Blog: Popular Posts

Coinbase Review: The Easiest Way to Get Started Investing in Bitcoin 267 comments

It’s Official: I’m Leaving My Job. What’s Next? 53 comments

FinCon 2019 – Washington, D.C, Friends and Inspiration 49 comments

Why I’m Going for FIO – Financial Independence with Options 42 comments

How We Spent $15,000 on Our Honeymoon and Why We’d Do It Again 38 comments

Vanguard Backdoor Roth IRA Conversion Walkthrough 34 comments

How A Bank Error In My Favor Earned Me $100,000 and I Got to Keep it. Really. 34 comments

My Financial Spreadsheet: 5 Metrics to Track for Financial Independence 38 comments

Seven Takeaways from My Second Year of FIRE 35 comments

The Periodic Table of FIRE! [Interactive] 32 comments

My FinCon 2017: Accidental Connections, Beer & Memories 29 comments

The Gender Pay Gap Told Through Data From the Finance Blogging Community 28 comments

A Look Back at My First Year of FIRE 28 comments

My FinCon 2018: Friends, Inspiration and Motivation 26 comments

Roth IRA vs IRA – Which Should You Use? 35 comments

2017 Year in Review 45 comments

Does This Mean the End of the FIRE Movement? [Answer: No] 24 comments

Growing Kids Self-Control For $5 a Week 24 comments

Do You Vacation or Travel? 24 comments

Why I’m Loving Apartment Living After 35 Years in a House 32 comments

Three Years of Early Retirement – Mindset Changes and Realizations 27 comments

The Simple Three Fund Portfolio at Vanguard 23 comments

What’s the Difference Between Fire, Lean Fire, and Fat Fire? 23 comments

How We Plan to Spend $80,000 a Year & Pay Nearly $0 Taxes 22 comments

Use Savings Rate as a Lifestyle Inflation Canary 21 comments

I’m 40 Today. Here’s What I Want From My Next 10 Years To Look Like 20 comments

The Minimal Investor ESPP Guide and Calculator 19 comments

How I Would (and Do) Invest $1 Million 19 comments

The Real Cost of LASIK Eye Surgery – Is It Worth it? 18 comments

Our 7 Rules of Travel Spending 20 comments

401k, IRA and Roth IRA Limits for 2018 18 comments

October / November 2017 Goals & Moving Announcement! 18 comments

Calculate Your FI Number With State and Federal Taxes (It’s More Than You Think) 18 comments

Why I Avoid Dividends Like the Plague 17 comments

7 Things Learned in My First Month of Early Retirement 17 comments

My 52 Beliefs 17 comments

Pay Fewer Fees by Reverse Engineering Retirement Date Funds 16 comments

Minafi 2017 Q3 Fall Investment Report 16 comments

Lagom: Swedish Minimalism for Enough 16 comments

Why I Don’t Blog Anonymously 15 comments

How Speculative Investing (No, Not $GME) Brought Me Closer to FI 15 comments

Data Says the Millennial Early Retirement Age is 40 – Here’s How They Could Do It 15 comments

Minafi 2017 Q4 Winter Investment Report 17 comments

Startup FIRE 14 comments

Minafi Summer Break, Life & Goals Updates for Q2 2021 14 comments

Where Are You On the Financial Independence + Retirement Matrix? 13 comments

June 2019 Goals, Investments & Spending – Running, Camping, Focusing, Sleep No More 13 comments

The Shockingly Scary Difference Between Healthy FIRE and Unhealthy FIRE 13 comments

Minafi 2018 Q3 Fall Investment Report 13 comments

The 7 Most Common 401(k) Mistakes [and how to fix them] 12 comments

My 2018 Year in Review 15 comments

Mint vs YNAB – Which Budgeting App is Right For You? 12 comments

My Favorite 66 Books Read in 2017 12 comments

Slow Minimalism 12 comments

How A Basic Investing Mistake Cost Me $250,000 (and I Still Made it Twice) 13 comments

November / December 2017 Goals & Moving Status! 12 comments

Minafi 2018 Q2 Summer Investment Report 12 comments

May 2020 Theme: Work 13 comments

The Complete Guide to Withdrawing Funds Early From Your 401(k), IRA and Roth IRA 11 comments

