About

Welcome to FrugaltoFI.com. So Happy to have you here!

A bit about myself – I am a GenXer in my 50s who has hit CoastFI – and is now aiming to semi-retire in 1-3 years.

Coast FI (Coast Financial Independence) is a retirement strategy where you save and invest enough money early in your career to cover 100% of your future retirement needs through compound growth, allowing you to stop or significantly reduce retirement contributions. Once the “Coast FI” number is reached, you only need to earn enough to cover current living expenses.

In 2019, I had about $100,00 in debt – that I was carrying around for a long while. Experienced an awakening that I was closer to retirement age than not. Then in 2020, when the world shut down without the ability to travel or go to concerts – I made it my “hobby” to pay it off (I also decided to personally re-do my backyard landscaping by hand at that time, too. But that is another story). My student loan of $29,999 was forgiven and I paid of approximately $56,000 in 3 years by living a frugal life (intentional spending, budgeting, cash envelops and cutting costs where I could to sent that money towards debt).

At the same point, I was investing. When my debt was paid off, I increased my investing contribution into my pre-tax retirement account with work. Then in 2025, I hit my CoastFI number. Since then, I have stopped contributing money towards my investment accounts and I am saving up my cash savings bucket of 1-3 years cash (also known as an Emergency Fund).

I am not the best saver, but I wasn’t the best at paying off debt either and I accomplished it. The desire to semi-retire is strong. So I need to accomplish my savings goal too.

And that is how Frugal to FI came about – frugal living, intentional spending, budgeting to achieve financial goals – while still living the good life. And that is the focus with this forum.