BIO: The founder of FI Freedom Retreats, Amy Minkley’s, life changed when she discovered the Financial Independence movement in 2019.

STORY: Amy was working in Bangkok, living an unhappy life of overworking and over-saving. This way of life gave her zero balance, and she was burning out. Ultimately, this led her to a new path that saw her quit her job in search of a more balanced life.

LEARNING: Be clear about your values and spend on that and not what others value. Separate creating wealth from growing wealth.

“Knowing what your enough is allows you to grow the gap between your income and spending and then invest that gap.”

Amy Minkley

Guest profile

The founder of FI Freedom Retreats, Amy Minkley’s, life changed when she discovered the Financial Independence movement in 2019. After working in Asia for 18 years, she was burned out. In a frantic bid to save her sanity and relationship, a late-night online search led her to the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. Armed with the knowledge of hundreds of FIRE blogs and podcasts, Amy gained a new sense of hope, overcame the “one more year” syndrome, and quit her job in Bangkok. In 2021, she moved to Bali to live her dream life and share the message of Financial Independence and purposeful living. She is now happily engaged to her Australian beloved and organizing transformational FI retreats.

Worst investment ever

When Amy worked in Bangkok, she was unhappy and ran on an old pattern of overworking and over-saving. She was saving 90% of her income and investing it all. This cycle saw Amy tell herself she needed to work one more year and save more. So she continued overworking herself into the ground, leaving her with no work-life balance.

Then one day, Amy had this idea to have a conference in Asia. This led her to a new path that saw her quit her job in search of a more balanced life. Amy will host a FI Freedom Retreat in Bali, Indonesia, from September 27 to October 1.

Amy will be bringing in great speakers with a lot of expertise. She aims to have speakers offering attendees information and knowledge that will transform their lives.

Attendees will not only go on adventures in Bali, connect with the Balinese people, and immerse in the Balinese culture but also get the intrinsic value of community.

Lessons learned

Be clear about your values and spend on that and not what other people value.
Ask yourself what is your enough. Once you know what is enough to make you happy, you can grow the gap between what you’re earning and what you’re spending and then invest that gap.
Even as you create, grow, and protect your wealth, make sure you also enjoy spending on what you value.

Andrew’s takeaways

Separate creating wealth from growing wealth.
Once you grow your wealth, ultimately, you have to protect it.

Amy’s recommendations

If you want to learn more about investing and financial investment, Amy recommends reading The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life, listening to relevant podcasts such as the ChooseFI podcast, and attending in-person events near you.

No.1 goal for the next 12 months

Amy’s number one goal for the next 12 months is to create an incredible FI freedom event where she’ll bring together exceptional speakers and a great group of people. She hopes the event will allow attendees to talk, connect, and build relationships.

Parting words

“Take the plunge in your life and really reflect on what you want. Then ask yourself if your money aligns with that. If yes, take a plunge with it.”

Amy Minkley

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