I quit my job to retire at 43 — here are my tips for becoming financially free
A self-proclaimed millionaire quit her $300,000 a year corporate job and 'downsized her lifestyle' to retire at the age of 43 and be 'financially free.'
Pav Lertjitbanjong, 43, worked the corporate grind for 23 years before deciding enough was enough.
In April 2025, her grandmother passed away and Pav realized she was too busy 'chasing success' to be there for her family.
So in May, Pav took the leap to quit her $300,000 a year job, sold her Honda Civic, put her her $1 million home on the market and downsized to Minneapolis, Minnesota — living off between $30,000 to 40,000 a year in a rented a two bedroom apartment that costs her $680 a month.
Pav has been able to fund her retirement using more than $1 million in savings she stashed away while she was in her corporate job and the sale of her $1 million three-bed house in Morris County, New Jersey, gave her a 'cushion' to be financially free.
Pav said she doesn't have any big retirement plans just yet but feels 'liberated' and is hoping to help other professionals take this leap.
Pav, who previously worked in marketing in New York City, said: 'I would say that this process has been a few years in the making.
'I got divorced in March 2020, which made me realize I was my own back-up plan.
'Since then, I have been building up my own security.
'I have been through a few different life steps recently. I sold my home, car, and now I have quit my job.
'It was scary, but at the same time, it was really liberating — I feel free.
'Financial freedom for me is being able to spend time with the people that I love.
'It is not about buying everything I want, but spend my day how I want and spend time with whoever my heart desires.'
Pav had been working for a big tech company in the US when she decided to drastically overhaul her life.
She wanted to retire after her grandmother died and she realized she had spent too long watching her loved ones age through a screen.
Pav said: 'I missed seeing my grandma for the last time as I was too busy working on a PowerPoint presentation.
'That was my wake-up call, I spent 23 years chasing success.
'That moment when my grandma passed away made me realize that I had what people thought was success, but I didn't have peace — I felt empty inside.
'Then it hit me that I had been watching the people I love grow old through FaceTime.'
Pav quit her job in May 2025 and said she felt 'liberated.'
She said retiring was not a spur-of-the-moment thought, but something she had been thinking about since her divorce.
Pav said: 'I have had that moment rehearsed in my head hundreds of times.
'It was not an irrational moment, where I was done with corporate life and quit.
'This was a process of years in the making.'
/
A self-proclaimed millionaire quit her $300,000 a year corporate job and 'downsized her lifestyle' to retire at the age of 43 and be 'financially free.'
Pav Lertjitbanjong, 43, worked the corporate grind for 23 years before deciding enough was enough.
In April 2025, her grandmother passed away and Pav realized she was too busy 'chasing success' to be there for her family.
So in May, Pav took the leap to quit her $300,000 a year job, sold her Honda Civic, put her her $1 million home on the market and downsized to Minneapolis, Minnesota — living off between $30,000 to 40,000 a year in a rented a two bedroom apartment that costs her $680 a month.
Pav has been able to fund her retirement using more than $1 million in savings she stashed away while she was in her corporate job and the sale of her $1 million three-bed house in Morris County, New Jersey, gave her a 'cushion' to be financially free.
Pav said she doesn't have any big retirement plans just yet but feels 'liberated' and is hoping to help other professionals take this leap.
Pav, who previously worked in marketing in New York City, said: 'I would say that this process has been a few years in the making.
'I got divorced in March 2020, which made me realize I was my own back-up plan.
'Since then, I have been building up my own security.
'I have been through a few different life steps recently. I sold my home, car, and now I have quit my job.
'It was scary, but at the same time, it was really liberating — I feel free.
'Financial freedom for me is being able to spend time with the people that I love.
'It is not about buying everything I want, but spend my day how I want and spend time with whoever my heart desires.'
Pav had been working for a big tech company in the US when she decided to drastically overhaul her life.
She wanted to retire after her grandmother died and she realized she had spent too long watching her loved ones age through a screen.
