Money WondersPlay

Saving & Compound InterestFinancial Independence

Your Freedom Number

How much it takes so that work becomes optional

There's a number at which work becomes optional. Most people never find out theirs. It's simpler math than you think.

You'll find out

  • Where the number 25 comes from
  • Why spending moves the number
  • What the rule can't promise

Why it matters

A finish line you can see changes how the race feels, even if you never stop running.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 17 · Zone 2

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More in this zone

  1. 10PaychecksWhere Your Paycheck GoesGross pay is the number you're offered; net pay is what lands
  2. 11TaxesThe Raise That Costs You MoneyA higher tax bracket only taxes the dollars above the line
  3. 12The Rat RaceTrading Time for MoneyA paycheck stops the day you stop
  4. 13History of WorkThe 40-Hour Week Was a FightWeekends weren't a gift; they were won
  5. 14IncomeActive and Passive IncomeMoney you work for and money that works for you
  6. 15HappinessThe Hedonic TreadmillEvery upgrade quickly feels normal
  7. 16PurposeThe Fisherman and the BankerRetold after Heinrich Böll's 1963 tale: a banker urges a fisherman to build a fleet so that one day he can retire and... fish all afternoon
  8. 18Financial IndependenceThe Savings Rate ShortcutHow much you keep matters more than how much you make