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Choose FI: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence
A Total Money Makeover for a New Generation
A common resolution set at the beginning of a new year is to “get my financial house in order.” But how can you build a house, let alone pour any kind of foundation, without a blueprint? There are dozens of books and blogs trying to push their advice and tell you how to spend and invest your money. And then, there are three suburban dads just trying to make the world a little bit better.
Meet Brad Barrett and Jonathan Mendonsa of the award-winning Choose FI podcast and Chris Mamula of the popular blog “Can I Retire Yet?”. They have walked the talk and now want to share their knowledge with you. Together, these three regular guys will show you how they did something extraordinary. They are all financially independent and doing meaningful work that fulfills them. All three left their corporate 9 to 5 jobs and are reaping the benefits of extra time with their families.
Mirroring the format of the popular Choose FI podcast, this book pulls from the collective knowledge of those who have decided to build a lifestyle around their passions instead of allowing their finances to dictate their future. These stories demonstrate universal principles, giving you the opportunity to pick the elements that are the most applicable to your financial situation and “choose your own adventure.”
FI or Financial Independence is the new debt-free and getting back to 0 is just the beginning of a wonderful journey. Whether you have mountains of debt now or are recently debt free and wondering what to do next, Choose FI : Your Blueprint to Financial Independence will give you the information to guide your next move.
A common resolution set at the beginning of a new year is to “get my financial house in order.” But how can you build a house, let alone pour any kind of foundation, without a blueprint? There are dozens of books and blogs trying to push their advice and tell you how to spend and invest your money. And then, there are three suburban dads just trying to make the world a little bit better.
Meet Brad Barrett and Jonathan Mendonsa of the award-winning Choose FI podcast and Chris Mamula of the popular blog “Can I Retire Yet?”. They have walked the talk and now want to share their knowledge with you. Together, these three regular guys will show you how they did something extraordinary. They are all financially independent and doing meaningful work that fulfills them. All three left their corporate 9 to 5 jobs and are reaping the benefits of extra time with their families.
Mirroring the format of the popular Choose FI podcast, this book pulls from the collective knowledge of those who have decided to build a lifestyle around their passions instead of allowing their finances to dictate their future. These stories demonstrate universal principles, giving you the opportunity to pick the elements that are the most applicable to your financial situation and “choose your own adventure.”
FI or Financial Independence is the new debt-free and getting back to 0 is just the beginning of a wonderful journey. Whether you have mountains of debt now or are recently debt free and wondering what to do next, Choose FI : Your Blueprint to Financial Independence will give you the information to guide your next move.
334 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
July 22, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. The book feels and sounds like the author’s podcast, which I highly recommend. It's simple, straight to the point and full of “interviews” including quotes from famous financial bloggers to regular people.
The chapters are broken down following the pattern that most people who are FI (financial independence) take. Like Jonathan and Brad’s podcast, this book is middle-grounded. It talks about the steps to reach FI without favoring any specific method ( being frugal or making more money). They don’t pick a side. They challenge you to find your own path. There is also some homework to do at the end of every chapter, which helps the reader to take action.
I also enjoyed that they paid homage to those who helped spread the idea of FI by mentioning their names and blogs. In a lot of ways its a humble approach to admitting that they learned from others to reach the position where they are today.
As a veteran in the FI community, I also enjoyed that they included the iconic moments that happened such as Tim Ferris’ interview with Mr. Money Mustache. In a strange way, it felt nostalgic.
If you are new to Financial Independence, you can’t go wrong with this book. If you are a veteran, you may enjoy this book as I did.
Worth your time and money.
The chapters are broken down following the pattern that most people who are FI (financial independence) take. Like Jonathan and Brad’s podcast, this book is middle-grounded. It talks about the steps to reach FI without favoring any specific method ( being frugal or making more money). They don’t pick a side. They challenge you to find your own path. There is also some homework to do at the end of every chapter, which helps the reader to take action.
I also enjoyed that they paid homage to those who helped spread the idea of FI by mentioning their names and blogs. In a lot of ways its a humble approach to admitting that they learned from others to reach the position where they are today.
As a veteran in the FI community, I also enjoyed that they included the iconic moments that happened such as Tim Ferris’ interview with Mr. Money Mustache. In a strange way, it felt nostalgic.
If you are new to Financial Independence, you can’t go wrong with this book. If you are a veteran, you may enjoy this book as I did.
Worth your time and money.
October 29, 2019
Ever since I quit my high-paying DC job and freed myself from the rat race two years ago, I've been preaching the ideas of life independence to my wife, but I was doing a crappy job convincing her… until I heard Chris on the Dough Roller podcast and picked up this book earlier this month. For the past few weeks, my wife and I have been reading the book together (we each bought our own Kindle copies) and learning the FI framework and blueprint. We've been meeting every few days to do the action items together that they put at the end of each chapter. She has never shown an interest in personal finance or saving until now. Last night she told me that she never understood why people save money to wait to spend until they're old and gray. Now she gets that FI is different from retirement, and as a result, we are finally on the path. I grew up in a lower middle class family so have worried about money my entire life. Not being on the same page with her about the importance of saving and being smart with money literally used to keep me up at night. I'm so relieved that she's on board with FI now. This book is the reason.
