Financial Autonomy

Like me, Lacey Filipich is passionate about financial independence and gaining choice in life. She's recently written a book, Money School, so I've invited her on to tell us all about it. Lacey shares her thoughts on how social trends, like conscious consumerism and sustainable lifestyle, have helped Financial Independence gain momentum, especially among younger people. We discuss how the trend towards the gig economy has made younger people interested in finding options to take away the stress of job uncertainty. She talks about changing how people perceive early retirement and introduces the idea of becoming time-rich. We also discuss the common fear of "I've left it too late". I'm sure you'll get a tonne out of our chat. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

I've interviewed numerous Side Hustlers over the past 3 years, including Side Hustle guru Nick Loper from the Side Hustle Show, and have conducted my own fair share of entrepreneurial experiments. The time has come therefore to provide the definitive guide to starting a Side Hustle in Australia. A Side Hustle could be the way you earn some extra dollars to pay for an overseas trip. Perhaps it accelerates the repayment of your mortgage. Your ambitions might be grander, with the Side Hustle being your entrée into becoming your own boss and pursuing self-employment or a major career change. Side Hustles can certainly provide choice, and of course that's what we're all about here at Financial Autonomy. So how can you get started with your Side Hustle here in Australia? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

This week I chat with Kate Campbell, host of the popular podcast How to Money on how she's gone about setting her goals and developing a savings strategy to see them achieved. As you'll hear, she heads off to Europe soon for a 4 month trip, so clearly she's got some ideas that work. I'm sure there's some ideas in here that you can put to use. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

This is part two of the back to the future episodes that we did. Episode 131 is part one of it, if you haven't had a listen to that one yet maybe give that one a listen. A lot of the information contained in these two episodes form the framework or the basis for the Invest in Shares with Confidence online course that we put together. For people that have an interest in building a share portfolio and getting started in terms of investing, we have got that course now which has been really popular. We've been getting some great feedback on it. Check out our online course – Invest in Shares with Confidence. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

This week I chat with retirement coach Jon Glass. Jon talks about the emotional event that occurs when we retire. He explains his analogy of crossing a bridge from salary earning and quite fixed in our weekly activities to having freedom and flexibility. Jon helps people create a new phase of life. Jon has found that most people like to get up in the morning and have some plans for the day. He talks about the different things he and his clients have gotten themselves involved in. I hope you find it valuable. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

We've got a bit of a back to the future episode for you this week, "How to get started Investing in Shares". The original version of this episode came out in late 2018. You can check out the full blog post here. This episode is a two-parter. There's a second part which is called "How to Build an Investment Portfolio" and that will be added in a couple of weeks' time. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

2019 was a bumper year for investors, so can we expect more of the same in 2020? Or is a pullback inevitable? I receive reports almost daily from fund managers and financial institutions. In the last few weeks they've tended to focus on the current state of the global economy and what that means for investment markets. So in this episode I'll be distilling their various insights, and providing my take on a few of them too. I hope you enjoy. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

This week we talk all things Shares with Bryce & Ren from the Equity Mates podcast. We talk investment strategies, the current state of share markets, leverage, our first investments, books we've found helpful, and plenty more. I hope you love it! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

Living sustainably is an increasing focus for many of us. This week's guest, Permaculture expert Kat Lavers, shares how growing your own food can not only help in reducing your environmental footprint, but save you money too. In this episode, Kat shares: How she took on a modest inner suburban home in Melbourne and transformed it into an urban farm. What is permaculture. The amazing volume and variety of produce she has been able to produce, and the personal budget impact of that. How much work is involved. The health benefits, both physical and mental. The flexible life Kat has been able to achieve as a result of being so self-reliant for her food needs. Oh, and a YouTube video showing her property has been viewed over 600,000 times! Take a look here: Incredibly Abundant Permaculture Garden in the City | The Plummery I hope you love it. And if you're not already receiving our weekly Gaining Choice email, subscribe for free here. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

