, these two have always had their eye on their wallet, and that simple habit, of living on less than you make, has certainly been a big part of their success today. But forays into using a financial advisor and investing in rental property didn’t serve them well when they tried to take that next step into investing. It was really only when they stepped back and decided to educate themselves and manage their own index fund investments that they got off the side roads and onto the freeway to financial independence. Now, with a move to Te Waipounamu ahead and the ability to step back from full-time work, Marian and Jon are at an exciting stage of life, still aiming to reach their financial goals, but with the freedom to shape what the future looks like.