How To Conduct a Weekly Review to Keep Yourself on Track 12 comments

I’ve Tracked My Spending For 8+ Years and Here’s What I Learned 11 comments

My 2019 Year in Review 13 comments

My Secret Weapon for Minimalism: A Crazy Fast Photo Scanner 11 comments

Our New $6,000 Car 11 comments

How to Choose Between 401k, Taxable and Roth IRA Accounts to Optimize Taxes 11 comments

What Does Financial Independence Mean to Me? Is it Just About Quitting and Retiring? 11 comments

What Should You Do With a Sudden Windfall? 11 comments

“Won’t You be Bored?” Why Creatives Thrive in Financial Independence 12 comments

My Life & Goals Updates So Far for 2021 12 comments

Minafi 2019 Q3 Fall Investment Report 11 comments

6 Thoughts After 6 Months of Early Retirement 11 comments

Joy is a Skill, Remember to Practice It 10 comments

Here’s Why You Feel Exhausted: A Look at Thinking vs Doing 10 comments

Minafi 2018 Q1 Spring Investment Report 10 comments

101 Things I Want to Know, Have, Do or Be – My Bucket, Goals and Vision List 11 comments

Why I Don’t Want to be a Landlord or Invest in Real Estate 11 comments

Reduce Kitchen Clutter with The Dishwasher Challenge 10 comments

My Favorite 130 Books Read in 2019 10 comments

I Just Sold My Used Car for $150,000+ FI Dollars 9 comments

My Favorite 100 Books Read in 2018 9 comments

The Minafi FIRE Prowess Score 9 comments

April 2020 Theme: Create 10 comments

Why You Should Create a Local Bucket List 10 comments

401k Rollover to an IRA – Why You Should Think Twice About It 9 comments

Digital Minimalism Review and My Month Without Social Media 9 comments

You Can’t do Everything: How I’m Prioritizing What to Start, Stop and Continue in Retirement 9 comments

Lessons Learned From A Year of Monthly Themes 9 comments

Which Accounts Should You Use to Invest for Retirement? [Interactive] 11 comments

What is Your Rainy Day Project? 10 comments

Why I Turned Down Double My Salary 9 comments

I Make Enough Money to Live in a Minimalist House 9 comments

June 2020 Theme: Explore 10 comments

37 Inspiration Minimalism Quotes to Help You Simplify Your Life 8 comments

March 2019 Investment, Goals and Spending Breakdown 8 comments

A Day of FIRE – Expectation vs Reality 8 comments

The Simple Path to Wealth Book Review 8 comments

Minafi 1 Year Birthday! What I Learned In my First Full Year Blogging 8 comments

What’s Your Growth Story? 8 comments

Investing for Beginners: From Your First $1 to $10k and Beyond 9 comments

5 Steps to Embrace Lifestyle Deflation Without Deprivation 10 comments

The Woke Investor – Investing Tips For When You’re Already Awesome 8 comments

Where Are You On The Minimalist Living Spectrum? 8 comments

How to Invest Your First $1,000 and Double Your Money (In Time) 7 comments

Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Learn About FIRE in My 20s 8 comments