In this episode I review the wins and challenges faced during 2019 and look ahead to our plans for Financial Autonomy in 2020. A bit of a pull back the curtain episode that I hope you enjoy. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

This week we talk making the move from employee to self-employment with Amy Irvine a fellow financial planner based in New York. We've each made the transition to self-employment, though Amy more recently than me. We share our experiences. The positives gained, as well as the challenges. Moving to self-employment is definitely a pathway to gaining choice in life, so if it's an option you are considering, I know you'll get a tonne out of this episode. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

If you're to achieve financial independence and gain the choice in life that is our goal here at Financial Autonomy, then it's very helpful if some or perhaps all of your living costs can be met without you needing to put a finger to a keyboard, smile at a customer, or drill a hole to install something or other. Passive Income sources are the key to arriving at this outcome. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

We're talking property this week. I recorded this interview a few months back with John Pidgeon, co-host of the popular podcast, My Millennial Money. John shares his property journey with us and provides some great ideas on creating wealth through property. We discuss: John's first investment property in rural Victoria His thoughts and approach to building wealth through property How John has built a property portfolio to give he and his wife choice in life. Where he thinks the opportunities are now I think there's a tonne of wisdom and knowledge you can get out of this episode, so I really hope you enjoy it. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

If you're to achieve financial independence and gain the choice in life that is our goal here at Financial Autonomy, then it's very helpful if some or perhaps all of your living costs can be met without you needing to put a finger to a keyboard, smile at a customer, or drill a hole to install something or other. Passive Income sources are the key to arriving at this outcome. It's important to recognise that in one way or another, passive income generation requires considerable work up front. So for instance, our third option – buying shares, produces wonderful passive income via dividends, but of course you've had to work and save in the first place in order to have the cash to buy those shares. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

This week's guest went from high school science teacher to being self-employed providing digital marketing services. In the space of 12 months she has grown her business income to over $100,000, and now has 2 staff helping her out. In this episode Brittany shares what sparked her change of career, her use of side hustles through her journey to self-employment, how she built the skills she needed for success, and what she'd do differently if she was starting over. If a career change or move to self-employment is on your radar at some point in the future, this is an episode that you won't want to miss. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

This week's guest rose to become the medical director - head of department as an anaesthesiologist at a large trauma hospital, within 10 years of graduation. He was working really hard, and getting the success that hard work brings. But then: "I remember one night in the middle of a horrible, horrible case. It was a level one trauma. I'm covered in blood. And all of a sudden I realised that I don't know if I could do this anymore. I was exhausted. It had been a 20 plus hour day. I'd been working straight, I was in charge of all the operations for the day. And I thought, man, I don't know if I could do this. And I've painted myself in a corner." In this week's episode, career coach and anonymous podcaster Doc of all Tradez shares how he reinvented his working life and how he helps others do the same. If you're looking for a better balance between work and family life, between earning money and pursuing what gives you joy, and between pursuing the standard script of career success vs playing the long game for your health and happiness, then this episode is for you. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

Between 1870 and 1970 our lifesplans more than doubled globally. For the thousands of years of human history prior to this massive leap forward in longevity, most humans did well to make it into their 40's. We lived long enough to reproduce, protect our children until they could fend for themselves, and then we were gone. Yet today in Australia we have a life expectancy of 82.5 years. In wealthy countries like Australia life is lengthening by more than five hours a day, every day. In this week's episode we're going to look at how the traditional picture of what retirement looks like could evolve to better suit the realities of modern day life in Australia. For all things Financial Independence and gaining choice in life, be sure to visit www.financialautonomy.com.au . There's our library of past posts, and over 40 free downloads to help you succeed. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

Early retirement via property investment is a key theme of this week's episode. Brad Dantonio, host of the Man Overseas podcast and I, met in Washington earlier in the year and sat down to record this collaboration episode. Brad shares how he's been able to use property investment to retire early. He now lives in a different city around the world every 30 days. We also discuss shares, happiness, NFL, and plenty more. I hope you enjoy it! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