February 18, 2020
As much as I wanted to like this book, I can't. I have read a lot of other personal finance books and I feel that the information here is just a compilation of everything I've read before so there's nothing really new.
Then I decided to put myself in the shoes of a person who's just new to FI, would this book have helped them? Maybe, but I don't who the target audience of this book is clearly - is it for people who have listened to the podcast and want a summary of the key takeaways? Is it for a completely new person to FI?
Also, the examples in the book are all stories of bloggers. Every single one. There should have at least been a few interesting stories or takeaways of people on the podcast that are not bloggers, right? If I was new to FI, not a blogger and I read/listened to this book, I would probably think that FI is for a certain type of people - either bloggers, those who earn a ton of money (ie engineers, pharmacists, accountants), and it may not entirely be achievable for other people.
But anyway, to summarize it - the main takeaway of this book is to look for what you value the most in life and save on the rest to reach financial independence. There's many techniques out there, and if you want to learn more, read Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier or Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen first.
Plus points because the book has good illustrations/cartoons.
Then I decided to put myself in the shoes of a person who's just new to FI, would this book have helped them? Maybe, but I don't who the target audience of this book is clearly - is it for people who have listened to the podcast and want a summary of the key takeaways? Is it for a completely new person to FI?
Also, the examples in the book are all stories of bloggers. Every single one. There should have at least been a few interesting stories or takeaways of people on the podcast that are not bloggers, right? If I was new to FI, not a blogger and I read/listened to this book, I would probably think that FI is for a certain type of people - either bloggers, those who earn a ton of money (ie engineers, pharmacists, accountants), and it may not entirely be achievable for other people.
But anyway, to summarize it - the main takeaway of this book is to look for what you value the most in life and save on the rest to reach financial independence. There's many techniques out there, and if you want to learn more, read Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier or Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen first.
Plus points because the book has good illustrations/cartoons.
May 13, 2019
This is a comprehensive book about how to become financially independent, filled with personal stories and inspirational examples of those in the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) community. Chris, Brad, and Jonathan do a great job of presenting all the different paths (index investing, real-estate investing, entrepreneurship) you can pursue to become FI and live a life of freedom. As fathers, they also understand what it means to pursue FI with a family and how to create a life that enables you to spend more time with your loved ones.
Even though I've read a ton of finance books, this book still surprised me with useful, unexpected tips like "how to hack college costs", how to succeed as an entrepreneur, what to do about healthcare costs, etc. etc. It's packed full of information from experts in the community who've successfully implemented all these solutions.
If you want a life of freedom, choose FI. If you want to choose FI, buy this book.
Even though I've read a ton of finance books, this book still surprised me with useful, unexpected tips like "how to hack college costs", how to succeed as an entrepreneur, what to do about healthcare costs, etc. etc. It's packed full of information from experts in the community who've successfully implemented all these solutions.
If you want a life of freedom, choose FI. If you want to choose FI, buy this book.
November 10, 2019
Better than I expected. I’ve been a listener of the ChooseFI podcast since the early days and I figured the book would be a rehash of all the podcast material.
In some sense, it was, but I was pleasantly surprised by the way it was curated. The material felt fresh and very concise. It also seemed like this book would be helpful to someone who had never listened to the podcast at all.
In some sense, it was, but I was pleasantly surprised by the way it was curated. The material felt fresh and very concise. It also seemed like this book would be helpful to someone who had never listened to the podcast at all.
June 2, 2020
All fluff and no substance. Probably more suitable for those with little to no personal finance knowledge.
February 10, 2026
This was a game-changer for me! I really appreciate the non-one-size-fits all/choose your own adventure approach the authors took, it made it very easy to apply these principles to my own life! As someone who is still in my early (or at least that's what I tell myself) twenties, I'm so glad I read this now. It challenged and changed my perspective on how I think of so many financial decisions I make. Very convicting read on contentment as well. Will be revisiting often and would recommend to anyone!
December 2, 2021
Definitely one of the more useful books on FI. Full of actionable items and stories about real people with different backgrounds and situations. If you’ve been involved in the FI community for a long time you may not see a lot of new information here but it is nonetheless a great compilation of knowledge for people who are in the beginning or middle of their FI journey.
March 31, 2022
Encouraging, inspirational, and practical.
August 4, 2024
Such a great foundation for those interested in FI, this makes the entire concept and path less intimidating. I highly recommend this book!!!
February 29, 2020
Good info.
