Meet Claudia

interviewI don’t know about you, but sometimes I get really wrapped up in the saving, investing, and optimizing necessary to reach financial independence at a young age. And where I’m generally willing to do whatever necessary to get there, I’m guilty of sometimes forgetting about how my journey impacts others around me.

While I view few of my actions as true “sacrifices” in the traditional sense of the word because I happen to think that the bigger sacrifice is working for most of your life rather than living below your means, I’m also aware that I’m not alone. Every supposed sacrifice I make along the way affects more than just me, as I have longstanding relationships (and live) with a wonderful woman, her son, and our little Chihuahua, Diego.

So I thought it would be interesting to get an honest and refreshing look at what someone on the outside looking in thinks about all of this – financial independence, frugality, and the sometimes-extreme behavior some of us display in order to achieve what we really want in life.

I’ve actually wanted to put something like together for a while now, but Claudia is a lot more private than I am. I was able to get her to answer some questions, but it was a no-go for a picture. However, I still think there’s some value here. Not only will you learn a little more about her, but it may even be worthwhile to sit down and have a similar conversation with your respective significant others. Communication is really important, and sometimes we take love and support for granted. We may assume that our partners are on the same page and have a similar view on life and finances, but sometimes really having an honest conversation may reveal that there are differences. Communication allows those differences to be bridged.

I believe it’s incredibly important to be with someone like-minded if you want to succeed and achieve financial independence. You can’t have someone who’s attempting to undermine your progress at every turn. However, we also don’t need (or necessarily want) exact clones of ourselves. It’s fun to be challenged by someone who thinks similarly, but not exactly the same. This allows us to grow.

Claudia has been very supportive along the way, but even she has her limits. Although I love her with all of my heart, I’ve sometimes pushed her to those limits. She’ll talk a little about that, her view on all of this, and also give us some background on who she is and what makes her tick. This interview was done via email so that her answers could be unfiltered. I only edited some of her writing for grammar (English isn’t her first language), but this is otherwise all Claudia.

Q: Tell us about yourself. What’s your story? Background? 

Little about myself. I was born and raised until the age of 14 in El Salvador. My dad was an orthopedic surgeon and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. We moved to the US in the 80s. My dad join the Navy as a doctor, so we moved from California to North Carolina where we stayed two years and then moved to Orlando where I graduated from High School and got married. I had my first son in Orlando. My first marriage ended in divorce, and by that time my parents were back in El Salvador, so I decided to move back to my birth country. Once there I studied early education and found my calling in life.

In the 90s, I moved to Oslo, Norway. I got a job at the French school in Oslo and stayed there for four years. While in Norway, I traveled around Europe and even went to Israel and Tunis. I enjoy traveling and meeting people. I’m fluent in French and Spanish. I also know a little German and Norwegian. I loved Norway but it was too far for my son to keep a good relationship with his dad and my parents. So I moved back to El Salvador and went to work again in the French school in San Salvador. Once back in El Salvador, I had my second child and I was happy living close to my family. But I love to travel and it was around this time I received a good opportunity to come back to the US and I took it.

2003 was the year that my two sons and myself came back to the US. We came back to Florida. Once here, I studied the Montessori method and became Montessori certified. My oldest son graduated from high school in Orlando and went to the University of Florida for his undergraduate degree. He then went to law school at Emory University. My youngest and myself moved to Sarasota in 2007 where I worked at a Montessori school.

During 2008, the Montessori school that I was working at fell into financial problems and started to let people go. I was one of them. I now work for a small preschool as a voluntary preschool teacher. I don’t make much money, but I have the opportunity to teach underprivileged children and I can teach with the Montessori method.

I’m a happy woman at this moment in life. I have everything any human being could want: love, peace and health. Next year, I turn 50, so I’m very happy that I am healthy and that I have a great man next to me to share my next 50 years with.

Q: What are your views on frugality?

Frugality is a word that I learned from my mom. Even though she was a stay-at-home mom, she always bought things on sale and she never overspent. She always taught me that a dollar saved is a dollar earned. I’m not as frugal a I could be, but I also enjoy making my loved ones happy. I love to go and have coffee with my youngest (children are only children a few years out of our life, so I have to enjoy that time while I have it). My oldest son in now working with the US Department of State, so I’m glad that when he was younger I spent time with him by having coffee and long chats. Now I don’t see him much, as he works abroad. Frugality is a good habit to have. I want my youngest to learn from us about saving. I don’t want him to go into debt for things.

Q: Is it hard to live with someone as extreme as me? 

When we first met, Jason wasn’t as frugal as he is now. But little by little, he became more frugal and explained to me what his goal was. It was weird at the beginning, since I have always dated men that would pay for everything. But I enjoyed all the talks that we had about this Early Extreme Retirement movement. The hardest part about it was that we didn’t eat dinner together and that we had to buy groceries separate. For me, food is the soul of a family life. But I knew that at the end if he got to the point that he wanted to be, we were going to share things that we weren’t at that moment. A wise proverb and one that I always tell my little students: “Patience is a virtue”. I can say that it is true. I had patience with the extremes that Jason had to go through to get to where he is now. I wanted him to be happy and I know that he is now happy being home and writing. I’m very happy that I helped him reach that goal. I’m happy when he is happy. It’s a harmony that makes us happy.

