House On Rent, No Credit Card: How The ‘Fundamental Investor’ Planned His Retirement

When most people dream of financial freedom, they imagine big house, luxury cars, and exotic vacations. For one investor, known on social media as 'Fundamental Investor', the path to independence was built on discipline, simplicity, and a long-term vision.

He shared his journey on X, revealing that he retired from active work in March 2019 and hasn’t drawn a salary since. That’s more than six years, 78 months, of living without a paycheck. His wife quit her job even earlier, in 2013, to focus on family and later found her calling in training teachers and writing a book for expecting couples.

“My best half left her actively paying job in 2013, when we were planning to conceive Prakrit. She left the rat race to pursue greater things in life. She is empowering thousands now in her capacity,” he wrote.

Between April 2019 and November 2025, the couple spent about Rs 88 lakh, all tracked on a simple Excel sheet. “Documenting every expense daily is one of the best habits I’ve cultivated,” he wrote. Their lifestyle is funded by emergency savings, dividends, and businesses they own in the markets.

The investor credits his financial freedom to consistent investing. Starting in 2007, he invested every month for 146 months, often putting more than half his salary into markets. “It paid off eventually,” he noted. His mantra: feed the markets for 120 to 180 months, and they will feed you for life.

Interestingly, the couple never bought a home. They live on rent, valuing flexibility over ownership. “Not locking money in a home was the best decision,” he said, adding that they enjoy living in a green, peaceful area and can move anytime. “Looking back, not locking money on a Home was the BEST DECISION we took. We stay in a peaceful place, filled with trees, fresh air and can move out when we feel, the place loses its charm. Maybe in the next decade, if we feel we want to settle down somewhere, we can always put a part of the corpus into a Home (sic),” he said.

They also avoided credit cards entirely. “The other habit I am proud of, is not OWNING A CREDIT CARD, until today. Yes, I missed Lakhs of points. But, I enjoyed spending on what we need, without any compromise (sic),” he said.

The journey wasn’t without challenges. Just after retiring, the COVID-19 market crash hit his portfolio hard. But instead of panicking, he sold losers, held winners, and watched his portfolio multiply after the correction. “That is an Important Lesson, not to Give up in a Bad Time !!! Great Times always Follow, when we Stay the Course. Also having a Great Health Insurance and 4-5 years of Expenses in Emergency Fund helped us to stay invested in the Crash (sic),” he said.

His advice is simple: avoid debt, don’t inflate your lifestyle with rising income, and stay consistent. “The Markets will Feed you until you Leave this Planet !! If FI Can, You Can. Be Consistent. Do Not Over Analyse Inflation & other Things. Avoid Debt. Do Not Rise your Lifestyle too Much with Rise in Income. Travel. Live. Love!!! (sic)," he said.