Money should work for your life.
Not the other way around.

My Money Story

I was saving for someday.
Then I got hit by a car.

I grew up in a frugal household, always saving for the next rainy day. We picked up pennies, reused Ziploc bags, clipped coupons, and cut mold off bread. To earn spending money, I joined pediatric medical studies and picked olives for a quarter a bag. That upbringing taught me how to save — and to associate money with security.

In my twenties, now a working professional with savings, I asked a financial advisor to help me learn how to invest. He looked at my account balances and told me to come back when I was worth his time. So I did what I've always done when faced with a closed door. I went to the library and read every book I could find on the topic.

Eventually I discovered the FIRE community. Frugality felt familiar, and after graduating into a post-recession economy, the promise of financial independence felt like control. I tracked every dollar, lived like a student even after landing a salaried job, and chose work over spending time with loved ones, convinced I was doing the "right" thing.

Then I got hit by a car while biking home from work. During recovery, my neurosurgeon gave me a lifelong list of things to avoid — and told me I was lucky to still be alive.

Today, I believe money should help you live the life you want now, not just someday. Money only solves money problems. It won't make you invincible, guarantee happiness, or buy back time you've already lost.

It's not about hoarding, hustling, or tying your self-worth to your net worth. It's about freedom, alignment, and using money to support what truly matters — because life is short, unpredictable, and precious. And your financial plan should honor that.