Who writes Rich2Fire?
I’m Jasmine Vale, a software and data engineer living in the southern Netherlands. I’m currently exploring FIRE: not only what it takes to become financially independent, but what makes that independence resilient, capable and satisfying in real life.
Rich2Fire is where I share that exploration. I bring an engineer’s instinct to the work: question the assumptions, compare the trade-offs and look for systems that hold up beyond a spreadsheet.
Our starting point
You do not need millions to begin living more freely. Financial independence can grow gradually through lower essential costs, independent income, patient ownership, practical capability and lasting health.
Different people will use different combinations. A modest portfolio, useful part-time work, lower housing costs and good health may create more freedom than a single giant retirement target.
The five freedom levers
- Spend less: reduce recurring costs without turning life into deprivation.
- Independent income: build income that is not tied to one employer.
- Own patiently: accumulate useful, long-term investments.
- Make and mend: produce, repair and maintain more of what you need.
- Stay capable: protect the health and energy that make every other form of freedom useful.
What “rich” means here
Rich can mean money, but it can also mean time, health, skills, resilient relationships and the ability to choose how a day is spent. Our aim is not perfect self-sufficiency. It is a life with more than one way to meet its needs.