The first blog post I wanted to make is to explain what I’m currently doing to reach financial independence. There are so many different topics I could talk about first, but sometimes it’s best to start exactly where you are at. This might look different for you depending on where you are at. Everybody is going to start at a different place and this is important to remember. Just because I’m starting at a certain spot, doesn’t mean that you should feel defeated already because you aren’t at that spot. In the same light, you might also be much further along in your journey to FI than I am! This is also important for me to remember so that when I see other people who have reached financial independence, I don’t feel frustrated that I’m not further along in the journey. But all we can do is start where we are.
The first thing that got me on my journey to retiring early and pursuing financial independence was coming across another blog about it. My brother had mentioned the name of a blogger to me that I had never heard about. I looked it up and the world of FIRE opened up before me! This was amazing. It was a community of people who were looking to retire early by making their money work for them! I was sold. I was tired of the 8-5 life and ready for more in life.
Even today, one of the most helpful things that I do is read other peoples blogs who are on their journey to FI (or those who have already reached FI). I also listen to other people’s financial independence podcasts. I recommend you also start there with both of those! If you’ve found my blog post, you are already on the right track! I know that recommending you read other peoples blog posts or listen to other people’s podcasts might drive away business from my own blog, but I’m really here to help those who are on their journey. I think it’s important to hear a wider variety of people’s perspectives on FI because it will provide you with more ideas on how to reach FI. You might also agree with certain people’s strategies over another or learn something you didn’t previously know. Continue reading and I will tell you what my favorite financial independence blog and podcast are!
I really enjoy listening to financial independence podcasts while I’m taking walks. I will write another blog post on my advice and tips around saving money for fitness and exercise, but I find that listening to financial independence podcasts while I’m on my walks is one of my favorite parts of my day. I might have worked 9 hours at my job that day, but getting out of the house and away from work really helps clear my head. Listening to the podcasts also provides me with a sense of relief that I’m working to get out of the rat race by learning more every day. I think surrounding yourself with positive and influential content is very important! It also helps keep you on track and keep you accountable of the goals you are trying to reach.
So what blogs do I read and what podcasts do I listen to? This is not an ad and I’m not paid by either one of these people to say this. Mr. Money Mustache is where it all started for me and I still keep up with reading his blogs. I identify the most with his strategy of pursuing freedom through reducing your expenses and saving as much as possible. I have always been a saver and always looking for more ways to save. It was always out of a desire to have freedom. I did this long before I knew the FIRE movement existed. As a young child, I saved any money I got in the hopes that when I got to college, I would be able to have the freedom I wanted! Turns out saving you $2.50 childhood allowance doesn’t get you very far in college.
My favorite blog: Mr. Money Mustache
Once I learned about financial independence, I started doing as much research as I could and that meant finding podcasts that I could listen to in my spare time! The one I listen to most consistently is ChooseFI. They provide a very reasonable approach to reaching financial independence as well as having numerous guests on their show who also provide a wider range of views. They talk about the basics as well as talking about more complex things. They explain everything so that it’s easy to understand which is the most important.
My favorite podcast: ChooseFI
So all in all, if I was to recommend a place to start on your journey to financial independence, it’s to start reading and listening to podcasts of others who have made their way to freedom. It’s free and will cost you nothing! No MBA required. Happy reading and listening!