Pav said: 'I missed seeing my grandma for the last time as I was too busy working on a PowerPoint presentation.
'That was my wake-up call, I spent 23 years chasing success.
'That moment when my grandma passed away made me realize that I had what people thought was success, but I didn't have peace — I felt empty inside.
'Then it hit me that I had been watching the people I love grow old through FaceTime.'
Pav quit her job in May 2025 and said she felt 'liberated.'
She said retiring was not a spur-of-the-moment thought, but something she had been thinking about since her divorce.
Pav said: 'I have had that moment rehearsed in my head hundreds of times.
'It was not an irrational moment, where I was done with corporate life and quit.
'This was a process of years in the making.'
When it came to deciding to retire, Pav worked out the minimum amount of money she could live off and how she could make an income quickly if needed — opting to go into freelance marketing for extra income.
Pav says she lived off $100,000 a year before retirement and realized she would be able to live off around $30,000 to $40,000 a year as a minimum once she retired.
She said: 'You have to know your freedom number — the minimum amount of money you are willing to live on.
'For me, my old life, my freedom number was like $100,000 plus a year.
'Now, since downsizing my life, I have been able to reduce my expenses to $30,000 to $40,000 a year.
'It is also good to work out how you can get money quickly if needed.
'For me, I would help my neighbors with dog walking, so I would get some emergency income.
'Typically, for people, it could be freelancing or doing review work online.'
Pav believes it is never too late or too early to retire, and too many people wait around for permission before making the jump.
She says people tell her she is too young to retire and insist she is making the wrong decision.
Pav said: 'When you talk about early retirement, especially people of my age, people will tell me I am too early.
'I felt like I was waiting for permission from people to retire early.
'There are voices from the outside telling you it is not a good choice to make.
'You don't need anyone's permission, most people are not lazy who retired — they are exhausted.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Girlfriend and Alleged 'Diddy' Victim Testifies How 90 Percent of Their Sex Involved Other Men
A woman federal prosecutors are calling a victim of Sean 'Diddy' Combs took the stand at his federal trial in lower Manhattan on Thursday, telling the court that during their three year relationship, which lasted up until his September arrest, 90 percent of their time together was during drug-fueled, days-long 'freak-offs' where she was coerced into performing sex acts with male sex workers. The woman, who is being referred to as Jane Doe during the trial to protect her identity, is the latest woman brought forth by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to explain how the feds say the once powerful rap and fashion mogul used his companies and loyal staff as a criminal enterprise to coerce and control women, who he would blackmail and manipulate into performing in 'freak-off' sex marathons, which the near-billionaire would often film while masterbating. Combs has pled not guilty to all charges in the feds' five-count indictment, which includes sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. More from The Hollywood Reporter Diddy Trial: Forensic Video Expert and Cassie Ventura's Best Friend Bolster and Hinder Prosecution's Case Diddy Trial Sees Heckler Disrupt Court as Judge Learns Anonymous Witness' Name Leaked Online Sean "Diddy" Combs Paid to Hide Cassie Beating Video Because He Feared Career Ruin, Witness Says Taking the stand after court had returned from the day's lunch break, Jane Doe revealed early in her testimony that prior to connecting romantically with Combs in 2021, she was involved with a man whom Combs has history and a tense relationship. She said she met the rap world icon in Miami at a party she attended with a group of girlfriends, one of whom was casually dating Combs at the time; since his 2018 split with R&B singer Cassie Ventura, the federal prosecutors' star witness. Combs has been involved with several women at once, a fact that Doe told the jury was known to her as the relationship's inception. Over her first few hours of testimony on Thursday afternoon, Doe painted a picture of the couple's meet-cute and easy segue into a more serious relationship, which grew over phone calls, texts and FaceTime video calls. In fact, their relationship saw a boom when Doe's friend, who was dating Combs, got engaged and moved to Europe. Soon, she told the court, Combs swept her off her feet with a trip to Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas over 15 days. The two enjoyed the relaxing island and dinner on their hotel suite's balcony, where they enjoyed viewing sunsets together. She recalled how he even bought her a bracelet that spells out L-O-V-E. Their sex life was the two of them; she was smitten. 