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Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way
A practical action guide for financial independence and early retirement from the popular Our Next Life blogger.
In today's work culture, we're expected to hustle around the clock. But what if you could escape the traditional path and get on one that doesn't require working full-time until age 65? What if you could wake up every day without an alarm clock and do the things you love most?
Tanja Hester and her husband Mark left their crazed careerist lifestyle to live their dream life in Lake Tahoe, retiring early from high-stress careers. Now Tanja will help you map out a customized plan for freedom and make it easy to succeed, whether you're good at math and budgeting -- or not!
Work Optional is more than just a financial it's a plan for your whole life -- designed by you, not by an employer or clients. Tanja walks you through envisioning your dream life, accounting for variables such as health care and children, protecting yourself from recessions and future unknowns, and achieving a purpose-filled early retirement, semi-retirement, or career intermission with completely doable, non-penny-pinching steps.
You can live a happier, more meaningful life, free from the daily grind. Regardless of where you are in your career, Work Optionalwill get you there.
In today's work culture, we're expected to hustle around the clock. But what if you could escape the traditional path and get on one that doesn't require working full-time until age 65? What if you could wake up every day without an alarm clock and do the things you love most?
Tanja Hester and her husband Mark left their crazed careerist lifestyle to live their dream life in Lake Tahoe, retiring early from high-stress careers. Now Tanja will help you map out a customized plan for freedom and make it easy to succeed, whether you're good at math and budgeting -- or not!
Work Optional is more than just a financial it's a plan for your whole life -- designed by you, not by an employer or clients. Tanja walks you through envisioning your dream life, accounting for variables such as health care and children, protecting yourself from recessions and future unknowns, and achieving a purpose-filled early retirement, semi-retirement, or career intermission with completely doable, non-penny-pinching steps.
You can live a happier, more meaningful life, free from the daily grind. Regardless of where you are in your career, Work Optionalwill get you there.
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Published February 12, 2019
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About the author
Tanja Hester
3 books67 followersTanja Hester is the author of WALLET ACTIVISM: How to Use Every Dollar You Spend, Earn, and Save as a Force for Change and WORK OPTIONAL: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way. After spending most of her career as a consultant to Democratic politics and progressive issue campaigns, and before that as a public radio journalist, Tanja retired early at the age of thirty-eight. She documented the process on her award-winning financial independence/retire early (FIRE) blog, Our Next Life. She’s been an outspoken voice in the personal finance media community to consider systemic barriers and opportunity gaps, rather than simply pushing people with lots of advantages already to accumulate more wealth, part of why the New York Times called her “the matriarch of the women’s FIRE movement.” She hosts a podcast also called Wallet Activism, writes an occasional opinion column for MarketWatch, and lives in a burgeoning permaculture food forest she’s growing in North Lake Tahoe, California, with her husband, Mark Bunge, and a flock of tiny rescue dogs. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @our_nextlife and visit her blog at OurNextLife.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
May 11, 2022
2 stars - Meh. Just ok.
What I did like: One short paragraph about the merits of an umbrella insurance policy.
What I didn’t like: Treating the reader as though they are obtuse by unnecessarily explaining the obvious. The more expensive your life is, the harder it is to save money.
Eye rolling motivational cliches. Get ready to dream big!
Asking the reader questions that feel like a dated middle school workbook. For example: Tough questions here, like: What does your work-optional dream life look like in very concrete terms? What are you willing to sacrifice to get to that goal? Nor did the checklists help in this regard.
In all fairness: This is a subject upon which I am quite educated and was disappointed to glean very little from my invested reading time. A total novice to the personal finance world that doesn’t know the difference between a stock and a bond, or doesn't have the forethought to consider a side job to increase income, may find this more helpful than I did. For that reason, and because this book does not yet have many reviews, I am generously rounding my rating up from a more honest 1.5 (didn’t like it) to 2 stars (meh). I’d recommend checking out the FIRE blogger community instead.