April 2019 Investment, Goals and Spending Breakdown 7 comments

Find Your Irresistible Staircase to Early Retirement 7 comments

Creating an Identity Bridge for Early Retirement 7 comments

7 Lessons and 2 Mistakes From My First 3 Months of Early Retirement 9 comments

My Failure Resume: A Story of 22 Failures Over 18 years 8 comments

My Four Phases of Financial Independence 8 comments

The Minafi Money Map 8 comments

February 2018 Goals – Use Everything 7 comments

21 Activities To Keep You Focused On Your Future [or to help during social distancing] 7 comments

9 Songs About Money You Won’t Hear on the Radio 7 comments

2019 Federal Tax Brackets – What Rate Will You Pay? 6 comments

My 2022 Year in Review 6 comments

There is No Such Thing as a Minimalist Life 6 comments

Week in Review – December 30, 2017 6 comments

My Goals For 2021 7 comments

March 2020 Theme: Routine 6 comments

Fernweh – A Longing for Travel and Places Unseen 6 comments

Where Are You on the FIRE Spectrum? 7 comments

September / October 2017 Personal Goals & Review 6 comments

Growing Up With Computers 6 comments

7 Mindsets to Thrive in Financial Independence 7 comments

Why You Should Plant a (Symbolic) Garden For Early Retirement 6 comments

The Definitive Guide to Tax-loss Harvesting and Avoiding Wash Sales 6 comments

Use Buffett’s 25/5 Technique to Prioritize Personal Goals 5 comments

Stoicism In the Time of a Market Virus 6 comments

Financial Independence Groups: Meetups, Forums, Events and How To Find Likeminded People 5 comments

December 2020 Theme: Enjoy 9 comments

Mint Mobile Review: For $15/Month Is It Worth It? 5 comments

Why Minafi’s Logo is a Torii 5 comments

Which Investment Accounts Should I Use? 5 comments

My Reaction to the 2008 Recession and Why I Still Invest in Bonds 5 comments

February 2020 Theme: Finish 6 comments

Spotlight Your Potential with Keystone Habits 4 comments

My 2021 Year in Review 5 comments

Build Focus with Roosevelt Dashes 4 comments

January 2018 Goals – Writing Entirely Too Much! 4 comments

My 2020 Year in Review 4 comments

Plan Your Perfect Week in Retirement Today 4 comments

All my Coworkers Just Learned about my Blog – Here’s What Happened 4 comments

Is FIRE A Hero’s Journey? 4 comments

How to Invest During a Bitcoin Bubble 4 comments

What Opinion do you Hold that Many People Would Disagree With? 4 comments

Challenge Yourself with Weekly Task Planning Using Todoist 4 comments

All You Need is Less 4 comments

What’s Your Weekly Spending Distribution? 4 comments

January 2020 Theme: Focus 4 comments

How Are Bonuses Taxed? (with Bonus Calculator) 4 comments

March 2018 Goals – Slow Movement 4 comments

What You Should Know About Investing At Every Age From 16 to 60 4 comments

Your House Doesn’t Count Towards the 4% Rule 4 comments

My Favorite Books for January 2018 4 comments

The Last Gift My Mom Ever Gave Me 4 comments

Why I Don’t Care About Free Stock Trades (And You Shouldn’t Either) 6 comments

My Doomed Adventure Hiking the Highline Trail 4 comments

Prevent Your Investments from Theft! Secure Your Vanguard Account with Yubikeys and Google Voice 4 comments

Exploring the Compound Interest Formula through Examples 4 comments

My Personal Goals Review for Q2 2018 3 comments

11 Mistakes Made By First-Time Investors 3 comments

How Tradition Tricks You Into Wanting Things You Don’t Need 4 comments

Comparison is the Thief of Joy, but How Do You Stop? 3 comments

If You Want to Reach Your Goals, Track Your Activities 3 comments

July / August 2017 Personal Goals & Review 3 comments

Earning Time 3 comments

When Are You On Autopilot? 3 comments

The Focused Investor 1: Alexander from Day Trading Z Robots vs. Human Traders 3 comments

How to Listen to 100 Audiobooks a Year 3 comments

5 Steps to Change Your Default Consumption Behavior 3 comments

May Goals, Investments and Spending – Running, Hiking and Enjoying Time Outside 3 comments

The Focused Investor 3: Enoch Omololu from Savvy New Canadians on Index Investing 3 comments

July 2020 Theme: Vision 2 comments

Work Optional Book Review: An Actionable Guide to Living Your Best Life 3 comments

The Focused Investor 2: OthalaFehu on Preparing for the Worst with Precious Metals 2 comments

My Personal Goals for Q2 2018 – Health, Growth and Creation 2 comments

The Focused Investor 4 – Lily from Merry For Money on Confident Investing 2 comments

Commitment Devices for Minimalism and Simple Living 2 comments

The Bulletproof Strategy to Develop a Morning Ritual 2 comments

Mastery is a Trap 2 comments

Investment Literacy: Understanding the Basic Concepts 2 comments

Be Mindful of False Productivity 2 comments

August 2020 Theme: Empty 2 comments

What Are You Accidentally Accumulating? 2 comments

December 2017 Goal Review: Minafi Content & Settling into Salt Lake City 2 comments

