How To Retire By 40
Men's Health South Africa|July 2019

As Implausible As It Sounds, A Subversive New Movement Claims That Any Of Us Can Attain Financial Independence – And Before The Grey Hairs Take Hold. All It Requires Is The Total Dismantling Of Our Attitudes To Saving And Spending. It’s Worked For Some. Could It Work For You Too?

Richard Goodwin + Kieran Legg
How To Retire By 40

This is an article about personal finance.

Sorry about that. You probably didn’t come here to be told you could save money on your car insurance. And you don’t need to be reminded that you could easily afford a house somewhere you don’t want to live if you would only scrimp on flat whites and avocados. At MH, we pride ourselves on not being your father-in-law.

But something has been stirring on the personal finance dark web – something subversive, and perhaps a little cultish.

“I see earning money like a game that I want to beat,” writes the anonymous Saving Ninja on his or her blog of the same name. “It’s fun. Being a completionist is in my nature. I need to get that high score.” The Saving Ninja is part of FIRE, a movement built around the twin aims of achieving “Financial Independence” and “Retiring Early”, ideally in your thirties or forties.

Success requires an obsession with your balance sheet, as well as iron discipline regarding the pastries at your favourite café. It also demands an anti-consumerist spirit, and the level of commitment you’d need for any training regime. Indeed, for many of FIRE’s adherents, the discipline required to put away 40% (or even 80%) of each pay cheque derives benefit from training of a more literal sort.

“If you want the mentality to do this, first you need to improve the clarity of your thinking,” says Barney Whiter, 48, who blogs about personal finance at theescapeartist.me. “If you’re a cubicle rat leading a sedentary lifestyle, it’s a natural reaction to comfort-spend on holidays and takeaways and so on. People get run down.”

Esta historia es de la edición July 2019 de Men's Health South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición July 2019 de Men's Health South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MEN'S HEALTH SOUTH AFRICAVer todo
CAN YOU REMIX YOUR MINDSET?
Men's Health South Africa

CAN YOU REMIX YOUR MINDSET?

YOU KNOW MUSIC ALTERS MOOD. NOW A NEW APP PROMISES THE RIGHT TRACKS CAN SOOTHE STRESS, BOOST PRODUCTIVITY AND LEVEL UP YOUR GYM GAINS.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November-December 2024
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET REALLY SO ?
Men's Health South Africa

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET REALLY SO ?

AND DOES IT REALLY FIGHT OFF DISEASE? WE LOOK AT THE DATA.

time-read
1 min  |
November-December 2024
THE SEMI-COMPLETE USER'S GUIDE TO...YOUR LUNGS
Men's Health South Africa

THE SEMI-COMPLETE USER'S GUIDE TO...YOUR LUNGS

THEY POWER A WORKOUT, FILTER OUT INVADERS AND WORK FOR US 24/7-UNLESS GERMS, POLLUTANTS, BAD LUCK OR OUR OWN NEGLECT GETS IN THE WAY. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND DISCOVER HOW TO HELP THEM OUT.

time-read
3 minutos  |
November-December 2024
ACTION MAN
Men's Health South Africa

ACTION MAN

THERE WAS NO MIRACLE FIX FOR TIMOTHY FAIRWEATHER'S HEAVIER PROBLEMS. THE SECRET: TAKING SMALL ACTIONS EVERY DAY TO BUILD UP TO MASSIVE RESULTS.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November-December 2024
THE MUSCLE SPRINT
Men's Health South Africa

THE MUSCLE SPRINT

CRUSH ALL MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS, BLAST CALORIES AND SUPERCHARGE YOUR CARDIO WITH THIS DUMBBELL WORKOUT, WHICH HAS AN INTENSE 55-REP LADDER SCHEME THAT MINIMISES REST AND MAXIMISES FUN.

time-read
1 min  |
November-December 2024
THE ULTIMATE SUMMER BODYWEIGHT BURNER
Men's Health South Africa

THE ULTIMATE SUMMER BODYWEIGHT BURNER

BUILD MUSCLE AND STRENGTH AND CHALLENGE YOUR COORDINATION AND ATHLETICISM WITH THIS NO-EQUIPMENT WORKOUT.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November-December 2024
RISE OF THE BEASTS
Men's Health South Africa

RISE OF THE BEASTS

THIS YEAR'S MILESTONE TENTH EDITION OF OUR COVER GUY SEARCH DREW 413 GUYS WHO EMBODY SELFLESSNESS, GRIT AND PERSEVERANCE. THEIR ANIMALISTIC DEVOTION TO FITNESS AND TALES OF TRIUMPH WILL INSPIRE YOU TO GREATNESS.

time-read
5 minutos  |
November-December 2024
...I LOSE MY COOL?
Men's Health South Africa

...I LOSE MY COOL?

DON'T WHITE-KNUCKLE IT. LEARN TO UNDERSTAND, OWN AND ULTIMATELY TAME YOUR OUTRAGE WITH OUR EXPERT POINTERS. DEEP BREATH, NOW...

time-read
2 minutos  |
November-December 2024
MOVING MOUNTAINS
Men's Health South Africa

MOVING MOUNTAINS

LONG HAULS, STEEP CLIMBS, EXTREME COLD AND OTHERWORLDLY LANDSCAPES IN THE CEDERBERG-OUR WRITER TAKES ON THE ELEMENTS AND UNEARTHS A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON A FIVEDAY TREK ALONG PHANTOM PATHS CUT THROUGH BEWITCHING SCENERY.

time-read
9 minutos  |
November-December 2024
THE NEW PLYO POWER-UP
Men's Health South Africa

THE NEW PLYO POWER-UP

HOW MODERN TAKES ON AN OLD FITNESS FAVOURITE CAN CALIBRATE YOUR TRAINING FOR AN INSTA-BOOST OF ATHLETICISM AND STRENGTH.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November-December 2024