Treat Your FI Journey Like a Pilgrimage: Lessons from St. James for Catholic Families

Hey everyone,

Today is the Feast of St. James the Greater — the apostle who became the patron of pilgrims.

Pilgrims don’t sprint. They walk steadily, carry what they need, rest when necessary, and keep the destination in view even on the hard days. That is exactly how Catholic families should approach financial independence.

Your FI path is a pilgrimage, not a race

You don’t have to arrive at FI next year. You just have to take the next faithful step this month. For most families that means:

• Tracking expenses honestly so you know where the money is really going
• Creating a small but consistent gap between income and spending
• Investing that gap in simple, low-cost index funds month after month
• Protecting family time and rest so the journey stays sustainable

St. James walked thousands of miles. Your family is walking toward freedom one paycheck, one budget review, one prayer at a time. Both journeys form the people who travel them.

A quick faith + finance tip

This week, try a short “pilgrim check-in” with your spouse or older kids after dinner. Light a candle, thank God for the provision of the past week, name one small win (even if it was just skipping an impulse buy), and decide together on the next tiny step. Five minutes is enough. It keeps the destination alive and the family united on the road.

Quick investing tip

Once you’ve created that extra margin, put it to work. I use Robinhood myself. Open an account through my link and you can get free stocks (up to $200 value) when you fund it — perfect for buying broad index funds like VTI:

Financial freedom really is for everyone — including your family.

– Dustin