I have noticed that there are some things which I [can] do without really being aware that it is not normal not to have these advantages—kinda like presuming that everybody knows the multiplication table: Quick after me 5*9, 8*7, 6*9, 5*8, 9*7. When in fact this is not normal. For... Read more »

One of my informal theories is that a great deal of human performance metrics span about an order of magnitude. A very strong person is about 10 times stronger than a very weak person. A very fast person is about 10 times faster than a very slow person. In particular... Read more »

The lack of activity is a a core measure for intelligent design. Unfortunately, very few, myself included, are behaving very intelligently these days. Which would be the more intelligent way to feed yourself? To go outside and pluck an apple or shoot something wild and eat it, or to plant... Read more »

I have started using vinegar and baking soda for basic cleaning. Generally I spread baking soda of the grime and then soak a rag in vinegar. When the acid of the vinegar comes in contact with the baking soda a chemical reaction ensues which works very well for cleaning (for... Read more »

This is an easy to cook dish which tastes great because it contains bacon (well, duh!). Obviously, it should not be repeated too often because it contains bacon (well, duh!). You need: Rice (strictly speaking, you don’t need this) Green lentils (I prefer green lentils because they hold their shape... Read more »

It's been three years since I left my full-time job and this past year was the best one yet! Here's a short podcast episode with everything I learned. Read more → The post Valuable Lessons from My Third Year of Freedom appeared first on Mad Fientist.... Read more »

A real-life experiment that compares paying off a mortgage early versus investing the same amount of money in the markets! Read more → The post Mortgage Payoff Experiment – Pay Off Mortgage Early or Invest? appeared first on Mad Fientist.... Read more »

For the first time, Ramit Sethi from I Will Teach You to be Rich shares his thoughts on FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)! Read more → The post Ramit Sethi – I Will Teach You to be Rich appeared first on Mad Fientist.... Read more »

In this new Mad Fientist experiment, I'm starting an online business from scratch and will be documenting the entire process! Read more → The post Online Business Experiment appeared first on Mad Fientist.... Read more »

Author Cal Newport joins me on the podcast to discuss Deep Work, Digital Minimilism, and the important things you need to consider before retiring early! Read more → The post Cal Newport – Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and the Key to a Happy Retirement appeared first on Mad Fientist.... Read more »

The Root of Good family just got back to the US after an eight week adventure in Southeast Asia. We spent the month of July split between Cambodia and Thailand.  Now that we're rested up and mostly recovered from the jet lag, I wanted to take a break from life... Read more »

June was an incredibly busy month for the Root of Good family. We spent the first half of the month at home in Raleigh wrapping up the school year for the kids. Then we relaxed for a few days before packing our bags for our big eight week summer vacation... Read more »

Today we have a guest post from Kristy from the blog Millennial Revolution. “Anyone can become FI with a 6-figure salary!” “Financially independent?! If you’re not American and privileged, forget it!” “Try to become FI if you are living on $30K a year while raising a family! HA!” These are... Read more »

May was another successful month of early retirement. We took it easy and enjoyed a relatively slow month of leisure with family and friends. I spent a few days being a "real" blogger and influencer by attending Camp FI in Virginia where I gave a presentation titled "FIRE for Fun!". ... Read more »

Time flies when you're having fun! We're almost half way through May and I'm just now updating our April financial snapshot. We have been vacationing, volunteering, and enjoying the wonderful springtime weather. What can I say? I'm retired and don't always have time to focus on this blog!  We had... Read more »

Time to open up the books on how much money I spent last month. Managing expenses is absolutely critical to becoming financial independent at a young age. In fact, I’d argue it’s much more important to be an excellent saver than an excellent investor in this regard. And in order to save, you must... Read more »

Every Sunday, I uncover a high-quality dividend growth stock that appears to be undervalued. These pieces are published at Daily Trade Alert, which is a site that focuses on dividend growth investing, stocks, and unique investment opportunities. I’ve been writing for them for years now, and they’re just great over... Read more »

I go over Berkshire Hathaway’s latest buys and sells in their common stock portfolio each quarter, after their latest 13F is released. I’m a huge fan of Warren Buffett, as are millions of other investors around the world. And so it’s a great honor to see what he’s up to.... Read more »

