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.
Heads up!
The Silicon Valley #2 meetup will take place at Lake Vasona in Los Gatos on September 11th @ 2pm. See the forum discussion for ongoing refinements.
The New York City meetup will take place at Columbos Park in Chinatown at September 18th @ 3pm. See the forum discussion for ongoing refinements.
It would be nice to have an idea of the head count. You can make your intentions known in the appropriate forums—if that’s not possible, you can do it in the comments below.
There have been two meetups so far—Silicon Valley #1 and Chicago. There haven’t really been any traditions established for the meetups—no presentations, no schedule; just people talking—and we do seem to click. Ever wondered how it would be to talk to someone who immediately understood why you wanted financial independence/(extreme) early retirement? Find out at the meetups. One thing I have been doing outside the meetups is to lend out some of my books, presuming that everybody will meet again at some time, so I may bring some for the next Silicon Valley meetup.
