I will start with the basics. I am a mid-thirty year-old software engineer with a wife and 2 3 kids. My only debt is my mortgage, which sits around $175,000. My wife and I currently work full-time, but are embracing the ideology of FIRE and frugality so we can cut the chains of the 40-hour work week and the 'working for a dying' lifestyle as soon as possible. I still struggle with the temptations of consumerism, but overall I am finding that removing and avoiding material things seems to increase my level of satisfaction more than when I was adding things to it. I am also struggling with the thought that I am dealing with a mid-career crisis. Most of my friends seemed to have excepted their fate of working until 65 doing a job that they don't love. I have not. I spend a lot of time thinking about work, what I like to do, and the amount of time I spend doing both. My pleasures are simple: spend time with my family and friends, play music, drink/brew beer, smoke BBQ, and do Web Design and Development.

I currently have a 49% savings rate and invest in index funds and some bonds. Real estate is a bit intimidating for me, but I am looking into some crowdsourced real estate platforms.