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.
Disclaimer: I hate writing book reviews just a tad more than I hate reading them, but I figured it would be helpful if nothing else to at least mention a few a the typically 2-3 books I plow through during a week if I deem they could be helpful. I only expect to mention the top 5% of what I read. Update: You can follow my reading by friending me on goodreads.com.
After Steve mentioned the book, Effective Cycling by John Forester, I decided to check it on from the (inter)library. I would say this is easily the most all encompassing book about anything bike related I have ever read.
I did know about riding in traffic in terms of proper road positioning — I see many people on bikes who do not — but there were also parts about how to avoid accidents where Forester suggested maneuvers which I would not intuitively have chosen. The most interesting part to me was the detailed description of the various energy systems, oxygen transport, etc, and how to improve. Turns out that the most efficient cadence is 90-110, whereas I have been cycling at 77 rpm. My cyclocomputer (that’s what speedometers are called these days) measures this, so I know the number exactly.
Beyond this, what is most relevant to this blog, are descriptions on how to commute and deal with the clothing issues, rain, snow, night, etc. even advocating if you want to go this way.
The writing style is complete in the sense that it gives you the understanding of the principles rather than just a list of tips. In short, I’m biased to like it.
Originally posted 2009-01-19 17:58:28.
