My past article on tracking your progress has a simple calculator where you can track whether you are accumulating wealth at a sufficient rate to achieve financial independence. This was based on a formula shared by Dr. Thomas Stanley in his excellent and meticulous research in his book “The Millionaire Next Door”. This book demystified how […]
Today, we have a guest post from my European friend Benjamin Davis, who is a living example of geographic arbitrage (as he plans to leave high-cost Germany to lower-cost Portugal). He is the man running the show at From cents to Retirement. He recently published his first book, entitled “My strategy to retire early“. While doing his PhD, he […]
Happy April Fools’ Day. Do you want to play a game? It costs absolutely nothing and it’s fun. It also doesn’t require any batteries! I assure you, this is no April fool’s joke. Today, I want to present a game that encourages you to stay on your journey towards financial independence and early […]
The title is a line I often use with friends and even in comments I leave on other websites. There is no compulsion that financially independent people must retire early. In math, there is a concept called ‘necessary’ and ‘sufficient’ condition for a given outcome. Without getting into math, a real-life example will make the concept […]
Really. And I probably would’ve been posting some bad-ass or irreverent content as a carefree FIRE’d 30’s guy. But life had different plans for me. Some of you may see this as kinda, sorta, sequel to why FIRE is much harder as a couple. That article seems to have resonated with many readers. Apart from the […]
Love ain’t FIRE
It’s true. Math and Science don’t lie! I will prove it in this article.
Getting to financial independence or retired early (FIRE) stage is not easy – it requires of years of persistent effort, discipline and an ability to think for yourself and often against the ‘grain’ of modern lifestyle and social norms. Maybe one in a hundred people will have the wherewithal to reach FIRE. So, the probability of getting to FIRE is say about 1%, whether you are a man or a woman.
Raman Venkatesh is the founder of Ten Factorial Rocks. Raman is a ‘Gen X’ corporate executive in his mid 40’s. In addition to having a Ph.D. in engineering, he has worked in almost all continents of the world. Ten Factorial Rocks (TFR) was created to chronicle his journey towards retirement while sharing his views on the absurdities and pitfalls along the way. The name was taken from the mathematical function 10! (ten factorial) which is equal to 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 3,628,800.
Recovered from election fever yet? As I said before, we will be persistent and will progress forward no matter who gets elected. Can we get back to business and personal finance? Good. Everybody wants money. Okay, maybe not these disciplined Buddhist monks going to their prayer hall. But even the slippers they wear cost […]
Regular readers of TFR know how passionate (‘obsessed’ is apparently the right word, as my friends have helpfully suggested) I am about my morning cafe latte. The few minutes of liquid companionship I get with its characteristic warmth and aroma and its complex, rich taste intertwined with steamed milk – in a marriage made in […]
Even this doesn’t come along for the last ride.
“Even an eye-less needle doesn’t come with you on your last journey” says an old proverb. A sewing needle is a trivial item anyone can afford and its essential part is the hole or the ‘eye’ where you pass the sewing thread. If that is broken, the sewing needle is useless. You cannot carry even such a useless item on your final journey, leave alone the nice things and the people you love. This is the inner meaning of that proverb. It may be depressing but that’s the stark truth. (more…)
Raman Venkatesh is the founder of Ten Factorial Rocks. Raman is a ‘Gen X’ corporate executive in his mid 40’s. In addition to having a Ph.D. in engineering, he has worked in almost all continents of the world. Ten Factorial Rocks (TFR) was created to chronicle his journey towards retirement while sharing his views on the absurdities and pitfalls along the way. The name was taken from the mathematical function 10! (ten factorial) which is equal to 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 3,628,800.
Boss: Aren’t we supposed to have a meeting now? Where is everyone?
Secretary: Didn’t you read the mails? They have all quit and are blogging about ER.
It’s no surprise your job feels like a prison after reading many personal finance blogs. It has become a rite of passage for many early retirement (ER) bloggers to declare their freedom from the ‘chains’ of corporate life. After all, being free from what 99% of the world’s salaried class are doing every day certainly gives an early retiree the bragging rights. At times, the financially independent ER bloggers seem like the real 1% as we remain part of the 99%.
Raman Venkatesh is the founder of Ten Factorial Rocks. Raman is a ‘Gen X’ corporate executive in his mid 40’s. In addition to having a Ph.D. in engineering, he has worked in almost all continents of the world. Ten Factorial Rocks (TFR) was created to chronicle his journey towards retirement while sharing his views on the absurdities and pitfalls along the way. The name was taken from the mathematical function 10! (ten factorial) which is equal to 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 3,628,800.