If you're new here, this blog will give you the tools to become financially independent in 5 years on a median salary. The wiki page gives a good summary of the principles of the strategy. The key to success is to run your personal finances much like a business, thinking about assets and inventory and focusing on efficiency and value for money. Not just any business but a business that's flexible, agile, and adaptable. Conversely most consumers run their personal finances like an inflexible money-losing anti-business always in danger of losing their jobs.
Here's almost a thousand online journals from people, who are following the ERE strategy tailored to their particular situation (age, children, location, education, goals, ...). Increasing their savings from the usual 5-15% of their income to tens of thousands of dollars each year or typically 40-80% of their income, many accumulate six-figure net-worths within a few years.
Since everybody's situation is different (age, education, location, children, goals, ...) I suggest only spending a brief moment on this blog, which can be thought of as my personal journal, before looking for the crowd's wisdom for your particular situation in the forum journals.
If you enjoy the blog, also consider the book which is much better organized and more complete. You can read the first chapter for free, listen to the preamble, or see the reviews (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,Z). Subscribe to the blog via email or RSS. Get updates on the facebook page, join the forums, and look for tactics on the ERE wiki. Here's a list of all the ERE blog posts.
I’m currently going through the book again trying to build an index. A couple of days ago, I finished the copyright page (“Pirates will be drawn and quartered” and “If you’re doing stupid things, it’s not my fault” or something to that effect). I also put in all the fancy things like a half-title page although I still need to build a title page. I also have a good idea for the front cover. Of course that leaves the back cover.
One of the worst jobs, though, is trying to summarize the book in 380 words or less for the sales blurb (what you see under book description when you try to buy the book). I have spent a day on this already and so far I am no closer. ARGH! I have been trying to get inspired by the alexa reviews, because I think they aptly summarize the blog which incidentally also summarizes the book to a great extent, but I haven’t cracked it yet.
