happy (almost) 4th of july to u.s. readers. to those north of the border, happy belated canada day, and to everyone else, happy friday.
america’s independence day is a wonderful reminder of how lucky we are to be living in a free country, a country where it’s not just possible to reach your dreams, but to reach dreams that are wildly different from the norm. so on this independence day, we’re sending some gratitude out to all those in the history of this great nation who’ve made it possible for us to pursue our financial independence.
our gratitude goes out to:
the framers of our constitution, who envisioned a free society in which upward mobility was possible, unlike the then-more class-focused great britain from whom america succeeded, and in which fairness and opportunity were seen as fundamental principles.
president franklin roosevelt (and eleanor), who authored the new deal, which helped create the very notion of retirement through the social security act.
president lyndon johnson, who ushered in the great society, which provided health care benefits for retirees for the first time, setting the stage for the obamacare exchanges which will ensure we have health coverage after we retire, and (we hope) medicare later on.
labor unions, before which there was no such thing as a “weekend,” who fought for fair wages and retirement benefits, which have undoubtedly accelerated our progress toward our goal.
generations of feminists, who fought and still fight for wage equality, meaning that we both contribute meaningfully to our retirement savings.
john bogle, founder of the vanguard group, for inventing and promoting index investing, and making index funds accessible to the individual investor.
pioneers in early retirement like robert and robin charlton, mr. money mustache, go curry cracker, root of good, and many more, for proving that the fire lifestyle is achievable and sustainable.
our parents, for instilling in us a love of education, the importance of hard work and the value of a dollar. and our dads specifically for retiring early and leading by example!
and
those who’ve served in the armed forces, all of our teachers past and present, everyone who is supporting us in our goal of retiring in 2 1/2 years, and YOU for following along on our journey.
happy independence day! may we all keep getting closer to fulfilling our dreams.
whom or what are you thankful for, past or present? what’s helped/helping you be able to reach your dreams?
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Categories: we've learned
Great list! My parents were always very frugal, but they both worked into their 70’s and never really seemed to enjoy their lives. Watching how they lived convinced me that there had to be a better way.
We always learn from our parents, don’t we? Either things we want to emulate, or things we want to do differently. Happy 4th!
I didn’t know labor unions were responsible for weekends. Off to Wikkipedia for me!
Fun fact of today! 😉
I’m thankful for friends, family, and the idea of financial independence :) Enjoy the holiday!
Good list! Have a great 4th. 😎
I’m so glad you included Eleanor! Medicare is one of the greatest things our country has done, and I’m so glad that ACA has expanded this.
I love Eleanor. :-) Now if only we can have universal Medicare! Not holding my breath for that one…