Financial independence is the state where your investments generate enough passive income for you to live on. Financial independence, also known as financial freedom or early retirement, is a goal that many people aspire to.
Whether it’s by saving up money and living off of interest from your savings accounts, starting a side hustle with the hopes of generating more income than you spend, or investing in stocks and real estate so that they can provide an ongoing source of income, financial freedom sounds like a dream come true. However, achieving this goal takes time and hard work.
In this blog post, I will be discussing what financial independence actually means (hint: it’s not just about having lots of money), how we get there (spoiler: it takes a lot of hard work and saving!), and how to make financial independence your reality.
Table of Contents
What is financial independence?
Financial independence is the point at which your passive income from all sources equals or exceeds your expenses. Some people consider financial independence to be when you reach a certain dollar amount, like $80,000 per year in net earnings; others define it as reaching their target savings rate (e.g., having an emergency fund that covers 12 months of living expenses).
The important thing is not how much money you need, but whether you have enough cash coming in passively each month so that if anything happened and all active work stopped tomorrow, you would still be able to cover your monthly bills on time without feeling stressed about the situation.
The benefits of being financially independent
The most obvious benefit is financial stability. When you’re no longer reliant on paychecks coming in each month, you’re far less worried about money issues. This means you’ll never be stressed about how much money comes out of every paycheck again! You will be able to make decisions based on what’s best for your family without worrying about keeping a job just for the sake of having an income.
How to achieve financial independence
Financial independence is not something that will happen overnight, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The best way to figure out what works for you is by doing some research into your financial situation.
How much money are you currently spending on a monthly basis? What income do you have coming in right now? How much debt do you owe each month? Once you’ve figured these numbers out, it’ll be easier to set goals and take the steps towards reaching financial freedom!
In order to reach financial independence, it can sometimes help to change jobs or careers. This might mean getting more training to get a higher-paying position. Or maybe this means starting a side business on the weekends to make more money.
Whatever you decide, it’s important to plan your financial independence out in order to stay motivated and not give up!
Why you should be financially independent
This is a question that many people ask and there are countless reasons as to why you should be financially independent. For starters, it gives you the power of financial freedom which means that you can live your life without having to worry about how much money will be in the bank or if debt payments will affect what you have for playtime.
Financial independence allows one to feel freer with their time because they’re no longer living paycheck to paycheck; instead, they now only work when or if they want to!
As explained by Forbes contributor Michael Kitces, “Achieving financial independence also often translates into having the financial flexibility and freedom to work less, travel more, pursue hobbies or other passions that don’t fit neatly into a nine-to-five job. That’s one of the main reasons many people retire early—they’re able to trade in their time for money.”
Achieving financial independence is not only about being debt-free but also understanding how much you earn on an annual basis so that you can live within your means; this knowledge will give you power over all aspects of your life.
Contrary to popular belief, there’s plenty of advice out there on how to reach financial independence and it doesn’t need an enormous amount of money or lots of time–just discipline and patience.
Financial independence and entrepreneurship
One way people achieve financial independence is by becoming entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship can be a great route to achieving financial freedom because it provides many opportunities for innovation and rewards those who take risks in their business decisions.
However, entrepreneurship also comes with a risk: when a new venture fails, personal assets may be lost as well as all savings invested in the project.
In order to minimize potential losses from entrepreneurial ventures before they start (and then hopefully reap more rewards), entrepreneurs should:
- Consider researching the market
- Estimate startup costs and expenses
- Develop a business plan for their venture before they start it up
- Understand how to minimize financial risks through diversification of assets (and know what types of investments are appropriate)
- Finding potential employees with skills or experience in demand by other companies –
- Have some reserves set aside for unexpected expenses
Achieving financial independence is not easy, but if you’re determined enough to do so then there are many things that can be done now to get you on your way.
Financial independence and the future of work
Many millennials and members of Generation Z are seeking financial independence. They’ve watched as their parents struggled in the post-recession job market, and they’ve seen the devastating effects of financial insecurity and economic uncertainty.
But with the rise of financial independence does that mean that the job market will suffer?
Not necessarily. The truth is, everyone will not reach financial independence. But financial independence isn’t just about the money.
It’s also about future security, a sense of autonomy and control, and greater peace of mind in uncertain times. Financial independence means that no matter what happens to our economic system or jobs market we won’t be dependent on it for survival.
What does financial independence look like?
Some of the most common reasons people want financial independence is:
- Freedom to spend more time on themselves and doing things they enjoy without worrying about money.
