Joney Talks!

Another Way to Reach Financial Independence.

In today’s episode, we will speak to my friend Mathias from The Financial Independence Europe Podcast.

I am a regular listener to his podcast and if you live in Europe, I highly recommend it to you as well. He was recently featured in a documentary on Financial Independence on a French-German channel (Arte). In this documentary, he opens the doors to his house and to his journey to financial independence. I hope it will inspire people to see that it is possible to adjust their finances or their lifestyle to live a life closer to what they value.

We will reflect back on the documentary and Mathias will share his views and his way to reach financial independence in Europe. We will go into detail on his daily expenses (even his rent and mobility budget) and of course his investment strategy 😀! (Spoiler alert: it is not the “usual” buy ETFs and chill method)

Listen here:

…or listen on Apple Podcasts

This episode is for you if you are curious about reaching financial independence in Europe and you want to hear a real story of how a german family of four is working on it.

Key Takeaways:

• Financial independence according to Mathias (it will be different for you).
  • Working is also living. The dependence on income or money can be a problem (if you are fired, you have no more income), the goal is to unbundle income and job.
  • Working on what you want and get more ownership of the work. Not necessarily focusing on Early Retirement.
  • Being financially secure.
  • Being able to take a break and be prepared in case of medical expenses etc
  • In short: Financial Independence = Creating options.
• How to Reach Financial Independence (FI)?
  • The recipe is simple: Reduce expenses, increase income, increase your savings rate, and then invest.
  • Tweak it in a way that fits your life situation, personal preferences, and values.
• Daily expenses
  • Optimize your groceries, rent, and mobility costs (Car sharing? Bike rentals? Evaluate on a case by case)
  • Monitor the costs but do not overthink the process, it can take precious headspace.
• Investing:
  • There is no one way to reach financial independence, it is not only “Invest in ETFs and Chill”.
  • It can be hard in certain European countries to reach financial independence, as taxation may impact your return.
  • Taking opportunities in the stock markets and crypto can help you on your way as well.
• Get started
  • Read books on personal finance.
  • If you are a woman, read a book written by a female author this might motivate you more. (Look for Jen Sincero You Are a Badass at Making Money, Work Optional, etc) 

Who is Mathias?

RESOURCES 

• Website: Financial Independence Europe
• Podcast: Financial Independence Europe Podcast
• Twitter: @FiEurope
• Instagram: @fieurope
• Meetup: Fintech meetups, Financial Independence Cologne
• Documentary
  • French version: Retraite à 40 ans? | ARTE Regards
  • German version: Rente mit 40? | ARTE Re:
• Book recommendation:
  • The Story of Work
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad
  • High Returns from Low Risk 
  • Work Optional 
  • Finanzielle Freiheit (Financial Freedom – Gisela Enders)
  • Souverän investieren mit Indexfonds
  • Insider Buy Superstocks
• Best purchase under 100 dollars: The Meetup fee, to help you meet like-minded people!

If you liked this episode you can buy me a drink, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or share the episode with a friend 🙏 . Make sure you follow us on social media as well for more great content, check our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and join our e-mail list. I would love to connect with you!

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