Description
Oliver’s Note: The book that made me stop the “grind”
In the finance world, we’re taught to obsess over ROI (Return on Investment). But before I read this, I never thought about the ROI of my own life. At 27, I realized I was trading 50+ hours a week of my “life energy” for a paycheck, only to spend it on things that didn’t actually make me happy.
I used to think financial independence was some “hippie” dream or something only for people with million-pound portfolios. This book slapped me into reality. It’s not about becoming a miser; it’s about making sure the hours you spend working are actually worth the things you buy. If you’re feeling burnt out in your career—like I was—this is the manual you need to reclaim your time.
What’s inside?
A legendary cult classic, Your Money or Your Life has been the “bible” of the Financial Independence (FIRE) movement for decades. It offers a 9-step program to transform your relationship with money:
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Life Energy: How to calculate your real hourly wage (after taxes, commuting, and stress-relief costs).
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The Fulfillment Curve: Finding the point where spending more money actually starts making your life worse.
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Tracking Every Penny: Not for the sake of math, but to see where your life energy is leaking.
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Financial Independence: Moving from “working for money” to “money working for you.”
The “No-BS” Verdict
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Tone: Radical, direct, and incredibly practical. It treats money as a tool, not a god.
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Time to read: It’s a bit of a “heavy lifter”—take your time to actually do the exercises.
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Best for: Anyone who feels like they’re on a treadmill, earning more but enjoying life less. Especially relevant if you’re in a high-stress job like finance or tech.
“Money is something you trade your life energy for. You sell your time for money. It doesn’t matter that you call it ‘working for a living.’ What you are doing is selling your life.” — Vicki Robin
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