I'm hugely excited to share with you my interview with Nick Loper from the Side Hustle Show podcast. In our chat Nick shares: How a house painting gig over the summer holidays helped set him on a path to entrepreneurship. His first side hustle. How he transitioned from full-time employee to full-time self-employment and some the challenges he faced along the way, not least of which was a huge Google roadblock on day 1 of self-employment that took 3 months to solve. Common ingredients for a successful side hustle. Nick also shares with us some of the highlights from the hundreds of side hustlers and entrepreneurs that he's interviewed over the years. Check out Nick and The Side Hustle show here: https://www.sidehustlenation.com/side-hustle-show/ And be sure to sign-up for our regular Gaining Choice email to set you on the path to Financial Independence.

February 12, 1999. That was the date something never before seen, happened. The Central Bank of Japan, battling persistent recession, cut official interest rates to zero. At the time other central bankers around the world criticised the move. Savers must be rewarded for savings. Borrowers must have to pay something to borrow. Without these basic financial assumptions, does the money world still make sense? Many predicted inflation would result. You will recall back in episode 111 I explored the enormous damage out of control inflation can cause. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

You've probably stumbled across the FIRE acronym before – it stands for Financial Independence Retire Early. It came out of the US and has spawned countless books, podcasts, conferences, and even a movie. Reddit has huge discussion threads devoted to the idea, with the primary thrust seeming to be how young you can achieve early retirement. Now I'm well on board with the first part of FIRE – Financial Independence. But it's the second part – Retire Early, that I have a problem with (as indeed do many in the FIRE community themselves). Financial Independence grants you choice. Choice in how you spend your time, how much of your time you devote to income generating activities, and what sort of income generating activities you do. Having gained that choice, why on earth would you want to retire? In this episode, I explain some alternatives that I've seen bring people happiness. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

What are the secrets to a fun and interesting working life? Nepal, teaching, and pursuing your passion. That's what we discuss this week with Jim Smith who shares how he's been able to achieve this much-desired outcome. These days Jim's focus is on building a tourism business that helps Australian's and especially students, experience life in Nepal, whilst also helping the local Nepalese people through paying fair wages for work done - such as guiding, and supporting several orphanages. "And at that point in time, it was more a question about what you like doing and what you want to do with your life more than what's going to pay you the most money" – Jim Smith Jim's website is www.Focustours.net SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY How many thousands of dollars do you have parked on the street or in the garage losing money every day? It's a question I've been focused on for our household recently. My wife and I each have a car, plus there is a 12 seater minibus for my wife's tourism business that we could use for a personal trip in a pinch. I reckon we've got about $70,000 of vehicles sitting on the street, slowly degrading, and all the while costing us money in servicing, petrol, tyres, insurance, and registration. Surely there's a financially smarter way of getting around! I want to share the research I've done on a few alternatives to owning a vehicle and a little about my journey with car ownership.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY We speak Vanessa Wiltshire, a Gen-X/Y 'tree changer', living in Heathcote, Victoria. Three years ago, she and her husband made the leap from suburban Melbourne to Heathcote in rural Victoria. In our chat Vanessa explains: - How to know if a "tree change" is right for you. - Escaping a career that makes you unhappy and into something that makes you smile (and pays the bills) - The top things to look out for (that most tree changers won't tell you) - Knowing where the GOOD jobs are and how to find them (tapping hidden job market). Check out Vanessa's website: www.sparkrural.com.au

