Key to financial freedom 2.0 (English) by Kulin Desai “What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes.” — Marcus Tullius Cicero What Does a Financially Free Life Look Like? Financial freedom is about much more than just having money. It’s the freedom to be who you really are and do what you really want in life. It’s about following your passion, making choices that aren’t influenced by your bank account, and living life on your terms. About Author - Kulin Desai says I came to America with a lot of dreams; dreams of a nice car, a nice house,", "but they turned into nightmares. Kulin left India in 1977 and soon found work as a clerk for a large bank in New York. Eventually, following the Indian custom of arranged marriages, he married Mina, the daughter of a family friend in Bombay. "We felt we could get along, and love came later," says Kulin. Kulin eventually achieved his version of the American Dream, working his way up to Vice President of Data Processing at the bank. This gave him all the money he wanted, but it left him no time to enjoy it and no time for his two children, Kavan and Mona. He was putting in 80-hour weeks, but had little job security, and no opportunity for further advancement. "I came to a free country only to become a slave to my career," he says. The Desai began their home-based business in 1989. As it grew, they began to see in it, their ticket to a better life with more choices and more control. Now Mina and Kulin enjoy a life that is more familiar to them. "This business supports the family values we had back home in India," says Mina, "where the husband and wife work together and spend time with the children." Mina’s goal now, is to hire a cook someday. "Indian cooking takes a lot of time," she says!