The concept of monetary independence can imply various things to totally different folks, however one widespread approach to outline it’s having sufficient cash that you just now not have to depend on a job, a paycheck or another person to maintain your way of life.
Whereas the trail towards monetary independence can really feel daunting, there was one tried and true technique of success: dwell beneath your means and make investments what you save.
That is precisely what Shu Matsuo Put up did to attain the liberty he has right this moment. Over the course of about seven years, the 38-year-old persistently poured over 50% of his and his spouse’s twin revenue into actual property investing.
Now, Matsuo Put up owns a $2 million actual property portfolio consisting of six rental properties situated within the U.S. and three in Japan, based on paperwork seen by CNBC Make It.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to say this, but I don’t have to work for money,” Matsuo Put up advised CNBC Make It. “I enjoy earning money, but I can focus on what I want to do… it’s completely the other way around.”
In the present day, Matsuo Put up lives in Japan together with his spouse and two children. Apart from managing his investments, he additionally creates on-line academic content material about actual property investing and runs his personal consulting enterprise Put up FI, which helps foreigners buy property in Japan.
Starting of actual property investing journey
Matsuo Put up’s journey towards monetary independence was not easy. Pivoting his profession a number of instances, he labored in industries like journalism, retail and know-how earlier than coming into actual property.
Born and raised in Japan, he moved to the U.S. at 15-years-old and ended up staying for about eight years to review and start his profession. Following his stint within the U.S., Matsuo Put up additionally labored in Hong Kong for a number of years earlier than settling down again in Japan together with his spouse, Christina, seven years in the past.
After getting married in 2017, Matsuo Put up and his spouse determined to mix their funds. After they started investing, they centered totally on index funds and ETFs, however in the end determined that they needed to be extra energetic with their investments as a substitute of ready round for inventory market returns.
“We found real estate and kept talking about it, and then we decided that we can live off of one income,” Matsuo Put up mentioned. They selected to dwell off of Christina’s revenue from educating and saved all of Shu’s wage for his or her first property.
“For us, we were super fortunate to be able to do that having relatively high paying jobs at the time and we just saved quite a bit,” mentioned Matsuo Put up. The couple ended up saving over $250,000 earlier than investing of their first property, he mentioned.
In 2018, Matsuo Put up and his spouse bought their first property — a duplex in Minnesota — for a complete of $216,500, based on paperwork seen by CNBC Make It. Only one yr later, he bought three extra rental properties throughout Minnesota and New York.
Leaving the company world
In September 2022, Matsuo Put up was laid off after his firm shut down the enterprise division that he labored in. However after evaluating his funds, he realized that it was now not needed to search out one other workplace job.
“So after I was let go from the startup, I had a choice to go back to the corporate world or to start something [of my own],” mentioned Matsuo Put up. Finally, he determined that he needed to spend extra time with household, so he selected to go away the company world for good.
Shortly after being laid off, Matsuo Put up began his YouTube channel, which has garnered over 100,000 subscribers, and in 2023, he began his actual property consulting enterprise Put up FI, or Put up “Financial Independence.”
“I’m never going back,” Matsuo Put up mentioned. “Achieving that financial independence is absolutely important, but retirement and not having to work ever — I realized, it’s not something that I wanted. I wanted engaged work that I didn’t need to retire from.”
“If that generates money, that’s great, and if it doesn’t, that’s okay too, because you have other forms of income coming in to support your lifestyle,” he mentioned.
3 tips about attaining monetary independence
When requested in regards to the guiding ideas he used to attain monetary independence, Put up mentioned:
- Spend money on your self first. Learn books, attend seminars and study from others who’ve already achieved targets just like your personal.
- Improve your incomes potential. Saving will not make you wealthy however it means that you can have cash, which lets you take larger dangers with increased potential payouts.
- Keep frugal. Save greater than 50% of your revenue.
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