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Recent Posts

May 2025 update

   Finance update After three months of negative returns, my figures have bounced back in style! I've tracked my pots for just over a decade now and May was the biggest jump I've seen. It almost justifies chucking everything I did into the markets for the past 3 months both via my pension at the end of the tax year as well as into my ISA at the start of this tax year! Overall networth is now £1.2m Breakdown for May: ISA  up £12k Pension  up £16k GIA /easy access savings up £4k Crypto  up £15k House price  up £5k Total : up £61.6k Another good chunk into my ISA in May, which means it is now full for the year,  the quickest I've ever done it! My priorities are now filling Premium Bonds, pound cost averaging into Crypto, and also contributing a few hundred a month into my kids JISAs. 2025/26 tax year: Total change over the past couple of months is now +£36k.  Non-Finance update Unpaid Parental Leave No weeks off during May. The big 6 weeks off comes ...
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All about me

I'm a 38 year old father of 2 young children. I currently live with my wife and kids in Wakefield, West Yorkshire and work in Cyber Security. I've always been obsessed with frugality, optimising time and money and discovered the FIRE movement (Financial Independence Retire Early) in the mid 2010s.

 Over the past few years, I have pursued a heavy savings rate and have directed this into savings, investments and overpaying the mortgage.


Key milestones:
  • 2022 - Mortgage free! 
    • 10 years after buying our 1st house.
  • 2023 - Coast FIRE
    • In 2023 I had enough in my pension that it would coast up to a figure I would be happy with at age 55 (circa £1m)
  • 2024 - Hit £1m net worth
  • 2025 - Took 8 weeks off work (through Unpaid Parental Leave)
My Net Worth journey:





Most people pursuing people have a figure, an overall number to achieve. My FIRE aims however, are currently not set in stone, largely down to having 2 kids!  I would be happy with being Financially Independent by the time I am mid-40s, however I enjoy work too much to retire completely and cannot see myself "Retiring Early" until much later than this.

My 5-prong approach:



 My saving pots consist largely of a mix of Pensions, Stocks & Shares ISAs, Junior ISAs and easy access Savings. My portfolio also consists of Bitcoin (early adopter in 2015 thanks to being involved in Cyber Security!), Share Incentive Plan shares and Gold and Silver bullion. Currently, I have the above 5-prong attack focus on my savings. This blends a mix of small amount of short-term, low risk savings, with the majority being in longer-term investing.
I love helping people when it comes to personal finance, and am seriously considering becoming an IFA or a Financial Coach at some point in my life - it's just that Cyber Security is very interesting, very much in demand and verrrry financially lucrative right now.

 This blog will consist of tips and tricks to achieve FIRE, as well as parenting financial hacks and good offers I have come across.

 I hope you enjoy!


Comments

  1. UnknownApril 9, 2024 at 9:07 AM

    Hi! I just discovered your blog. I am also a 37 year old dad, pursuing FIRE, and living in West Yorkshire!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dad on FIREApril 12, 2024 at 5:06 AM

      Nice!! Hit me up on Twitter and we could do a meet up. There's another FIREite literally down the road from me as well!

      Delete

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