And great reminders to not get so wrapped up in pursuing FI that you kill your enjoyment along the way.
And great reminders to not get so wrapped up in pursuing FI that you kill your enjoyment along the way.
April 3, 2022
I felt like I had to read this since I've read almost every other FI/FIRE book, but I didn't love the narration (I find the author a bit judgy, whereas I do not find the hosts of the podcast that way). I wish the book had been written by the actual podcast hosts. Anyway, the content was fine but nothing new, a lot of rehashing well known FIRE bloggers and tired cliches. I would definitely recommend JL Collins "A Simple Path To Wealth" instead, and maybe "Quit Like A Millionaire", way ahead of this one.
October 1, 2019
Good read. Some aspects especially tax details in chapter 6 only relevant to US readers
June 14, 2026
This book was published pre-covid, and as such there is a quaintness to it, because back then things were still affordable, buying an AirBNB as a side stream of income was something people could still do, and mortgages and car payments were far more manageable than they've become in the intervening years. (In 2026, according to AI -ha- the average new car payment is $760/month, whereas in 2019, the average new car payment was $554. Extrapolate the elevation in prices to the used market, and don't forget the increase in insurance rates or fuel costs.) Also, the idea of geoarbitrage (moving from an expensive part of the country to a cheaper one while working remotely) was a rare thing back then. Ha.
One thing that bothers me about these kinds of books (and I've read quite a few), is that these people never look beyond the young-with-no-kids or maybe the young-with-one-kid phase. As a less-young-with-multiple-kids person, I am wondering if these people consider how they'd support their children as they reach college age without taking a massive lifestyle hit themselves. I understand and agree that children are certainly not entitled to their parents' wealth, but if you create a million dollar nest egg plus have a paid-off house, what's going to happen when it's time to fill out the FAFSA? There is a bit of discussion about this (apply for scholarships! work while going to college part time or skip college altogether) but I don't love the lack of good options.
They do appropriately fret about the cost of health insurance, and I've seen some books of this nature completely overlook that, so that's an improvement.
Fast mentions of certain strategies to avoid taxes or change cost bases (backdoor Roth conversions, locking in certain capital losses, etc). Not a ton of detail but something to examine further.
Discussion of investments, entrepreneurship, and real estate investing. I do feel like the real estate market has become rather a bit unfavorable these past several years, and these authors definitely call it work but I'm not sure how many places have favorable numbers for substantial investments these days.
One thing they do mention, though not in depth til the end, is that they are more about FI instead of RE, because I would say they're all entrepreneurs, and not really "retired" in the sense that you'd think. Self employed with a nest egg that covers their general expenses and gives them ability to live intentionally.
One thing that bothers me about these kinds of books (and I've read quite a few), is that these people never look beyond the young-with-no-kids or maybe the young-with-one-kid phase. As a less-young-with-multiple-kids person, I am wondering if these people consider how they'd support their children as they reach college age without taking a massive lifestyle hit themselves. I understand and agree that children are certainly not entitled to their parents' wealth, but if you create a million dollar nest egg plus have a paid-off house, what's going to happen when it's time to fill out the FAFSA? There is a bit of discussion about this (apply for scholarships! work while going to college part time or skip college altogether) but I don't love the lack of good options.
They do appropriately fret about the cost of health insurance, and I've seen some books of this nature completely overlook that, so that's an improvement.
Fast mentions of certain strategies to avoid taxes or change cost bases (backdoor Roth conversions, locking in certain capital losses, etc). Not a ton of detail but something to examine further.
Discussion of investments, entrepreneurship, and real estate investing. I do feel like the real estate market has become rather a bit unfavorable these past several years, and these authors definitely call it work but I'm not sure how many places have favorable numbers for substantial investments these days.
One thing they do mention, though not in depth til the end, is that they are more about FI instead of RE, because I would say they're all entrepreneurs, and not really "retired" in the sense that you'd think. Self employed with a nest egg that covers their general expenses and gives them ability to live intentionally.
October 13, 2025
still digesting my thoughts on this book
i think the author def provided the disclaimer tht this wud just be a compilation of other ppls experiences and thoughts so i guess be warned tht this isn’t necessarily net new financial advice esp if you’ve already read a lot of personal finance books
honestly this book was lowkey giving like psychology of money bc the author is essentially making the argument to go against the grain and choose to be FI and tht path even tho society as a whole essentially encourages u to live in conflict with the notion of FI
i thought it was mature of the author to highlight the importance of finding the balance in this journey tho and not going overboard and becoming unhappy. basically find the in between balance of joy of not being gluttonous while also not being stingy
i think the author def provided the disclaimer tht this wud just be a compilation of other ppls experiences and thoughts so i guess be warned tht this isn’t necessarily net new financial advice esp if you’ve already read a lot of personal finance books
honestly this book was lowkey giving like psychology of money bc the author is essentially making the argument to go against the grain and choose to be FI and tht path even tho society as a whole essentially encourages u to live in conflict with the notion of FI
i thought it was mature of the author to highlight the importance of finding the balance in this journey tho and not going overboard and becoming unhappy. basically find the in between balance of joy of not being gluttonous while also not being stingy
August 12, 2020
At the core of this book is the concept the idea that you should live your life deliberately and, to that end, spend your money deliberately as well. It's very easy to start living on auto pilot where you try to earn more so you can upgrade your house or get nicer furnishings and end up chained to your desk for the vast majority of your life. This book advises that you make choices truly based on what you value and feel confident to carry out those decisions even if they're contrary to what mainstream society believes you're supposed to do.