'I really fell head over heels for Sean,' she said, adding that it was OK for her that he was also seeing other people because she really liked him. 'I understood that on his end, it was never a monogamous relationship. One small hiccup on the trip, she recalled, came when Doe was handed an ecstasy pill by Combs and ended up so gobsmacked by the mind-bending drug that she doubled over in the sand and had to be taken into a tepid shower; over the remainder of the 15-day trip, Doe said she took Ecstacy 10 more times in smaller increments that were pieced out by Combs. The questioning prosecuting attorney on Thursday quickly moved on to the moment that the relationship soured for Doe, when she asked her to recall for the court the night of March 21, 2021, when she was asked to participate in her first 'freak-off' with Combs, which were also referred to as 'hotel nights' at times. After Combs' assistants had set up the hotel suite, Doe said, she would dress in racy lingerie and high-heeled shoes. That was when Combs told her someone was coming: a male escort named Don, who Combs said he knew. The encounter as described by Doe followed a familiar trajectory, one described by Ventura a few weeks ago when she testified about her 'freak-off' experiences: the woman and escort would pour baby oil onto each other's bodies (12 bottles one time, she said); the two begin touching; Doe begins to perform oral sex on Don as Combs watches, masterbating. From the witness, Doe said that it was her that 'tried to move things along' into the suite's bedroom. Combs protested when Doe asked to use a condom, she explained to the court, but he soon provided one and Don and Doe began to have sex. Doe said that her initial experience performing a 'freak-off' hotel night with Combs made her 'happy' and that 'it was taboo.' 'I just thought that it was a night of fun; I didn't think that we'd be doing it again,' she told the court, at that point holding back tears. 'I think that night opened a Pandora's Box in our relationship and I was never able to shut it. It just completely set the tone for our relationship moving forward.' Doe told the court when asked to give a percentage figure by federal prosecutors that after May 2021, 90 percent of the sexual experiences she had with Combs involved other men. The rapper, Doe told the court, suggested they have a hotel night the very next time the two saw each other. 'I just wanted to satisfy my partner,' she said of participating in the freak-offs. As their relationship stretched into months, Combs began to give large sums of money to Doe, whose work marketing brands on her social media accounts was dwindling. He handed her $10,000 after their initial trip to Turks and Caicos as she'd missed out on some work while on the trip with him; later, he'd typically give her $5,000 or $6,000 incrementally. As was the case with Ventura, he began to pay for her apartment; Doe said this was a reason she felt compelled to participate in 'freak-offs' even when she started to not enjoy them. 'I felt obligated to perform because my partner was paying my rent,' she explained. An attempt she had planned to earn her own money by launching an Only Fans account, where she would appear in lingerie and bikinis, could have helped out with a sense of independence — as she told Combs, a friend had claimed she'd brought in $4 million in a year doing a Just Fans page. But Combs, she testified, was having none of that, telling her, 'Let's just give it time.' Prosecutors believe this constitutes coercion to keep Doe financially dependent on him so he could control her and force her into his sexual fantasies. At a point, Doe says, she asked Combs if they could stop doing 'freak-offs' altogether. His response, she told the court, was to threaten her livelihood and home. 'He would just say things like, 'If you want to break up, that's fine. You have three months left on the house because I'm not about to be paying rent,'' Jane recalled Combs saying. Doe's testimony will continue on Friday as the prosecution begins to eye the resting of its case. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
I quit my job to retire at 43 — here are my tips for becoming financially free
