4 FIRE Powered Cars
With a move to Washington DC on the horizon, transportation is top of mind. Beijing has about the best public tranportation in the world, something Washington DC will struggle to compete against. So Mr. FIRE Power is in the market for a FIRE-powered vehicle. Ranking expenses for the average American household, transportation comes in at […]
4 Ways to Aggregate Financial Accounts
The hard work of financial independence begins with a budgeting exercise. To develop more sustainable savings habits, we first need to understand what we spend. The next step is the sometimes-painful adjustment to a more frugal lifestyle. That usually means more dinners at home, rethinking entertainment, and limiting major purchases. I went from 10 percent […]
Automation, Fear, and Financial Independence
In the original post I wrote, “[this blog] will cover the shifting nature of work brought about by technological disruption. Financial defense now is critical to prepare for a future of disparate employment, declining pensions, and deterioration of the traditional concept of career.” Beyond the many of the benefits financial independence brings about, fear of this change […]
12 days of travel with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Allegory of Financial Independence
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an article on the business and leisure travel of Tom Donohue, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce. During 12 days in May, Mr. Donohue traveled from Washington DC to Greece, Tokyo, and Beijing. The entire trip was flown on private charter, the first half of which […]
Book Review: Playing with FIRE
Many starting out on the road to financial independence (FI) look for high quality resources. Before purchasing this book, I read a post about a new FIRE documentary . The author discussed what everyone gets wrong about the FIRE lifestyle before lamenting the scrutiny from the mainstream media. To illustrate this point, he referenced a […]
How to Manage Expense Justification Syndrome
The same day this blog began, an Instagram account with the handle mydailyomelette also went live. The idea was to take an activity I really enjoy and turn it into a commercial enterprise. I read about the many social media “influencers” who drive tens of thousands of followers to purchase products and services advertised on […]
Comparing a Low-Fee Index Fund to a No-Fee Index Fund
After multiple rounds of interviews and writing tests, on May 31, 2012 I received a letter to work for my current employer. The letter outlined salary, healthcare, and other expected benefits, but one benefit stood out to me. “After a year’s tenure, the organization will provide an employer-sponsored SEP-IRA account (currently set at 10% of […]
Confront Lifestyle Creep with these 4 Tactics
I was sitting at the dinner table with my buddy Nick in Colorado last month. He was telling me a story about the stellar sales year of one of his direct reports. Lets call him Tim. His base salary was around $60,000 per year. The bonus from his terrific sales numbers was $50,000. That’s a […]
The Path to Wealth is Paved in Passive Investments
Financial independence is achieved through low spending and high saving. Indeed the two concepts are expressly linked. After spending is under control, the next step is figuring out how to save. Sorting the innumerable investment options can be overwhelming. With everything from stocks, to real estate, and even crypto currencies (please don’t invest in crypto […]
2 Reasons Carrying a Student Loan Balance is a Good Financial Decision
A major component of the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) lifestyle is a focus on reducing debt to zero, saving 50 percent or more of post-tax earnings, and limiting expenses. Discipline over time instills the second two components as an everyday part of life. But for me, the debt component is frequently in my thoughts. Specifically, […]