Q: What do you think about early retirement and/or financial independence?

My thoughts about early retirement is a good question. I never really thought about retirement or financial independence before I met Jason. I’m a person that goes by a motto: Yesterday is the past and nothing can be done about it. Tomorrow is not promised. Today is the only time that we can count on.

I know that it is not a great motto to live by, but I don’t worry much about tomorrow. Retirement is a weird subject for me. I don’t know if I could ever not teach. I love it and I do think that I can help a young child reach his or her potential. So if I’m physically able to continue doing what I’m doing, I will. I have a friend who is much much older than me and she is still works and enjoys it. There’s no better reward than hear a small child tell you, “I love you, Ms. Claudia”. Plus, I get a lot of breaks – winter break, spring break and one month off in summer. The fantastic schedule is one of the benefits of being a teacher. I don’t need much to enjoy myself. As long as my family is happy and healthy, life is great.

Q: Where do you think happiness is derived from? What makes you happy?

I believe  that happiness is derived by the way you live life. I enjoy simple things like teaching, walking , reading, painting, cooking, and spending time with my loved ones. What makes me happy is to be able to spend as much time with the people that I love. I know that life can change in a second, so I try to spend most of my time with Jason, my son, and our Diego. Right now, life is as good as it gets!

What do you think of Claudia’s story? Is it worthwhile to sit down and have this kind of conversation with your significant other? 

Thanks for reading.

Photo Credit: chanpipat/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Edit: Additional editing for grammar.

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90 Comments

  1. Good to hear everything is going great Jason!
    Having a partner on the same page as you makes a huge difference in the progression and growth of our soul.
    Have a Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year!

  2. It is so important for guys to marry a woman who is very intelligent about finance. Woman who is intelligent about finance usually intelligent about everything, therefore very easy to live with without a lot of stresses stemming from marriage and better than having a couple of million dollars in the bank. I observe people’s lives and analyze recently. Most common denominator that I found was “brain” People with less brain have to work harder and longer than those with bigger one. Between husband and wife, whoever has bigger brain should manage finance, if both are not on the same page. Claudia seem decent woman anyway.

  3. Very cool post, your portfolio and your personal relationship are to be admired! Frugality is something that everybody has to be on the same page about, sharing each other’s goals is paramount. Congrats and good luck in the future!

  4. I recently signed up to read your posts and I was wondering how your spouse handled all this. I think your plan is excellent however we are not guaranteed tomorrow and my suggestion would be for you and your spouse to enjoy yourself a little bit more along the way. I am also working a plan much like yours but I make sure I treat myself along the way. Thank you for sharing. I really enjoy your posts.

  5. Great concept and execution of a post, Jason. I hope to have someone someday with whom I can also have such a financial dialogue. She sounds like she is a great teacher!! Her students are lucky.

    Scott

  6. Love the interview, it’s nice to know the other person that has supported Dividend Mantra along the way. Definitely neat to learn that Claudia is fluent in so many language. Does this mean that once you reach FI you’ll head to countries like Spain and Norway with Claudia?

  7. As people get in the 20s and beyond when they are searching for a partner I believe they need to ask the other person, what they want to do with their life. If one person wants to be an entrepeneur and the other an employee, then this will like causes lots of arguments and an entrepeneur will not make the same about of money every two weeks like an employee does.

    If people like the same things like you and Claudia mostly do, then it usually ends up ok.

  8. Great post. Jason, I admire the drive you have to reach your personal goal. I know you will do it and inspire many people along the way. With regards to a significant other, I agree that they need to be like-minded and supportive. It sounds like you have found the one. Having been married for 17 years now, my only advice is to splurge on Claudia every once in a while. She won’t expect this, and she will be even more supportive of your goals because you showed your appreciation of her.

  9. There is no question that it is imperative to have a financial conversation with your partner – in fact, many conversations. Having your partner onboard with your desire to reach financial independence and retire early is critical because this is literally a life altering decision. It affects everything about your life. I simply don’t think this is possible without a supportive significant other.

    Glad to see that she is onboard and supportive of the way you save your cash. Mine is as well – in fact, she might be more aggressive than even I am. 🙂

  10. Really cool post! Claudia, thank you for sharing your story! Behind every great man, is a great woman (and vice versa). I wish both of you all the success and happiness in the world. It’s funny… I look at you, Jason, as a teacher too. You just teach in a different way, via your writing and blog. Both of you are inspiring and helping others, a perfect match. Doesn’t get any better than that!
    Sincerely,
    Ian

  11. Very touching and nice to know things are going so well for the two of you 🙂
    My GF and I are both fairly frugal, on her part though I think its more to do with being a student and not working at the moment though. With some ‘happy’ spending here and there. And we occasionally splurge together to for food to make really nice dinners now and then rather than going out. She is determined though to pay off her school debt though, so once that’s done it will be interesting to see how she changes. Hopefully I can rub off on her a bit more. It also helps that our primary entertainment is playing video games together at the moment. ^_^

  12. “children are only children a few years out of our life, so I have to enjoy that time while I have it”
    I love that!

