FI at 44 AFTER Taking a Year Off at 31

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Sep 30, 2025

Alex Morales, known as Girl Chasing Wealth, shares her journey to financial independence by age 44 after taking a year off at 31. She reveals how to cleverly house-hack with roommates to cut costs and maintain a high savings rate on a median income. Alex discusses intentional spending versus extreme frugality, how she funds her sabbatical, and the importance of valuing experiences over constant hustle. Lastly, she outlines her investment strategies and plans to reenter the workforce with a focus on higher pay.

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ANECDOTE

Marketing Career And The Burnout Decision

Alex worked in marketing full-time since graduating in 2017 and felt burned out by her early 30s.
She decided the timing was right to quit and take a year-long sabbatical for rest and growth.

ANECDOTE

Discovering FIRE At 26

Alex discovered FIRE at age 26 after seeing creators like Millennial Money Honey on TikTok.
She then binge-consumed FIRE content and started investing and tracking her finances seriously.

ADVICE

Track Spending To Find Big Savings

Track your spending to reveal waste and prioritize cuts that matter.
Alex cut dining out and frequent clothes shopping to free up hundreds per month.

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What if you could take a year off at 31 and still retire early? Alex Morales, also known as Girl Chasing Wealth, is doing exactly that. In this BiggerPockets Money episode, she sits down with Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench to reveal how she's funding a year-long sabbatical while staying on track to achieve financial independence by 44, all on a median salary in a high-cost-of-living area. Alex's journey proves you don't need a six-figure income or to live in a low-cost city to make FIRE work—you just need the right strategies.

Alex shares her unconventional approach to building wealth, including managing roommates to slash housing costs, ruthlessly cutting expenses that don't align with her values, and building side income streams for flexibility. But this isn't just about saving money—it's about designing a life that lets you take meaningful breaks without derailing your financial goals. Whether you're burned out, curious about sabbaticals, or convinced early retirement requires constant hustle, this conversation will change how you think about the path to financial freedom.

This Episode Covers:

How to calculate if you can afford a career break without ruining your FIRE timeline
The exact house hacking strategy that saved Alex thirty thousand dollars per year
Which expenses to cut first when living in a high-cost area
How to maintain a high savings rate on a median income
Alex's investment portfolio breakdown and FIRE number
What she's actually doing during her sabbatical year
Her strategic plan for returning to work at a higher salary
Why taking time off might accelerate your financial independence journey

And SO much more!

00:00 Taking a Year Off at 31 Without Ruining FIRE

01:39 How She Started

03:17 The Lifestyle Cuts That Actually Worked

07:46 Roommates Saved Her $30K/Year

12:10 Her Exact Investment Strategy Revealed

14:29 Why She Left Her Job

15:50 The Return Plan: Higher Pay, Same Freedom

22:30 What She's Actually Doing on Sabbatical

32:06 Follow Her FIRE Journey!

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