I bought Early Retirement Extreme, by Jacob Lund Fisker, for my husband for Christmas, since he’d recently shown an interest in personal finance and making sure that the both of us are well on our way to a comfortable retirement. Yes, we’re 28 years old, but it’s never too early to start saving and planning.

He read the book first and really enjoyed it. He told me that it was like “those blogs you like” and said I should read it next.

Let me tell you, it’s not similar to the blogs I like. But it is useful, I guess. 

I read this book awhile ago, so I won’t go through the details of everything. I didn’t really retain every little bit.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, where Fisker is using a general “life story” to show you how frivolously we all spend our money. And then by the end of the book he got into more serious topics with charts and graphs and explanations that went over my head.

But the gist of it was great! Don’t spend all your money and you can retire early!

Here’s a little rant about money, in my own words that is not really related at all to this book. But kind of:

Most of our life’s expenditures occur because other people, media, society told us that we have to buy something. We have to buy a college degree, we have to buy a house, we have to buy a car, we have to buy furniture. Had we never seen media showing us what the “right” way to live is, we might not actually feel like we need to buy these things. We grow up doing what we do because people tell us that’s the way it’s done. Our mistake is that we don’t question them. And this is also the biggest opportunity.

Question just one thing, just one item that you purchase. Question whether you need that new coffee table. Could you place your water glass and TV remote on the side table that is also 1 foot away from you instead? Question whether you have to shop for new jeans. Are you currently wearing clothes and do you currently have more clothes in your closet, ready to be worn tomorrow should you not get laundry done today? Question whether you need to buy lunch at work or go out for dinner. Do you have food, any type of food, in your pantry or fridge? Or is there a grocery store nearby where you could pick up some chicken breasts and a head of broccoli?

It comes down to two things. People feel like they need to impress people, or that people will judge them (those go hand in hand). And people are lazy.

Lose the idea that your life matters to anyone but you, and get off your couch and away from your computer. You may find that you have just gotten on the path to early retirement.