The thought of monetary independence can imply various things to completely different individuals, however one widespread method to outline it’s having sufficient cash that you simply not have to depend on a job, a paycheck or another person to maintain your life-style.
Whereas the trail towards monetary independence can really feel daunting, there was one tried and true technique of success: dwell under your means and make investments what you save.
That is precisely what Shu Matsuo Submit did to attain the liberty he has at this time. Over the course of about seven years, the 38-year-old constantly poured over 50% of his and his spouse’s twin revenue into actual property investing.
Now, Matsuo Submit owns a $2 million actual property portfolio consisting of six rental properties positioned within the U.S. and three in Japan, based on paperwork seen by CNBC Make It.
“I am very lucky to have the ability to say this, however I haven’t got to work for cash,” Matsuo Submit advised CNBC Make It. “I take pleasure in incomes cash, however I can give attention to what I need to do… it is utterly the opposite approach round.”
At the moment, Matsuo Submit lives in Japan along with his spouse and two children. Apart from managing his investments, he additionally creates on-line instructional content material about actual property investing and runs his personal consulting enterprise Submit FI, which helps foreigners buy property in Japan.
Starting of actual property investing journey
Matsuo Submit’s journey towards monetary independence was not simple. Pivoting his profession a number of occasions, he labored in industries like journalism, retail and know-how earlier than getting 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 check and start his profession. Following his stint within the U.S., Matsuo Submit additionally labored in Hong Kong for a number of years earlier than settling down again in Japan along with his spouse, Christina, seven years in the past.
After getting married in 2017, Matsuo Submit and his spouse determined to mix their funds. Once they started investing, they centered totally on index funds and ETFs, however in the end determined that they needed to be extra lively with their investments as a substitute of ready round for inventory market returns.
“We discovered actual property and saved speaking about it, after which we determined that we will dwell off of 1 revenue,” Matsuo Submit 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 had been tremendous lucky to have the ability to try this having comparatively excessive paying jobs on the time and we simply saved fairly a bit,” mentioned Matsuo Submit. The couple ended up saving over $250,000 earlier than investing of their first property, he mentioned.
In 2018, Matsuo Submit 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 Submit 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 not needed to search out one other workplace job.
“So after I used to be let go from the startup, I had a selection to return to the company world or to begin one thing [of my own],” mentioned Matsuo Submit. In the end, 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 Submit began his YouTube channel, which has garnered over 100,000 subscribers, and in 2023, he began his actual property consulting enterprise Submit FI, or Submit “Monetary Independence.”
“I am by no means going again,” Matsuo Submit mentioned. “Attaining that monetary independence is completely essential, however retirement and never having to work ever — I noticed, it isn’t one thing that I needed. I needed engaged work that I did not have to retire from.”
“If that generates cash, that is nice, and if it does not, that is okay too, as a result of you have got different types of revenue coming in to help your life-style,” he mentioned.
3 tips about attaining monetary independence
When requested concerning the guiding rules he used to attain monetary independence, Submit mentioned:
- Put money into your self first. Learn books, attend seminars and study from others who’ve already achieved objectives much like your individual.
- Improve your incomes potential. Saving will not make you wealthy but it surely permits you to have cash, which lets you take larger dangers with greater potential payouts.
- Keep frugal. Save greater than 50% of your revenue.
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