- Living a less stressful life where their primary focus is not paying bills. The freedom from debt, savings goals, etc., also helps them cope with major events like an illness or family crisis since they have access to funds that can be used in these situations.
Financial independence and retirement age
When we think about financial independence, there is usually a lot of focus placed on retirement age. The social security system in the United States dictates that you must retire at 65 years old to get full benefits. For many people, this means they’ll have to work longer than they want to if they want to receive their full pension when they retire.
It’s important to note that financial independence does not have an age limit or a retirement requirement. You can reach it at any time in your life! It is possible for someone who has been out of the workforce for 20 years to become financially independent if they are disciplined enough and put their focus on reaching this goal.
It is also possible for someone younger to reach financial independence if they start saving and investing their income while still in the workforce.
Financial independence and happiness
The idea of financial independence is closely tied to happiness. Someone who has enough money saved up so they don’t have to work anymore can do what they want with their life when they want without having to worry about paying the bills at the end of each month. This gives them a lot more freedom and time that others may not have.
A lot of people do not see financial independence as a goal because they believe that it is only for those who are approaching their retirement years or have already reached them. This couldn’t be any further from the truth! It does take saving and discipline to reach financial independence at different times in your life, but if you work hard and smart, you can get there.
The risks of not being financially independent
There are many risks associated with not having enough savings that can lead to financial dependence or complete destitution in old age such as, disability, death of a spouse/partner, unemployment without any means for income, etc. These people may lose their homes and property due to the lack of funds.
In order to be financially independent, it is important to plan ahead in regards to your expenses and savings so that you are not unprepared for financial emergencies. One way to do this would be by setting up a monthly budget so you can see how much money will go towards necessities like housing, food, transportation, and other aspects of life as well as setting up a savings account so you can save up for items that are not necessary but enjoy, such as vacations.
How can I get started on my path to financial independence?
Start small. Figure out what you want to accomplish, then set a goal and start saving for that goal. For example, if your goal is to have $100,000 in the bank by age 65, save an extra $50 per month ($600 annually) on top of what you’re already doing to hit that milestone.
- Figure out what you want to do with your time. Is it working a job to earn money, or spending more time on creative endeavors? Think about the tradeoffs and make a decision that will work for you rather than trying to balance both lifestyles.
- Find other ways of earning income from home. There are many jobs available in the gig economy, like driving for Lyft or delivering food with DoorDash.
- Consider financial advice from other sources to augment your income and learn more about managing money so that you can have a plan in place.
Gather resources:
- Learn how to set goals, manage spending habits, save money, find additional ways of earning income, and create a financial plan for the future.
- Read articles from publications such as Forbes or Money Magazine to learn how other people have achieved their own financial independence.
- Consider a consultation with a certified financial advisor so that you can get personalized advice tailored to your unique needs and goals.
- Create a financial plan for the future that includes goals and milestones to help keep you on track each year.
- Find other ways of earning income such as freelance or part-time work so that you are not reliant solely on one form of revenue generation.
- Consider saving up an emergency fund so that you don’t have to use credit when it’s needed. To help build this fund, put aside a small percentage of your income each month and set up automatic payments to ensure you don’t forget.
- Start investing by reading about what you need to know and taking the first steps, such as setting up a retirement account or purchasing stock.
- Keep track of your income and set up a budget so you can better understand where your money is going each month.
- If you’re a business owner, take advantage of the tax benefits for your business by making sure you’re using every deduction that is available, such as work expenses or deductions for employees.
With the right financial plan, you can drive your business and finally achieve financial independence.
Regardless of the path you take, it is important to note that financial independence does not mean being a millionaire. The term simply means having enough money so that your income can sustain all your needs without outside help or assistance from an employer. It doesn’t matter if you earn $250k per year as long as what you earn is enough to cover all your expenses without relying on outside help.
Challenges and obstacles that might come up along the way to financial independence
Financial emergencies and financial security can be tough to plan for. Some people have a cushion of savings or other means of generating an emergency fund. Others might not have this option available to them because they are unable to save money every month.
Credit card debt is often what drives consumers into financial independence mode – paying down the debt and being able to live a debt-free life.
In summary, financial Independence means different things for everyone but the goal is simple – having more control over your life by not being dependent on your daily paycheck. It can be achieved through budgeting so that you’re living within your income; developing skills that earn extra cash; starting small businesses with low start-up costs like freelance writing jobs from home, and more.
The financial independence movement has become a lot more popular over the last few years, and for good reason – it’s not an easy feat and requires dedication, discipline, and hard work in order to follow through with making this dream come true.
