The Voluntary Life

Understanding your personal finances is crucial if you want to achieve financial independence and gain more freedom in your life. Most people don't learn anything useful about personal finances growing up and are not taught about it in school (I certainly wasn't). It took me a long time to work out what I really need to know about my personal finances. I hope that by sharing what I've learned, I can help you acquire financial literacy faster than I did. This podcast episode covers the three most important things that you need to get in place immediately: Tracking and categorising of all your expenditure and income Calculating and tracking your net worth Using a budget to stay on track with your financial goals In the episode I provide an overview of these three topics and explain how you can use personal finance software to help automate the process of tracking them. As always, you are responsible for your money and you will need to do your own research. I am not a financial advisor. Show Notes: ibank for mac Mint The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley Image credit Tracy O via Compfight cc

We're selling our apartment, selling all our stuff, and leaving England behind to travel the world indefinitely. This means taking minimalism to the next level, since we'll only take with us those few possessions that will fit into two bags that we can fly with. To help with the task of getting rid of so much, I've created an inventory of everything that I own. This is a useful tool that I first heard about from the blog Man Vs Debt and read about in Your Money or Your Life. I'm convinced that making an inventory of all your stuff can benefit everyone, not just those who plan to sell it all as we do. In this podcast episode, I explain some of the advantages of making an inventory of your stuff. An inventory can help you- get an overview of what you own (most people have lost track of all the stuff they have accumulated) identify the value of your possessions, as part of calculating your net worth. develop a more conscious ownership of your stuff, so that you can get rid of all the clutter that you are not using. make money by selling what you don't need. I used a dedicated application called Home Inventory to create my inventory. In the podcast I suggest some of the useful things you can do if you use a database or dedicated inventory app. Show Notes: Episode 133 Going Minimalist All Previous Episodes on Minimalism Pictures of Every Single Item We Own by Adam Baker (Man Vs Debt) Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicky Rubin Home Inventory App for Mac

Everyone knows that to succeed as an entrepreneur (and just to be productive) you have to learn to delegate. However, in this episode I make the case for why it's preferable to automate a task rather than delegate it, when possible. I provide some examples of how I use automation to help my own productivity, such as: Text expansion (automated reuse of blocks of standard text) using TextExpander File manipulation (automating your own procedures for naming, changing and filing documents using Hazel Dictation and transcription using Dragon Dictate and Siri Scripting using AppleScript, Automator and Keyboard maestro for mac. I also provide links to some resources that I use for learning about automation: Mac Power Users podcast Screencasts Online (tutorials for mac software) Show Notes: Episode 108: Three Ways To Delegate

This episode covers everything I've learned about upgrading my habits to improve my life. Here's a brief summary of the points covered: Habits are the most important demonstration of your character: you are what you do repetitively. By consciously upgrading your habits, you have an opportunity to implement your vision of who you want to be, in your day-to-day life. Habits are powerful because steady persistence always beats the mad dash. Habits dramatically reduce the amount of willpower and brainpower required to get things done. Once you have implemented a habit and can do it on autopilot, you conserve willpower and brainpower, helping you get more done. Habits are easiest to adopt when they are simple to understand, when you minimise any friction at the start of the action, when there are clear environmental triggers that tell your unconscious to start the habit, and when you have feedback (rewards) for completion. I recommend the use of a habit tracking app like lift.do. In the podcast, I provide some examples of habits that I am currently working on and describe how I use this app to help me implement them. The episode covers the best books to read more about habits (listed in the show notes below) and I talk about many of the tips that I've gathered from these resources. Show Notes: Previous episodes on productivity Interview with Augusto Pinaud Lift Habit Tracking App Interview with Lift CEO Tony Stubblebine The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy F. Baumeister Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind) edited by Jocelyn K. Glei Photo credit: Todd Quackenbush

Why is there a lot of resentment towards entrepreneurs among intellectuals, white collar workers, extended members of successful business families, and artists? This episode is Part 2 of a discussion of "The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality" by Ludwig Von Mises. In this episode, I explain Mises' own theories about resentment towards entrepreneurs from specific groups. Show Notes The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality by Ludwig Von Mises (free ebook) Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas

Why do some people hate entrepreneurs? This episode explores some answers to this question put forward by Ludwig Von Mises in "The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality". Show Notes: The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality by Ludwig Von Mises (free ebook) Becoming An Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas

In this podcast episode, I outline the mindset that is most conducive to becoming a successful entrepreneur. This mindset is the culture of entrepreneurship. I provide a contrast with the culture of politics, to show what's special about the culture of entrepreneurship. Show Notes: Becoming an Entrepreneur: How to Find Freedom and Fulfillment as a Business Owner

This is part 2 of my review of Harry Browne's book Fail-Safe Investing. It contains a discussion of the rest of Harry Browne's rules for financial safety: Rule #11: Create a bulletproof portfolio for protection. Rule #12: Speculate only with money you can afford to lose. Rule #13: Keep some assets outside the country in which you live. Rule #14: Use tax reduction accounts. Rule #15: Enjoy yourself with a budget for pleasure. Rule #16: When in doubt, err on the side of safety. Show Notes: Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne Episode 173: Fail-Safe Investing Part 1 Episode on Financial Preparedness (discussion of the different economic conditions) Permanent Portfolio Historical Returns As always, it's up to you what you do with your money. I'm not a financial advisor and you will need to do your own research.

