When we first started our financial journey, we weren’t aiming for the traditional “work-until-65” retirement.
We’ve always been drawn to the idea of financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) – not because we wanted to stop working altogether, but because we’ve always valued freedom, flexibility, and living life on our own terms.
Over the years, we’ve prioritised travel and built our lifestyle around experiences rather than things.
As the kids have gotten older, we realised – why wait until they’ve left home to do something big? We’ve already had loads of great adventures together, so why not go all in while we’ve still got this time as a family?
So we made a bold decision:
We’d take a mini-retirement in our 40s – a year or two to slow down, travel with our kids, and create core memories together now, while they still want to hang out with us.
Welcome to our mini-retirement. Yes, you read that right.
And no – before the finance police come for us – we’re not touching our KiwiSaver or Australian Super funds (we legally can’t anyway). Those remain safely locked away for the official retirement years.
What we are spending is money we’d originally set aside for “future us” – age 60+, beach walks, and crossword puzzles.
So why now?
Because Time With Our Kids is Finite
Our kids are at that golden age where they’re old enough to remember everything – but still young enough to want us around.
In a few months, one of them will be a teenager.
Then adults. And those lazy, curious days spent together searching for wild elephants in Thailand or wandering Roman ruins?
We might never get that chance again.
Because We Value Memories Over “More”
Yes, compound interest is magic.
And yes, letting investments grow untouched is financially optimal. But what’s the point of reaching 65 with a fat portfolio and regrets about missed time?
We’re leaning into semi-retirement – stepping off the hamster wheel for a bit, living more intentionally, and soaking up the now.
This isn’t about abandoning work forever (I love working and could never give it up for good).
It’s about creating space to live now, rather than postponing all our joy for a date decades away.
What Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) Taught Us
We’ve been long-time followers of the FIRE movement – and while we’re not “retired” in the traditional sense, FIRE opened our eyes to what’s possible.
It showed us that:
- Money is a tool, not a finish line
- Flexibility is more important than status
- You can design your life instead of defaulting to the 9-to-5 until 65
We used that FIRE mindset to build a financial buffer through smart saving, investing, and living below our means.
That buffer is now giving us the freedom to slow down and live differently for a year or two – without sacrificing our future.
The Book That Shifted Our Thinking
One of the biggest mindset shifts came after reading Die With Zero by Bill Perkins.
The book challenges the traditional idea of deferring all joy until retirement, and instead encourages people to spend their money intentionally and at the right times in life – when you have the health, freedom, and energy to enjoy it.
That message hit home for us.
We realised that some of the best experiences – especially the ones with our kids – don’t belong in the “someday” basket.
They belong in the now. “Die With Zero” helped us feel confident that using a portion of our funds for memory-making and meaningful living now, rather than waiting until age 65+, wasn’t irresponsible – it was deeply aligned with our values.
But Isn’t That Risky?
Maybe. But we’ve run the numbers, and we’ve got plans in place. We’re still investing. We still own income-producing assets.
We’re not “burning through” our future – we’re simply spending a portion of it more mindfully, earlier.
This isn’t reckless. It’s intentional. It’s a mini-retirement – not an escape from responsibility, but a shift in priorities.
Our Message to Other Mums (and Dads!):
You don’t have to wait for some arbitrary retirement age to enjoy life.
If you’ve been working hard, saving hard, and dreaming hard – consider if there’s a way to cash in on some of that dream now.
Maybe it’s a few months off.
Maybe it’s a sabbatical.
Maybe it’s turning your side hustle into your main hustle.
Whatever it is, we’re here to say: it’s okay to do things differently. It’s okay to step off the treadmill.
And it’s more than okay to make memories that your kids will talk about for the rest of their lives.
What About Our Careers?
This is the age where many people are doubling down on their careers, climbing higher, or solidifying long-term roles.
Taking a break can feel like swimming against the current – and yes, we worried about losing momentum, missing opportunities, or how we’d explain the gap later on.
But without the daily grind of 9-to-5 (or 7.30-4 in my husband’s case), we have the mental space and flexibility to explore online courses, retraining opportunities, and deep-dive research into areas we’re passionate about.
We’re using this mini-retirement to upskill in ways that will make the next phase of our working lives more aligned, more flexible, and more valuable – both financially and personally.
We’re doers, and figure-it-outers so we’ll get it done and we’ll figure it out.
We’re also pursuing creative projects (hello, Mum’s Money YouTube channel, videos are coming – I promise) and staying open to part-time or freelance work – you can find out more on my work with me page.
And we truly believe the life experience, resilience, and perspective we’re gaining will make us even more valuable if and when we return to more traditional roles.
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