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Favorite Quote: When the Social Security Act of 1935 was passed in the US, the retirement age was set at age 65, but at the time, the life expectancy for an American male at birth was only 58.
First Sentence: It’s eight p.m. on a Friday, and I’m asleep on the couch.
What I did like: One short paragraph about the merits of an umbrella insurance policy.
What I didn’t like: Treating the reader as though they are obtuse by unnecessarily explaining the obvious. The more expensive your life is, the harder it is to save money.
Eye rolling motivational cliches. Get ready to dream big!
Asking the reader questions that feel like a dated middle school workbook. For example: Tough questions here, like: What does your work-optional dream life look like in very concrete terms? What are you willing to sacrifice to get to that goal? Nor did the checklists help in this regard.
In all fairness: This is a subject upon which I am quite educated and was disappointed to glean very little from my invested reading time. A total novice to the personal finance world that doesn’t know the difference between a stock and a bond, or doesn't have the forethought to consider a side job to increase income, may find this more helpful than I did. For that reason, and because this book does not yet have many reviews, I am generously rounding my rating up from a more honest 1.5 (didn’t like it) to 2 stars (meh). I’d recommend checking out the FIRE blogger community instead.
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Favorite Quote: When the Social Security Act of 1935 was passed in the US, the retirement age was set at age 65, but at the time, the life expectancy for an American male at birth was only 58.
First Sentence: It’s eight p.m. on a Friday, and I’m asleep on the couch.
January 31, 2019
I would not ask you to buy the book if I didn't think I delivered five star quality. ;-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2019
Early retirement has become a meme, passed through exposure to any of a number of blogs and Reddit forums focused on the concept. There are a lot of these, grown over the past five years or so. The author is one of those blog authors, following her and her spouse through their investigation of early retirement, their efforts to get there, and their life after reaching, well, the promised land, of a sort. I have occasionally read articles from their blog as well as other blogs and many, many books on the subject. “Work Optional” covers the bases, discussing the concept of early retirement, the financial know-how required to be able to do it, and the ways your life can change after retiring younger than the average worker. Much of the book is how-to, with some sections of the author’s own experience. Anecdotes from the author and other early retirees are mixed in throughout the book.
I found the author on the whole covered what I expected, but added some unique suggestions. The best of these was near the beginning of the book when the author walks through a series of questions to document personal goals. I found this very similar to personal mission/vision/values training I’ve been through in my job, and going through this looks beneficial. The author does not prescribe a detailed financial plan, instead describing many options and some basic plans discussed widely in those online sources. The key here is that the advice offered is basic. I’ve found that individual situations are often nuanced so that basic advice is really just a place to start, and I’ve found no book that covers all bases. This one does a reasonable job with the basics, and replicates the financial discussions of many blogs and online groups. One of the biggest issues for early retirees is acquiring medical insurance. The book describes the options as they currently exist, but does not forecast any changes that could impact early retirees. I’ve always found ongoing availability of medical insurance is a great leap of faith when retiring earlier than the Medicare eligible age, and this book didn’t allay my concerns, although it does provide the author’s own story – successful so far. The shortest section is the author’s description of what it is like to be retired early, but that’s not surprising since her retirement has only lasted about a year when this book was written. This book includes some useful web links at the end, and has detailed end notes that many books do not share. Most of the writing of people in the author’s age group that have retired early is in short blog entries across dozens of blogs. Having a personal story at book length is appreciated. The author’s story of planning and attaining her early retirement is a welcome addition to the early retirement literature.
I received a pre-release copy of this ebook from NetGalley.
