I think this is true for so many of us in the personal finance creator space. The goal usually isn't luxury for the sake of it... it's freedom. Freedom from needing an employer, freedom from someone else controlling your time and what you can and cannot do through the week.
Meanwhile, I see Chanel bags and Cartier bracelets all over Instagram from people whose net pay I know... and it always reminds me how different people's financial priorities can be.
I've been writing a lot about this exact mindset on my page too so if that resonates with you, I'd love for you to check it out :)
I'm determined to take a more sustainable path, where I enjoy my life for me, not for what I want others to speculate about me. I don't need the fancy car or the better house. I just want enough that I don't have to forgo connection because I can't afford to attend the event in question. Which is still a sizeable number! LOL
A very interesting read for me who has recently set my mind onto savings and investing for real. To remember that wins are wins, no matter big or small 🌟
I love this article so much! Having been tracking my finances since the moment I turned 18, this is so true, and sometimes when my savings don't look like they're increasing that much, I can still see an increase in net worth, which is something I never used to consider until recently. Right now, I'm aiming to build an emergency fund of $10k, because then that means I can prioritise investing and saving in other areas more heavily, which will then mean I can reach $100k sooner and see the effects of compounding interest much faster ♡
This ladder framework is great! You captured it perfectly; freedom doesn't just show up out of nowhere, it unlocks piece by piece, something I hadn't considered. I found building a simple framework of small decisions I can repeated over time, has made the biggest impact to my life. However, I hadn't thought about breaking down goals in a similar way to make them more achievable!
I share how I'm creating frameworks to create a well-built, fulfilling life as a 29 year old female with a non linear career, I'd love to connect!
This ladder framework is absolute perfection, Mia!
You hit the nail on the head—freedom doesn't just show up out of nowhere, it really does unlock piece by piece with every single rung you climb.
I climbed these exact steps after a sudden layoff finally broke my decades-long corporate grind spell.
It forced me to turn inward, stop chasing numbers for the optics, and realize I didn’t actually want another career trap—I just needed income to leverage my daily living.
I ended up building my system like a CFO: a strict budget (Level 1), a 4-month safety net (Level 2), and a dual-mandate portfolio blending covered calls for day-to-day cash flow with pure ETFs for capital growth (Levels 3 & 4).
I'm actually writing a Substack post today about the ultimate flex of this freedom ladder:
my wife and I are moving from Hong Kong to Thailand this year!
By keeping our exact same monthly budget, geographic arbitrage is going to instantly stretch our buying power and elevate our lifestyle.
Your point about defining 'enough' is everything.
It’s the only way to safely step off the race and just enjoy being human.
So insightful. I’m taking my time to define my own “enough.” There are so many versions of dream life sold by so many in social media, but I want to be reflecting on what I really want for myself and start from there.
I've always been against the idea of glamourising "round" figures. £100k sounds like a huge figure to some people, but they don't realise that £1k can be enough to change their lives. If you had enough money in the bank to cover rent for a year, you would feel a lot more comfortable.
And that number isn't usually as large as people think. For me, it means having £7.8k in the bank. That's a much more achievable figure. And if you want to break it down even further, just having a one month emergency fund is something. It's one month where you're not worried about where the money will come.
Great post. It's so important people don't ascribe financial freedom to a number that sounds nice on paper.
Glamourising round numbers on paper completely misses the point of what money is actually for.
A simple safety net is a direct stress reliever and an immediate, achievable return on your living.
Knowing your rent or a month of expenses is fully covered buys you instant peace of mind, which is worth way more than chasing a massive net worth goal.
Breaking it down into small, real-world milestones makes financial freedom feel accessible instead of overwhelming!
I think this is true for so many of us in the personal finance creator space. The goal usually isn't luxury for the sake of it... it's freedom. Freedom from needing an employer, freedom from someone else controlling your time and what you can and cannot do through the week.
Meanwhile, I see Chanel bags and Cartier bracelets all over Instagram from people whose net pay I know... and it always reminds me how different people's financial priorities can be.