A self-proclaimed millionaire quit her $300,000 a year corporate job and 'downsized her lifestyle' to retire at the age of 43 and be 'financially free.' Pav Lertjitbanjong, 43, worked the corporate grind for 23 years before deciding enough was enough. In April 2025, her grandmother passed away and Pav realized she was too busy 'chasing success' to be there for her family. So in May, Pav took the leap to quit her $300,000 a year job, sold her Honda Civic, put her her $1 million home on the market and downsized to Minneapolis, Minnesota — living off between $30,000 to 40,000 a year in a rented a two bedroom apartment that costs her $680 a month. Pav has been able to fund her retirement using more than $1 million in savings she stashed away while she was in her corporate job and the sale of her $1 million three-bed house in Morris County, New Jersey, gave her a 'cushion' to be financially free. Pav said she doesn't have any big retirement plans just yet but feels 'liberated' and is hoping to help other professionals take this leap. Pav, who previously worked in marketing in New York City, said: 'I would say that this process has been a few years in the making. 'I got divorced in March 2020, which made me realize I was my own back-up plan. 'Since then, I have been building up my own security. 'I have been through a few different life steps recently. I sold my home, car, and now I have quit my job. 'It was scary, but at the same time, it was really liberating — I feel free. 'Financial freedom for me is being able to spend time with the people that I love. 'It is not about buying everything I want, but spend my day how I want and spend time with whoever my heart desires.' Pav had been working for a big tech company in the US when she decided to drastically overhaul her life. She wanted to retire after her grandmother died and she realized she had spent too long watching her loved ones age through a screen. Pav said: 'I missed seeing my grandma for the last time as I was too busy working on a PowerPoint presentation. 'That was my wake-up call, I spent 23 years chasing success. 'That moment when my grandma passed away made me realize that I had what people thought was success, but I didn't have peace — I felt empty inside. 'Then it hit me that I had been watching the people I love grow old through FaceTime.' Pav quit her job in May 2025 and said she felt 'liberated.' She said retiring was not a spur-of-the-moment thought, but something she had been thinking about since her divorce. Pav said: 'I have had that moment rehearsed in my head hundreds of times. 'It was not an irrational moment, where I was done with corporate life and quit. 'This was a process of years in the making.' / A self-proclaimed millionaire quit her $300,000 a year corporate job and 'downsized her lifestyle' to retire at the age of 43 and be 'financially free.' Pav Lertjitbanjong, 43, worked the corporate grind for 23 years before deciding enough was enough. In April 2025, her grandmother passed away and Pav realized she was too busy 'chasing success' to be there for her family. So in May, Pav took the leap to quit her $300,000 a year job, sold her Honda Civic, put her her $1 million home on the market and downsized to Minneapolis, Minnesota — living off between $30,000 to 40,000 a year in a rented a two bedroom apartment that costs her $680 a month. Pav has been able to fund her retirement using more than $1 million in savings she stashed away while she was in her corporate job and the sale of her $1 million three-bed house in Morris County, New Jersey, gave her a 'cushion' to be financially free. Pav said she doesn't have any big retirement plans just yet but feels 'liberated' and is hoping to help other professionals take this leap. Pav, who previously worked in marketing in New York City, said: 'I would say that this process has been a few years in the making. 'I got divorced in March 2020, which made me realize I was my own back-up plan. 'Since then, I have been building up my own security. 'I have been through a few different life steps recently. I sold my home, car, and now I have quit my job. 'It was scary, but at the same time, it was really liberating — I feel free. 'Financial freedom for me is being able to spend time with the people that I love. 'It is not about buying everything I want, but spend my day how I want and spend time with whoever my heart desires.' Pav had been working for a big tech company in the US when she decided to drastically overhaul her life. She wanted to retire after her grandmother died and she realized she had spent too long watching her loved ones age through a screen. Pav said: 'I missed seeing my grandma for the last time as I was too busy working on a PowerPoint presentation. 'That was my wake-up call, I spent 23 years chasing success. 'That moment when my grandma passed away made me realize that I had what people thought was success, but I didn't have peace — I felt empty inside. 'Then it hit me that I had been watching the people I love grow old through FaceTime.' Pav quit her job in May 2025 and said she felt 'liberated.' She said retiring was not a spur-of-the-moment thought, but something she had been thinking about since her divorce. Pav said: 'I have had that moment rehearsed in my head hundreds of times. 'It was not an irrational moment, where I was done with corporate life and quit. 