I found the author on the whole covered what I expected, but added some unique suggestions. The best of these was near the beginning of the book when the author walks through a series of questions to document personal goals. I found this very similar to personal mission/vision/values training I’ve been through in my job, and going through this looks beneficial. The author does not prescribe a detailed financial plan, instead describing many options and some basic plans discussed widely in those online sources. The key here is that the advice offered is basic. I’ve found that individual situations are often nuanced so that basic advice is really just a place to start, and I’ve found no book that covers all bases. This one does a reasonable job with the basics, and replicates the financial discussions of many blogs and online groups. One of the biggest issues for early retirees is acquiring medical insurance. The book describes the options as they currently exist, but does not forecast any changes that could impact early retirees. I’ve always found ongoing availability of medical insurance is a great leap of faith when retiring earlier than the Medicare eligible age, and this book didn’t allay my concerns, although it does provide the author’s own story – successful so far. The shortest section is the author’s description of what it is like to be retired early, but that’s not surprising since her retirement has only lasted about a year when this book was written. This book includes some useful web links at the end, and has detailed end notes that many books do not share. Most of the writing of people in the author’s age group that have retired early is in short blog entries across dozens of blogs. Having a personal story at book length is appreciated. The author’s story of planning and attaining her early retirement is a welcome addition to the early retirement literature.
I received a pre-release copy of this ebook from NetGalley.
May 19, 2019
I agree with Cher's review below:
"In all fairness: This is a subject upon which I am quite educated and was disappointed to gleam very little from my invested reading time. A total novice to the personal finance world that doesn’t know the difference between a stock and a bond, or doesn't have the forethought to consider a side job to increase income, may find this more helpful than I did."
I don't want to unfairly pan this book, but I wonder why the author wrote it, because I'm not sure what the spin is that adds to what has already been covered before. I'd suggest just going through the Mr Money Mustache blogs for a day and also reading https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... and https://www.goodreads.com/ar/book/sho... instead of this book.
"In all fairness: This is a subject upon which I am quite educated and was disappointed to gleam very little from my invested reading time. A total novice to the personal finance world that doesn’t know the difference between a stock and a bond, or doesn't have the forethought to consider a side job to increase income, may find this more helpful than I did."
I don't want to unfairly pan this book, but I wonder why the author wrote it, because I'm not sure what the spin is that adds to what has already been covered before. I'd suggest just going through the Mr Money Mustache blogs for a day and also reading https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... and https://www.goodreads.com/ar/book/sho... instead of this book.
November 27, 2019
Very US-centric.
Very basic info. Nothing enlightening here.
Too long. The layout of long paragraphs made it feel even longer and more boring.
Very basic info. Nothing enlightening here.
Too long. The layout of long paragraphs made it feel even longer and more boring.
January 6, 2019
As a follower of Tanja's blog 'Our Next Life', I've been waiting for her book and was super excited to receive an ARC to review.
The book is set up as a clear step-by-step guide to not just plan out an early retirement but really visualize the life you want and clarify your rationale and approach to finances. I love that the exercises listed throughout the book are super clear and have multiple prompts for you to work through, not just general 'write your obituary' type platitudes. It was also great to see examples of other people's take on various stages of this planning including anecdotes from Tanja and Mark's life. However the main focus clearly remains helping you, the reader, to map our your early retirement or work optional life.
It was also great to see that all the advice and processes accommodate a variety of motivations and backgrounds, whether you want to homestead or RV at 40 or choose to volunteer or take sabbaticals while also being realistic about what this would take. I'm excited to download the resources that are going to be available in the companion website.
This book is a great read for someone looking for an overview of the whole process as a beginner as well as a great planning resource for anyone who has already read a bunch of Personal Finance and FIRE blogs and books. Highly recommend!
The book is set up as a clear step-by-step guide to not just plan out an early retirement but really visualize the life you want and clarify your rationale and approach to finances. I love that the exercises listed throughout the book are super clear and have multiple prompts for you to work through, not just general 'write your obituary' type platitudes. It was also great to see examples of other people's take on various stages of this planning including anecdotes from Tanja and Mark's life. However the main focus clearly remains helping you, the reader, to map our your early retirement or work optional life.
It was also great to see that all the advice and processes accommodate a variety of motivations and backgrounds, whether you want to homestead or RV at 40 or choose to volunteer or take sabbaticals while also being realistic about what this would take. I'm excited to download the resources that are going to be available in the companion website.
