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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
How Far Would You Go for Financial Freedom?
Playing with FIRE by Scott Rieckens is a personal finance book that explores the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) movement. It provides insights into how to simplify spending, maximize savings, and invest aggressively to achieve financial freedom and retire early.
Most people work until their mid-sixties. They see it as the normal thing to do, because without the security of a full pension, early retirement may be an inconceivable notion. But when you take a look at what people are working for, something doesn’t add up.
Whereas consumer culture demands that people overwork themselves for unnecessary luxuries, FIRE advocates a frugal lifestyle, freeing up valuable time for focusing on the important things in life.
In 2016, the author, Scott Rieckens, took a job as a creative director to bolster his family’s “perfect” beachtown lifestyle in Coronado, California. At the same time, he and his wife Taylor felt they needed luxuries like their expensive Vitamix blender or eating out on a nightly basis.
With a combined annual income of $142,000 after taxes, the couple felt that they were doing well enough financially that they could afford these luxuries. And besides, weren’t they contributing to their 401k retirement accounts all the while as well?
However, there were other major expenses looming in their future. The couple wanted to buy a house and start saving for their newborn daughter’s college fund. As the author realized how insufficient their $10,000 in annual savings really was, he began to despair. Would he have to stick to his new salaried position for the rest of his career just to afford these necessities? This would also mean foregoing his entrepreneurial dreams. With no plan, he and his wife would need a big break if they wanted to change their situation.
Driving to work one February morning in 2017, Rieckens heard an interview with Mr. Money Mustache on his favorite podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. Mr. Money Mustache, a Canadian blogger whose real name is Pete Adeney, retired near Boulder, Colorado when he was just thirty. Since then, he has developed a cult following of people looking to make financially savvy lifestyle choices so they too could retire decades early.
These “Mustachians” are part of a growing movement called FIRE, which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. Using a simple online retirement calculator, Scott Rieckens found that if he and his wife cut their expenses in half and invested their savings, they would actually be able to retire in just 10 years.
That day, he realized that he didn’t need a big break; he needed to change his lifestyle.
Playing with FIRE (2019) takes a look at the growing movement known as FIRE, or Financial Independence, Retire Early. With a detailed account of the author’s own life-changing journey and examples of diverse FIRE devotees, it reveals ways in which you can change your spending and investing habits to pursue your passions and live a more meaningful life.
Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) (2019) is a captivating exploration of the financial independence movement and its potential to transform our lives. Here's why this book deserves a spot on your reading list:
As long as youre saving, youre making progress, but the key to FIRE is saving money at a high or accelerated rate.
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Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
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Get startedBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
What is the main message of Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)?
The main message of Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) is how to achieve financial independence and retire early.
How long does it take to read Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)?
The reading time for Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in 15 minutes.
Is Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) a good book? Is it worth reading?
Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) is worth reading because it provides valuable insights on achieving financial independence and retiring early.
Who is the author of Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)?
The author of Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) is Scott Rieckens.