“I’ve decided to semi-retire the Money Flamingo blog. I’ve changed; my priorities have changed; the FI community has changed – so I feel it’s time to take a step back and make space for other things.” These are the words I wrote when I announced my semi-retirement from blogging in October last year – almost … Read more
“Why have you stopped posting?”, “Have your plans changed?”, “Are you closing down the blog?” and even “Have you given up on Financial Independence?” – these are just some of the questions that hit my inbox over the past few months. Yes, I’ve been a bit more absent recently and have published articles far less … Read more
Working part-time is en-vogue in financial independence circles. As more and more people opt for alternative and more flexible approaches to financial independence, part-time work has become a prominent feature in many (if not most) FI plans. Maybe working part-time is part of your semi-retirement plan. Maybe you see going part-time for a while as … Read more
Ah, One-More-Year Syndrome. If I had to name one “disease” that afflicts almost every coaching client I’ve ever worked with, this is the one. The FI blueprint is simple: Learn about FI, pick a goal, make a plan, save and invest, rinse and repeat – until you reach your target. And then all that’s left … 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
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
No matter where you are on the path to financial independence, there are many lifestyle design options you can use to create a better life for yourself and your family. They allow you to improve your life along the path to FI but are also great alternatives to early retirement once you reach your financial … Read more
Here is the standard FIRE blueprint: Step 1: Work hard, save, invest and … wait.Step 2: Reach FI, retire and sail into the sunset. We all know that’s not what usually happens (bear with me). Almost everyone (as in 99%+) of people who hit FI in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even early 50s will … Read more