This book is a great read for someone looking for an overview of the whole process as a beginner as well as a great planning resource for anyone who has already read a bunch of Personal Finance and FIRE blogs and books. Highly recommend!
February 4, 2019
This isn't a finance book or a memoir. Having read Tanja's blog for the last few years, I couldn't wait to see what she'd focus on. The result? A guidebook for how to retire early by following your own path. This one challenges you with questions, activities and thought provoking questions that help determine what could be your idealistic future. Much of the financial side may be old-hat if you read blogs or books in the FIRE community, but it's sprinkled with facts and data to help highlight the pitfalls common to lifestyle change. As someone who recently left their job, much of the vision casting and future focused questions were useful for reflecting on what I really want to do next, while getting another persons take on their first year after working.
April 16, 2019
Not a bad book overall, but honestly it reads like most other personal finance books out there on early retirement. So if you had read a lot of those you won't find much new here. In fact, I'm a bit disappointed by the book since I enjoyed the blog so much. It seemed to gloss over adjusting to retirement in just a few pages which I was hoping to see more on.
May 12, 2019
Of course it's relatively easy to retire early when you and your husband are making 6 figures each. There are some good insights in here, but it's definitely skewed to those making a LOT of money and lifestyle inflation.
Complimentary copy provided to me by Hachette! All opinions are my own.
Complimentary copy provided to me by Hachette! All opinions are my own.
February 7, 2021
This book covers so many different important aspects of personal finance, that even if you aren’t aiming toward early retirement, it’s still worth a read! I plan to return to the helpful questions in this book yearly as a way to stay aligned with my goals.
February 10, 2022
Loved this book! It focused on the reasons and motivations behind wanting to retire early and then dug deep into how to actually do it. Easy to read but also with a ton of very specific advice/planning. Will definitely recommend to friends/family!
December 18, 2024
This is a pretty good and comprehensive book about how to make early retirement a reality.
One strength of this book is that the author is excellent at teaching complicated personal finance concepts in an understandable way. Several topics she does a great job explaining include Roth IRA conversion ladders (for getting early 401k withdrawals penalty-free), the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange system, and the different investment options. It makes sense that she is good at explaining these concepts given her professional background as a political communications strategist.
Another aspect of the book I liked is that the author encourages the reader to think about saving money, spending money, and early retirement not just from a technical perspective but also from an emotional perspective. For example, there is an exercise where you think about how certain types of spending make you feel while doing your budgeting, so you can determine what types of spending give you the most bang for your buck. The author also encourages readers to think more about what they envision themselves doing once they reach early retirement.
At times I think the book could have benefited from more personal stories, data, and case studies. When people hear that a certain shirtless man in our run club retired early, they are often in disbelief and think it must have been from an inheritance or company IPO. To make early retirement seem more realistic and attainable, I think it can be helpful to break things down into more concrete numbers.
One thing I really appreciated was that the author discussed three different flavors of early retirement: full early retirement, semiretirement, and career intermissions. The fact that the author covered semiretirement and career intermissions was cool because I haven’t seen these covered in many of the other personal finance books.
For full early retirement, you are financially independent and never need to work for money again. This can be achieved if you save and invest approximately 25 times your expected annual expenses in retirement. This is based on the 4% safe withdrawal guideline from the Trinity Study.
However, one important consideration is that because early retirees aim to retire at a certain net worth rather than a certain age, they might be more likely to retire when the stock market is peaking (e.g. 2021). This could mean that the market is due for a bad year or two, which could make following the 4% guideline more risky. Thus, it can be good for early retirees to save up a bit more.
For semiretirement, you only need to work part-time, seasonally, or in a lower-stress position. One flavor of semiretirement (also known as CoastFIRE) is saving and investing enough such that your current investments, if left untouched with no further contributions or withdrawals, are on track to reach your retirement goal by age 65. This means you just have to cover your basic living expenses in the meantime, and can perhaps do part-time work, start your own business, or take an easier job.