This episode is the first in a two part review of my favourite investment book, Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne. In this episode I discuss the background to this investing approach and provide an overview of Harry's top 10 rules of financial safety: Rule #1: Your career provides your wealth. Rule #2: Don't assume you can replace your wealth. Rule #3: Recognize the difference between investing and speculating. Rule #4: No one can predict the future. Rule #5: No one can move you in and out of investments consistently with precise and profitable timing. Rule #6: No trading system will work as well in the future as it did in the past. Rule #7: Don't use leverage. Rule #8: Don't let anyone make your decisions. Rule #9: Don't ever do anything you don't understand. Rule #10: Don't depend on any one investment, institution, or person for your safety Show Notes: Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne As always, it's up to you what you do with your money. I'm not a financial advisor and you will need to do your own research.

There are many aspects of life that you can work to improve, in order to create the life you want. In this episode, I make the case for prioritising your personal finances, before focussing on other personal development goals.

This episode is an interview with Jacki Rigoni, who blogs at Post-Consumer Life. Jacki and her husband realised that their million dollar house was really just a million dollars of mortgage debt which they would have to work like crazy to pay off until the age of 75. So they decided to sell the house, get rid of the debt, buy a plot of land, build their own tiny home, and live off-grid. Listen to the episode to hear Jacki describe her inspiring story.

This episode is an interview with Bobby Casey, founder of Global Wealth Protection and many other internationalization businesses. Bobby talks about his own background as an entrepreneur, how he became interested in the internationalisation field, and his life as a perpetual traveler. He explains some of the key ideas of asset protection, such as the role of offshore trusts and companies. He also discusses the opportunities for establishing residency in different countries for tax benefits, as a place to live and in some cases to gain a second citizenship.

An episode about two inter-related questions that are crucial to your happiness in life: How will you achieve financial security and/or independence? How will you find fulfilment? It's your responsibility to find your own answers to these questions, repeatedly throughout your life. Nobody can answer them for you. This episode provides some suggestions about how to think about these questions, to help you develop a more conscious strategy to address them. Show Notes: Episode 124 Four Ways To Quit The Rat Race Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Dan Pink

This episode is about the most powerful technique I know for overcoming deadlock in negotiations and resolving disputes, both in business and in personal relationships. The technique involves a very straightforward concept that everyone understands, but it is often ignored or usually only tried when it is already too late. Show Notes: Episode 144 Win-Win Negotiation Part 1: Communication Episode 145 Win-Win Negotiation Part 2: Strength and Value

Joshua Sheats invited me onto the Radical Personal Finance podcast to discuss the Permanent Portfolio investment strategy for individual private investors. In this episode we talk about many aspects of the PP strategy including: my own reasons for choosing this investment strategy the design of the portfolio the philosophy behind the approach strengths and weaknesses of the PP Show Notes: Radical Personal Finance Episode 30 Recordings of Harry Browne's investing radio shows Permanent Portfolio discussion forum "Wild About Harry" – article by William Bernstein about the Permanent Portfolio Fail Safe Investing by Harry Browne The Permanent Portfolio: Harry Browne's Long-Term Investment Strategy by Craig Rowland and JM Lawson As always regarding investment, do your own research. I am not a financial advisor and this isn't advice, it's my own experience and opinions. My intention is to encourage you to think for yourself.

Justin retired at the age of 33. He writes about his journey to financial independence on his blog Root of Good. In this interview, he discusses his path to financial independence from intensive saving. Topics covered include: Saving all salary increases and avoiding lifestyle inflation Cost-effective housing, transport and food choices The importance of having agreement with your spouse towards your financial goals Children and financial independence Show Notes Root of Good

Joshua from Radical Personal Finance Podcast invited me on his show to talk about entrepreneurship. We talked about learning entrepreneurial skills, voluntary versus compulsory education, the importance of selling in life, the ethical nature of business, and the positive power of entrepreneurship. Show Notes: Four Ways To Quit The Rat Race Presentation Radical Personal Finance Podcast Becoming an Entrepreneur

