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 was just wondering if any readers would have some suggestions on what kind of tackle/bait/lure I should get to catch lake/reservoir stripers (live bait is verboten!). Naturally, I prefer to spend most of my money on fishing passes rather than equipment. I got a 6.5′ fast action medium power rod and a spinning wheel with 10 pound test.
In case anyone is interested in how this was financed, I bought the rod with money I made on our last two yard sales. I tried getting one on freecycle and I even tried finidng a used one on craigslist, but with no success. Apparently people keep their fishing rods until they die. The wheel I got from my grandmother when I was 12, my parents finally sent it to me. The line was also from garage sale money and I have to use the $40 I got from selling my very much neglected Warhammer40K army to get a California fishing license. This means I can spend around $5-10 on tackle/bait/lures, which is about what I have left from the yard sales, so what do you recommend?