For career intermissions, you can take a break from work for an extended period before having to go back. The author recommends planning for these such that by the time you return to full-time work, you are still on track with your retirement savings age target (Fidelity recommends saving 1x your salary by 30, 2x by 35, 3x by 40 … 10x by 67).
Overall I would recommend this book - it is a great starting point if you are interested in seeing if early retirement can work for you!
One strength of this book is that the author is excellent at teaching complicated personal finance concepts in an understandable way. Several topics she does a great job explaining include Roth IRA conversion ladders (for getting early 401k withdrawals penalty-free), the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange system, and the different investment options. It makes sense that she is good at explaining these concepts given her professional background as a political communications strategist.
Another aspect of the book I liked is that the author encourages the reader to think about saving money, spending money, and early retirement not just from a technical perspective but also from an emotional perspective. For example, there is an exercise where you think about how certain types of spending make you feel while doing your budgeting, so you can determine what types of spending give you the most bang for your buck. The author also encourages readers to think more about what they envision themselves doing once they reach early retirement.
At times I think the book could have benefited from more personal stories, data, and case studies. When people hear that a certain shirtless man in our run club retired early, they are often in disbelief and think it must have been from an inheritance or company IPO. To make early retirement seem more realistic and attainable, I think it can be helpful to break things down into more concrete numbers.
One thing I really appreciated was that the author discussed three different flavors of early retirement: full early retirement, semiretirement, and career intermissions. The fact that the author covered semiretirement and career intermissions was cool because I haven’t seen these covered in many of the other personal finance books.
For full early retirement, you are financially independent and never need to work for money again. This can be achieved if you save and invest approximately 25 times your expected annual expenses in retirement. This is based on the 4% safe withdrawal guideline from the Trinity Study.
However, one important consideration is that because early retirees aim to retire at a certain net worth rather than a certain age, they might be more likely to retire when the stock market is peaking (e.g. 2021). This could mean that the market is due for a bad year or two, which could make following the 4% guideline more risky. Thus, it can be good for early retirees to save up a bit more.
For semiretirement, you only need to work part-time, seasonally, or in a lower-stress position. One flavor of semiretirement (also known as CoastFIRE) is saving and investing enough such that your current investments, if left untouched with no further contributions or withdrawals, are on track to reach your retirement goal by age 65. This means you just have to cover your basic living expenses in the meantime, and can perhaps do part-time work, start your own business, or take an easier job.
For career intermissions, you can take a break from work for an extended period before having to go back. The author recommends planning for these such that by the time you return to full-time work, you are still on track with your retirement savings age target (Fidelity recommends saving 1x your salary by 30, 2x by 35, 3x by 40 … 10x by 67).
Overall I would recommend this book - it is a great starting point if you are interested in seeing if early retirement can work for you!
August 16, 2019
I enjoy reading Hester's blog (Our Next Life), so I suppose it is no surprise that I also enjoyed her book. I found the tone of the book incredibly refreshing. Hester explains how her family medical history indicated that she might not have the option of working until 65, and she speaks frankly about how privileged she and her husband are to be in a position where they could seek early retirement on their own terms. I particularly appreciated her emphasis on the importance of practicing gratitude.
From there, it is a practical book. Hester covers the standard well worn personal finance ground (get out of debt, be intentional with your spending, invest what you save, etc.) in accessible language. She includes plenty of check lists and a few formulas. Most of all, however, she writes about the importance of finding identity and purpose outside of work. I think that's solid advice for those who are nearing retirement as well as for those of us who still have decades to go.
From there, it is a practical book. Hester covers the standard well worn personal finance ground (get out of debt, be intentional with your spending, invest what you save, etc.) in accessible language. She includes plenty of check lists and a few formulas. Most of all, however, she writes about the importance of finding identity and purpose outside of work. I think that's solid advice for those who are nearing retirement as well as for those of us who still have decades to go.
