Hey there – welcome to the Early Retirement Resources page!
Think of this like a central hub for all my ‘post FI’ related stuff.
This page is for you if you’re approaching the later stages of your journey or hoping to transition to a more freedom-focused lifestyle sometime soon.
Whether that’s full financial independence, or a version of semi-retirement, that’s totally up to you.
Below you’ll find content tailored around the transition stage, which will help you know what to expect, how to plan, and craft your mindset to build the confidence you need to step towards the life you really want.
Things like:
— Insights and lessons from my own early retirement.
— Interviews with others who’ve done it.
— Tips on dealing with fears and anxieties around money, work, and awkward conversations.
— Handy calculators and tools to fine-tune your numbers.
— Social groups you can reach out to for support (including myself!).
While you’re here, you might also want to sign up for my newsletter. It goes out a few times per month with my latest content and thoughts on all things financial independence, wealth and mindset.
Below you’ll find a mix of content related to the late stages of your financial independence journey.
Hit the links on anything you’re interested in, and I hope you find it helpful.
The following posts are personal reflections and lessons from my own retirement after each year. I share a lot of different realisations and observations in these posts which you might get value from: 2018. 2019. 2020. 2021. 2022.
Notes From the Other Side #1 and #2. How I’ve been spending my time more recently, and the various aspects of my ‘retired’ life. So you can see how I live and what I get up to.
How to Actually Pull the Plug and Leave Work. Dealing with common fears and anxiety around leaving your job, and convincing yourself it’s safe to retire. I also touch on dealing with debt and whether it’s ok to retire without being debt free.
What Are Taxes Like After Retiring Early? In-depth guide looking at different tax outcomes of the most common FI scenarios. Learn how much tax you’ll pay when living off your investments (including if you work part time).
How to Prepare for Early Retirement. My advice on how to get yourself ready for early retirement, some early realisations I had, what your new lifestyle could look like, and things I would do differently.
Reader Interview: FI at 32. I speak with a fellow Perth bloke who was able to retire in his early 30s and now spends time with his young family. He also shares about dealing with cultural pressures to stay at work and keep making more money.
Follow up with Early Retiree Michael. A follow-up with the same guy to see how he’s enjoying his freedom. He shares what the experience is like so far, what he does with his time, how his finances are going, and whether he plans to go back to work.
Interview with Pete Wargent. One of the first early retirees in Australia, Pete reached FI at age 33. I ask him about how he did it, challenges along the way, his investing strategy, and the lessons he’d pass on to others starting today.
Real-Life ‘Millionaire Next Door.’ A great interview with a guy I call the Real-Life MND. Reason being, he’s basically the perfect example of everything the book describes about a wealthy person – he built a business, lived frugally, and bought assets over many years to retire very wealthy in his 50s.
Your Flex Rate. One of the most important articles I’ve ever written. Explains why the 4% rule is often too conservative, and highlights the awesome power in being flexible. It allows you to retire very safely with much less than many people assume, while destroying the fear of running out of money.
Everyday Benefits of Having More Freedom. It can be hard to imagine stepping away from work. In this post I highlight how powerful having more free time is – the tangible benefits and the less obvious stuff you probably haven’t thought of.
Questions, Comments, Complaints About Retiring Early. Here I tackle some of the biggest pushback to the idea of FI and pivoting away from the traditional career path without a gigantic level of wealth. This might help you fend off some of the people who just don’t get it.
Semi-Retirement: Your Shortcut to Freedom. In case you need a reminder of the benefits of semi-FI, which might be the right goal for you. How you can get almost the same lifestyle benefits much sooner than waiting for full FI. I also did a podcast on the same topic.
Achievement vs Enjoyment (How to Have Both). One of the biggest challenges people have is switching their mindset from striving to enjoying. But it can be done gently, and you can still use both ‘modes’ in your life. This post explains how to do that and find the right balance so you can enjoy life more.
Dealing with Awkward FIRE Conversations. How to talk to friends and family about FIRE. What to tell people about your situation. And navigating those weird convos around money and wealth.
Spending More While Getting Richer. How to safely spend more money in a sustainable way that guarantees you continue growing wealthier. And the mindset of living as a rich person from a state of abundance rather than scarcity.
The following are a few handy calculators to help you crunch the numbers and play around with different scenarios.
Networthify Early Retirement Calculator. Probably the easiest FI calculator you’ll ever find. Use this to double-check your FI timeframe and FI numbers. You can also tweak the numbers to see what it takes to retire sooner or by using a higher withdrawal rate.
Rich, Broke or Dead? Post FIRE Calculator. Great for working out how long your money will last in retirement and testing different ‘flex’ scenarios which I explain here. Use this to guarantee you’ll never run out of money. Probably the best calculator I’ve ever found to be honest.
Extra Mortgage Repayment Calculator. Figure out how fast you can be mortgage-free or nail down how much extra to pay so that it lines up with your timeframe and retirement plans. This removes a big chunk of your expenses and reduces how much you need.
Semi Retirement Calculator. Fellow blogger Tina at Flamingo FI has created a few calculators in one to help figure out your semi-retirement numbers. I think a good semi-FI figure is generally 50% of your FI number, but her calculator gives multiple options depending on your desired lifestyle.
Passive Income Tracker. I created my own spreadsheet which helps me keep an up to date tally of our annual dividend income from investments. As you approach living off your investments, this can help you plan and forecast. You can get it below.
I hope you find value in these resources as you approach FI or semi-retirement.
If there’s something you think would be valuable to add to this page, please let me know.
And feel free to reach out via email to let me know how you’re getting on, or there’s a retirement issue you’d like to chat about.
I love hearing real-life stories from readers and will do my best to assist where possible. Email: dave@strongmoneyaustralia.com
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Why deliberate spending is my favourite money management style. What it really means and how you can use it as your situation and priorities change over time.
My thoughts on ‘The Great Taking’. An idea that the masses will lose untold amounts of wealth in the next financial crash, due to a deliberate plan by mysterious figures.
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