2010 Year in Review 2 comments

Mutual Funds vs ETFs: What’s the Difference Between Them? 2 comments

Create a Consumption Ledger 2 comments

Tracking & Forecasting Expenses with Mint, Todoist and Google Sheets 2 comments

An Interactive Guide to Portfolio Diversification 2 comments

Why Should I Invest Now? — How To Be Brave & Start Investing 2 comments

Understanding Your Asset Allocation with Spreadsheets and Personal Capital 2 comments

Buffett’s 10/10/10 Rule For Making Financial Decisions 2 comments

Why You Think in the Mediums Of Your Message 2 comments

Introducing the Minafi Salt Lake City Early Retirement Community! 2 comments

Do You Need Luck to Reach Financial Independence and Retire Early? 2 comments

My Biggest Investment Mistake and the Lessons I’ve Learned 3 comments

Minafi 2018 Q4 Winter Investment Report 2 comments

7 Features From Minafi v2 I’m Excited to Announce! 2 comments

June 2017: Monthly Goal Review 1 comment

How I’m Setting Goals During Early Retirement 1 comment

Handling Blame 1 comment

2011 Year in Review 1 comment

My Personal Goals for Q3 2018 – Health, Book & Interactive Guide 1 comment

2016 Year in Review 1 comment

Minimal Hurricane Preparation 2 comments

Want Streaks 1 comment

Novelty 1 comment

Write Your ‘Year in Review’ Post Now 1 comment

Simplify Your Desktop with Bartender 1 comment

July 2017: Monthly Goals 1 comment

2013 Year In Review 1 comment

How to Declutter: My Uncluttering Manifesto 1 comment

Make Fewer Choices with Decision Minimalism 1 comment

Practice Poverty 1 comment

2012 Year in Review 1 comment

How I Learned to be Less Critical of Others 1 comment

What’s a Moment Where You Felt The Most Euphoric? 1 comment

Medium Journaling is Minimalism 2 comments

The Only Piece of Luggage You Need 1 comment

Living for Tomorrow vs Living for Today 1 comment

What is Financial Independence? 1 comment

The Rule of 72 Calculator: How to Perform Compound Interest Calculations In Your Head 1 comment

2014 Year In Review 1 comment

Understanding the Expense Ratio and How It Affects Your Investments 1 comment

2015 Year In Review 1 comment

Financial Freedom Book Review – A Guide to Retiring Early 2 comments

When Pursuing Early Retirement, You Must Be Armed With a Bag of Whys 4 comments

Newspaper Mindfulness Exercise 1 comment

What is Your Personal Mission? 1 comment

The Burden of Now 1 comment

Improve Your Focus By Setting Monthly Goals 1 comment

March 2018 Goals Review – Slow Movement 1 comment

Avoiding the Lifestyle Inflation Trap 1 comment

Here is Your Guide to the Best Personal Finance Software 0 comments

Top 21 Zip Codes for Real Estate Investing in 2021 0 comments

The 6 People Who Inspire Me The Most 0 comments

Why Write An Interactive Guide to FIRE? 0 comments

How to Get Out of a Timeshare: 5 Proven Ways 0 comments

Seeking Mentors 0 comments

How Many Stocks Should You Own In Your Portfolio? 1 comment

How I Ended Up (And Stayed) at Code School 0 comments

My Top 10 Favorite Posts on Minafi from 2017 0 comments

January 2018 Goals Review – Minimal Investor Course Update 1 comment

11 Things to Consider Before Investing in Cryptocurrency in 2021 0 comments

Most Iconic Road Trips in Every State 0 comments

How To Make Money On Facebook and 14 Ways People Are Doing It 0 comments

Foregoing Cultural Cognizance 0 comments

Minimalism is Learning to Accept Losses 0 comments

Exponential Growth Calculator [solve for any variable] 0 comments

February 2018 Goals Review – Use Everything 0 comments

Minimalist are not Nomads, but Nomads are Minimalists 0 comments

August / September 2017 Personal Goals & Review 0 comments