I have some exciting news to share with everyone! I’m honored and humbled to have been contacted by Business Insider very recently to take part in a piece on early retirement. They consulted eight prominent bloggers from the “FIREsphere” (I just made that term up) and asked them about how... Read more »

Seth Klarman is a legendary value investor. He’s the billionaire co-founder and portfolio manager of Baupost Group, a private investment partnership based in Boston. Perhaps what he’s best known for, though, is writing Margin of Safety. It’s a legendary book on value investing, taking many of its cues and themes... Read more »

On Monday, August 12th, I woke up in a call room, gathered up my belongings, and stepped through the back door of the hospital out into the world for what may very well be the last time. I wasn’t fired. I simply FIREd. As in, I realized several years ago... Read more »

The Sunday Best is a collection of articles I’ve curated from the furthest reaches of the internet for your reading pleasure. Every week, I scan hundreds of headlines, read dozens of posts, and bring you the best of the best to save you time and mental energy. Financial Independence (FI)... Read more »

The timing of this post couldn’t have been better. I decided to take a break from practicing medicine, and likely a permanent one, with my last shift ending just a few short days ago. Am I burned out? Maybe a little. Could I continue working in the same capacity? Absolutely.... Read more »

Employed physicians may not have a lot of autonomy, but they don’t have to think much about the billing side of medicine, either. It’s a jumbled mess of ICD-10 codes, relative value units, and if you work in anesthesia like I once did, ASA units and CPT codes. Every payer... Read more »

Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. We had been watching the real estate market for months, looking for the right place for a home base as we set ourselves up to travel for months at a time over the next several years. A few places were snatched up before we could even see... Read more »

Ja, det er forsåvidt riktig basert på tommelfingerregelsen om 25x årlige utgifter. Men det er veldig lite penger... om det er realistisk å leve på så lite pr år i årevis får du nesten finne ut av selv. I Norge må man også ta hensyn til formueskatt, om ...... Read more »

People are crazy about fame and they go crazy for real when they lose it. As someone said: "God, keep us away from the poor that had become rich". That's the case of people hunting for fame. They want it so much but when they get it - they don't... Read more »

Quote from: Linea_Norway on Today at 03:01:00 AMYesterday we decided to quit a month earlier, but with the final day still i January, maybe the first or the second. But I will probably take free from before Christmas....... Read more »

Quote from: A Fella from Stella on July 29, 2019, 12:57:52 PM2 Jews walk into a barand they buy the place.MOD EDIT: One of the forum rules is "use good taste." Jokes that can be perceived as anti-Semitic...... Read more »

Hei, ny i forumet og til FIRE. Etter det jeg har forstått så kan en regne ut  FI datoen slik:Netto Månedslønn 35000 hvor jeg bruker 9000 og sparer 26000. forbruk 9000 x 12( ett år) = 108 000 i året ganget med 25 som blir 2,7 mill. Som en må... Read more »

Mrs. Done by Forty was offered a new position recently, which means in addition to enjoying the ridiculously unfair tax benefits and the joy that comes from being a two income household, we'll also get to experience what it's like to pay for full time childcare for Baby AF.We got recommendations on... Read more »

Today's my birthday. I turn thirty nine, one away from the big year where I leave my thirties, turn forty, and run against the number I foolishly set as my goal for reaching financial independence. Astute readers will note that I'm only one year from turning forty, and wonder why... Read more »

We are awash in big news these days. Right after reaching the milestone of paying off our mortgage we found out we maybe, technically might have achieved the goal this blogger set out to accomplish way back in 2012: being financially independent according to the 4% rule.With all that still fresh... Read more »

The middle class is one of my favorite things to think and write about. I've tried reframing the classes into quintiles, I've written about the difference between having a middle class income and having middle class wealth; about how your location determines a lot about what kind of income you need... Read more »

So, we did it. We sold a bunch of stock, pulled together our dividends and ESPP payments from June, scrounged up all the cash we could find, and paid off the mortgage last Friday. Pending some paperwork that has to go from the bank to the county, we are mortgage... Read more »

