BEST ROI ON YOUR MONEY AND LIFESTYLE IS TO FIRE EARLIER AND BETTER. FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE RETIRE EARLY LIFESTYLE

My 100% return I wrote about in a previous post hit it out of the ballpark compared to the extra few micro percentage points a higher interest online bank would pay,

 but in that post I didn't go into all the other peripheral benefits that impact both your money and your FIRE lifestyle.

 Within our circles of online friends in the Financial Independence Retire Early or FIRE groups we focus a lot on maximising our ROI and what the best strategy is to optimize that. 

Yes we want to FIRE earlier but we also want to FIRE 'better'. As I look at the headlines today and watch people talking about what's happening,

 whether its people not being able to get toilet paper and food in the stores or getting kicked out of their hotel rooms while they're traveling the world just to avoid 'spreading the virus'.

 I can't help to reminisce about our FIRE lifestyle before travel, as a family of 5 adults enjoying life on today's dollars of $1900 a month plus housing, meaning we owned our own home. 

The lifestyle was the one we planned for ourselves, according to my belief that we should live a life that we don't have to 'vacate' from, i.e. no need for a vacation, i"m already there. 

 Lakeside walks whenever we wanted, peaceful private acreage on a dead end road, lots of nature, year round sailing with boat ramp only 4 blocks away, swimming in our pool every day 5 or 6 months out of the year. 

 That was the life we had envisioned. What is the life you have envisioned? What is the lifestyle you would not need to vacate from? 

 As I look again at the headlines, and realize that it was totally built in to the life, the idea that I had a year's worth of honey in my pantry and that I was realizing 100% return on my money while doing it, 

and that everything else in my pantry was giving me similar returns month in and month out. 

 But wait, this conversation is not supposed to be just about ROI and it isn't. 

 Because while I appreciate the financial part, the part that really shines right now, especially as I look at the headlines of today, where a worldwide pandemic induced style martial law is in effect,

and if you doubt that go read about what's happening in Argentina where people in parks are getting chased and assaulted by gov in hazmat suits and arrested just for walking in the park, 

 similar things are happening in Italy, Bulgaria has evoked the military to keep people off the streets, etc. 

 So what really shines right now, is how sensible it was back then to have three to six months worth of stored food and supplies in my pantry and freezer. 

To have the ability to just whip out high quality good food, and to go out into my extended seasons garden and pick up fresh vegetables any time, 

 without having to get in to a multi cilinder tire wearing but comfortable heap of metal and go to the store and risk long lines, bare shelves and in some cases harrassment by authorities, yes what is the value of that? 

 And to be able to walk to the lake and go swimming, or sailing, or enjoy the singing birds in the garden every day. Or read, or work at home.

 I have never been a prepper. I do appreciate value though, and when I see it I take advantage of it. 

 As we sit in our airbnb and ponder and reminisce about how full and stocked our pantry was, and how little we have in our shelves right now while we travel the world, I wonder, which way of life is really the wisest one and most fun? 

And which would rather have right now, all of the above with the corresponding higher ROI not only financially but also on your freedom and peace of mind, or money in the bank earning you a few extra micro percentages? 

 Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.