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Playing With Fire
204 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 26, 2019
Quite an easy and fast read on Scott and his wife's journey to financial freedom. Their story alongside lots of links to FIRE influencers, podcasts, blogs, articles and books are provided in the book so that starters can utilize and follow them through their path to financial independence. I have never heard of this FIRE movement before and I consider this book a good point to get to know a general idea.
What I most enjoyed was the parts attacking the consumeristic lifestyle. Personally, I can never understand people who squander their money on luxury stuff like a watch made of gold and diamonds! I mean seriously does it provide them with more time???!
We were born late! The codes and rules are written and now we just have to live accordingly! So we should sometimes neglect our passion and criteria for reaching a job which provides us with an income so that we can follow our dreams! We live for a limited amount of time, and I wonder what if I die while trying to postpone the life that I want, to a time after I reach financial independence! Other than that I have no problem with playing with FIRE!
کتاب خوش خوانی که روایتگر ماجراجویی نویسنده و همسرش به سوی استقلال مالی هست. در کنار این داستان لینک اینفلوئنسرهای جنبش فایر (مخفف استقلال مالی و بازنشستگی در سن پایین) ، پادکستها، بلاگها، مقالات و کتابها آورده شده که راه رو برای کسانی که تازه با این جنبش آشنا شدند آسان تر میکنه. چون خود من قبل از خواندن این کتاب هیچ اطلاعی از این جنبش نداشتم می تونم بگم این کتاب میتونه نقطه شروع خوبی برای فهمیدن ایده کلی این جنبش باشه.
بخش خیلی خیلی لذت بخش کتاب حملاتش به فرهنگ و سبک زندگی مصرف گرایانه بود. به شخصه اصلا نمیتونم افرادی که برای وسایل لوکس دور می ریزند درک کنم. مثلا خریدن ساعتی از طلا با تکه هایی از الماس آیا وقت بیشتری در اختیارشون قرار میده؟؟
حرف کلی کتاب همون یکسال بخور نون و تره یک عمر بخور نون و کره خودمون هست اما متاسفانه ماها دیر به دنیا اومدیم و حالا که اومدیم قوانین نوشته شدند و مجبوریم توی یک چهارچوبی زندگی کنیم. اونهایی که زودتر اومدن با این قوانین دست و پای ماها رو بستن تا نتونیم طوری که دوست داریم زندگی کنیم. بنابراین مجبوریم کار کنیم و برای کار هم علاقه رو فاکتور بگیریم و تمرکزمون روی درآمد باشه تا امکان و فرصت بیشتری برای سعی و خطا کردن و درنتیجه پیدا کردن علاقه مون پیدا کنیم و این وسط عمر ماها محدوده و بخش غمگین ماجرا و البته واقع بینانه اش اینه که حین یکسال خوردن نون و تره بمیریم! چون عملا تو خیلی از جوامع این یکسال زمان قابل توجهی هست. مثلا تو این کتاب افراد سعی دارن سن بازنشستگی رو از 65 به سی و خرده ای کاهش بدن، خب زندگی غیرقابل پیش بینی هست و اگر دورانی که بهترین سن و انرژی و جوانی رو داری اگر قرار باشه بزاری برای سخت زندگی کردن ریسکه به نظر من. چون من دارم جایی زندگی می کنم که پیش بینی معنایی نداره و اقتصاد یک علم نیست. بنابراین خواندن این کتاب برای دوستان عزیزی که در ایران هستن معنایی نداره و حین استفاده از محاسباتش ممکنه احساساتی از قبیل افسردگی و شوک با درجات مختلف سراغتون بیاد.
May 19, 2019
The kind of stuff you wish you read in high school rather than closing in on 50. Still worthwhile, looking forward to seeing the documentary when it comes out.
October 25, 2019
How far would you go for financial freedom? I happened to be born frugal then trained up to be financially responsible since early age; and my family knows. It is truly a lifestyle of freedom and this book confirms with my lifestyle/choice as good one. Frugality is a type of freedom, fining joy in simplicity and contentment. Frugality requires persistence and thirst for learning, which can lead to successful future. It is a desire to get the most fun out of my own $, without depending on anyone else, not worrying of what other people are doing or thinking of. How true it has been for me. Socrates said that the secret to happiness is not in seeking more but in developing capacity to be happy with less. I could not have said better way! Confucius told us to meditate upon good thoughts while Aristotle stated happiness depends upon ourselves. FIRE lifestyle is freedom and flexibility to pursue your true calling. Once you have save 25 X your annual expenses, then you can be ready to retire. The author recommends to think of the 10 things making me happy and here is my list because those would be the guideline of financial choices.
