Chris Englert, upon retiring at 49 with a $2 million portfolio, reflects on her journey of early retirement that began in her 20s. She maximized 401(k) benefits and consistently saved from each paycheck while living below her means. After ensuring her finances were stable, she sold her house alongside her husband to embrace full-time travel. Although she waited for her husband to retire, she embarked on solo travel adventures, discovering a passion for exploring different cities each month.
At my first job out of college, I attended an orientation session about 401(k) matching and investing. I was just 22 years old, and my mind was blown by all these financial tools I hadn't thought about before.
I checked my savings often, invested in mutual funds, and bought stock purchase plans at discounts through companies I worked for. Although I originally hoped to retire at 55, I felt ready to do it once I'd accrued $2 million in savings and investments.
Once our kids were grown, my husband and I sold our house to travel full-time and I wanted to wait for my husband to retire, too.
In the meantime, I took a five-month solo trip to South America and tried living in different cities for one month at a time.
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