    I remember you talking a bit about eating dinner with Claudia after quitting your auto job and I thought to myself, “oh, that’s nice,” but never realized the significance of that until her comment above about eating together. (Now it all makes so much sense!!)

    Claudia sounds wonderful. She’s a blessing, not only to you, but to her students as well. 🙂

  13. Ace,

    Thanks, bud. We don’t always see things 100% the same way, but we’re mutually supportive of one another. And that’s what matters. 🙂

    Hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays over there!!

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Best regards.

  14. Pat,

    Thank you! 🙂

    I’m lucky in that Claudia was somewhat familiar with frugality before I ever met her. And we kind of slowly transitioned into it over the course of about a year, with things becoming more extreme as time went on. Luckily, we’ve been able to scale back the extreme stuff while still saving a high rate of net income and saving/investing toward FI.

    Wishing you the same luck in the future as well. Happy Holidays!

    Cheers.

  15. hannan1952,

    Thanks for the readership. Glad you found the blog. I hope you continue to enjoy your time around here. 🙂

    I’ve certainly scaled back my level of extreme frugality since the early days of the blog. I truly want/need for nothing right now, but I’m still able to save ~50%. It really all comes down to what is deemed to be a sacrifice. For some, it’s driving a car anything older than five years old. Others deem sacrifice as living in a space smaller than 500 square feet. So it’s all relative to your perspective. But I think Claudia had it right in that spending time with loved ones is where happiness is maximized, and financial independence allows you much more time.

    Best wishes!

  16. Scott,

    Thank you. Glad it turned out okay. 🙂

    I am lucky. She’s a great person. One of those few people in the world that are just good right down to the core. I hope you find a partner that isn’t only on the same page and supportive, but also lifts you higher than you thought you could be. Relationships are best when they’re more than the sum of their parts.

    Happy Holidays!

    Best regards.

  17. Tawcan,

    That’s a good question there. We’ve talked about it, and Claudia kind of scratched that travel itch. She’s actually more interested in seeing more of the US. It’s tough to say. I wouldn’t mind living somewhere cheap, fun, and interesting for the first few years of FI. Thailand would be a great example. But I’m also losing my wanderlust as time goes on. I’m pretty content with a low-key lifestyle. Besides, home is where the heart is and I quite like SW Florida. 🙂

    Hope all is well. Thanks for dropping by. Happy Holidays!

    Cheers.

  18. IP,

    Right. It’s definitely important to be like-minded and generally on the same page. You certainly don’t have to be exactly alike in every single way, as that would probably be boring and perhaps a little weird. It’s nice to be challenged and see new perspectives. However, picking someone who’s completely opposite in regards to finances could have disastrous results.

    Thanks for dropping by! Happy Holidays.

    Take care.

  19. Young,

    I’d hate to be the scarecrow and lack a brain. 🙂

    I think intelligence is part of it, but it’s a lot more than that. I remember Buffett’s feelings about IQ and investing, and how the smartest person in the room isn’t usually the best investor. And having a high IQ doesn’t necessarily lead to great investment results. That can be somewhat translated to relationships or anything else in life, where a lower IQ can be easily overcome if one wants to. However, being smart is certainly an advantage right out of the gate.

    Cheers!

  20. Steve,

    That’s great to have an aggressive/supportive partner like that. Certainly makes navigating the waters a lot easier. 🙂

    Agreed that it’s imperative to have these conversations. Just assuming that someone is implicitly along for the ride is a mistake. And just because you think something is a great idea (like FI) doesn’t necessarily mean your partner will too. It wasn’t like I explained this stuff to Claudia one day and she was super excited after five minutes. Takes time to acclimate.

    Thanks for sharing. Glad you’ve got someone on the same page over there!

    Best wishes.

  21. Ian,

    Thanks. Really appreciate all the support you’ve given. Means a lot to us!! 🙂

    Agreed that it takes two to tango. There’s always a great partner behind every great person. I couldn’t do what I’m doing if I didn’t have someone like Claudia along for the ride.

    That’s a great analogy there. I didn’t think of it that way, but I suppose we are both teachers in our own unique ways. So in that respect, we’re a lot alike. Just like she wouldn’t want to quit teaching, I don’t have any desire to stop doing this once I’m financially independent. If anything, the message becomes even more powerful once I’m on the other side.

    Appreciate it. I hope you and your wife have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

    Best regards.

  22. DW,

    That’s great. You two not only share the same entertainment values, but it also happens to be pretty cheap. Nice! 🙂

    I used to hear about how people “didn’t want to live like a student for the rest of their lives” in the name of seeking and achieving financial independence. But life as a student is pretty great. Get to largely come and go as you please, hang out with family and friends a lot, and work on things you’re passionate about. Long live student life!

