I was raised in a solidly middle-class family. My dad worked as a software engineer at IBM, and my mom stayed home to raise my brother and me, cooking dinner every night and volunteering at our schools. Though we always had what we needed, they didn't spoil us. We never had cable TV. Dining out was usually Pizza Hut—without drinks or dessert. Our movie outings were at the $1 theater that showed second-run films. I’d save up my own money for the latest Nintendo game or wait for my birthday. When my parents argued it was usually about not having enough money.​ These early experiences likely instilled in me a subconscious desire to save money to feel secure. My parents taught us that spending money should always be a thoughtful activity. Whenever I came into money I'd save a portion, if not all of it. As I began earning a steady paycheck I’d contribute enough to get the full company 401(k) match. Later I began contributing to an IRA. Then I started investing in mutual funds and individual stocks, and when we became parents, opened 529 plans for our children. In 2011, I attended FinCon—a major conference for personal finance bloggers. That weekend opened my eyes to a vast community of like-minded personal finance enthusiasts and the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement. I was immediately drawn to the idea of achieving financial independence to get off the hamster wheel of working for someone else until retirement at age 65. My wife, Fei, and I began saving and investing as much as we could but also on our own terms. I started tracking our budget using Mint.com. We carefully considered any loans to make sure they made both financial and emotional sense. After building a one-year emergency fund I started investing in passive ETF funds that charged minimal fees and set up a "set-it-and-forget-it" weekly investment schedule that continues to this day. Through a combination of good fortune, diligent saving to buy peace of mind, disciplined spending, minimizing bad while leveraging good debt, and continuous investing, we've achieved financial independence. I believe that anyone can achieve positive financial results as long as they have the desire, and some guidance, along the way.