Latest Posts
Thoughts on reinvention, clarity, work, money, and the quiet decisions that shape a life. New essays each week as we explore what it means to build a life with intention.
A Special Welcome
If you just came from ESI Money, welcome. Desert FI exists for people at every stage of the FI journey, with a particular focus on what comes after the number. Not retirement as an escape, as a beginning.
The Seven Signs You're Ready for a Next Endeavor
After years of following the same personal finance philosophy, I was getting bored. Then a Saturday morning podcast introduced me to a then-foreign language: tax credits, Roth conversions, higher savings rates, and something called FIRE. A whole new world was opening to me. But the concept I couldn't find anywhere was the one I actually needed: how do you retire earlier, at a comfortable spending level, but continue to serve others and do work that genuinely matters? This post is about that question, and the seven signs that tell you whether you're ready to answer it.
Why $20K a Year Changes the Retirement Math More Than You Think
Most retirement planning tools assume a fixed rate of return and skip the most dangerous math entirely. Here is what happens when three real households add a modest Next Endeavor income during the decade that decides everything.
The Gilded Cage
Most people in the FI community talk about the cage only after they’ve escaped it. This is what it feels like from the inside — the residue that follows you home, the one‑more‑year loop, and the door that cracks open one good decision at a time.
Fresh Tracks: What a Glacier Taught Me About the Second Half of Life
What a glacier at 7,000 feet taught me about the second half of life — and why the best tracks are the ones nobody's made yet.
The Harder Trail: Why FINE is the Adventure Worth Taking
Financial Independence, Next Endeavor (FINE) offers a third path beyond traditional retirement and FIRE. This post breaks down the math, the mindset, and the real stories behind choosing meaningful work over full stop retirement.