Marriage Kids and Money: Personal Finance for Families Work is Not Mandatory: 10 Years of Early Retirement Reflections | Brad Barrett (ChooseFI)
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Mar 4, 2026 
Brad Barrett, co-founder of ChooseFI and an early retiree who left accounting in his 30s, reflects on a decade of optional work. He discusses the financial choices that sped up his retirement. He talks about identity after leaving full-time work, balancing meaningful projects and relationships, and why holding on for “one more year” can cost more than you think.
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Saving As A Path To Control Not Sacrifice
- Financial independence reframes saving from deprivation to building a better life.
- Brad Barrett decided to pursue FI after seeing Arthur Andersen collapse and realizing saving bought control, not sacrifice.
Slash Big Recurring Costs To Shrink Your FI Number
- Cut major recurring expenses (housing, cars, food) and invest the difference to accelerate FI.
- Brad bought an affordable house ($271k, $1,200 mortgage), drove an old Honda Civic 15 years, and highlights $100/month savings equals ~$30k less needed for FI.
Cancel Subscriptions And Choose Low Cost Alternatives
- Hunt subscription and fee leakages ruthlessly and move to low-cost alternatives.
- Examples: switch expensive cell plans to Mint Mobile ($15/mo) and cancel unused services like premium streaming or apps.
