Retiring early is the ultimate dream. To have the money to be able to live a carefree existence without the ties to the 9 to 5 job. But the question is, how does one do it? Well, thankfully there are plenty of people on the internet that have covered this topic and have retired early themselves. So check out these habits and let us know what you think!

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Increasing Income

Increasing your income in the present is one of the ways you are more likely to retire early. Making a habit of taking jobs where there is good income, and dedicating yourself to hard work (even if that means taking on another job) is one habit that most early retirees do frequently.

Save All You Can

A lot of early retirees credit their new-found freedom to being careful with their spending. By putting money in a decent savings account, you can watch it grow rather than indulging in the now and then having to work for longer.

Cut Out the Unnecessary Costs

Think about what you need and cut your costs accordingly. For example, if you mostly watch Netflix, then don’t pay for cable. If your phone is still good, then don’t get a new one when the next model comes out. These cuts will make a big difference over time.

Invest

Putting money into 401’s and other investments won’t bring you anything in the short term. However, you’re not LOOKING for short term gains. So make sure your money is working for you now so that you don’t have to work in the future.

Restrict Yourself

Have months or weeks where you commit to only spending money on groceries and toiletries, nothing extra. That means no Starbucks on the commute, but instead, take your own coffee. Likewise, avoid takeout, and cook at home and take leftovers to work for lunch.

Plan First

Before you can commit to a retirement age, it’s important to plan how much you will need to live off of each year (when you retire) and also account for other costs. Overall, think about every situation when you work on this plan, even ones that seem severely unlikely. This way, with the worst case scenario, you’ll be covered, and at best, have extra money.

Stop Caring About What Others Think

Most of the time we put money into appearances: having the latest phone, the coolest car, and the most fashionable clothes. But these things will stop you from retiring early. Buying essentials that are based on quality (but are not necessarily “in”) can save you from buying more expensive, and often inessential, items due solely to society and media pressure. These items won’t necessarily make you happy, especially when your dream goal is early retirement.

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Retiring in your 30’s won’t be easy, and will mean a lot of sacrifices in the now to ensure a better future. But your hard work and determination will pay off.