'This was a process of years in the making.' When it came to deciding to retire, Pav worked out the minimum amount of money she could live off and how she could make an income quickly if needed — opting to go into freelance marketing for extra income. Pav says she lived off $100,000 a year before retirement and realized she would be able to live off around $30,000 to $40,000 a year as a minimum once she retired. She said: 'You have to know your freedom number — the minimum amount of money you are willing to live on. 'For me, my old life, my freedom number was like $100,000 plus a year. 'Now, since downsizing my life, I have been able to reduce my expenses to $30,000 to $40,000 a year. 'It is also good to work out how you can get money quickly if needed. 'For me, I would help my neighbors with dog walking, so I would get some emergency income. 'Typically, for people, it could be freelancing or doing review work online.' Pav believes it is never too late or too early to retire, and too many people wait around for permission before making the jump. She says people tell her she is too young to retire and insist she is making the wrong decision. Pav said: 'When you talk about early retirement, especially people of my age, people will tell me I am too early. 'I felt like I was waiting for permission from people to retire early. 'There are voices from the outside telling you it is not a good choice to make. 'You don't need anyone's permission, most people are not lazy who retired — they are exhausted.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
I quit my job to retire at 43 — here are my tips for becoming financially free
A self-proclaimed millionaire quit her $300,000 a year corporate job and 'downsized her lifestyle' to retire at the age of 43 and be 'financially free.' Pav Lertjitbanjong, 43, worked the corporate grind for 23 years before deciding enough was enough. Advertisement In April 2025, her grandmother passed away and Pav realized she was too busy 'chasing success' to be there for her family. So in May, Pav took the leap to quit her $300,000 a year job, sold her Honda Civic, put her her $1 million home on the market and downsized to Minneapolis, Minnesota — living off between $30,000 to 40,000 a year in a rented a two bedroom apartment that costs her $680 a month. 9 Pav Lertjitbanjong quit her corporate job and retired at 43. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS Pav has been able to fund her retirement using more than $1 million in savings she stashed away while she was in her corporate job and the sale of her $1 million three-bed house in Morris County, New Jersey, gave her a 'cushion' to be financially free. Advertisement Pav said she doesn't have any big retirement plans just yet but feels 'liberated' and is hoping to help other professionals take this leap. Pav, who previously worked in marketing in New York City, said: 'I would say that this process has been a few years in the making. 'I got divorced in March 2020, which made me realize I was my own back-up plan. 9 Pav made the move after saving up $1 million through her career in marketing and selling her New Jersey house. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS Advertisement 'Since then, I have been building up my own security. 'I have been through a few different life steps recently. I sold my home, car, and now I have quit my job. 'It was scary, but at the same time, it was really liberating — I feel free. 'Financial freedom for me is being able to spend time with the people that I love. Advertisement 'It is not about buying everything I want, but spend my day how I want and spend time with whoever my heart desires.' 9 Pav relocated from New York City to Minneapolis after retiring. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS Pav had been working for a big tech company in the US when she decided to drastically overhaul her life. She wanted to retire after her grandmother died and she realized she had spent too long watching her loved ones age through a screen. Pav said: 'I missed seeing my grandma for the last time as I was too busy working on a PowerPoint presentation. 'That was my wake-up call, I spent 23 years chasing success. 'That moment when my grandma passed away made me realize that I had what people thought was success, but I didn't have peace — I felt empty inside. 'Then it hit me that I had been watching the people I love grow old through FaceTime.' Advertisement 9 Pav decided to retire after her grandmother passed away and she realized her career was keeping her from spending time with family. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS Pav quit her job in May 2025 and said she felt 'liberated.' She said retiring was not a spur-of-the-moment thought, but something she had been thinking about since her divorce. Pav said: 'I have had that moment rehearsed in my head hundreds of times. Advertisement 'It was not an irrational moment, where I was done with corporate life and quit. 