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.
This past week, I have been working on setting up the website of a new non-profit start-up I am part off. We chose to use Joomla. One week ago I did not know any Joomla. I, therefore, figured that maybe, given that I have close to 1000 readers — at least that is what the stats say — yet only “know” about a dozen online and have only met one IRL (Hey A!) that such a large number must mean that I, oh say, have almost a thousand lurkers, which is a huge resource, whence someone was bound to know something about it. Indeed, a few people did and I thank you for your assistance.
So now this got me wondering what else do people know that I don’t(*). I’d like to draw on the collective wisdom. You see, before I die, there are many things I want to do, so my question to my readers is:
- Does anyone practice kendo?
- Has anyone ever piloted a glide plane?
(*) No snarky comments on that one please 😛 )
Incidentally, reader questions are quite welcome. Solicitations for my “opinion” are even more welcome (I am very opinionated if you hadn’t noticed 😉 ). Send them to jacob at e….com
