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Guy and Tom are two friends who work together in a similar capacity under the same company. They both are alike and different, alike in the sense that they share the same responsibilities and duties, but different in their reactions and willingness to perform these duties. Guy is always ready to perform them, even when unforeseen circumstances arise; he is simply always prepared. However, Tom is the direct opposite; he is in a constant state of panic and crisis based on the complaint that he does not have enough funds to support these situations. The subject of concern is, what creates this significant difference between these colleagues?
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Financial Freedom
How To Become Financially
Independent and Retire Early
Felix Weller
All rights to this book are reserved. No permission is given for any part of this book to be reproduced, transmitted in any form or means, electronic or mechanical, stored in a retrieval system, photocopied, recorded, scanned, or otherwise. Any of these actions requires the proper written permission of the publisher.
Disclaimer
All erudition contained in this book is given for informational and educational purposes only. The author is not in any way accountable for any results or outcomes that emanate from using this material. Constructive attempts have been made to provide information that is both accurate and effective, but the author is not bound for the accuracy or use/misuse of this information.
Guy and Tom are two friends who work together in a similar capacity under the same company. They both are alike and different, alike in the sense that they share the same responsibilities and duties, but different in their reactions and willingness to perform these duties. Guy is always ready to perform them, even when unforeseen circumstances arise; he is simply always prepared. However, Tom is the direct opposite; he is in a constant state of panic and crisis based on the complaint that he does not have enough funds to support these situations.
The subject of concern is, what creates this significant difference between these colleagues?
What Is Financial Freedom?
It is important to a lot of people or a vast majority of people that they can satisfy their needs or desire at whatever time it arises.
However, many are not equipped with the mentality to actualise this desire; hence, the need for financial freedom.
The meaning of financial freedom is subjective to different people and the various situation they find themselves. For a teenager, financial freedom is independence from parents; it is them not having to depend on the income or allowances given by the parents. Therefore, teenagers might regard themselves financially free if they have their personal income which funds their lifestyle irrespective of the benefits provided by the parents. To a retiree, it is the freedom to have the desired lifestyle without the stress of bankruptcy because of the retirement plans or investments that have been set in place. To some people, it the ability to perform in a role they admire or remain self-employed without strain on their finances.
However, financial freedom, in general, refers to a lifestyle void of the concern or domination of income. In clear terms, it refers to the ability or status of a person to provide or support a need in whatever circumstance. It is a position where you are settled financially; any unplanned or sudden expense will not cause a dent to your financial state. It refers to a state of being economically independent without having to depend on salaries from employment. It is also important to note that financial
freedom connotes a debt-free situation, that is; a person who wants to lay claim that he is financially free cannot claim that the money that funds his free state is from debt.
Financial freedom is not restricted to being able to only fund emergencies but also to find solace in the fact that your life after retirement has specific plans in place that would ensure financial stability and growth. It’s a lifestyle that is dominated by money and a constant worry to make these funds.
It also entails the ability to retire early or quit a job simply because you have lost interest in that particular field but do not have a specific task that you are registered to at that specific time. It is the ability to afford a desired lifestyle without stress about the next paycheck. Therefore, you are in control of your finance and lifestyle instead of your financial state dictating a particular lifestyle it believes you can afford without collapse. It is the ability to work for cooperation or company based on the fact that you enjoy whatever role you are given and not because it is crucial to your finance.
The Means to Attain Financial Freedom As stated in the above paragraphs, every individual seeks to attain financial independence and this state of finance has different meanings and interpretations to people. However, these people are expected to go through the same or similar steps to attaining financial freedom, hence, the reason for the subsequently discussed opinions;
Set Goals: This is an essential principle to financial independence; every idea and investment needs motivation.
Therefore, a set goal helps you to choose the right investment and employment options that would ensure you are moving towards a goal which leads to financial freedom. Also, these goals are advised to be in clear, specific and realistic forms because this would increase the possibility of achieving them. However, even after sustenance of a position where you no longer stress about money, has been reached, it is still important to live on or make a budget so that you do not overspend and return to your former stage. It is of primary importance to be purposeful about financial freedom.
Make a Budget: it is vital to make a set budget; this would help to regulate your spending and ensure that the right percentage is invested in meeting your set goals. A budget is used to document the progress of savings and investments.
This also helps to contain unplanned and unnecessary temptations to spend recklessly.
Pay Loans: if you desire to have a financially independent lifestyle, it is essential to pay up or clear all loans; student loans, house loans or car loans. If this is not done, it would only consume or eat up the profits/interests of your investment. It is crucial to set up all financial investments on a fresh slate, so your desire for independence is not undermined by debt and the interests that overwhelm it.
Register to an Automatic Savings Plan: There are various retirement savings plans made available for employees by their cooperation. For example; the 401(k)s made available for employees of private cooperation and Thrift Savings Plan available for federal government workers and members of the uniformed forces, gives individuals an option to have their savings automatically invested in a plan after their retirement. These plans contribute largely to financial freedom because of the matching contribution option that is contributed to your personal savings account and investment funds opportunities. Also, this particular option helps ensure that a specific percentage which has been registered by you is pulled from your salary and contributed to your investment before you start spending, and in some cases before tax deduction.
Examine Investment Options: This is the central way to ensure financial freedom as every investment accommodates interest and growth based on the percentage and time it was contributed. It also provides individuals to choose an
investment option that suits their situation as there is a variety of them. However, it is advisable to begin investing as soon as because its success and growth are based on the time contributed and time fixed and decided to be for withdrawal.
Therefore, it is essential to examine investment options or hire a financial advisor who could assist based on gathered knowledge to decide on an option for your situation. Growth can be supported with a weekly, monthly or yearly or any comfortably consistent plan that would not affect the individual’s lifestyle but improve and manage the growth of savings.
Accommodate Bargains: In most cases, when individuals begin to make some percentage of wealth, they decide that there is no point behind negotiating goods they can afford at the stated price. However, this a financial sucking idea which prevents a lot of people from saving expenses if they had asked for or agreed to a bargain price. This is so because they find it an injury and their status and would not like to appear cheap. Therefore, it is important to negotiate since this could save them a considerable amount of money if they submit themselves to negotiate with these sellers. Although some people refuse to negotiate because they believe that, some businesses are not open to negotiation, this might be in fact true, but some small-scale businesses are available to negotiate the price of goods. Also, buying in bulk and
consistently from one seller attracts discounts and creates a more relaxed atmosphere to accommodate discounts.
Be informed: knowledge in financial freedom is power. To reach and sustain a stage of financial independence, it is essential to keep yourself updated about economic laws, rules and regulations as they apply to you. Ensure that you are updated on the changes and improvement in tax laws and the investment and interest options; this would help ensure that your investment is not at a loss, and you profit at full capacity based on whatever option you choose to be reasonable and valuable to your desires. Also, it is an essential defence to avoid people who would like to delude an investor from making crucial investment options or cheat you from making the necessary profit. However, to prevent this, it is advisable to employ the services of an advisor.
Do Not Spend More Than You Earn: This is of critical importance in every financial step or journey; it is also of vital importance to the course of financial freedom. Although the idea of financial freedom is to afford whatever lifestyle you desire without the fear of the impact it would make on your finance. It is also of notable importance to highlight
“live below your means.” An individual who is in a constant hurry to spend the funds or income that should be contributed to the savings of the financial freedom would find himself in a never-ending journey. This does not mean that you should cut down or limit your spending or cancel
spending at all, it merely projects the idea that an individual who is interested in financial freedom has to be able to distinguish between wants and needs. These needs have to be prioritised accordingly.