We recently finished watching a quirky superhero K-Drama on Netflix called Cashero. The show got me thinking about a topic that doesn’t come up often in FIRE conversations: how much your spouse or partner can affect your ability to achieve financial independence.

Over New Year’s Eve and the first five days of the new year, my wife and I did our annual FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early) reset , which includes creating our 2026 Goals Bingo cards and completing our no-spend challenge. This reset helps us stay intentional about health, spending, and how we want early retirement to actually feel—not just how it looks on paper. This will be our first full year in early retirement since exiting the rat race in 2025. Last year, we w

Your 401(k) is one of your most powerful tools to escape the rat race and reach financial independence. But like any tool, using it correctly makes a big difference. Even smart savers sometimes miss out on thousands of dollars (and years of growth) because of a few small mistakes. Here are 10 common 401(k) mistakes  — and how to make sure you’re getting the most out of your plan. NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR 401(k) TYPE When 401(k)s were first introduced, there was only one type. Y