David Sawyer released his book, Reset.  The book is aimed at helping people who feel stuck in their careers as well as an optimization strategy for Financial Independence in the UK. For more information, visit the show notes at https://choosefi.com/141... Read more »

Diving into the costs of a financial advisor and Nick from Mapped Out Money returns to discuss college hacking. For more information, visit the show notes at https://choosefi.com/140r... Read more »

Nick True from Mapped Out Money talks about designing an FI lifestyle before reaching an FI number. Currently, Nick and his wife live in an Airstream trailer with the flexibility to live wherever they want to be. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/140... Read more »

Last week, Jonathan ended up at the DMV on a Friday afternoon with a crazy wait time. What should have been a quick trip turned into an ordeal worth avoiding. Today Jonathan and Brad discuss: How to Reclaim Your Time Side Hustling through the Secondary Market and how Sunny funded... Read more »

Sunny and his wife are 88.92% of their way to FI at only age 28 while living just 15 minutes outside of New York City. How did they do it? They share ow to pay for collect, the Department of Defense SMART Scholarship, car flipping, and more. For more information,... Read more »

Long overdue summer greetings to my dozens of faithful readers!  School has been out for a few weeks now, but I’ve been busy with my new basketball duties.  After a tough (and winless) basketball season and a sudden coaching change, guess who became a head coach again?  Yep, yours truly! ... Read more »

Last September at FinCon 2018 in Orlando I was talking with the coolest cat in the cave, my FIRE brother J. Money of Budgets Are $exy, about how to shine some light on the abuses in the K-12 403b marketplace.  After about five seconds of reflection, he said, “Oh, that’s... Read more »

Welcome back millionaires.  Let me apologize for that insane April Fool’s post extolling the benefits of 403b plans.  Here are my real thoughts on those “benefits.”   Incredible Oversight?  Ha! If you have a 403b plan, brace yourself:  your retirement savings are adrift in the Wild West of the financial services... Read more »

Beautiful South Georgia spring greetings to all my millionaire readers!  Even though we had a mild winter, the change of season is more than welcome.  It’s so pretty here this time of year. So far, our move to Statenville, Georgia has been a resounding success.  We love our new home,... Read more »

Greetings to all my Free Money! tax-planning brothers and sisters.  With 2018 almost over, it’s now time to take a look at our 2019 Free Money! amounts.  (This is by far my most anticipated post every year; it amazes me how many inquiries I get about the status of this... Read more »

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA210.mp3" title="How to Be an Adult - with Mark Manson" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ] We live in a fascinating era: huge sections of society are more prosperous, advanced and safe than at any other point in human history, yet depression and anxiety... Read more »

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA209.mp3" title="Ask Paula - Are Index Funds Unsafe?" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ] Anonymous wants to retire early and often. They’re going overseas, where they’ll make their annual salary within six months. Where should they put their extra income? Anonymous also wants to... Read more »

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA208.mp3" title="How to Talk to Your Parents About Retirement and Beyond -- with Cameron Huddleston" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ] Well, this could get awkward. Your parents and grandparents are aging. (Duh.) You want to have a few important financial conversations with them.... Read more »

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA207.mp3" title="Ask Paula - Ask Paula - Should I Take a $30k Paycut for Better Work-Life Balance, or Stick it Out? " artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ] Matt and his fiance earn $7,500 per month combined. They save more than half of their... Read more »

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/paulaandjaymoney/AA206.mp3" title="When Career Zigzagging is Smarter - with David Epstein" artist="Paula Pant" social="true" social_twitter="true" social_facebook="true" social_gplus="true" social_linkedin="true" social_stumble="true" social_pinterest="true" social_email="true" ] We live in a society that values career specialization. You’re not a “doctor” -- you’re a pediatrician, an anesthesiologist, an oncologist. You’re not a “lawyer” -- you practice... Read more »

We stood there on the sidewalk of the busy road, bikes at our side.  He was puking all over the place, coughing and heaving, hands on his knees.   “Seriously, you can go, I’ll be all right. I just don’t... The post Are You Climbing Mount Stupid? appeared first on... Read more »

WASHINGTON D.C. – Most Americans achieve their highest ability to understand money in the anxious seconds when deciding between a cup or cone and the number of scoops they desire at the ice cream shop, according to a new study. ... The post Study: Americans Best At Money When Deciding Between... Read more »