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Welcome back to another episode in our financial history series. We started with Tulip Mania and the madness of crowds. Then we reviewed the Great Depression and how the lessons learnt continue to have impacts today. One thread of the Great Depression story was the Gold Standard, which we explored in episode 109. An understanding of the Gold Standard is vital to anyone attempting to think through the potential global impacts of Crypto currencies. This week we look at another moment in financial history – the hyperinflation experienced in Germany during, and especially after, the First World War. It was this experience that made countries so reticent to drop the Gold Standard during the Great Depression. We're also going to explore why nations today could be planting the seeds for a repeat of this financial disaster.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Peter Stanhope, co-founder of Gig Super shares some of the challenges faced by self-employed people in our financial system. If you are self-employed, or planning on making a move to self-employment – this one's for you.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Welcome back to the third episode in our financial history series. Last episode we looked at the Great Depression and why it still matters today. Before that we visited Amsterdam in the 1630's to learn about Tulip Mania. Today we're going to be exploring the Gold Standard, something that cropped up during the Great Depression piece. Indeed the Gold Standard is often pointed to as one of the key causes of the Great Depression, and certainly contributed to its depth and duration. Like the previous episodes, we'll be giving you the essential facts and narrative around this important historical period, but what I hope you'll especially get value from is the exploration of how the concept of the Gold Standard is being re-imagined today in the Crypto Currency world. So hold onto your 1920's hats, and let's dive into – The Gold Standard – What was it and what does it have to do Crypto currencies?

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Today we're continuing to explore significant moments in financial history. In particular I'm aiming to arm you with a basic understanding of what the event was all about, and then importantly, why it's of relevance today. Last week we looked at Tulip Mania in the Netherlands in the 1600's. Today we skip forward several centuries to the Great Depression of the late 1920's and 1930's. The Great Depression remains the longest and most serve economic collapse in modern history. There is some variation across countries, but it is generally considered to have lasted 10 years, from 1929 to 1939, though for many countries directly impacted by World War2, their struggles were further prolonged.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY You know how sometimes in the media or perhaps in a social setting, a self-declared expert will make reference to some historical event that they know full well most of us know little about, but they say it in such a way as to imply you'd be an imbecile if you weren't aware of this world altering event. This is the first in a series of episodes in which we're going to explore some of these often quoted financial events – the Great Depression, Hyperinflation in Germany, and this week's episode – Tulip Mania. I'll be keeping things short and sharp, as usual, but armed with the knowledge you've absorbed through these episodes, next time someone attempts to assert intellectual superiority, you can get right back in their face – "yes, I did know that", you can say, "but actually the real tragedy was the way…". Put them right back in their place. From the early 1600's to the 1720's, the Netherlands was the wealthiest country in the world. This was largely the result of a fair judicial system which meant that merchants from other parts of Europe, who were regularly imposed upon by their Kings to fund egotistical wars, (with imprisonment the outcome of non-compliance), where attracted to Amsterdam as a place where they could focus on what they did best - making money - relatively unimpeded.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY It's so easy to just float along. If it ain't broke don't fix it is not just a good approach to raising toddlers, it can be a whole of life game plan. But there will come a day when you're sick of going sideways. When rinse and repeat just won't cut it anymore. Whether it be career progress, building wealth, or physical health and fitness, one day you'll wake up and decide it's time for a change - time to move forward. Today's episode provides a simple 5 step road map for how to achieve progress in making the change that you seek. For an audio blog whose focus is all about gaining choice, I'm not sure how we made it to 106 episodes without exploring this already. Better late than never I guess.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Not your usual Financial Autonomy podcast. I was recently invited to co-host the Wheel of Sport podcast when they were working on the theme of Money in Sport. I had a ton of fun with this one – I hope you enjoy it too.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY In this week's episode I speak with author Annie Raser-Rowland about her book The Art of Frugal Hedonism. Annie shares her tips on living a life of maximum happiness and fulfilment, whilst side-stepping some of the limiting societal expectations that we all face. Annie certainly embodies our theme of Gaining Choice, and I'm sure there are ideas here that you can draw plenty from. Link: https://www.frugalhedonism.com/