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Cheers!

  23. DD,

    Thank you. Very kind of you.

    I’m incredibly grateful to be in this position to inspire others. I have a lot of passion for this subject, because I know firsthand that it can transform lives for the better. Even though I still “work” via my writing, having much more time is an absolute blessing.

    I hear you on splurging. Though, it’s been a bit of a splurge just in the amount of time we now spend together. I was constantly busy before, working, writing, staying active, etc. I now have a lot more time here at home, so when we’re both home we can really spend quality time together. It’s one thing to be with each other, but it’s quite another to have that quality time. So that’s been a great splurge for us. In addition, we’re spending more time out and about, so the amusement expenses are probably going to be going up. But I find going from, say, $10/month to $50/month in that category makes a big difference.

    Thanks for dropping by. Happy Holidays!

    Best wishes.

  24. Great interview Jason,

    It is great to see how open and well you guys communicate together. I found a huge shift occurred in my girlfriends opinion on achieving financial independence within the next four years when we had the talk and it became an us goal rather than my goal. All of a sudden all the required adjustments we had to make were not as big of deal. Thanks for letting us get to know Claudia better. She sounds great.

    Mr. Captain Cash

  25. Hi DM,

    I should thank both of you for this post. You for writing it and Claudia for agreeing to it.

    Claudia sounds lovely. You’ve got a good women there.

    She’s been fully supportive of your unorthodox life choices. She’s not judged you for them, and has the foresight to see why you’re making those choices.

    I think it’s healthy that she doesn’t subscribe to your Early Retirement goals too. My fiance is the same, and I don’t know about you, but it’s important to be reminded to live for today and enjoy life. Sometimes I can get a little wrapped up in the future, and forget about the now.

    She also knows what she wants to get out of life, and seems to be living it, which is fantastic!

    I think communication and understanding are key in these relationships. My fiance doesn’t want to live like me, but she understands why I’m doing it. I regularly communicate what I’m doing and why so she always knows what’s going on. I don’t want to live like Miss FFBF but I respect her decisions fully, and support her 100%. Without regular communication it might seem like we were heading in different directions, but I feel quite the opposite thankfully.

    Thank you for sharing the post, it was nice and different insight.

    If I don’t speak to you before, I hope you and your family have a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year!

    All the best
    Huw

  26. Thanks for sharing this Q&A with us. In general it is obvious that you two are on the same page in many different respects which is great. Happy to “meet” Claudia in this manner. Perhaps she’ll be inspired to write a guest post and read some of our comments.

  27. Great post, Jason. One of your best. The way I see it is that you can consider yourself financial independent when you do what you like to do. And then make some money with it as well. Sounds like you’re both in that kind of situation.
    Frugality is a very rewarding in many respects. But so are love and friendship. I consider these more important. Personally I live so frugal that most people cannot understand how I can live like that. But where I’m never frugal is e.g. when going out with friends and having a few drinks and a great meal. I enjoy every minute of it.
    Merry Christmas to you, your family and our little community.

  28. So nice to meet Claudia! What a good idea, Jason! I think this is a great conversation for anyone in a relationship to have. How you each view money, and how money was treated when you were a child, are integral to how you approach your finances as a couple. You’re right–it’s so key to communicate and be on the same page! Also, I think it’s wonderful that Claudia has such passion for teaching and helping kids. That’s a remarkable gift. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

  29. This is a wonderful post Jason! Tell Claudia I said thank you for her willingness to share.

    I’ve wondered about her thoughts on your lifestyle for awhile now. Very happy to hear her perspective.

    She sounds like an amazing woman Jason and the support she gives you is invaluable; always try to cherish that gift.

    Happy Holidays,
    The Stoic

  30. Great post, Jason. I am happy you have a wonderful partner who truly gets you.

    Definitely you have to come visit us in Thailand- we have a place for you to stay for free, and we can give you a proper tour of the area sights, given we’ve been out here 8+ years.

    Cheers and Merry Christmas,

    Mike

  31. I didn’t know that Claudia had an older son. Was there any resistance on his end when you and Claudia got together? No offense intended, but you don’t often see a 30 year old guy with a 50 year old woman. That might freak a son out.

    Also, out of curiosity, why did she move to Oslo? That seems like a big jump from where she was and has been since.

  32. I applaud Claudia and you Jason, for bringing out the story! It was an interesting read about her views on frugality and supporting you, what more you want than a supportive partner. Good to hear that life is good! Happy Holidays.

  33. Claudia seems like the perfect partner for you, Jason. Personally, I don’t think compatibility means your partner needs to be exactly like you. In fact, I think the best partner is one that can compensate for your shortcomings and help create balance in your life.

