Two months ago, I set out to figure out what Childfree Wealth means. In that time, nearly 200 people have shared their Childfree lives with me. I now have approximately 1500 pages of data to analyze and turn into something that can be shared.
This month I have been able to flesh out some themes that you may find interesting:
- Some people have concrete reasons why they chose to be Childfree, while others never truly decided (kids were just never in the picture). For those who chose to be Childfree, their reasons are as varied as they are and all valid.
- While there are many Childfree people who are following a FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) path, it seems that more are leading towards what I call FILE (Financial Independence, Live Early). If FIRE is an on/off switch for work, FILE is a dimmer switch. Childfree people are living their best lives now, without having to retire. (More at https://childfreewealth.com/2022/01/17/file-vs-fire/ )
- Many of those who have achieved FILE or FIRE (or are close) followed a simple plan: pay off debt (including their house if possible) and then max out their retirement.
- I also had an opportunity to have great conversations with Childfree individuals and couples who are struggling. Being Childfree does not automatically make you rich. The way I look at it, Childfree people who are barely keeping their head above water would drown if they had kids.
- To that end, this month I want to share a Portrait of Struggle. Carly and her husband moved back to the US in February 2020 on one of the last flights without masks. They spent most of the last two years trying to make ends meet and were very happy when they were able to upgrade their air mattress to a real bed. They are Childfree and doing everything they can to improve their lives and in the end, the best option may be to move out of the US: https://childfreewealth.com/2022/02/02/childfree-struggle/
Next Steps for the book:
- I’m going to be continuing to survey and interview people for the next month. Please share the survey link with your friends and on social media: https://childfreewealth.com/book/
- If you have completed the survey, I would love to interview you. You can schedule your interview with me at https://calendly.com/coachdrjay/interview
- In the end, I am planning on two books at this point. The ‘core’ Childfree Wealth book will focus on three things: Childfree Life, Childfree Wealth, and Childfree Finances. The second book is going to be Portraits of Childfree Wealth. It is going to be a collection of portraits created from the interviews. I just think that we can all use examples of what Childfree life is like.
- My goal is to publish the books in Fall 2022. That is faster than I planned at first, but you all have been great in sharing your lives, so I’m much further along than I expected.
Bonus update: Portraits of Childfree Wealth is now available for ordering on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and everywhere books are sold (release date June 1, 2022).