My grandfather lived under the dictatorship, but he found a way to hesitate

My grandmother was born and spent his young life under the Estado Novo dictatorship in Portugal, which ended in 1974.

He saw what financial insecurity can be used as a weapon – the loans that have been rejected, the inflated costs, and the livelihood threatened on the basis of arbitrary stickers from the lack of reliability, such as participating in the organization of unions.

For him, ownership was not just the accumulation of assets; It was a matter of earning a feeling of freedom and security in an authoritarian environment otherwise.

His mentality about ownership left a permanent sign of me and the rule of how I approached my career and my life throughout my life.

Since I was a young boy, my grandfather will emphasize the importance of not having it and be your master. He lived this principle, as he was working tirelessly and was wise in his spending.

Thanks to those lessons, I welcomed the world born in the world without financial concern.

I learned financial responsibility from my grandfather and my mother

He saved my grandfather hard throughout his life. Family holidays were rare and always with a limited budget. It only allowed expensive food such as cheese, red meat and olives during Christmas.

He launched multiple businesses in port operations and financial services, and projects that remain in our family. He invested in the financial markets, real estate, and his isolated and stamps while spending most of his life in his life.

His daughter – my mother – received the same lessons that arose. After the dictatorship ended, while many of its peers were taking advantage of cheap credit to buy new cars and other status symbols, one of the first financing lessons taught me: the car is a solution to move.

If I can buy a car for $ 10,000 and choose a $ 20,000 model, I am not only buying transport – I spend $ 10,000 on a luxurious upgrade.

She did not tell me that this was a stupid purchase. She was giving me a decisive sense of the perspective that I kept with me since then.

How my financial safety network has grown

When I was enough, I left Madeira Island and traveled all over Portugal over the next eight years, but always with the aim of returning home.

My commercial career started while traveling in Portugal. Like my grandfather, I launched multiple works to build wealth and increase my future freedom in Portugal.

Some of these projects – such as the lessons and tourism activities program – fluctuated. Others keep strongly, such as my consultations and real estate companies.

While entering the startup, it can be risky, I have always dealt with my projects with limited risk exposure.

When the money is borrowed, I did this in controlled quantities. I used credit lines for young investors who have not required any personal guarantees and I can only demand partner funds at work, and I have already committed to work.

I am devoid of debt

I did not get credit card debts or took out a car loan. Until last year, my only religion was my real estate mortgage, but I decided to pay my 30 -year -old mortgage.

Soon after my return to Madeira in 2016, my wife and I bought our first home. We are keen to start our own place and start building our lives, we moved quickly – complete the purchase, restoration and move in just six months of returning to the island.

The lesson that my grandfather estimated and repeated more than others was that you should have your home directly.

For him, the house was not just a place to live in – it was a shield against uncertainty, a guarantee that regardless of what happened, his family will always have a roof over their heads.

He worked hard and kept unabated to buy his home. He gave priority to security for luxury. Because of its effect, my priority has also become.

Yes, if you have chosen investment instead of paying my real estate mortgage strongly in seven years, my net net may be higher. However, explicitly possessing my home has gave me something more valuable: a feeling of freedom and achievement.

Often, a decision to rent or maintain a mortgage was a way to increase financial performance over time – a problem in solving it. However, my house means more than just numbers on the spreadsheet.

At this stage of my life, I am devoid of debt, which gives me flexibility in combining my money with strategic borrowing to invest in opportunities worthy of attention.

More importantly, I have peace of mind to raise my newborn son without financial pressure.

My goal was to chase billions or the accumulation of wealth indefinitely

My goal was to build a life where I have enough to have what I call, and to become enough to feel that another person has my freedom keys.

I managed to return from Portugal to a homeland, I live unanimously with debt, repeatedly traveling with my family, capturing new hobbies, and choosing the path of my profession on the basis of emotion rather than the financial reward.

Time has shown that this is the right decision for my family. Owning my freedom – financially and personally – was worth more than any investment return.