And just like that, Money Flamingo turned 5 years old earlier this month! This anniversary also coincided with a few other blogging/business milestones (more on this below), so I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to reflect on how the blog has grown and evolved since I started it in 2018. I’ll also share … Read more
Welcome to our latest Semi-FI update, where we share the ups and downs of our Coast FI journey from Flamingo FI to full Financial Independence and beyond. If you are new to the blog and not familiar with our plan, you can find an overview here. Life Update Things have been pretty calm in the … Read more
Today I invite you to do a little thought experiment with me. It reveals what most people get wrong on the path to FI. It will also tell you a lot about your own journey to Financial Independence. I call this thought experiment “The Road Trip”. I used it as an exercise in a workshop … Read more
Today I’ve got something a little different for you: a review of a new financial planning software developed specifically for the FIRE community. ProjectionLab was promoted on several prominent FI blogs and podcasts over the last few weeks – and for a good reason: the software is beautiful and flexible. A lot of FIRE enthusiasts … Read more
Here is our 2022 spending report for our family of four. I know it’s already the end of March – but better late than never, right? I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when I calculated our family’s total expenses for the year. We live in one of the nicest (and most expensive) … Read more
This is part 2 of the case study with Michael from Ireland, who is exploring alternative pathways to get to FI. If you have not read part 1, I recommend you do so before you read part 2. Michael’s FI Lifestyle Goals Before we get into the numbers, I’ll share some more background from my … Read more
I’m excited to share the first FI case study in a very long time! This case study has two parts: an introductory guest post and a “numbers and options” part. Micheal, originally from New Zealand, is 38 and lives in Ireland with his family. He has been on the path to Financial Independence since 2018. … Read more
The book “Die With Zero” by Bill Perkins is fast becoming a FIRE classic – for a good reason. Many in the community have adopted a Die With Zero mindset, which goes against many of the core pillars of the standard approach to Financial Independence like delayed gratification and frugality. Instead, Die With Zero is … Read more
Want to know my numbers? This is the innocent little question I recently asked my subscribers. After all, I’ve run Money Flamingo (which is, at least in part, a financial independence/personal finance blog) for almost five years now without revealing our net worth or FIRE number. Instead, we use multiples of our expected future expenses … Read more
F.I.R.E. stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early – or does it? Sure, the basic premise behind the FIRE movement is pretty simple: Spend less than you earn (or earn more than you spend) and invest the difference. Eventually, you’ll reach Financial Independence, which will enable you to Retire Early. However – and I’ve written about … Read more