February 10, 2019
Intrigued by the idea of early retirement but think it sounds too good to be true? Or don't want to practice the extreme frugality that many early retirement advocates preach? Then check out this book.
Hester walks you through every aspect of the early retirement equation showing you the the numbers, the planning, the alternate routes, and the mental and emotional best practices. This is the most comprehensive guide you'll find and will make a believer (and retiree!) out of anyone who gives it a read.
Hester walks you through every aspect of the early retirement equation showing you the the numbers, the planning, the alternate routes, and the mental and emotional best practices. This is the most comprehensive guide you'll find and will make a believer (and retiree!) out of anyone who gives it a read.
November 29, 2019
Anyone interested in planning for or taking early retirement can find useful information in this book. I particularly appreciate the checklists provided to force the reader to think about things that are necessary to reach financial independence and retire early. I also appreciated getting some validation in my unconventional approach to budgeting that has been successful for me so far. I found this to be worth the time investment to read.
May 24, 2020
Fantastic guide for thinking not only about the finances of early retirement, but also the mental parts.
Also great worksheet and chapters about figuring out what is important to you personally for planning and living FIRE.
I strongly recommend this book!
Also great worksheet and chapters about figuring out what is important to you personally for planning and living FIRE.
I strongly recommend this book!
May 13, 2019
Is there nothing new on the FI topic to be said? This author is more Dave Ramsey than I prefer.
If you’re new to FI, start with MMM and read JL Collins.
If you’re new to FI, start with MMM and read JL Collins.
September 18, 2019
One of the better personal finance (and FIRE) books I've read. I like that her advice is holistic, practical, and nonjudgmental. Highly recommended.
August 30, 2020
Not earth shattering but very well written. One of the few books that discusses life after early retirement
January 24, 2019
Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Financial Independence (FI), anyone not interested in FI who wants to see “what the fuss is about”, anyone who thinks they could never retire, and anyone who wants to retire but doesn’t know how or when or why. Read Work Optional!
I was lucky to received an advance copy of this book (in addition to the one I pre-ordered I’m now excited to gift) and I flew through it in less than a week.
I’ve read Tanja’s blog for a while so I expected the book would be good but I was even more pleasantly surprised when I realized how extensive, well-researched, and well-rounded the book was.
She really starts from the very beginning and hits on topics that are so rarely discussed in the world of retirement and financial independence, including how to figure out your broader life goals, what real day to day logistics (like healthcare) options really look like, and how many different permutations of “work optional” lifestyles are really possible (its a lot), and so much more.
Reading Work Optional really helped me wrap my head around what I wanted from my career and my life long-term. It showed me that there are so many different ways to build a future, it’s not just about picking a number and going crazy (like some Reddit forums might imply) and there’s a version of this that anyone can apply (even just small parts) to themselves in some way and feel more hopeful about the life they are building. Congrats to Tanja on writing the book we all definitely needed in our lives!
I was lucky to received an advance copy of this book (in addition to the one I pre-ordered I’m now excited to gift) and I flew through it in less than a week.
I’ve read Tanja’s blog for a while so I expected the book would be good but I was even more pleasantly surprised when I realized how extensive, well-researched, and well-rounded the book was.
She really starts from the very beginning and hits on topics that are so rarely discussed in the world of retirement and financial independence, including how to figure out your broader life goals, what real day to day logistics (like healthcare) options really look like, and how many different permutations of “work optional” lifestyles are really possible (its a lot), and so much more.
Reading Work Optional really helped me wrap my head around what I wanted from my career and my life long-term. It showed me that there are so many different ways to build a future, it’s not just about picking a number and going crazy (like some Reddit forums might imply) and there’s a version of this that anyone can apply (even just small parts) to themselves in some way and feel more hopeful about the life they are building. Congrats to Tanja on writing the book we all definitely needed in our lives!
February 25, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette Books for allowing me to preview Work Optional!
Despite having some issues on my end with the downloading, once I began reading Tanja's book, I did not want to put it down. I had not yet seen her blog, nor did I know anything about her, other than I was seeing "A must read!" mentioned here & there on a few sites.
From the beginning you feel as if you are sitting with a friend having coffee discussing life. She is not preachy, nor condescending. She offers a step by step "guide" to retirement by sharing what they have chosen to do. You can take it, leave it, or make it your own. There are exercises throughout to give yourself a better understanding of where you are & where you are headed.
I plan on re-reading this book, slowly, & have already begun recommending it. I have just started following her blog & enjoy that as well!
Despite having some issues on my end with the downloading, once I began reading Tanja's book, I did not want to put it down. I had not yet seen her blog, nor did I know anything about her, other than I was seeing "A must read!" mentioned here & there on a few sites.
From the beginning you feel as if you are sitting with a friend having coffee discussing life. She is not preachy, nor condescending. She offers a step by step "guide" to retirement by sharing what they have chosen to do. You can take it, leave it, or make it your own. There are exercises throughout to give yourself a better understanding of where you are & where you are headed.
I plan on re-reading this book, slowly, & have already begun recommending it. I have just started following her blog & enjoy that as well!
April 8, 2021
A Practical Guide to Early Retirement
You don't have to wait until your 65 to live the life you want. Blogger Tanja Hester teaches you how to reach financial independence and retire early without pinching pennies, going into detail on things like health insurance and investment options. If early retirement is something you've considered, Work Optional will answer all your questions, and even some you hadn't thought to ask.
Although Work Optional didn't exactly get me fired up, it did a great job explaining the practical details of early retirement. I loved that she begins by forcing you to consider what you want your life to look like, giving you alternatives to full-on early retirement and helping you tailor your plan to your unique vision. The book is definitely pretty numbers heavy, so I would suggest a physical copy over the audiobook.
You don't have to wait until your 65 to live the life you want. Blogger Tanja Hester teaches you how to reach financial independence and retire early without pinching pennies, going into detail on things like health insurance and investment options. If early retirement is something you've considered, Work Optional will answer all your questions, and even some you hadn't thought to ask.
Although Work Optional didn't exactly get me fired up, it did a great job explaining the practical details of early retirement. I loved that she begins by forcing you to consider what you want your life to look like, giving you alternatives to full-on early retirement and helping you tailor your plan to your unique vision. The book is definitely pretty numbers heavy, so I would suggest a physical copy over the audiobook.
April 17, 2021
A very introductory guide to what it takes to retire early. This book serves as a laundry list of things you should do more research on, which is effective for someone just getting into the topic. I liked the prompts for imagining the shape of your retired life. The middle and end dragged on and became almost comically basic. “Eat lots of fruits and vegetables to stay healthy because being retired is better if you’re healthy!” eyeroll. Most of the financial planning recommendations only apply to the US so I skipped chapters.
February 2, 2019
This book is so helpful and thoroughly researched. I love how Tanja addresses a variety of scenarios and makes early retirement approachable.
February 12, 2019
Honest and in-depth advice for reaching your full potential. This advice is presented in easy to follow language that can be broken up and applied in pieces at a time.
March 17, 2021
If you're starting out on planning your financial independence, then this is a great book to read!
January 19, 2022
I’ve loved Hester for years with her “Our Next Life” blog, I really slept on this book but I’m glad I finally read it!
February 2, 2023
I listen to the audiobook but now I feel like I need to go back and actually do the homework that they talked about throughout.
February 27, 2025
This was a quick read written in an easy format focused on financial freedom with practical advice and information about how to build wealth and set goals for a sustainable future. I also appreciated that the author focuses on mental shifts and setting intentions and priorities that are realistic and achievable.
January 21, 2022
One of the most comprehensive early retirement books I’ve come across. The author covers critical considerations and tips on every major phase of early retirement. Simple, and always thought-provoking. Highly recommended read for all interested in the FIRE movement. Wished that we came across this earlier on in our journey, but we still gained many nuggets of wisdom that we can apply to our post-retirement life!
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