ERE Wheaton Levels

Introduction

ERE Wheaton Levels are an adaptation of the Wheaton Eco Scale concept to personal finance. It is named after Paul Wheaton, who recognized that in a field as deep and complex as permaculture, people would have varying levels of understanding according to their level of mastery. While people at adjacent levels are able to judge relative competence, there is also a fog of comprehension effect where people separated by multiple levels have difficulty relating to each other. The problem arises because increasing competence is a difference in kind rather than degree.

ERE Wheaton Table

The ERE Wheaton Table (image link) identifies a few representative mindsets along the personal finance journey as mastery is developed in spending efficiency. Refer to the forum discussion for additional context.

Suggested Reading

Level	Paradigm	Resources
1	Scarcity	Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover Jesse Mecham, You Need a Budget
2	Accumulate	Ramit Sethi, I Will Teach You to be Rich Suze Orman, The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke
3	Exponential Growth	David Bach, The Automatic Millionaire
4	Embracing Efficiency	Thomas Stanley and William Danko, The Millionaire Next Door Amy Dacyczyn, The Complete Tightwad Gazette Charles Long, How to Survive Without a Salary
5	Optimization	Jeff Yeager, The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches Robert Clyatt, Work Less, Live More: The Way to Semi-Retirement
6	Yields and Flows	Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, Your Money or Your Life
7	Systems Theory	Jacob Lund Fisker, Early Retirement Extreme Gareth Morgan, Images of Organization
8	Chop Wood, Carry Water