    Take care!
    FerdiS

  34. Thank you to both of you. I’ve been wondering whether Claudia might pop up on here sometime soon.

    Communication, regularly and clearly is so important to every relationship, especially talking about our hopes and dreams. I used to think these were not very important, because they often change as we grow older and circumstances of life often force is to reconsider our options for the future.

    But at the end of the day, striving for something great, that makes us happy, is a really worthwhile pursuit.

    Thanks once again for this little insight into Claudia’s life,

    Cheers!

  35. DM,

    She seems great, her motto is a good way think about life. Its also cool in general that she was willing to sit down and provide answers to those questions for you. My wife would probably give me a load of stink eye over it.

    Seems like she had a really interesting childhood too. 5 languages, damn! I know 2, and struggle with both to say the least.

    Happy Holidays, rest up and get ready crush the new year.
    – Dividend Gremlin

  36. That Claudia almost writes better than you Jason. I agree with your statement. Communication is probably one of the most important parts of a relationship. I should take that to heart as I am a quiet person and often assume my beloved wife knows exactly what I am thinking. Thanks for sharing.
    -DFG

  37. Seraph,

    Yeah, Claudia definitely keeps me grounded. My head is sometimes in the clouds (and in the future). She keeps me focused on today. I’m pragmatic, but I’m also a dreamer. Claudia takes it day to day.

    Our schedules were just as much to blame as my desire to cut expenditures for us eating separately. I had a very tight schedule for years. Between the full-time job, the blog, managing the investments, fitness, and doing things I had to do, I had little time to sit down for a lengthy meal. So it was sandwiches or something real quick, which allowed me to kind of keep moving. But it’s great to slow it down now.

    Appreciate the kind words. She’s a great person.

    Happy Holidays!!

    Best regards.

  38. Huw,

    “I think it’s healthy that she doesn’t subscribe to your Early Retirement goals too. My fiance is the same, and I don’t know about you, but it’s important to be reminded to live for today and enjoy life. Sometimes I can get a little wrapped up in the future, and forget about the now.”

    Couldn’t agree more. We’re on the same page there. I was just mentioning in another comment that my head is sometimes in the clouds, focused on all of these dreams I have…which are all located in the future. It’s great to have someone to keep you grounded in the here and now. I’m glad you have the same. 🙂

    Communication is definitely important. I’m glad that you and your fiance have a healthy relationship with great communication. I think any lifestyle can be acceptable to one another if it’s communicated properly and it isn’t harmful to one another. But you have to be open and expressive.

    Glad you enjoyed the post. I thought it might be nice to get a different perspective on all of this. We don’t necessarily need a partner who subscribes to this lifestyle 100%, but it is important to be with someone kind and supportive.

    Thanks for all of the support. 2014 has been a great year for many of us, including yourself. I think 2015 is going to be even better!!

    Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays!!

    Best wishes.

  39. MCC,

    Absolutely. Communicating is key. And it’s great that it’s a “we” thing, rather than a “me” thing. That makes it a lot easier for her to buy in, which allows you to tackle any obstacles as a team.

    Wishing you both the best of luck throughout 2015!

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Cheers!

  40. DivHut,

    Oh, she reads all comments. She gets up earlier in the morning than I do, so she actually reads many of the comments before I even get a chance. She’s private, but she has great interest in all of this. I think she’s just a curious person by nature.

    Glad you found some value in this. I think it’s nice to sometimes find out what our other halves think about all of this. Some of us are lucky in that our partners are also 100% committed to the plan/journey. Others have partners that maybe find little value in the lifestyle and/or end result. But I’d be willing to bet that most of us have relationships like ours, where you’ve got one partner really committed to it and the other one supportive. And that’s a great way to do it because it allows different perspectives, which can provide a lot of value all by itself.

    Thanks for dropping by. Happy Holidays!

    Take care.

  41. Jos,

    Great point there. I suppose that we’re both quasi-FI in our own unique ways. She does what she loves and gets paid for it, and I’m now fortunately in the same position. And I don’t think either of us are really interested in not doing those things, regardless of our financial state. I think if Claudia came upon millions of dollars, she’s still teach. It’s just her nature. And I’d probably still write. Not sure if it’d be the same platform or not (blogging), but I’d definitely like to continue spreading the message.

    I hear you on frugality. We all have to find that right balance for ourselves and our situations. And I think our frugality can kind of ebb and flow throughout life, where we’re sometimes power saving and other times splurging a little more. It’s all good, though, because we’re still improving our situations every single day. Food is something that’s easy for both of us to splurge on, especially when it involves family and/or friends. I was pretty extreme about food in the beginning, but I’ve lightened up a lot. I enjoy great food, and Claudia believes that food should be the center of a good home. She keeps me grounded. 🙂

    Appreciate the support. Glad you enjoyed the post. I was trying to put something different together here, and I think it’s important to realize that having a different, but supportive partner can be great. A different perspective can be really refreshing from time to time.

    Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas!

    Best wishes.

  42. Mrs. FW,

    Thank you! 🙂

    Yeah, you’re right there. Our childhoods have such a remarkable effect on our views on money. I grew up in a ghetto in Detroit. Once I got out, I vowed never to live like that again. So I suppose, in a weird way, that every dollar I spend is one less dollar separating me from that kind of lifestyle. Luckily, Claudia grew up around frugality. Her father wasn’t particularly frugal, but her mom sure is. So it wasn’t a hard sell when I decided to start marching down this path.

    Communication is definitely important and you guys (you and Mr. FW) are a great example of that. Even better, you two are exactly on the same page. Both very frugal and working together toward a common goal. That’s rare, but it should be cherished. Keep up the great work!!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours.

    Best regards.

  43. The Stoic,

    Thanks for the kind words!

    Glad you enjoyed the different perspective. I thought it would be nice for a change to see what someone else thinks about all of this. Although we communicate very well and are very close, I can’t say that I remember ever asking her these kinds of questions directly like this. But it’s great to have that kind of conversation and share it with everyone. It perhaps proves that you don’t need a partner that is exactly the same in order to succeed with this lifestyle.

    Appreciate all the support. Hope you’re having a great holiday season over there. Wish you the best for 2015!

    Cheers.

  44. Mike,

    Thanks so much for the offer! I definitely wouldn’t mind visiting Thailand at all. In fact, I think within a few years, the dividend income would be enough for the both of us to live off of in Chiang Mai. There appears to be quite a few couples getting by for $1,200 per month over there, which is amazing. Plus, Claudia could perhaps do some kind of TEFL over there. You never know! 🙂

    If we ever get a chance to make it over, I’ll be sure to send you a note. Enjoy the good life!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours.

    Take care!

  45. Hey DM,

    Very nice perspective. For everyone employing some kind of frugality in their lives, it’s very constructive to see such a raw perspective of what it’s like to live close to a very frugal-minded person. In my case I can clearly see an impact on those around me, caused by my approach to my finances. Just like in the case of Claudia, it is a blend of influencing them to be more frugal and be motivated to spend a bit more some times, where I am influenced by them. Finding a balance based on communication is key!

    Best Wishes,
    DividendVenture

  46. blahblah903,

    Ha. Good question there. Yeah, he was a bit resistant to the idea at first. Can’t say I blame him for that. We’re 17 years apart, which is pretty extreme. I suppose I somehow gravitate toward extremes? Not sure. Anyway, he’s come around to it these days. He just wants Claudia to be happy, which is my goal as well.

    With Oslo, she wanted an adventure. She wanted to be in Europe and there was an opening there in Oslo. From what I understand, San Salvador is a surprisingly small place. So everyone is in everyone’s business (even before Facebook). And Claudia can be kind of private. Oslo offered her an opportunity to live in Europe and expose her son to a whole new way of life. Plus, it was a great jumping point to explore the rest of Europe. This post talked very little about it, but she’s been pretty much everywhere.

    I hope that helps. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Cheers.

  47. PIM,

    Thank you. I hope the post provided some value. 🙂

    I’m lucky to have a supportive partner. We’re not all so lucky, but communication is definitely key to all of this.

    Happy Holidays!!

    Cheers.

  48. Ferdi,

    Thanks for the kind words there. I agree completely. “Balance” is one of Claudia’s favorite words. She uses that term frequently when describing our relationship. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by. Happy Holidays!

    Best regards.

  49. M,

    Thank you. Appreciate the support. I wasn’t sure how this post would be received, but I was hoping that some readers would find value in it. I think it’s nice to expose what our partners think about all of this. Obviously, that involves a good bit of honest communication. And that approach makes the relationship that much stronger. 🙂

    I definitely agree that striving for something great and that which makes us happy is a worthwhile pursuit, as long as it doesn’t harm others. Having a supportive partner makes that pursuit much easier.

    Happy Holidays! Thanks for stopping by.

    Best wishes.

  50. Gremlin,

    Haha. I know only English. I’ve tried with Spanish and failed miserably. I have a lot of respect for those that are bilingual.

    Yeah, it took a bit of convincing to get Claudia to answer these questions. This isn’t really her thing, but she’s a great sport. I’m lucky. 🙂

    I’m actually resting away, or as much as I can right now. Came down with a nasty cold. So I’m going to cruise through the holiday season and hopefully be back to 100% to get 2015 started right.

    Happy Holidays!!

    Cheers.

  51. DFG,

    Ha! Well, I did some editing there. English isn’t her first language, but she tries her best. I’m lucky that she even agreed to answer some questions. 🙂

    I know how you feel there. I used to be really guilty of not communicating very well. I would have these “conversations” with her in my own head, where I’d talk over something, but then never actually have that conversation in real life. Obviously, that isn’t good.

    Anyway, I hope you found some value in the post. I thought it would be neat to see what someone else thought about all of this, while also providing some insight into our life.

    Happy Holidays!

    Best wishes.

