Your Money or Your Life philosophy and strategies have been good to John Caffrey. After starting and operating several successful recycling businesses in northern New Jersey in the ‘90s, John made a sharp U -Turn in life in the new century. He went back to his previous career as a public school social studies teacher! Best of all, John reports; “this is the most fun job I’ve ever had” and “I actually look forward to going to work every day.” He hopes to stay in the classroom for 10 more years.

After a 23+ year career in teaching, John left the classroom in the late 1980s to pursue new interests and opportunities. When we first interviewed him for Getting a Life in 1996, he credited Your Money or Your Life concepts for helping him get his financial affairs in order and priorities straight. That allowed him to develop his recycling business into a profitable venture. His businesses continued to grow through most of the 1990s but then declined after the state of New Jersey reduced support for the recycling industry. John continues to operate his original food waste recycling business but, after careful thought, decided to return to teaching after a 13 year hiatus – and loves it.

John says he could declare Financial Independence (FI) now; “I could leave teaching now and live a frugal existence and not feel deprived.” But he chooses to continue to work because he enjoys it and would like a more comfortable retirement when that time comes. Although he no longer tracks his daily spending, when about to make a purchase, John still asks himself, “Does this expenditure help me reach my life goals and better my life?” He checks his expenses on a monthly basis and finds they vary only slightly. He uses a more aggressive investment strategy than suggested in Your Money or Your Life and has done well despite the recent market downturn.

Although John tries not to waste money, he certainly enjoys life. He travels to England every couple of years searching out antiquities and enjoys day trips to the Jersey shore and New York City and regional travel in Maine and Vermont. Along with his partner Joyce, John enjoys hiking and bird watching in the Northeast. Now a grandfather, John is also able to play an active role in his grandchildren’s life Life’s not perfect. John suffers from a gradual hearing loss and has questions and concerns about how he will care for his aging mother, but overall is doing well and is happy he chose the Your Money or Your Life path.