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY The great Australian dream of owning a home once drove a fairly predictable housing pattern - Aussies would rent for a little while, save for a deposit then dive into home ownership at the first opportunity. Housing status spoke volumes. Homeowners were successful while renters were either young or couldn't get it together financially. How times have changed. Rising house prices and a need for lifestyle flexibility now have many questioning if they want a huge mortgage or if they're simply better off as tenants. Let's take a look at how you might decide if renting or buying is the right option for you.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Online freelancing platforms can help you obtain freelancing work, or hire people to do tasks where you either lack the expertise or the time. In this interview, Sarah Tang from Freelancer.com shares the inside tips on how to get the most out of these hugely powerful tools.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY With technology changing our world so rapidly, the chances of us entering the paid workforce in one role, and that role then seeing us through until retirement 40+ years latter would seem quite remote. And even if this were possible, is it what you would really want? In this post we're going to explore some key steps you could take to execute a successful career change.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY EPISODE 100!!!! Thanks for joining us for another Financial Autonomy episode. We've got a bit of a change in the normal routine today, because today is Episode 100 and I don't want to pass through that milestone without doing something a little bit special. I've asked our Gaining Choice subscribers for their top Financial Autonomy questions. I've picked out five and in today's episode I'll take you through the answers. Let's jump into episode 100.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Throughout most of human history, the only time you retired was when you died. Retirement as we now experience it is a reasonably recent phenomenon. It's an invention of the 20th century and it's worthwhile questioning whether it will continue through the 21st century, at least in the format we currently think of. When the retirement age of 65 was set, back in the early 1900's, it was assumed you only had 2 or 3 more years left until you were in the grave. But as we live longer and longer, will the current version of retirement continue to be feasible for the bulk of the population? Perhaps more importantly, will it be desirable?

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY In this episode, we explore how the fantastic journey of Kim from being an employee to a self business starter The experiences and knowledge Kim shares in this episode: How he turned a small side business into his full-time gig. Planning and Preparedness is important in transitioning from employee to self-employed Seeking mentorship for guidance and feedback to fast track your way to success. Sales is the lifeblood of any business.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Writer David Rae, in a great article in Forbes magazine, identified the disconnect between the early retirement through extreme frugality crowd, and the mainstream of society who want to enjoy life without financial constraints. He identified 8 levels of financial freedom. A ladder that we progress along to gain more and more choice and freedom. Given this aligns so well with our Financial Autonomy mission, I thought they were worthy of exploration.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY The starting point must be clarity around your goals. Most importantly, your goals determine your investment time frame. They also dictate whether your investment should have as a priority growth, or income. If your goal is having the option to retire in 15 years time, then you can invest in assets that experience high levels of volatility. You could also hold assets that are fairly illiquid – that is, not quickly sellable. Some examples. On the volatility side, as I write this piece, the Asian Share index is the best performer over the past 5 years. It is however also more volatile than the developed markets such as the US and Australia. If you wanted maximum returns 5 years ago, you got the best result through buying the Asian share index. But you only enjoyed those gains if you stuck to your investment and rode out the significant ups and downs. Now with a 15 year time frame, you can do that. If your time frame was 3 years though, an investment in the Asian share index was likely to lead to a disappointing investment outcome.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Freelancing offers flexibility. It's a way to fit in the necessity of generating an income, with the other things you want to achieve in life. Recently I heard someone reflect on the standard 9 to 5 working day. It came about in the industrial era to align with day light hours. The factories had little or poor lighting, and so they needed the workers to be there during the hours when the natural light streaming in through the windows was at its best. Given the wonders of electricity mean that most of us are no longer tied to having to work when the sun shines, why persist with this ridged allocation of our daily hours?