  52. DV,

    Absolutely. We all try to balance each other out. And that all comes from different perspectives. I can sometimes think too much about the future, whereas Claudia can sometimes think too much about today. Our unique views on life, happiness, and frugality balance one another. And I think it’s great to have a partner that offers that. If I were with someone exactly like me, I might end up not enjoying the here and now as much as I should.

    Glad you enjoyed the viewpoint. Hope you have a great holiday season over there!

    Best regards.

  53. Good job Jason, you really picked a winner. My wife is also a teacher, though she finally started at a public school after working at a crappy private preschool. The owner didn’t care about the employees, she never got any time off, and she was paid very little. So now we get to use miles and points to travel abroad every summer. Last year we did 4 weeks in Europe and SE Asia and had a blast. But 4 weeks was much too long for us, so in the future we’ll likely limit things to two weeks per trip. I’m hoping sometime in the future we’ll be able to move to a smaller town, Denver is just too busy and too crowded for us.

  54. Hi Jason! Nice to meet you Claudia! 🙂
    We are in kinda similar situation Jason, I am striving really hard to reach early retirement in life while my wife believes in YOLO. She loves spending and finer things in life and she doesn’t get what financial freedom means, she is ready to work until 65. She didn’t believe I can do it but now after seeing our finances, her attitude towards money changed, I mean she is not as frugal as me but she has improved a lot 🙂
    Happy Holidays to your family!
    FFF

  55. Jason, you are a made man! You are very lucky to have such a cool woman in your life. This is absolute gold:

    “…I wanted him to be happy and I know that he is now happy being home and writing. I’m very happy that I helped him reach that goal. I’m happy when he is happy. It’s a harmony that makes us happy.”

    Claudia, thank you for sharing your story with us!

    Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo!

  56. Ken,

    That’s great stuff right there! More money and more time off. That sounds like a win-win! 🙂

    I’ve always heard good things about the Denver area. But I can imagine it’s a bit busy for those that would prefer a slower pace of life. I’ve also heard that Boulder and Colorado Springs are nice areas. I hope to make it up to Colorado at some point and check it out.

    Glad that things worked out so great for your wife.

    Thanks for dropping by. Happy Holidays!

    Best wishes.

  57. Henry,

    Ha. It was hard enough just getting her to answer questions. It was a no-go for the picture. Perhaps at some point she’ll be open to that. 🙂

    Happy Holidays!

    Take care.

  58. Spoonman,

    Thanks for all the support. I hope all is well with you and your wife up in the PNW!

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you guys too. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  59. FFF,

    Well, Claudia is by nature somewhat frugal. She’s just not as extreme as me, which can be a good thing sometimes. Keeps me balanced. 🙂

    I’m glad that your wife is on board and the progress has made it easier for her to buy in to the plan and see some light at the end of the tunnel. It’s important to have a supportive partner that roots you on, even if it’s not the journey they’d choose for you.

    Thanks for stopping by. Happy Holidays to you and yours as well!

    Cheers.

  60. I’ve been reading your site for years and this is probably one of your Top Five posts.

    Very interesting to hear the unfiltered thoughts of someone who knows you as well as anyone and who may not share the exact same goals but still goes through the journey with you. I know the feeling.

    Were you nervous/anxious/uncertain as to what you might read with her responses? Doing it by E-mail certainly gives her the opportunity to be unbiased and not influenced by your presence as she considers what to say.

    Well done.

    – Ryan from GRB

  61. Merry Christmas to you and Claudia!

    DM: do you reinvest your dividends in same stocks that paid them or do you take them in cash to buy other stocks?

    Daniel

  62. KeithX,

    Glad you enjoyed it. I’m always trying to find unique and fun ways to put content together. 🙂

    Appreciate the kind words very much. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours. I hope you get to spent plenty of time with those you care most about.

    Cheers!

  63. Ryan,

    Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the post. It’s different, so you never know what people are going to think. But I think it’s great to present different perspectives like this from time to time.

    The email approach allowed Claudia to write whatever she wanted. She asked me what I wanted her to say, and I just advised her to write from the heart. I didn’t want any influence on her answers, because then it would lose its purpose and value. But I wasn’t really nervous to read the answers or put them on the blog. I’m proud of who she is, and I admire her for her differences. And those differences balance me out pretty nicely, because she almost never considers money or the future in any of her decisions. She just lives for today, which has its benefits and drawbacks.

    Appreciate the support. Happy Holidays!!!

    Best regards.

  64. Wow! I love Claudia. Her answer about happiness is perfect and you are a lucky man to have found her. DON’T SCREW THIS UP. Make sure you do everything you can to ALWAYS be part of what makes her happy.
    Merry Christmas and God bless you both.

  65. Hey Jason,

    Just wanted to stop by and wish you and Claudia a very merry Christmas and happy new year!

    I’ve been following your blog now for the last couple of years. I check it religiously 2-3 times a day. It’s a great source of inspiration and ideas for me. My goals for FI are pretty much the same as yours, and I hope we both get there.

    I also congratulate you for navigating your way through the personal challenges that you wrote about during the year. That would be enough to drive a lot of people nuts. However, it seems like now you’re right where you want to be.

