Subscribe to the email list and join other savvy readers to get this first each Monday!
Welcome to another #AusFIWeekly with handpicked Financial Independence links and events from Australia and abroad. I’m Michelle, a mid-30s semi-retiree sharing my FI journey at FrugalityandFreedom.com
Today, I invite another guest curator to share some FI content they’ve enjoyed recently. More newbies in the Australian FI blogger community, say hello to the couple behind blog Come FI With Me. Take it away…
Hi, we’re Mr and Ms FiWithMe and we are a couple in our early 30s in Melbourne. We’ve recently started on the FI journey (not necessarily RE, we both love our work!) and we’re taking an ethical approach that balances ethical investing with philanthropy. We’re not taking a super fast route to FIRE but just taking a slow and steady methodical approach, $3k per month into ETFs, with the hope that this will get us to $80k passive income by the time we’re 50. This allows us to balance life, enjoyment, philanthropy, and investing now, with planning for the future. Follow our journey at comefiwithme.com
Australian Links
How to Track Your Expenses for FIRE: Spending Tracking App vs. Excel/Google Sheets? – Come FI With Me
One of the most important things on your journey to FIRE is tracking your expenses, but none of the apps out there provide the detail I feel is really needed. Here’s practical advice, and a bit of philosophy, around the how and why of spending tracking.
Australian Financial Independence Calculator – Aussie Firebug
Aussie Firebug’s financial calculator is really valuable because it factors in the Aussie superannuation system. Well worth throwing your FIRE numbers in here and checking it out.
Reflections On Three Years Of Freedom – Strong Money Australia
A common mistake when chasing FIRE is forgetting exactly why you’re doing it, and insufficiently planning ahead for what you’d like your life to be like when you actually reach FIRE! This post from Dave at Strong Money Australia gives a good snapshot of what the future could be like for many of us.
The Life You Can Save (free book) – Peter Singer
Peter Singer is one of my heroes. He’s a philosopher from Melbourne and he’s had a big impact on my thinking about money. A big part of FIRE is making sure that your money goes as far as it possibly can. One way to look at that is to give it to people in countries and situations where one of our dollars can really make a difference. You can listen to Singer’s The Life You Can Save for free (we all love free!) via audio. It’s well worth checking out. For those of us who are lucky enough to be in a position to live off passive income, it’s often nice to stop, reflect, and think of how we can pay it forward. Singer offers a template for doing just that!
International Links
A Guided Meditation for When the Stock Market Is Dropping – JL Collins (USA)
Guided meditation for when the stock market is dropping, from Jim Collins. Pull this one out when you’re struggling not to sell as the market goes down!
What’s in My Portfolio (and How I Manage It) – Mad Fientist (USA)
This post from the Mad Fientist talks about what he learned from his first crash, how it played out during the crash earlier this year, and provides a very sensible and actionable strategy to invest as the market goes down (Catch a falling knife intelligently!). I wish I’d read this back in March!
Getting Rich: from Zero to Hero in One Blog Post – Mr Money Mustache (USA)
For Mr Money Mustache, start here. This is where I started my FIRE journey, and I regularly return as MMM is just so good. If there’s one link to share with friends interested in FIRE, this is it!
Latest Memo from Howard Marks: Coming into Focus – Oaktree (USA)
When it comes to investing, the number one resource of Warren Buffet is Howard Marks’ Memos. If you read one thing about investing on a regular basis, read what Buffet does!
Thanks to Mr and Ms FIWithMe for choosing today’s links. Find them over at comefiwithme.com
Want to be an #AusFIWeekly guest curator? Got other Australian blog posts to recommend? Get in touch.
Yours in pursuit of FI,
Michelle @ Frugality and Freedom
PS. Subscribe to get Australian FI Weekly in your inbox each Monday.