I've been writing a lot about this exact mindset on my page too so if that resonates with you, I'd love for you to check it out :)
As a financial planner, I see this too. :-(
I'm determined to take a more sustainable path, where I enjoy my life for me, not for what I want others to speculate about me. I don't need the fancy car or the better house. I just want enough that I don't have to forgo connection because I can't afford to attend the event in question. Which is still a sizeable number! LOL
It’s so refreshing to hear this from a financial planner, Jennifer!
Choosing real connection over corporate optics or fancy cars is where real peace begins.
At the end of the day, wealth should be counted in our bank of memories, not in an eventual paper return.
Building a quiet baseline of 'enough' simply allows you to show up for the people and moments that actually matter.
Designing your life around what makes you happy instead of what makes others speculate is the ultimate win!
Very interesting. I will definetly be thinking about how to adapt all levels to myself and what do they mean to me. Thank you.
The way I clicked on the notification so fast
A very interesting read for me who has recently set my mind onto savings and investing for real. To remember that wins are wins, no matter big or small 🌟
I love this article so much! Having been tracking my finances since the moment I turned 18, this is so true, and sometimes when my savings don't look like they're increasing that much, I can still see an increase in net worth, which is something I never used to consider until recently. Right now, I'm aiming to build an emergency fund of $10k, because then that means I can prioritise investing and saving in other areas more heavily, which will then mean I can reach $100k sooner and see the effects of compounding interest much faster ♡
This ladder framework is great! You captured it perfectly; freedom doesn't just show up out of nowhere, it unlocks piece by piece, something I hadn't considered. I found building a simple framework of small decisions I can repeated over time, has made the biggest impact to my life. However, I hadn't thought about breaking down goals in a similar way to make them more achievable!
I share how I'm creating frameworks to create a well-built, fulfilling life as a 29 year old female with a non linear career, I'd love to connect!
This ladder framework is absolute perfection, Mia!
You hit the nail on the head—freedom doesn't just show up out of nowhere, it really does unlock piece by piece with every single rung you climb.
I climbed these exact steps after a sudden layoff finally broke my decades-long corporate grind spell.
It forced me to turn inward, stop chasing numbers for the optics, and realize I didn’t actually want another career trap—I just needed income to leverage my daily living.
I ended up building my system like a CFO: a strict budget (Level 1), a 4-month safety net (Level 2), and a dual-mandate portfolio blending covered calls for day-to-day cash flow with pure ETFs for capital growth (Levels 3 & 4).
I'm actually writing a Substack post today about the ultimate flex of this freedom ladder:
my wife and I are moving from Hong Kong to Thailand this year!
By keeping our exact same monthly budget, geographic arbitrage is going to instantly stretch our buying power and elevate our lifestyle.
Your point about defining 'enough' is everything.
It’s the only way to safely step off the race and just enjoy being human.
So insightful. I’m taking my time to define my own “enough.” There are so many versions of dream life sold by so many in social media, but I want to be reflecting on what I really want for myself and start from there.
amen!
I've always been against the idea of glamourising "round" figures. £100k sounds like a huge figure to some people, but they don't realise that £1k can be enough to change their lives. If you had enough money in the bank to cover rent for a year, you would feel a lot more comfortable.
And that number isn't usually as large as people think. For me, it means having £7.8k in the bank. That's a much more achievable figure. And if you want to break it down even further, just having a one month emergency fund is something. It's one month where you're not worried about where the money will come.
Great post. It's so important people don't ascribe financial freedom to a number that sounds nice on paper.
Spot on, Demi!
Glamourising round numbers on paper completely misses the point of what money is actually for.
A simple safety net is a direct stress reliever and an immediate, achievable return on your living.
Knowing your rent or a month of expenses is fully covered buys you instant peace of mind, which is worth way more than chasing a massive net worth goal.
Breaking it down into small, real-world milestones makes financial freedom feel accessible instead of overwhelming!