'This was a process of years in the making.' / Advertisement A self-proclaimed millionaire quit her $300,000 a year corporate job and 'downsized her lifestyle' to retire at the age of 43 and be 'financially free.' Pav Lertjitbanjong, 43, worked the corporate grind for 23 years before deciding enough was enough. In April 2025, her grandmother passed away and Pav realized she was too busy 'chasing success' to be there for her family. So in May, Pav took the leap to quit her $300,000 a year job, sold her Honda Civic, put her her $1 million home on the market and downsized to Minneapolis, Minnesota — living off between $30,000 to 40,000 a year in a rented a two bedroom apartment that costs her $680 a month. Advertisement 9 Pav Lertjitbanjong quit her corporate job and retired at 43. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS Pav has been able to fund her retirement using more than $1 million in savings she stashed away while she was in her corporate job and the sale of her $1 million three-bed house in Morris County, New Jersey, gave her a 'cushion' to be financially free. Pav said she doesn't have any big retirement plans just yet but feels 'liberated' and is hoping to help other professionals take this leap. Pav, who previously worked in marketing in New York City, said: 'I would say that this process has been a few years in the making. 'I got divorced in March 2020, which made me realize I was my own back-up plan. 9 Pav made the move after saving up $1 million through her career in marketing and selling her New Jersey house. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS 'Since then, I have been building up my own security. 'I have been through a few different life steps recently. I sold my home, car, and now I have quit my job. 'It was scary, but at the same time, it was really liberating — I feel free. 'Financial freedom for me is being able to spend time with the people that I love. 'It is not about buying everything I want, but spend my day how I want and spend time with whoever my heart desires.' 9 Pav relocated from New York City to Minneapolis after retiring. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS Pav had been working for a big tech company in the US when she decided to drastically overhaul her life. She wanted to retire after her grandmother died and she realized she had spent too long watching her loved ones age through a screen. Pav said: 'I missed seeing my grandma for the last time as I was too busy working on a PowerPoint presentation. 'That was my wake-up call, I spent 23 years chasing success. 'That moment when my grandma passed away made me realize that I had what people thought was success, but I didn't have peace — I felt empty inside. 'Then it hit me that I had been watching the people I love grow old through FaceTime.' 9 Pav decided to retire after her grandmother passed away and she realized her career was keeping her from spending time with family. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS Pav quit her job in May 2025 and said she felt 'liberated.' She said retiring was not a spur-of-the-moment thought, but something she had been thinking about since her divorce. Pav said: 'I have had that moment rehearsed in my head hundreds of times. 'It was not an irrational moment, where I was done with corporate life and quit. 'This was a process of years in the making.' Pav's top tips to retire early : Don't wait for permission Know your freedom number — the amount of money you need to survive on Work out how you can make money fast if needed Downsizing your life to adjust to retirement When it came to deciding to retire, Pav worked out the minimum amount of money she could live off and how she could make an income quickly if needed — opting to go into freelance marketing for extra income. Pav says she lived off $100,000 a year before retirement and realized she would be able to live off around $30,000 to $40,000 a year as a minimum once she retired. She said: 'You have to know your freedom number — the minimum amount of money you are willing to live on. 'For me, my old life, my freedom number was like $100,000 plus a year. 'Now, since downsizing my life, I have been able to reduce my expenses to $30,000 to $40,000 a year. 'It is also good to work out how you can get money quickly if needed. 9 Pav now lives off of $30,000 to $40,000 a year in Minnesota. Pavinee Lertjitbanjong / SWNS 'For me, I would help my neighbors with dog walking, so I would get some emergency income. 'Typically, for people, it could be freelancing or doing review work online.' Pav believes it is never too late or too early to retire, and too many people wait around for permission before making the jump. She says people tell her she is too young to retire and insist she is making the wrong decision. Pav said: 'When you talk about early retirement, especially people of my age, people will tell me I am too early. 'I felt like I was waiting for permission from people to retire early. 'There are voices from the outside telling you it is not a good choice to make. 'You don't need anyone's permission, most people are not lazy who retired — they are exhausted.'