1. My QT with the almighty and the Bible Study
2. Reading
3. Running
4. Learning
5. Spending time with P and H
6. Getting together with friends
7. Fellowship and worship at OGBC and MT.
8. Mission trips
9. My 5 book clubs (and hoping to start more book clubs)
10. Good food and company
Few other new concepts: 1) the sunk cost fallacy is the money that you already spent, not reflecting the actual market cost. When it comes to the spending decision, does $ add any value to your happiness which listed above. 2) Geo arbitrage is using geography to lower your expenses. 3) Vicki Robin wrote a book “Your money or your life” in 1992 states that I sacrifice normal life with normal rewards and normal relationships for something that was off-the-charts weird! How cool is that! 4) JL Collins “The simple path to wealth” suggest that low cost index funds that tracks S&P 500 is a good way to start investing. Recommendation is Vanguard VTSAX (Index fund represent the entire US STOCK market. (Vs. T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500) 5) Think of travel as fun and excitement; but mission trip can provide more meaning, purpose and connection. (FOR ME!) The core FIRE principles is spend less than you earn, save at a higher rate so you can reach early retirement and do what you truly want to do. For me, as long as I am learning, growing and having fun at work, I will continue to work and still be able to all I want to do. Money is a vehicle to optimize your life experience and it is important to finding a middle ground between deprivation and indulgence.
Per author: “We need to find our people who were on this path and could cheerlead us along the way.”
Town to check out: Bend in central Oregon: Combined the excitement and amenities of a big city with sense of community of a small town.
Used car best value is ~$5000 (Not for me…. I want cars fairly NEW which will required minimum maintenance.)
1. My QT with the almighty and the Bible Study
2. Reading
3. Running
4. Learning
5. Spending time with P and H
6. Getting together with friends
7. Fellowship and worship at OGBC and MT.
8. Mission trips
9. My 5 book clubs (and hoping to start more book clubs)
10. Good food and company
Few other new concepts: 1) the sunk cost fallacy is the money that you already spent, not reflecting the actual market cost. When it comes to the spending decision, does $ add any value to your happiness which listed above. 2) Geo arbitrage is using geography to lower your expenses. 3) Vicki Robin wrote a book “Your money or your life” in 1992 states that I sacrifice normal life with normal rewards and normal relationships for something that was off-the-charts weird! How cool is that! 4) JL Collins “The simple path to wealth” suggest that low cost index funds that tracks S&P 500 is a good way to start investing. Recommendation is Vanguard VTSAX (Index fund represent the entire US STOCK market. (Vs. T. Rowe Price Equity Index 500) 5) Think of travel as fun and excitement; but mission trip can provide more meaning, purpose and connection. (FOR ME!) The core FIRE principles is spend less than you earn, save at a higher rate so you can reach early retirement and do what you truly want to do. For me, as long as I am learning, growing and having fun at work, I will continue to work and still be able to all I want to do. Money is a vehicle to optimize your life experience and it is important to finding a middle ground between deprivation and indulgence.
Per author: “We need to find our people who were on this path and could cheerlead us along the way.”
Town to check out: Bend in central Oregon: Combined the excitement and amenities of a big city with sense of community of a small town.
Used car best value is ~$5000 (Not for me…. I want cars fairly NEW which will required minimum maintenance.)
June 8, 2019
A really well timed read for me, having just discovered the FIRE lifestyle a month ago. A lot of questions I had were answered and a lot of doubts I had were acknowledged. Looking forward to the documentary!
January 14, 2020
Liked it, nice not so much as a how-to guide but rather a "what's it like" guide. I appreciated the inside story, emotions and all, of joining FIRE. It was a quick and easy read and the book was well edited, which is more than can be said for some other books in the genre. Scott and Taylor were presented as real, multidimensional and conflicted humans. And yes their expenses were extravagant to begin with, and their choices of moving across the country a bit extreme, but that's not the book's point. I was casually amused to find frugality tips that me and my family has been practicing for years, sometimes decades. At the same time there was plenty that was new to me and motivational.
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July 7, 2019Loads of good advice on how to save money from each paycheck and how to let your savings make money for you. Lots of “be financially independent” blogs mentioned that you can go to for more tips and strategies.
My aversion to debt and full-time employment is so much greater than my desire for fancy clothes, snazzy cars, and chic hotels that the FIRE lifestyle appeals to me very much so I found this book interesting.
My aversion to debt and full-time employment is so much greater than my desire for fancy clothes, snazzy cars, and chic hotels that the FIRE lifestyle appeals to me very much so I found this book interesting.
February 25, 2020
This book was an eye-opener. I had no idea that people are retiring somewhat regularly in their 30s and 40s. It made us do some soul-searching about our finances and financial plans and we have made some changes that I think are for the better. I think this book should be required reading for young college-aged adults.
June 15, 2019
Scott's journey to financial independence is a gripping read from beginning to end. He explains the how-to, the why and the process he's taking in order to quit the rat race and become financially independent. This is a must read!
October 11, 2019
This is probably the first book that got me into the Financial Independence Retire Early scene. I really like the book, there's some solid ideas and strategies for retiring early. I would definitely read it again a few times.
February 9, 2020
Loved this honest look into the F.I.R.E. lifestyle. It answered a lot of my questions and gave me a whole new perspective
December 30, 2021
This book tells you the exact same thing that every other FIRE book says
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews