So by the end of last year, I said to myself, let me try out the whole Financial Independence, Retire Early thing.

That has been one of my main goals since 2015 when I quit my corporate job. At that time, I was trading about 12 hours of my day for a paycheck and felt like my life wasn’t really going anywhere.

I didn’t get any satisfaction out of my job, and I started reading books like The 4-Hour Work Week. I also learned about Mr. Money Mustache, who retired in his 30s and was living a frugal life.

Those ideas of having the freedom to do anything you want with your time appealed to me as a corporate warrior who felt boxed in. So I went for it.

Fast forward to 2025, and I’ve accomplished pretty much all the goals I set out for myself at that time. Granted, I thought I would hit those targets about 5 years earlier, but hey, we’re here.

What is financially comfortable

I don’t feel comfortable sharing exact numbers about my income and net worth because of a few reasons. Mainly because it’s not relevant. Money is situational.

What I mean is that the amount of money depends on where you live and how you live.

I live in a town called Leeuwarden in The Netherlands, where the cost of living is much lower than a place like Amsterdam. I own the apartment I live in with my wife, and I have a mortgage with 1.7% interest. I bought the condo for about the equivalent of $150K. It’s now worth at least 100K more.

And I’ve been paying off the mortgage since 2017. I don’t know exactly how much debt I have outstanding, but at 1.7%, I don’t care.

My passive income from my books, courses, and a rental property that I own is about $15K to $20K.

And I have seven figures in liquid assets (stocks and cash). I use about 30% of my assets to trade stocks. I’ve averaged about 30% annual returns since 2020, so that’s a decent amount of profit that I view as income, not as money for retirement. I haven’t spent that yet, and I’ve been using it to grow my net worth through investing in stocks.

All in all, I’m financially comfortable based on my lifestyle and where I live. My wife and I are planning to buy a large home this year. But even if that home will be a million bucks, I can sell some of my stocks and use it as a down payment and get a mortgage for 600K to 700K. At current interest rates, that’s about 3,500 bucks a month.

What about kids? We’re lucky we live in The Netherlands, where there’s pretty good government support when you get kids, nearly free education, and health insurance that’s not super expensive. So I’m not worried about that. And I have no issue with downgrading my own lifestyle in case we’re lucky enough to get kids.

I’m not going to stop working

Now, here’s my main takeaway about this early retirement thing.

I don’t like to have too much free time. I simply end up spending more money compared to when I’m working.

Over the past six months, I’ve traveled a lot, which obviously comes with costs. Plus, after a while of doing nothing, I get restless.

I don’t have that many hobbies. I’m also not a DIY guy or someone who likes to do chores around the house. I also can’t see myself surfing or golfing all day. I’m just not that type of guy.

My hobby is my work. Just saying that makes me realize how lucky I am.

For my entire adult life, I wanted to be free of “the shackles of society.” I wanted to break free from the 9 to 5. I wanted to “opt out” or “unsubscribe” from the whole rat race.

But here’s the thing: What are you going to do next when you opt out?

What comes after financial independence?

This is the point where it turns into a philosophical discussion. What are you going to do with your life once you’ve met your basic needs? The reality is that most people never really get to that point.

But we have to be honest. Whether you actually become financially free or not, you’re always in motion… figuring things out, doing new things, enjoying life, getting stronger, better, you name it.

In a way, not much changes when you have some money. Warren Buffett has this phrase that he often repeats, which goes something like this: You and me are the same. I just get to travel faster than you do. But that’s about it.

He’s referring to his private jet, which is pretty much the only true luxury that Buffett possesses. Other than that, he goes through the same motions every day.

You wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, do your work, eat lunch, etcetera, etcetera. Most of our lives are all the same.

The funny thing is that everyone wants to find out on their own. Just look at the number of people who are yearning to quit their job and travel the world.

The older I get, the more I believe that the purpose of life is to be useful. I’ve been looking at life that way for many years, but I also wanted to be financially comfortable. But having a bunch of money doesn’t really give any meaning.

When you spend the money, you might have nice things and experiences, but you get used to them. And the rush you get when you buy something new or do something new is never lasting. So you end up chasing the next hit.

But when you dedicate your life to making yourself useful to your community or society in general, you always have something to do. You will never be bored or restless.

What is balance?

What’s the right amount of work versus rest? I wish I had a straightforward answer, but the truth is that balancing is a continuous act.

This is why your career and money do matter. If you have a job that you hate and isn’t very accommodating when it comes to free time, you feel caged.

So it helps to work with people who understand that life isn’t only about work. Some careers, like investment banking, don’t allow for flexibility. But if that’s what you signed up for, you should pay the price.

Most of us want to have a level of freedom. You can also have that when you’re employed. The idea that you can only be free if you work for yourself or if you’re financially independent is not true.

Now, here’s the thing. Most people who want to have freedom and flexibility at work don’t take that freedom seriously. If you’re employed, you have to do your best at all times. I’ve met plenty of people who didn’t respect their jobs and bosses. That’s not a good attitude.

The right attitude is to always make yourself useful and try to do your job the best you can. Whether you’re employed or work for yourself doesn’t really matter as long as you’re properly compensated.

Never retiring

I’ve also played around with the idea of never stopping with work. To be honest, I think that’s what I want more than retiring, period. I can’t see myself just going through life doing a bunch of fun stuff. I love doing fun stuff after a period of work.

But rest without work isn’t satisfying.

And over the last few months, I took a lot of rest. Granted, I got married and traveled a bunch. But there were a lot of periods where I was just knocking about.

But I also did some work because I just couldn’t stop completely. I love my work too much, plus I have this drive to make myself useful.

I don’t want to stop working and writing. Since the past week, I’ve committed to a handful of new projects, and I’m planning to relaunch my weekly newsletter again.

So expect new content from me every Monday.

The post What No One Tells You About Early Retirement appeared first on Darius Foroux.

“No one can become rich merely by saving. Mere saving is closely akin to the socialist policy of dividing and, likewise, runs up against the same objection that there’s not enough around to save.” 

I always thought that saving money was the way to riches. The platitudes about saving can be found everywhere in society. 

Pay yourself first. Build a little nest egg. Save for a rainy day. A penny saved is a penny earned. Money doesn’t grow on trees.

All these sayings tell you that you should be saving and avoid taking risks. After all, you don’t have a money tree, and you never know what will happen in the future.

If you’re not investing, you’re missing out

No matter how hard you save, you’re always limited by your earnings. While it sounds nice in theory to earn more, it’s not so easy.

This is what Raskob meant when he said you can’t get rich by merely saving.

I agree with that 100%.

If you save diligently for 40 years, you will end up with a lot of money. But you were never really rich. 

Being rich means that you have way more money than you actually need. It means an abundance of money.

To become rich, you must have investments.

As you go through life, your investments grow with you, and so is your net worth.

You’ve got to experience the power of capital gains

My net worth has doubled during the past two years. Is it because I sold more books or made more money with writing? No. 

In fact, my income from writing has been pretty much the same over the past four years.

If I relied on saving my money, I would not have a 7-figure net worth. More than half of my worth comes from capital gains on my stock and real estate portfolio.

Before I experienced these types of gains, I knew that investing was the way to riches, but I never really felt it until a few years ago. 

And as the years go by, I feel it more and more. This is something I hope you will experience, too.

When your investments do well, you no longer feel the pressure to do work so that you can make money. 

You can move freely and think about how you can actually make a contribution.

So invest more! Your future self will thank you for it.

The post You Can’t Get Rich by Saving Money appeared first on Darius Foroux.

At the time, many would have considered putting so much capital into a single business risky. But Munger and Buffett believed that the company’s capital resources were a better trade-off.

Their investments paid off when Blue Chip Stamps became a key part of Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio. And they used the company’s capital to fund their other investments like See’s Candies, Wesco Financial, The Buffalo Evening News, and Precision Steel.

This experience shaped Munger’s belief that diversification isn’t always necessary. As he famously said:

“The whole secret of investment is to find places where it’s safe and wise to non-diversify. It’s just that simple.”

When you think about it, why put your money in 20 mediocre companies when you can invest in 3 that will actually yield higher results?

Munger’s strategy showed that concentrated investments in high-quality businesses can lead to extraordinary returns. This shows that reading about successful investors from the best investing books can teach us valuable lessons.

The following five lessons from the best investing books.

1. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham: Focus on value, not price

The economist and investor, Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor is an old, but classic book on investing. It teaches value investing: Buying stocks that are cheap compared to what they’re really worth.

This book isn’t about guessing stock prices. It’s about investing logically and sticking to a plan. As Graham said:

“The intelligent investor is a realist who sells to optimists and buys from pessimist.”

Graham says you should understand what you’re buying and focus on long-term value, not short-term price changes.

Warren Buffett loves this book. It really is one of the most influential investing books. Even until the present, Graham’s idea of the “margin of safety” is still big in investing.

2. Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders: Always think long-term

Buffett’s letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders are a goldmine of investing knowledge. They’re like personal lessons from one of the best investors ever. Buffett doesn’t just talk about stocks. He talks about patience, understanding businesses, and thinking long-term.

Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders isn’t just about investing. Buffett shares his mistakes and what he learned, which is helpful for any investor. As Buffett said:

“The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.”

This means focusing on long-term ownership and ignoring short-term market ups and downs.

Buffett’s letters show that success isn’t about guessing when to buy or sell. It’s about owning great companies for a long time. This focus on long-term value (which Graham also talks about) is something every investor needs to remember.

3. Against the Gods — The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter Bernstein: Understand and manage risk

Peter Bernstein’s Against the Gods explores how humans have learned to understand and manage risk throughout history.

This book dives deep into how risk shapes financial markets and human progress. It shows how risk management is the foundation of every successful financial decision.

Whenever you invest, you have the risk of losing your money. No one has total control of the stock market. So it’s important to learn how to manage that risk. Mastering risk management is what separates successful investors from those who lose all their money.

Bernstein shows that our ability to predict risk and uncertainty has been the key to progress in financial markets. One of Bernstein’s most powerful lines sums up the book’s message:

“The essence of risk management lies in maximizing the areas where we have some control over the outcome while minimizing the areas where we have absolutely no control over the outcome.”

This advice is essential for anyone building a strong portfolio.

4. How to Trade in Stocks by Jesse Livermore: Manage your emotions

How to Trade in Stocks by Jesse Livermore is a timeless lesson on the role of emotions in investing.

Livermore was a legendary stock trader in the early 20th century, and I actually wrote about him intensively both in my blog and in my latest book. His life and investing career are interesting and full of insights.

How to Trade in Stocks emphasizes the importance of discipline and emotional control in trading. Livermore built and lost fortunes multiple times, and much of this book reflects the wisdom he gained from those experiences.

The most valuable insight from this book is Livermore’s warning against the dangers of emotional investing.

“The stock market is never obvious. It is designed to fool most of the people, most of the time.”

Livermore emphasizes that it’s essential to remain objective, especially during volatile markets. The market is full of noise—hype, rumors, and fear—and it’s easy for investors to get caught up in it.

As an investor, you must be able to separate your emotions from your decision-making process. Livermore’s focus on emotional control and disciplined trading is as important today as it was a century ago.

5. How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market by Nicolas Darvas: Stick to your system

Nicolas Darvas wasn’t a professional investor—he was a dancer. Through self-study and discipline, he made millions in the stock market.

His book, How I Made $2,000,000 in the Stock Market, details his famous “Box System” for identifying stocks poised for growth. What makes this book different is the author’s unconventional path and his strict adherence to his own system, even when others doubted him.

The lesson from this book is simple: Develop a system that works for you, and stick to it.

Darvas created a strategy based on stock price movements and volume patterns, and he disciplined himself to follow that system no matter what the market did. As he puts it:

“There are no good or bad stocks, there are only rising and falling stocks.”

Darvas’ story proves that you don’t need to be a Wall Street insider to succeed in the stock market. What you need is a clear, well-defined system and the discipline to execute it consistently.

It’s all about the long game

When you go online, it might seem like millions of people are getting rich quickly by buying Bitcoin, Gamestop stocks, or other things. Every week, there’s a story about some asset going up by hundreds of percent in a short time.

Those are outliers. Most of us will never get rich that quickly. You can get lucky, of course. But luck is not an investing strategy. That doesn’t mean you can’t get rich over a longer period.

In the long run, public markets are still the best way to build wealth. You can’t afford not to invest.

Investing is difficult because it goes against human nature. We need to make choices today that pay off in the future. Too many folks want instant gratification.

While most assets have gone up in value over the last century, our purchasing power hasn’t changed. Sure, wages have increased. But so has inflation. End result? If you don’t invest, you’ll likely lose money over the long term.

That’s the advantage of learning from the best investing books. When you have a strong foundational knowledge of investing, you can execute sustainable investing decisions.

The post 5 Investment Lessons From the Best Investing Books appeared first on Darius Foroux.

”‘Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.”

This is a timeless truth about human nature and how we’re constantly pursuing our first desire.

Let’s say you’re scrolling through your social media feed and stumble across an ad for a shiny new gadget for your kitchen.

Maybe some magic trash bin that opens automatically when you look at it. The bin has eyes and knows you’re looking at it. Pretty neat, right?

“I need one of those!” You think.

But hold on a second – is it really necessary? Or is it just a fleeting desire sparked by clever marketing?

Remember Benjamin Franklin. In this case, it’s not about the trash bin. It’s about becoming a mindless consumer. If you always think, “I got to have that,” it becomes a lifestyle.

Now, this is a silly example. But Franklin’s advice is so true. We all have so many desires throughout the day. We can’t satisfy every urge we have.

It’s like opening a Pandora’s box of wants that are never fully satisfied.

That’s why it’s better to suppress that initial urge.

No pleasure without non-pleasure

Look, this is a philosophical topic.

Yin and yang.

If you only have pleasure, it becomes your default state, and you don’t realize how good it is.

But if you have some discomfort, some non-pleasure, it helps you fully appreciate the times of pleasure. For example, I’ve talked about how I once moved to Spain to see if I wanted to live there.

Compared to the weather in the Netherlands, where I’m from, Spain looks much better. However, I discovered that I prefer the conveniences I have in the Netherlands. I realized I took those for granted until I missed them in Spain.

The same concept can be applied to our consumerist culture.

We are constantly bombarded with ads that tell us what we need or should want. It’s an endless cycle of wanting more and more, always chasing the next shiny new thing.

But things only feel good because you also experience bad things.

Think about it. Rest feels good after work. Food tastes better after an intense workout.

This is why restraint is such an important topic. It helps you enjoy life to the fullest.

The power of restraint

How do we combat these urges that seem so irresistible at the moment? This is where self-restraint comes in. (Which is rare in our culture of instant gratification).

Restraint is not about denying yourself pleasures. It’s about making conscious choices instead of letting your impulsive desires lead your actions.

Always ask yourself: “Do I really need this?” or “Is this truly beneficial for me?”

One practical way to exercise restraint is to practice delayed gratification. This means resisting an immediate reward in favor of a later, often greater, benefit.

Remember the famous ‘Marshmallow Test’? Kids were given a marshmallow and told they could have a second one if they could wait 15 minutes without eating the first.¹

Those who managed to wait generally fared better in life, demonstrating the power of delayed gratification.

6 tips for improving your self-restraint

Self-restraint is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Here are seven practical tips to help you build this invaluable skill:

1. Practice mindfulness: Being present in the moment can help you recognize impulsive urges and choose not to act on them. Try mindfulness exercises or meditation to enhance your self-awareness.
2. Use healthy distractions: When a desire hits, distract yourself with something beneficial. Go for a walk, read a book, or do some stretches. This can help shift your focus away from the urge.
3. Remember your goals: Every time you follow an impulse desire, you trade away your genuine goals. Take impulse purchases, for example. Money means freedom. Every time you spend money, you lose a bit of that freedom. If you’re saving money for a house and end up spending what you saved on an expensive vacation or a car, you’re delaying your most important goals in exchange for satisfying an urge.
4. Delay for a few minutes: Impulse urges often go away on their own. They just need a bit of time. Practice waiting before indulging in your desires. Start small – wait 15 minutes before giving in to a craving. Gradually increase this time. You’ll be surprised at how often the desire fades.
5. Surround yourself with similar-minded people: It’s easier to exercise restraint when you’re around people who have the same goals. Working out and improving your diet is hard when the folks around you are all couch potatoes and junk food consumers. Same thing for the shopaholics. Stick with friends and family who can keep you accountable.
6. Forgive yourself and move on: Everyone slips up sometimes. If you give in to a desire, don’t beat yourself up. Acknowledge the slip, learn from it, and move forward. It’s all about being consistent.

