good for starters (or should I say FIREstarters?) only or for those who lost the track or sense of meaning to do FIRE. ( )

I first bought this at a used bookstore years ago and moved it around with me before eventually donating it without ever reading it. I finally for some reason picked it up on a Kindle deal, and I guess now was the time to read it during my current money obsession. I had no idea in all the years I had it on my shelves that it essentially is a book about early retirement, so again it’s still difficult for me to think of that as a possibility in my own life. But I did appreciate how she breaks things down, and I loved that she spent the time to update the original version into modern life; of course now I wonder what some of that version’s advice would be in the pre-internet world. I’m glad I have it digitally now though as I definitely plan to revisit it as I work on things. ( )

I came by the recommendation for “Your Money or Your Life” while reading a blog on sustainable living. The author was so taken with this book’s message that she re-reads it annually. Naturally, anything that good to someone is going to interest me as to why that might be. Once a year is a pretty big reading commitment to any book, so I grabbed the Kindle version and dove in.

The book is a reboot of an apparently popular Financial Independence (FI) course from twenty-five or so years ago that has been updated to be more millennial-relevant and to includes current figures like The Minimalists and Mr. Money Moustache. The coursework involves performing key steps toward changing one’s relationship with money and working toward the crossover point where one no longer needs the 9-5 grind to support their standard of living. The thought is, if you didn’t have to work so much, what might you do with your time? Who might you become? What experiences might you have? And how might that positively impact your life?

I’m in the dreaded earnings phase where I work to meet my financial obligations so the concept of FI is more a wish than a reality, but it's worth thinking about even if I don't think this book is getting me much closer to figuring out how to get there. Overall, I find that this program is likely not something I’m willing to undertake. Step one, for example, is to figure out how much money you’ve made over your ENTIRE lifetime, to which I say, “Why?” And, “No thank you.” If I was twenty years old this might not be so intimidating, but I don’t believe in scrutinizing past behaviors to change current ones. It’s impractical at least, and daunting at worst.

There’s a lot of talk about tacking up paper charts, which really shows the book’s age. Even updated, it’s a little outdated in places. There has to be an app for that.

Another step involves tracking every penny in and out of your proverbial wallet and categorizing your spending—right down to categorizing your subcategories of groceries. Pick up a quarter? Add it to your chart. AGGGHHH. No.

BUT the message of self-improvement, of living within one’s means and even well below your means to reach an early retirement you can enjoy, resonates. A worthy read if not a bit overdone and repetitive. If you can sift past some of the proselytizing, there are some important and worthy questions worth asking that are timeless. ( )

A must-read for anyone who wants to change the way they think about money. One of my favorite personal finance books. ( )

nonfiction/finance
skimmed through (lots of anecdotal stories from other retirees and info I already know). this has been updated to include all of the language from Mr. Money Mustache and all those other trendy millennial retirees.
I was hoping for a more fiscally conservative take on the FIRE movement since I think financial independence in your 70s-100s (senior years) may cost significantly more than it does in your 20s-6os, but Vicki Robin, who is now in her 70s, doesn't really go into the cost of elder care at all, aside from mentioning her plan to join a multigenerational community and 'age in place.' She does mention increasing her 'cache' of savings when possible, to allow for unforeseen future expenses.

If you need convincing that you can retire earlier if you decrease your spending and increase your saving, then this is for you. The line graphs were the best part in showing how mathematically feasible it can be. ( )