When I was in grade school I had a talent for drawing.  Or so that’s how my Mother dutifully described it at least.  I didn’t really agree, and was always upset at what I put on paper.  But there was... The post I’m Slowly Losing My W2 Muscles appeared first... Read more »

It was 1980, and John Lennon was finally going to release a new album.  I wasn’t even 10 yet, but the Beatles were a core part of my life.  Lennon had been aloof for a long time, not recording.  The... The post A Dash Of Life appeared first on Accidental... Read more »

In the early 1990’s I was fresh out of college and lucky to score a pretty low paying job at a small dotcom start up.  With unemployment at 7.5% I took what I got and didn’t have the luxury of... The post The Horrors Of A Long Commute appeared first... Read more »

Hey philosophers, just wanted to let you know about a couple of small projects I participated in recently. I haven’t had much time or motivation to write these last couple of weeks. I have been paying the work price for my two week vacation to Alaska. Flexibility to take a... Read more »

As my feet rhythmically hit the belt of the treadmill, it briefly occurred to me this was perhaps the weirdest time to start my journey back to some sort or reasonable physical fitness. The treadmill was gently rocking side to side and I was looking out at an endless expanse... Read more »

As an evangelist of part-time work for physicians, I occasionally get an e-mail from a physician reader asking if cutting back on work is the right move for them. Often times they are early in their training, and I’m not sure how to respond. I feel conflicted. I know what... Read more »

A feeling of dread suddenly came over me. The numbers just didn’t add up, yet I could not figure out where I went wrong. Maybe I typed something in wrong or missed a section, but everything looked more or less complete. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this and... Read more »

There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys, how’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at... Read more »

For those of you following along, you know I've been a bit busy lately. In addition to my own music, podcast, and software projects, I've also been popping up on other people's podcasts. A few weeks back I sang a few bars of Michael Bublé on The FI Show with... Read more »

Back in November of 2017, a tired, burned out version of myself was pushed past his breaking point. After months of mandatory unpaid overtime, morning self pep-talks, stress-eating, and yelling at coworkers, the old Joel finally had enough. He walked up to his boss, and with a surprising, zen-like calm,... Read more »

Wait a minute. Strike that – reverse it! I know, I know, I haven't updated this blog in months. What gives?! If things get any more sporadic around here I'll be on the Miss Mazuma publishing schedule! 😉 Maybe I should adopt the slogan of Wait, Buy Why and claim that I'll have... Read more »

This week, I'm thrilled to be featured on Coryn Quester's “Discover What's Possible” Podcast! In the interview, we talk about everything from the ‘Why' of FI,  to the most challenging aspects of financial independence for those just starting out. But one of the more interesting questions she posed really got... Read more »

This past weekend The Wife and I went to see Crazy Rich Asians, and really enjoyed it! (Featured image credit: Entertainment Weekly) Having been on the FIRE journey for a few years now, it was fun taking in all the over-the-top luxury on the screen. Of course, this wasn't the... Read more »

If you’re serious about rewards, the credit card you choose should offer cash back. These types of credit cards offer a way to earn cash back on your purchases, and this can add up to some serious savings. While you need to use any credit card smartly, by choosing a... Read more »

This post is sponsored by DiversyFund. All opinions are my own. Real estate is widely considered to be one of the best investments for growing wealth. The traditional route of owning rental properties doesn’t appeal to everyone because of all that is involved in owning and managing property and tenants.... Read more »

Most Americans don’t really enjoy their jobs. You probably do it because you need money to pay the bills. Some people are fortunate to have jobs that they love, but most people would rather spend time on their hobbies than at their job. But what if you could make money... Read more »

An inevitable fact of life is that we all have to spend money. Earning cash back on necessary expenses can be a huge win and with the right approach you can easily rack up a significant amount of cashback over the course of a year. There are several different ways... Read more »

This article is sponsored by Masterworks. All opinions are my own. Conventional investments like stocks and bonds (including mutual funds that invest in stocks and bonds) are the core of most portfolios. While alternative investments provide opportunities for diversification, and in some cases, higher upside, many alternative investments have traditionally... Read more »