May 30, 2022
Pretty good book. I am a sucker for financial books especial Financial Independence. The authors did a good job of giving a comprehensive overview of different types of FIRE as well as various strategies involved. My favorite idea from the book was being a valueist. Knowing what your values are and the designing your life to meet those values. While I personally will never FIRE. I do live differently than most and try to spend conscientiously with my values in mind. I consider myself a valueist.
July 12, 2024
Possibly my new favourite personal finance book that I'll start recommending to people.
Not sure I learned anything new so much as confirmed all my biases and opinions. I needed to read this as a counter-balancing force to buying a new house.
If you don't want to work forever - or rather, if you want the freedom to choose whether you work or not - this book is a great place to start.
Only minimal America-specific content and I did skip the chapter on "college hacking" as the authors suggested.
Not sure I learned anything new so much as confirmed all my biases and opinions. I needed to read this as a counter-balancing force to buying a new house.
If you don't want to work forever - or rather, if you want the freedom to choose whether you work or not - this book is a great place to start.
Only minimal America-specific content and I did skip the chapter on "college hacking" as the authors suggested.
January 20, 2020
While the book itself is targeted at the FIRE community, this book is a must read for anyone looking to think through their finances. I wish I would have known about a lot of these ideas at a younger age. As far as high level principles for your financial freedom, this book doesn’t get much better. I personally believe this book take their podcast and makes it more succinct and helpful. Check it out!
August 27, 2020
This was a really good summary of several years of podcasts episodes by the ChooseFI team. I enjoyed how they grouped the ideas and felt it was well-organized with a lot of solid references. I particularly think this book is good for thinking about one's mindset around money, even in cases where FI isn't the goal.
February 1, 2020
Great book that aims to help you reach financial independence. It’s very American centric though. If you’re in another country the principles will apply, but the specifics will not. I liked the personal stories throughout which were inspirational and motivational
May 9, 2021
Become a valuist. Commit to continued learning & growth. Start accumulating marginal gains. Stack your talents. Serve others by adding value to their lives. Invest wisely to carve your own path through life without relying on a job.
November 8, 2020
Ive listened to every episode of the podcast, so this covers most of it. But if you havent, its a great one!
September 2, 2021
Nothing new here for people already on the path to FI but a nice read nonethelesss
November 15, 2024
Lots of good points in this book. Will definitely be reading again!
April 4, 2024
Very practical and clear steps we can all take to improve our financial situation. I thought Choose FI was an excellent book.
December 29, 2019
This is a really great how to book that addresses financial fundamentals. There are several books in this genre, what makes this book unique is Chris's ability to break things down into a very simple nature. It's also really great that there's an entire podcast that you can listen to if you want to dive deeper into any subjects or listen to the subject versus reading it.
December 31, 2019
I've been in the FI community for some time and this is now one of my two favorite books to recommend to those hoping to find their way to Financial Independence. Even though I knew many of the concepts, it did give me the extra push to open my SEP IRA and look into more tax savings :).
November 5, 2019
Life changing if you let it.
This book contains the starting point for all good financial decisions contained in a framework of selflessness and positivity. No “get rich quick” or super secrets in this book. Just the best curated financial advice you could ever receive. Love these guys. I’ve been following their content since near the beginning, and I couldn’t be more pleased with their message. Give it a try. It may just change your life.
This book contains the starting point for all good financial decisions contained in a framework of selflessness and positivity. No “get rich quick” or super secrets in this book. Just the best curated financial advice you could ever receive. Love these guys. I’ve been following their content since near the beginning, and I couldn’t be more pleased with their message. Give it a try. It may just change your life.
December 6, 2019
For a while it seemed like I kept picking up books where someone had basically taken posts from their blog and reworked it a tiny bit. This book felt like they had taken posts from a bunch of different blogs and tried to smash it together into a coherent book. They didn't exactly fail in that, but they didn't completely succeed in my opinion.
That said, if you have no idea what it means to be financially independent and you'd like a very superficial overview, this might be a good book for you.
That said, if you have no idea what it means to be financially independent and you'd like a very superficial overview, this might be a good book for you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews