Guest Blog Post Series: Chrissy Kay & FIRE

Blind is excited to bring you our new guest blog post series. As you know, Blind is a trusted community where verified professionals connect to discuss what matters most, anonymously.

Our guest bloggers range in specializations, disciplines, objectives, mission, and careers.

Through partnerships and posts, these professionals are waiving their anonymity to share real advice, provide honest perspectives, discuss company culture, in order to help you discover relevant career information. Our guest blog post series adds to our mission towards transparency in order to break down professional barriers. We hope these insights help you make empowered informed decisions, and inspire productive change in the workplace.

Have a topic you want to read about? Email us at press@teamblind.com

Tell us about yourself!

Hi there! My name is Chrissy Kay. I’m a FIRE blogger and podcaster living in the most expensive city in Canada: Vancouver, BC. My husband and I will reach FIRE in our 40s, and I share how we’re doing that on my blog, Eat Sleep Breathe FI.

On my podcast, Explore FI Canada, my co-host Money Mechanic and I host roundtable discussions with other Canadians to ‘explore FI’. We also interview experts to help our listeners learn about unique and interesting FI strategies and concepts.

When I’m not obsessing about FI, I enjoy spending time with my husband, two boys (aged 12 and 15) and our adorable Shiba Inu, Mika. We love trying new foods, travelling (pre-COVID) and hanging out with our family and friends.

A quick note

I use ‘FI’ and ‘FIRE’ interchangeably, but generally prefer the term ‘FI’ (financial independence). That’s because the ‘RE’ (retire early) part of ‘FIRE’ is optional. Too many people get hung up on debating the merits and risks of RE… then the conversation about FI gets lost.

I prefer to avoid this debate and keep the focus on the core principles of FI. (After all, that’s what’s really important in this whole discussion!) So—you’ll see me use FI and FIRE throughout this interview, but more often using FI.

Can you walk us through your journey through the FIRE movement?

In 2014, I decided it was time to finally take charge of our investments. In my research, I Googled “How much do I need to retire?” That led me to Mr. Money Mustache and his epic post, The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement.

I was hooked—FIRE became my new passion. Everything about the lifestyle and mindset appealed to me. Just by being a little more mindful with our money and actions, we could be happier, have more freedom, and make the world a better place.

My husband and I were always good with our money, but FIRE helped us become even more intentional and skilled with it. I started DIY investing, tracked every penny of income, trimmed our expenses, and found new ways to save and earn more.

By 2017, I finally had every aspect of our financial lives optimized. All we had left to do was wait for time and compounding to work its magic and get us to FI. It was during this time that my idea to start a blog first took hold.

Tell us about Eat Sleep Breathe FI!

I found it hard to contain my enthusiasm for FIRE, so I started to share what I learned with my family. To do this, I created a Google doc where I collected my favourite FIRE info and resources. (This eventually turned into the FI School series on my blog.)

As the doc grew and I poured more and more time into it, I thought, “Why not share it with others?” I realized the best way to do that would be by starting a blog… and that’s how my blog came to be.

I officially launched Eat Sleep Breathe FI on January 1, 2019. Since then, I’ve published nearly 90 posts. I mostly write about FI, personal finance, investing, and frugality, but I also include the odd post about lifestyle, personal development, parenting, and travel.

Blogging has been an amazing adventure. I’ve learned and grown so much because of it, and look forward to many more years of blogging at Eat Sleep Breathe FI!

Why did you choose to focus on FI? How did you decide to make this your purpose?

I chose to focus on FI because I saw how it could give us more options and freedom. For example, my husband would have the freedom to choose to work because he wanted to, not because he had to. As a family, we’d have more time to spend with our family and friends, enjoy our hobbies, and travel farther and more often.

I decided to make FI my purpose by taking a hard look at what we valued in life. I realized it wasn’t a bigger house or fancier cars. It also wasn’t more stuff or luxurious travel. Instead, it was all the things I mentioned above: more time to spend with the people we loved and on the activities we enjoyed.

Once I saw and understood my ‘whys’ for FI, everything clicked into place. My whys gave me the drive and determination that I needed for this long journey. That’s why I always recommend that FI newbies think about their whys first. They’ll keep you going—no matter how long, boring, or slow the journey may be.

What is a good first step to get involved in the FI movement?

A good first step would be to connect with other FI seekers—both online and in-person. You’ll find them in Facebook groups and on Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and even Blind. You can also find in-person meetups through local Facebook groups and on Meetup.com.

Another option is to find a blogger or podcaster whose story and message resonates with you. Build a relationship with them by sending your feedback through comments, emails, or direct messages. Often, you’ll also end up connecting with other followers and growing your FI network even more.

Finally, if you want to fully immerse yourself in the FI movement, start a FI blog, podcast, YouTube channel, or Instagram account. You can’t help but be involved in the FI movement when you’re this actively engaged!

