Step 1) Budget: Let’s build one
No matter what you do, this is the most essential tool in your arsenal, and it will ALWAYS be my Step 1. Without it, you’ll be forever lost with your money — especially in the early stages of your FIRE journey. You’ve probably heard it your whole life: “It’s not about what you make, it’s about what you save.” In my opinion, that’s 100% true. If everything were free and you saved your whole income, you’d be rich fast. But life is expensive. Hobbies are expensive… EVERYTHING is expensive. So the best thing you can do is map out your money and make sure it’s going exactly where you expect it to go.
I happen to be a software engineer. I’ve worked at FAANG-level companies, and I used to manage my budget in a Numbers sheet (think Excel, but the Apple version). But since the rise of AI, I built my own personal tool to handle all of my budget tracking. I live my life in routine, so I run my app anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes a day to make sure I know exactly where my money is and exactly how much I have in my account. I basically balance my checkbook live, every single day.
This is the DISCIPLINE that’s required to get ahead financially.
I don’t care what tool you use. Use pen and paper. Use an app like Mint (some of my buddies do). Use whatever works for you. I even have a friend who reached FIRE and now just makes sure his income is greater than his expenses every month by reviewing his bank statements. That’s the ultimate goal — and we’ll get there. But he can do that because he made it. He reached FIRE. We’re going to get there too, but first we need the right tools.
I’ll help you build a budget and walk you through what you need, at the very least, for it to make sense. I recommend doing one section per day, especially if you’ve never built a budget before. It can feel overwhelming, and shifting your lifestyle takes time. So take it one day at a time. If you do this right, you may need a day just to adjust to the idea that your money now has a plan.
Remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s nothing wrong with taking it step by step — in fact, I encourage it. If you’ve made it this far, that’s your lesson for today.
Tomorrow, we talk about expenses — and cutting the unnecessary things out of your life.