What Freedom Actually Looks Like
Imagine a life where money isn’t a constant worry—where you can travel wherever your heart desires, spend real time with the people you love, chase the things that actually feed your soul, and live on your own terms instead of someone else’s schedule.
We didn’t imagine that life. We built it. And we believe you can too.
Who We Are
Tatiana
I’m high-energy, multicultural, and not built for sitting still—born in Belarus, raised in Lithuania, educated in Spain, and now calling the U.S. home. I came here as an immigrant at 13, and I know what it’s like to start over with nothing. Through a lot of trial, error, and pure stubbornness, I reached financial independence by 31. Now I’m here to help you find that same fight in yourself.
José
I came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at 12, and life took me through Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida before it finally settled here. After college, I did what I thought I was supposed to do—chased the corporate version of the American Dream. It took a while, but I eventually woke up and changed my relationship with money for good. These are the happiest years of my life, and we want the same for you.
How We Got Here
We started our first blog, Enchumbao, back in 2015 to document our own FIRE journey—a place for friends and family curious about financial independence to follow along. The story grew bigger than we expected: MarketWatch featured us, and on July 19, 2019, we officially left corporate America behind for good.
Crucial Wealth is what came next—a place to help you build the same kind of wealth, on your own terms.
Why We Started This
We’ve been in every one of these spots ourselves:
- Feeling like there’s “too much month left at the end of the money”
- Confusion about investing and retirement accounts
- Overwhelming debt
- Not knowing where to start with a real budget
- Friends and family who don’t get why financial independence even matters to you
That’s exactly why we’re here.
What We Believe
- Wealth is achievable no matter where you started.
- Getting there means thinking differently, not just budgeting differently.
- Money opens doors, but the joy on the other side comes from people and experiences—not the balance itself.
- You have more control over this than you think. It starts with one decision.
- Setbacks aren’t failures. They’re just part of the process.
Where to Start
Ready to get started?
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- Explore our articles for practical strategies you can actually use.
- Join the conversation in the comments — we read them.
You have what it takes to build this. We’re just here to help along the way.
Welcome to Crucial Wealth. Let’s get started.