You may be enjoying the freedom not having to think about next paycheck brings to your life and start saving, building an Emergency Fund. Eventually, when you have enough cash to survive a year (people recommend 3-6 months) without working, you’ll stop hoarding cash and start investing and/or paying back your debts, sending your money to work for you thanks to the immense power of compounding.

You may also work on the earning side of the equation: once you ‘stash a year of salary you may consider working part time and take some classes or learn a new skill or start a side gig to boost your earnings. You may realize your commute takes too much time and it’s costing you a lot of life energies (opportunity cost) and living far from your office is not worth the few bucks you’re saving.

Financial Independence means tasting freedom. You no long have to work to maintain your lifestyle, since your money are working for you instead. Your passive incomes (like stocks appreciation, dividends, rental properties income,…) cover your living expenses and you’re free to choose what to do.

You may keep your current job, try a different career, go back to school, take entrepreneurial steps, work less, work none. You may have dreams you want to follow, people you want to take care of. It’s really up to you. You’ve got freedom.

Freedom here stands for freedom from selling your time for money. You no longer need it. You’ll rely on your passive incomes robustness, like betting on average market returns of 7% per year (inflation adjusted) on the long run or a combination of good tenants, rent/house appreciations and low vacation rate for your rental properties.

Financial Freedom means removing money from the equation.

True financial freedom is when you have almost military grade security measures against unplanned events. Rock solid financial integrity with a monthly budget well beyond your most desirable spending regime at your safe withdrawal rate. Or, equivalently, a withdrawal rate of 1% or less at your current spending regime.

No economic event in the foreseeable future (excluding catastrophes, world war or a sudden depletion of earth resources) can put your plan at risk.

• Make all spending decisions as if the price were $0.00
• Make all work and income decisions as if the wage were $0.00