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The Groovy Guide to Financial Independence: How to Escape the Tyranny of Mandatory Toil in Fourteen Years or Less
"Being introduced to such concepts as False Wealth, Strategic Aloofness, and Strategic Participation—and Big Freedoms vs. Little Freedoms—is worth the price alone. But, in addition, you are treated to 10 chapters, each a step in the road to ‘de-moronify your financial life,’ and each charmingly and irreverently presented. Groovy, baby!" — J.L. Collins: blogger, author, and avuncular sage of the FIRE community
I’m not going to mince words. Prior to my 40th birthday, I was a financial moron. And as a result of that sad predicament, I found myself on the cusp of middle age...
● Living paycheck to paycheck.
● Awash in consumer debt.
● Yoked to a job that crushed my soul.
● And well-versed in the art of blaming others for my sorry place in the world.
In a word, I was pathetic.
The Groovy Guide to Financial Independence is my story of how I de-moronified my financial life and became financially independent in a mere 14 years. And as my story unfolds, you'll learn the following:
● Financial moronity is very likely the only thing separating you from building wealth.
● Good financial habits or GFHs are the key to curing financial moronity.
● Honor begets tremendous financial dividends.
● Why you don't want to be a "teat-sucking layabout."
● How to become a personal responsibility warrior or PRW.
● Why it's damn near impossible to out-exercise an undisciplined mouth.
● Why it's damn near impossible to out-earn an undisciplined wallet.
● Why Hannibal Lecter is the most unappreciated financial guru of our time.
● How mastering the art of strategic ignorance, strategic aloofness, and strategic participation is
the key to subduing your materialistic impulses.
● Why you should get married if you aren't already.
● Why college is one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated against the American public.
● How to become an opportunity monger.
● How to track your spending with Google Sheets.
● How anyone armed with a tracking spreadsheet and a functioning brain can reduce his or her
spending.
● Why you should strive to be half normal in the consumer arena.
● What is a Financial HAL and why it's indispensable to financial independence.
● What is asset allocation and how you tweak it for bigger returns or less volatility.
● Why a $5,000 emergency fund is sufficient for most people.
● What is false wealth and why it should keep you up at night.
● How medical tourism can save you from the ravenous maw of the healthcare-industrial
complex.
● How the four-percent rule begat the twenty-five times rule.
● How the twenty-five times rule became the default understanding of financial independence.
● How to hack your way to a 50 percent savings rate or better with geoarbitrage, spatial
arbitrage, or egotrage.
● Why creating, building, fixing, or cleaning something is key to finding happiness after your
money woes have been addressed.
● What Big Freedoms and Little Freedoms have to do with personal finance.
● Finally, why curing your financial moronity and achieving financial independence in a country
with half-assed freedom are hollow victories.
And here’s the really encouraging part of my story. I didn’t achieve financial independence because I had a monster brain. I was a C student in high school and a C student in college.
I’m not going to mince words. Prior to my 40th birthday, I was a financial moron. And as a result of that sad predicament, I found myself on the cusp of middle age...
● Living paycheck to paycheck.
● Awash in consumer debt.
● Yoked to a job that crushed my soul.
● And well-versed in the art of blaming others for my sorry place in the world.
In a word, I was pathetic.
The Groovy Guide to Financial Independence is my story of how I de-moronified my financial life and became financially independent in a mere 14 years. And as my story unfolds, you'll learn the following:
● Financial moronity is very likely the only thing separating you from building wealth.
● Good financial habits or GFHs are the key to curing financial moronity.
● Honor begets tremendous financial dividends.
● Why you don't want to be a "teat-sucking layabout."
● How to become a personal responsibility warrior or PRW.
● Why it's damn near impossible to out-exercise an undisciplined mouth.
● Why it's damn near impossible to out-earn an undisciplined wallet.
● Why Hannibal Lecter is the most unappreciated financial guru of our time.
● How mastering the art of strategic ignorance, strategic aloofness, and strategic participation is
the key to subduing your materialistic impulses.
● Why you should get married if you aren't already.
● Why college is one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated against the American public.
● How to become an opportunity monger.
● How to track your spending with Google Sheets.
● How anyone armed with a tracking spreadsheet and a functioning brain can reduce his or her
spending.
● Why you should strive to be half normal in the consumer arena.
● What is a Financial HAL and why it's indispensable to financial independence.
● What is asset allocation and how you tweak it for bigger returns or less volatility.
● Why a $5,000 emergency fund is sufficient for most people.
● What is false wealth and why it should keep you up at night.
● How medical tourism can save you from the ravenous maw of the healthcare-industrial
complex.
● How the four-percent rule begat the twenty-five times rule.
● How the twenty-five times rule became the default understanding of financial independence.
● How to hack your way to a 50 percent savings rate or better with geoarbitrage, spatial
arbitrage, or egotrage.
● Why creating, building, fixing, or cleaning something is key to finding happiness after your
money woes have been addressed.
● What Big Freedoms and Little Freedoms have to do with personal finance.
● Finally, why curing your financial moronity and achieving financial independence in a country
with half-assed freedom are hollow victories.
And here’s the really encouraging part of my story. I didn’t achieve financial independence because I had a monster brain. I was a C student in high school and a C student in college.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 19, 2018
From this book, I didn't learn much that was new to me as I'm very well versed with the key tenets of personal finance management and how it can lead to financial independence. So why do I give it 5 stars?
Because I concur 100% with and strongly advocate the idea of being a Personal Responsibility Warrior - to take charge of one own life & destination. Sure, unexpected things happen but in a good chunk of cases, it can be planned for, even if not foreseen.
Maybe at 40, I'm old school but I do not relate to the current narrative of rights (with no talk of corresponding responsibilities), healthy & sound people "deserving" food, water, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare, whatever else just because they exist, even if they don't want to work for it, and the notion that we all have to constantly aspire for higher consumption as a success indicator.
I also enjoyed some of the slang terms introduced - especially egotrage - read the book to know what it is! The overall writing style was engaging and easy to read. While this book may not bring much new to someone already well versed with personal finance, it is still a great read - even if as a refresher to even experienced personal finance folks.
Because I concur 100% with and strongly advocate the idea of being a Personal Responsibility Warrior - to take charge of one own life & destination. Sure, unexpected things happen but in a good chunk of cases, it can be planned for, even if not foreseen.
Maybe at 40, I'm old school but I do not relate to the current narrative of rights (with no talk of corresponding responsibilities), healthy & sound people "deserving" food, water, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare, whatever else just because they exist, even if they don't want to work for it, and the notion that we all have to constantly aspire for higher consumption as a success indicator.
I also enjoyed some of the slang terms introduced - especially egotrage - read the book to know what it is! The overall writing style was engaging and easy to read. While this book may not bring much new to someone already well versed with personal finance, it is still a great read - even if as a refresher to even experienced personal finance folks.
September 24, 2018
Do you want to be Free? Read this book!
If you have a desire to be "free from mandatory toil", read this book!! With 10 great habits, Mr. Groovy shows you the keys to escaping a world of financial moronity and entering a world of personal freedom. He knows of what he speaks - he's a living example of the success you will achieve by following these principles. An excellent, entertaining and educational "must read"!!
If you have a desire to be "free from mandatory toil", read this book!! With 10 great habits, Mr. Groovy shows you the keys to escaping a world of financial moronity and entering a world of personal freedom. He knows of what he speaks - he's a living example of the success you will achieve by following these principles. An excellent, entertaining and educational "must read"!!
November 12, 2018
A good read with some useful, practical advice for financial planning. However, a lot of the author's personal views on society and living are aired and that takes the book off topic every now and then.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews