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Have you ever heard of FIRE? No, I’m not talking about house fire or wildfire thankfully. FIRE is an acronym that stands for Financial Independence/ Retire Early.
While all of us may not be aiming for early retirement, most of us probably have an end goal of financial independence. Whether you love or hate your job, there may come a day when you no longer have the ability or desire to work.
At that point, you should hope to be financially independent. Being financially independent means you have enough to support yourself with or without having a job which makes working optional. It’s a nice place to be and I find it fascinating to learn about other people’s journey to FIRE and how they did it.
Here are 5 of the best financial independence sites to check out if this interests you as well.
1. Mr. Money Mustache
This is a classic FIRE blog that has inspired so many. Mr. Money Mustache is a 40-something husband and father who retired from his tech job at the ripe old age of 30. In order to do this, he says he and his wife committed to living a lifestyle about 50% less expensive than most of their peers.
They invested the surplus in “very boring conservative Vanguard index funds and a rental house or two”.
MMM has a cult-like following in his blog and teaches others how to become financially independent and how to retire early as well.
2. Choose FI
Choose FI is a blog created by a man named Jonathan who graduated with $168,000 in student loans from a pharmacy degree and paid it all off in just 4 years.
He is now pursuing financial independence and taking readers along for the ride. On this site he shares his best financial hacks for saving more and earning more through a side hustle.
Jonathan also runs the Choose FI Podcast with friend Brad where he interviews guests to discuss topics like reducing expenses, crushing debt, building passive income, and more.
3. Mad Fientist
Mad Fientist is another influential FIRE blog with a science theme. As you can guess, the name Mad Fientist plays on the term “mad scientist” and readers can access the Financial Independence Laboratory on the site to learn more and track their progress to reach FIRE.
If you prefer to learn via audio, there’s also a Mad Fientist podcast where you can catch interviews with people who have achieved financial independence to hear exactly how they did it.
4. Journey to Launch
Journey to Launch is a blog created by Jamila who is on a journey with her husband to become financially independent by the time she is 40.
Through her site, she shows others how to eliminate debt, and save more money to increase their net worth. She teaches the lessons she’s learned through trial and error along with the discipline she has to develop to save $85,000 in just 12 months.
Jamila also has a podcast where she interviews others about building wealth. Though this is for anyone interested, I think it’s one of my favorite’s financial podcasts for women. It’s inspiring to hear a mom that lives in New York (not a cheap area) go after such a goal.
5. Go Curry Cracker
Go Curry Cracker is one of my favorite FIRE blogs. It was created by a couple named Jeremy and Winnie who retired early and now travel the world. When it comes to describing how they reached FIRE, they said it best.
“By living in a small apartment in an old building, walking and biking instead of owning a car, and preparing most of our meals in our own kitchen, we were able to save a large percentage of our income. Instead of buying things and services, we learned new skills that reduced our expenses even further. By learning to invest, we turned those savings into a respectable income stream. Now still in our 30’s, instead of 2 weeks of vacation a year, we have 52.”
Go Curry Cracker is a great resource for anyone who’s looking to retire early and also travel the world affordably with that newfound freedom. Maybe you’ll rethink your goals or even ditch your New’s Resolution now (if you haven’t dumped it already).
Reaching FIRE does not come quickly in most cases, but it’s great to see that so many other people have been able to retire before the traditional age of 65 and do more of what they love.
Reading blogs like these are great because they provide the motivation, inspiration, and resources you need to succeed.
If you’re interested in financial independence, which one of these will you start reading?