Where do you see the FI movement in 5-10 years from now?

The FI movement originally became known for extreme frugality and early retirement. In the last five years, the focus has shifted. These days, FI is more about mindful money management and an overall happier life. In the next 5–10 years, I see it continuing to move in this direction.

The movement will focus less and less on reaching FI as soon as possible and more on living your best life all along the way—even if it means a slower path to FI. This is a healthier, more realistic way to reach FI, and I’m glad to see this change in the community.

Nothing would make me happier than to see FI become mainstream one day. I imagine a world where more people are financially literate from a young age, lived within their means from day one, and learned how to invest and grow their money wisely.

It would result in a happier, healthier population that was more able to help and lift up others in need. Our planet would be able to heal, with more of us spending and consuming more mindfully (that is—not overspending or over-consuming).

I see FI as a virtuous cycle that can benefit all. It gives me so much hope to know that FI is becoming more well-known and accepted. Maybe, just maybe, our generation will be the one to turn things around for this planet and its inhabitants.

How can tech professionals specifically benefit from FI?

Having been immersed in the tech industry through my AMA and my husband’s career in video games, I feel that a career in technology is perfectly suited for FI. Here are a few ways I think tech professionals specifically benefit from FI:

Most tech professionals have the means and knowledge to reach FI at a young age. They’ll be fitter, healthier, more mobile and more energetic when they reach FI. This gives them far more lifestyle options than someone retiring in their 60s or 70s.
FI displaces the need to earn a paycheque. Should a tech professional choose to keep working, FI gives them the confidence and financial means to negotiate a more desirable work schedule and job duties. (Some brave souls negotiate these terms even earlier—as soon as they have “F-You Money”.)
Due to the nature of the business, most tech professionals tend to think outside the box. FI benefits innovative thinkers by allowing them to put their creativity to use without needing to put profits first. This could translate into novel, groundbreaking passion projects that change lives.
Most tech professionals will make many professional connections throughout their careers. FI can give these individuals the time and financial means to leverage these relationships to start initiatives for the greater good.

What was it like to host an AMA?

In a nutshell, it was exhilarating, exhausting, eye-opening… and just plain fun! I love talking about FIRE, and the AMA allowed me to do just that—for nine hours straight! I truly enjoyed my experience (even with the trolls, who taught me how to grow a thicker skin).

I loved the variety of questions, which further deepened my FI knowledge (particularly with American retirement accounts and strategies). I also enjoyed taking a peek into the tech industry—especially to learn about the income and benefits (which are jaw-dropping)!

Finally, it was a nice surprise to discover how financially literate Blind users are. They impressed me with their level of knowledge and excellent money management. It gives me hope to know that this group of smart, young professionals have good heads on their shoulders.

I had a great time getting to know the Blind community. The AMA was such a unique and enjoyable experience and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to host it.

What was your favorite question asked to you during your AMA?

My favorite question was some variation of this: “I have X dollars in net worth. I earn Y dollars per year. I spend Z dollars per year. Do you think I can reach FI?”

(X was usually a 7-figure number, Y was a mid to high 6-figure number, and Z was a 5-figure or low 6-figure number.)

I loved these questions because:

These kinds of mind-blowing numbers are so typical in the tech industry (what amazing potential all these young people have before them)!
These Blind users are clearly very good with their money.
FI was almost always right around the corner (or they’d already reached it). And yet, these Blind users were so modest and cautious about their finances!

For me, these were such nice, feel-good stories. I couldn’t help but feel proud of these Blind users. They worked hard, saved hard, and did wise things with their money. And here they were, sitting on goldmines, and not even really aware that they’d made it!

How can Blind users get involved?

I’d suggest that Blind users put this amazing platform on Blind to good use. Get involved by starting and engaging in conversations about FIRE. Make connections and build micro-communities to rally around similar approaches to FIRE.

The anonymity that Blind provides gives you so much freedom to ask anything—even if you might think it’s a dumb question. This is how we all learn and progress in our FI journeys. No question is too basic. We all have to start somewhere, so don’t be shy and ask for help when you need it!

I’d also suggest that Blind users take full advantage of the hive mind that’s at their disposal in this community. Discuss the hacks and advantages that are unique to your companies and industry. Swap ideas and share breakthroughs. There’s so much potential to develop and share creative new FI strategies!

What is your call to action?

My call to action for Blind users is to get actively involved with your finances today. Time is the most valuable component in the wealth-building equation. Put your advantages as a tech professional to maximum use by getting time on your side!

Start as early as you can so that your money has time to compound. (You’ll also have more years to enjoy your hardwon wealth.) No one will be a better steward of your money than you. Take control of it and put it to work so that one day, it will outearn you—without you having to lift a finger.