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY When it comes to gaining choice, there's few more powerful enablers than increased skills. Financial Autonomy is about gaining control and choice over your life – not enduring a working life that is unfulfilling. It's about getting the most out of the one precious life that we are allotted. In this post, we're going to look how an investment in your education, could help you gain that choice and control. What brings each of us happiness differs, but what is consistent is that in the modern world, money is a necessity. And whilst in the long term it may be possible to generate the money you need from accumulated wealth – for example dividends and rent from tenants – for most of our adult lives, the money equation will be solved through us doing something that someone else values, and getting paid for it.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY For many people, thinking about superannuation is the go-to cure for insomnia. This isn't all bad, in that so long as your superannuation foundations are set-up right, it is something that needs to be left alone to grow – too much fiddling around can be extremely costly. But ignoring your superannuation savings completely is a mistake. Your superannuation savings are likely to be either your largest or second largest financial assets, depending on house price movements. So let's take a quick run through the things that are important to know about your super, to ensure this important asset is set to deliver you the best financial outcome possible.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY Have you ever surfed the internet and seen something like "don't pay thousands of dollars to a dentist to fix that sore tooth, download my free ebook – do it yourself dentistry, for everything that you need to know"? Or how about "people who tell you you need a qualified electrician to hook up your solar panels are just trying to steal your money. Take my 3 part mini course and do it yourself. I haven't burnt down my house, and neither will you!" Hopefully not, though on the internet, perhaps I'm being optimistic.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY In this episode, we explore how you can convert the knowledge you already possess into dollars in your pocket. The experiences and knowledge Ronan shares in this episode: How mastermind group works Taking advantage of your Return of Intellect How to unleash your own Return of Intellect Turning your experiences into profit.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY As we've explored in past episodes, a Side Hustle can be the key that unlocks Financial Autonomy for you. That little side business that brings in some extra cash, turbo charges your learning, and has the potential to enable a total career reinvention. An extra $10k earned through your Side Hustle and paid off your mortgage each year, could see you debt free years earlier than previously thought possible. But how to get started, and I guess how to get started in a way that maximises your likelihood of success? Well, I've scoured the internet for various business plan templates, and thought about models I've used in the past. My experience is that a 40 page business plan is of no value to anyone, and is definitely not a good use of your Side Hustle creation time. A useful business plan should be on a single page. I've created a template specifically for Side Hustles, which I'll be stepping you through in today's post.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY A key change in the working environment that has enabled greater choice, has been the explosion of the freelance economy and the rise of the solopreneur. But for all the positives that this change brings, primarily around flexibility, there is at least one potential downside – loneliness. So in this post, we're going to explore this issue and consider some ideas you might like to implement to combat the loneliness demon and ensure your freelancing, delivers a holistic, fulfilled life.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY A discussion on property is well overdue here at Financial Autonomy. So I've roped in Buyers Advocate Emily Wallace to share with us her expert tips and advice for buying a property in Australia. She's lived in 23 properties in 25 years. Property investment is well and truly in her blood. The experiences and knowledge Emily shares in this episode: -How she became a buyers advocate (and what a buyers advocate does). -Advice on how to purchase your first property. -The sometimes hidden costs of buying a property. -Potential mistakes of people make when buying a property - and how to avoid them.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY According to Forbes magazine "the world has changed dramatically in the past several decades with more and more of a company's value attached not to factories, machines, or hard assets but rather the companies' ideas, processes, and designs – their intellectual property." Intellectual property (IP) can take a range of forms – writing, music, design, inventions, or software are all examples. The digitisation of the world has meant that the ability to convert these IP assets into money has exploded. In this weeks episode, we explore how you could use intellectual property assets to achieve financial independence.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY EMAIL "GAINING CHOICE" TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THINGS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY My parents, like many of their peers, bought a caravan shortly after retiring. Each winter they escape a cold Melbourne, and head north, to explore the vastness of our nation and enjoy the agreeable climate on offer. They're onto their second caravan now, and whilst their preference has evolved to staying in the one spot for an extended period rather than travel around, the winter escape remains a permanent fixture in their yearly calendar. This type of retirement, frequently referred to as the Grey Nomad lifestyle, is something of the default for Australians. Our superannuation and age pension system point us towards an income producing life that ends around 65 years of age, give or take a few years, followed by hopefully 20+ years of leisure. And whilst this model brings happiness to many people, here at Financial Autonomy, our mission is to share with you potential alternatives. Surely there's a way to live a full and interesting life now, not put things like travel and exploration off until our best years are behind us. I can't think of a single component of our complex lives where there is but one path. Certainly there might be one path that is the most popular, the most trodden. And it will be well lit to make those approaching it feel like they'd be crazy to do anything else. But there are always alternatives. Always.