best path to FI at 25 yrs old

[Samantha Prince]

Hey BP,

My husband and I are 25 years old. Just bought our first house back last year and on a clear path to purchasing our next by the end of this year/early next year.

We opened a Roth IRA but have yet to contribute. I just started a W2 job that will match 401(k) contributions up to 8%. My husband works as well but no 401(k) plan.

We also plan to start a family soon so I don’t know how long I will be working this job, I’d have to stay at least 3 years to keep 100% of contributions.

We are passionate about real estate and becoming FI by 35. We have clear goals and paths to achieve primarily through REI (focused on passive income). Our goal is to achieve FI as quickly as possible, not to work 9-5 until 60+.

As of right now, we feel it’s best to forgo my company’s 401(k) contributions and just focus on putting all of our money into rental properties right now. Especially because I’m not sure how long I’ll be working for the company.

Am I thinking through this the right way? Is there something I’m missing? I have yet to see how contributing to a 401(k) even with the employer contributions will help us achieve our ultimate goal faster.

I understand it’s “free money” however it’s tied up with in an account that we can’t access without penalty for ~40 years. And I have to contribute some of my own money to get that “free money”.

Let me know what you think! I’m open to any and all feedback. Thanks!