![](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126677746/287626444.png)
This is a place for people who are or who want to become Financially Independent ( FI), which means not having to work for money.Before proceeding further, please read the Rules & FAQ!Financial Independence is closely related to the concept of Early Retirement/Retiring Early ( RE) - quitting your job/career and pursuing other activities with your time. This subreddit deals primarily with Financial Independence, but additionally with some 'RE' concepts.At its core, FI/RE is about maximizing your savings rate (through less spending and/or earning higher income) to achieve FI and have the freedom to RE as soon as you wish. The purpose of this subreddit is to discuss FI/RE strategies, techniques, and lifestyles whether you are retired or not.FI/RE is about:.Discovering and achieving life goals: “What would I do with my life if I didn't have to work for money?' .Simplifying and redesigning your lifestyle to reduce spending. I commented with this a while ago but thought it may be a good idea to expand on it for those under 35 that were looking to set themselves up for FI.I joined the USCG Reserves at the tail end of 2009 after I lost my sales job in the market crash.
I was very fortunate because I joined as a Marine Science Technician (oil pollution investigator) which put me in the right spot to get picked up for the Deep Water Oil spill in 2010. I stayed on that gig for 3 years. In those 3 years I was making roughly 55000 a year in per diem and base pay. MY expenses were about 500 bucks a month because I was living in a hotel that entire time which led me to accumulate 1.4 million hotel points which was a big bonus.While I know that that experience is not typical those that join the reserves, the benefits that come from doing 20 years in the USCG reserves far out weight anything that you could think to do as a side hustle.As a part-time gig now that I'm off the spill I make roughly 6k as an E-5 a year for one weekend a month and 2 weeks a year.
For 75 years, Coast Guard Reserve members have served alongside the active duty force in every major conflict, or crisis, this nation has faced. Welcome to the 13th Coast Guard District! We, the men and women of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District, provide critical maritime services within the Pacific Northwest. Our missions - maritime security, safety, and national defense - require superior professionalism, devotion to excellence and the highest standards of integrity.
All this makes the career of NASCAR Heat 2 more rigid than it should be. That’s a baseline expectation in other licensed sports simulations. ![Heat](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126677746/149679306.jpg)
![Heat](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126677746/149679306.jpg)
This goes up every year in pay increase plus I get more money every time I advance.The big payoff for FI is that I use tri-care select reserve insurance as my primary insurance which runs $210 a month for me and my wife, which allows me to have access to amazing affordable insurance coverage even when I hit financial independence. I am lucky enough that I joined early and have access to a true pension but they are switching to a blended retirement plan. The verdict is still out on which one is better.Anyway, some of the other perks I got from doing enough active duty time to be a Veteran like the VA loan, full GI Bill and access to things like the afvclub.com where I can stay pretty much anywhere in the world for 7 days for 349 dollars and the military discounts I get on everything else including movies, car rentals, ham gum, and a multitude of other things.So, yeah. Coast Guard Reserves, all the perks of the standard branches of the military but none of the bullets flying at yourhead.
You can also use it to teach you valuable skills such as IT, Mechanic, Environmental Sciences and the like.Here is a link to drill pay for reserve enlisted and officer. Former USAR (Army Reserves for you civilians) here.Yes, it can be a side gig but YMMV. The unit commander and unit culture would really dictate if you're gonna have a nice, enjoyable drill weekend or not.
![Coast guard reserve requirements Coast guard reserve requirements](http://alaska.coastguard.dodlive.mil/files/2015/05/Valdez-Anchorage.jpg)
I've been to units where stuff was chill and everything went nicely. I've also been to units where you had to show up at 5am on Saturday, get to leave at 5 or 6pm on Friday, show up again at 5am on Sunday, and get to leave at 5 or 6pm on Sunday (or whenever the whole unit was done with all their tasks.).You're also free labor during that time. Some NCOs and Officers will let you just sit there until you're free to go. Others will have you do total BS work just so that it looks like you're busy with work when any other NCO or Officer walks. Yeah, its total BS but it happens all the time.If you need an example for the above, imagine walking in a line, up and down a wamart parking lot, picking up cigarette butts and other piece of trash, on a windy day. That's a pretty good example!Also, '1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year' means up to 'Friday-Saturday-Sunday' and '29 days/year' (or whatever the maximum a reservist can be without qualifying for active duty time).So, yeah. I don't recommend anyone enlisting just for the financial reasons.
It might end up being a very, very long 5 year commitment (the shortest USAR contract length from the last time I talked to a Career Counselor).
Mission:Provide operationally capable and ready personnel assets to support Coast Guard surge and mobilization requirements in the Homeland and abroad. Vision:The Coast Guard’s only dedicated surge force - the Reserve, is a contingency-based workforce which is trained locally and deployed globally, providing ready and responsive personnel to meet mission requirements within the prioritized focus areas of Defense Operations, Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security, Incident Response and Management, & Mission Support.As a member of the Coast Guard Reserve, you will be working side by side with full-time Coast Guardsmen. No matter what mission, you'll typically serve two days a month and two weeks a year at a base near your home. Receive training in such diverse fields as computer processing, mechanics or communications. Want to operate boats and save lives? Qualify as a boat coxswain and lead real lifesaving missions.See what's happening with our reserve men and women in today's Coast Guard Reserve by clicking on. You will find this information useful when considering serving in the Coast Guard Reserve.
![](/uploads/1/2/6/6/126677746/287626444.png)