    All the best for 2015!

    Dave

  66. Thank you so much, Claudia, for sharing. Just a few observations here. I think the “live for today” attitude (not so good, IMO) is pretty prevalent in Latin America as it is in the US…although it’s a bit different as it’s less consumer oriented and more friends and family oriented (which is much healthier). I will say I don’t think the investment opportunities in Latin America are as abundant as what we have in the US (i.e. cheap and diversified mutual funds, etc). Americans really don’t see the opportunities they have sitting right under their noses.

  67. Edit: I meant to say “The investment opportunities in Latin America are NOT as abundant as what we have in the US”. I wish I could correct my posts after reading them!

  68. Jason, why couldn’t your guys eat dinner together? I think I may be misunderstanding a statement.

    I can understand why you might expense groceries separately, but surely you could still sit at a table together? (even if one of you was eating chicken and the other ramen noodles!)

  69. Tommy,

    Thanks for the advice. I’ll do my best to follow it! 🙂

    Appreciate the support. Hope you’re having a Merry Christmas with you and yours over there.

    Cheers!

  70. Dave,

    Thank you. Very kind of you. Appreciate you taking the time to stop by!

    I’m so glad you find some inspiration here. I try my best to present these ideas in new, unique, and inspirational ways all the time. This stuff is pretty exciting for me, so it’s hard for me to not share that enthusiasm. 🙂

    This year has been crazy. One of the craziest years of my life. And there have also been challenges that I haven’t even discussed here on the blog due to the fact that they extend far beyond the scope of anything else I really write about. But it’s also been a great year. I’m incredibly grateful that I’ve been able to leave the auto job behind and pursue writing full-time. And now being engaged to a wonderful, loving, and supportive partner is great. I’m truly looking forward to 2015 and beyond.

    I hope you finish off 2014 strong and get your next year off to a great start. We’re in it together, bud.

    Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

    Best wishes.

  71. Mysticaltiger,

    It’s funny. We’re the headquarters of capitalism, yet so few people take advantage of this system. I guess that’s because consumerism is also so prevalent. Perhaps they go well together. I simply try to take advantage of the former while minimizing my exposure to the latter.

    But you are right in that there are so many opportunities right under our noses. I only wish I got started earlier, but it’s better late than never. 🙂

    Thanks for dropping by!

    Take care.

  72. steven,

    Good question. We had slightly different schedules. So it wasn’t really just the separate budgets. I would get home at about 6:30 and I had to eat pretty much right away to do some of the things I needed to do. I would eat dinner quickly before moving on to some of the work with the blog (comments, emails, etc.). Then I would jog down to the local gym where I’d exercise before coming back home and writing. Claudia and her son would eat later in the evening. Unfortunately, I couldn’t wait that long to eat because I was hungry and also because if I exercise before eating I get nauseous. In addition, I just didn’t have the time to sit down for a lengthy meal. In order to fit in everything I had going on I had to eat fast.

    I hope that clears it up. 🙂

    Cheers!

  73. Holy hell, awesome life story, Claudia!

    You’ve been all over the place: El Salvador, California, North Carolina, Oslo, Florida, … Quite impressive that you ultimately ended up with Jason. Also, I can’t imagine him not being as frugal when you met him as he is now. It must be quite interesting to see someone change his ways like that.

    Thanks for sharing, really loved this post.

    Best wishes to you both,
    NMW

  74. NMW,

    Thanks so much. Claudia thanks you as well. She reads all the comments. 🙂

    Glad you enjoyed the post. She definitely brings a very different perspective to the table, but we balance each other out nicely.

    Appreciate all the support!

    Best regards.

  75. DM,
    I was drawn to the woman I am dating now for everything BUT financial reasons, but we have found that we are very compatible. She is frugal and a natural saver, but has not heard or been interested in any of the early retirement movement. Either way, it is an excellent bonus!

    Thanks,
    WE

  76. WE,

    That’s good news there!

    Sometimes you end up with someone on the opposite end of the financial spectrum, which leads to tension. But it sounds like it worked out great for you guys. Glad to hear it. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing. I wish you two continued success.

    Cheers!

  77. Catching up on your posts after the holiday break. I enjoyed reading this one. Although I am recently divorced, prior to that, I tried to have “semi-annual” meetings to discuss our finances. Mainly because she controlled all spending, but I wanted to be involved….it is a good idea that if one spouse handles the finances, then the other be informed. As you have stated, communication is key. Thank you for the insight into another aspect of your life.

  78. Fritz,

    Sorry to hear about the recent divorce, but perhaps that’s for the best.

    I completely agree that, no matter how you split the budgeting/finances, communication is extremely important. Making sure both partners are completely in the loop and in agreement keeps any ill will at bay. Money is one of those touchy subjects that breaks a lot of relationships up. Being open and honest is always the best policy, in my view. 🙂

    Thanks for catching up with the posts. Hope all is well!

    Best wishes.

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