In our daily lives, we are constantly bombarded with desires – for material possessions, success, recognition, and more.

Giving in to every single one not only exhausts us but also leaves us unsatisfied and always wanting more.

So, the next time you feel that first desire creeping up on you, remember Ben Franklin’s wise words.

Take a moment to reflect, exercise restraint, and consider the power of delayed gratification.

The peace and satisfaction that come from this practice far outweigh the fleeting pleasure of immediate gratification.

The post Don’t Give In To That First Desire appeared first on Darius Foroux.

But then, he began to feel an itch. Why not use that money to travel? Or maybe buy a new car?

The house he was dreaming of buying still seemed far out of reach, and the money sitting in his bank account was so readily accessible.

I asked him, “What do you think your future self will think if you spent it?”

His response was a pause followed by a contemplative silence. It got him thinking – and it’s something we all need to ponder.

With homeownership becoming more difficult in today’s economy, it’s understandable why some might consider using their hard-earned savings for other purchases instead. But you know that you’ll likely regret doing so.

Here’s the reality: The world won’t follow our plans.

All kinds of things can happen that derail your plans. Whether that’s financial like inflation or high interest rates, or emotional, like dealing with depression.

But no matter what happens, it doesn’t mean you should give up your plans altogether.

In my friend’s case, he needs to make sure his money goes towards the house down payment. Plans can change because of external circumstances, but when we can actually achieve our goals, we should.

So, how can you ensure that you don’t squander your savings? And how do you stay on track and use your money for your goals?

Remember that money is emotional, not logical

Look, you can’t calculate or budget yourself toward financial freedom.

You can spend so little and still not feel wealthy. Or you can earn a lot and end up spending most of it. It’s all about your mindset.

Our spending habits are often tied to our desires, fears, and self-worth. We often make money mistakes when we make financial decisions based on emotions rather than logic.

When it comes to spending our savings, it’s easy to get swayed by our impulses. Personal finance authors Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez said it well in their book, Your Money or Your Life:

“Money is something you trade your life energy for. You sell your time for money. It doesn’t matter that Ned over there sells his time for a hundred dollars and you sell yours for twenty dollars an hour. Ned’s money is irrelevant to you. The only real asset you have is your time. The hours of your life.”

Sometimes, we also give in to the urge for immediate pleasure. So, before you touch your savings, take a moment to think.

Why do you want to make a purchase?

• Is it something you really need and does it match your long-term financial goals?
• Or are you being pushed by outside pressures? These could be other people’s expectations, or trying to prove something to others.
• Maybe you’re buying things out of boredom, and you don’t really want that purchase as much?

By being self-aware, you can stay clear of decisions that can bring your financial ruin.

Make NOT spending easier

Spending is a habit. And like any habit, a good habit is easier to keep when your environment encourages you to keep doing it. On the flip side, a bad habit is easier to break when you remove or avoid triggers that lead to it.

So, if you find yourself constantly tempted to spend money, try making some changes to your environment:

• Limit your access to online shopping sites by turning off notifications or deleting apps.
• Unsubscribe from email newsletters that promote sales and discounts.
• Avoid physical stores unless you have a specific item in mind that you need to purchase.

By removing these triggers, you can make it easier to resist impulsive purchases.

Additionally, finding alternative activities or hobbies that don’t involve spending money can also be helpful.

Remember: Spending money is not bad! It’s actually necessary and good. If you use money well, it drastically improves the quality of your life.

The point is that you don’t want to make spending money habitual. When you eat out several times a week and always go to fancy restaurants, you get used to it. And the experience becomes normal.

But if you occasionally go to a fancy restaurant, you’ll have a 10/10 experience every single time.

The first step to achieving your goals is sticking to your plans

We don’t control outcomes, but we control our actions. If you have a long-term goal, like buying a house someday, then you won’t reach that if you spend your savings on impulse buying.

Remember, it’s not about depriving yourself of things you want. It’s about being intentional with how you spend your money.

Always think about your long-term goals and whether a purchase will bring you closer to them.

Remember, we control our money, not the other way around.

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