For a while now, I’ve considered doing a different sort of “Women’s Personal Finance Wednesdays” post – one that spotlights different women writing and speaking in the personal finance space. As A Purple Life officially retires tomorrow, now seems like the right time to kick off this sub-series (I’ll be back to my normal link sharing next week!). Let me know if you’d like to see more of these in the future with highlights on different women. This one was definitely fun to write.

A Purple life

I first met Purple through Millennial Boss a few years ago, soon after she had made her blog public. She and I instantly clicked, and our friendship has grown through the last couple years she lived in Seattle. As of last week, she and her partner have moved to Georgia – a big detour from the around the world trip she’d planned as a post-retirement victory lap – but she remains amazingly upbeat about her change of plans. They’ll be near family, which has been the biggest driver for her when it comes to her early retirement plans (see her post: Why Retire Early? Because Death Is Coming).

I tend to be more cautious when it comes to finances, and the idea of someone retiring with $500,000 at the age of thirty just doesn’t feel like enough to me. That is, if it was someone other than Purple, who has contingency plans upon contingency plans, and is more well prepared for this than others with more than twice her net worth. I can absolutely say that she is making the right decision to get out of the corporate world and sail into the sunset (while continuing to blog and perhaps do other things that bring in a bit of money as suit her fancy).

So for today, I want to celebrate Purple, on her last days as an employed person. I’ve been impressed by her dedication to a job she didn’t love and the effort she put in until the very last day. It may not have been something she cared deeply about, but she was a great employee through the process, leaving with integrity and pride (though that job in its last months reminded her why she was absolutely ready to quit).

I considered sharing a couple more of my favorite posts of hers here, but really, just go dive in and read her blog if you haven’t yet. And if you do know her and want to celebrate, give her a shout out here and a congratulations to her hard-earned retirement!

So much love to you friend. I can’t wait to see what you do next.

PS. Want to read more celebrations of Purple’s retirement? We organized a group of us to share our words about such a big day.

Purple Lessons by Josh Overmyer

Blog Review: A Purple Life We Want Guac

This Woman Just Quit Her Job After Saving $500,000! Financial Mechanic

Congrats Purple who reached FIRE at 30! Modest Millionaires

Congratulations! You’re Retired!! The Fioneers