“Most days, I work more than 16 hours”: This marketing specialist is doing everything she can to retire at 30

Who: Jane Tsang, 26, marketing specialist Where: Markham Current savings: $500,000 Cash needed to retire: $1.5 million Planned retirement age: 30, in 2030

I studied sociology and business at the University of Waterloo. In my second year, I got a co-op placement at BlackBerry. It was awful. I hated sitting in an office for eight hours a day. My cubicle was right next to my supervisor; I couldn’t look at my phone or even take too long in the bathroom without feeling scrutinized. I knew I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life. Spending 40 years beholden to an employer just seemed stupid. That’s when I came across the FIRE movement on Reddit. It stands for “financial independence, retire early,” and it’s a model for saving and investing enough to retire much earlier than most people.

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In a way, parts of it felt familiar. My parents were extremely frugal. When our appliances broke, we never replaced them or even paid to have them repaired. Our fridge leaked for years. I definitely inherited their financial anxiety. I started working at KFC when I was 15 and saved every penny I earned. I often had multiple part-time jobs. While other kids were hanging out, I’d work an eight-hour shift and get home at midnight.

I did some calculations. In order to become financially independent, I’d need to save $1.5 million, then invest it so that it generated at least $50,000 a year. I set a goal to save that amount by the time I turned 30, partly by continuing to work multiple jobs. It took a toll on my social life. I almost always had to turn down invitations. Eventually, people stopped asking. I was sleeping only four or five hours a night and getting terrible headaches. When I really needed a break, I splurged on a $1,200 Caribbean cruise with my boyfriend. My headaches disappeared on day one. My doctor said they were likely from stress and lack of sleep.

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By the time I graduated, when I was 22, I’d saved $100,000. I bought a one-bedroom condo near the Eaton Centre for $550,000. I initially planned to live there with my boyfriend, but we broke up before the sale closed. I decided to rent it out for $2,000 a month and move back in with my parents. I definitely have less autonomy at home than I would living alone, but the financial upside is huge.

I got a full-time marketing job with a salary of $80,000 and a second job working 30 hours a week at a call centre. In total, I was earning about $120,000 a year working remotely. On weekdays, I worked my marketing job from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., then the call centre gig from 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Then I went straight to bed. My only full day off was Sunday. Sometimes, to celebrate birthdays and holidays with my family, I’d bring my laptop with me so I could pop into the bathroom and make calls.

In 2024, my grandma passed away. It reminded me that life is short, so I loosened up a little. I’m saying yes to more social outings, and I’ll work from somewhere else for a couple of months, like Malaysia, where my family is from. My lifestyle is still pretty austere, but I keep my eye on the prize. I started a TikTok channel where I post about my financial journey. Some months, it earns me an extra $20,000 to $40,000. I was even able to quit my call centre job recently. All in all, I’m on track to hit my goal.

I’ll officially retire when I turn 30, though I still plan to have some sort of part-time gig and to be pretty frugal. But the idea of not being reliant on a full-time job? That dream makes it all feel worthwhile.