Mike and Lauren have average-income jobs, no big inheritance or bonuses, and they plan to retire at the age of 30. They share all the facts about their journey to financial independence on their youtube channel. In this interview, they talk about the practicalities of intensive saving, the challenges of making unconventional life choices, and their dream to sail around the world. Show Notes: Mike and Lauren's website Get Rich Slowly Early Retirement Extreme

Jeffrey Tucker interviews Jake Desyllas about his book Becoming an Entrepreneur. They discuss how to think like an entrepreneur and the amazing potential of entrepreneurship, both for personal growth and for a better world. Jeffrey is the founder and Chief Liberty Officer of Liberty.me, Distinguished Fellow of FEE, head of LFB.org, and founder of CryptoCurrencyCon.com. Show Notes: Liberty.me Becoming an Entrepreneur on Amazon.com Becoming an Entrepreneur on Amazon.co.uk

This episode is an interview with Jeremy and Winnie, authors of the blog Go Curry Cracker. In the interview, Jeremy and Winnie share their inspiring journey to financial independence through intensive saving. They describe the lifestyle choices that enabled them to retire early in their 30s and travel the world.

This episode is a review of the book Built to Sell by John Warrillow. The book is about how to sell a business, including how to transform your business to make it sellable. In this review, I discuss a central idea of the book: productising your services so that the business can work without you (the entrepreneur). I compare this with Michael Gerber's idea of creating a "franchise prototype" and the idea in my own book of "making yourself redundant" using proceduralisation and standardisation. Show Notes Built to Sell by John Warrillow The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber Becoming an Entrepreneur by Jake Desyllas

This episode is a conversation I had with Chris Stefanick on his podcast Choice Conversations. We planned to talk about financial freedom, but ended up covering many topics including childhood influences, entrepreneurship, different approaches to investment, and much more! Show Notes: Choice Conversations Podcast Four Ways To Quit The Rat Race Presentation

A podcast episode about the potential of life and society without politics. Show Notes: Franz Oppenheimer's book The State Henry David Thoreau quote Gustave de Molinari's book The Production of Security Michael Huemer's book The Problem of Political Authority Photo Credit: danorbit. via Compfight cc

A podcast episode about how becoming an entrepreneur can be pretty embarrassing, and how that's ok. Show Notes Embarrassment Four Stages of Competence Photo Credit: Alex E. Proimos via Compfight cc

This episode is the second part of a series on how to go paperless. It explains how to digitise your paper books using destructive book scanning. Show Notes: How To Go Paperless Part 1 Article: Destructive Scanning For Fun And Profit VoiceDream App

This podcast episode presents a range of techniques to support your creative thinking. Some of the techniques covered are outlined below: The focussed journalling technique called extraordinary time is great for thinking creatively about challenges in life. Another productive method of focussed journalling is the use of regular creative review questions for supporting ongoing creative thinking. The practice of noting and reviewing someday/maybe projects nurtures your dreams and helps you turn them into plans. Affirmations help you to be the best version of yourself by reminding yourself of what you have committed to do and who you are committed to be. Various other techniques are presented in the podcast, many of which come from the creative review part of the weekly review in GTD (Getting Things Done). Show Notes Episode on Mental Decluttering Episode on How To Stay On Top With A Weekly Review Episode on Extraordinary Time Other Previous Episodes on productivity Getting Things Done by David Allen Photo Credit: mortimer? via Compfight cc

This week's podcast episode is a discussion of Burton Malkiel's famous investment book "A Random Walk Down Wall Street". Malkiel's key point is that stock market prices are inherently unpredictable. He further argues that investment advisor techniques such as technical analysis and fundamental analysis cannot be used to reliably beat market averages. In light of this, he recommends the alternative approach of passive investment. In the podcast, I summarise the contents of the book, discuss the main arguments, outline some criticisms, and suggest other books and ideas that may be of interest. Show Notes: A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John Bogle What Has Government Done to Our Money by Murray Rothbard (free download) Economic Science and the Austrian Method by Hans-Hermann Hoppe (free download) Fail-Safe Investing by Harry Browne Mr Money Mustache blog Early Retirement Extreme blog Becoming an Entrepreneur book

This episode is about a technique for staying on top of all your commitments known as the weekly review. It helps you get a handle on all your commitments, decide what you want and don't want to do with your time and maintain all aspects of your life in working order. The idea for this technique comes from the Getting Things Done approach to personal productivity, but you can adapt it to your own purposes even if you don't practice GTD. Topics covered in the episode include: The three parts to a weekly review: a clear review (discussed in the episode mental decluttering), a current review (this episode) and a creative review (future episode). The value of identifying areas of responsibility in your life and reviewing them each week How to get an overview of all live projects, including urgency and importance The review of each live project and the importance of identifying next actions. The use of agendas and waiting lists for all the people in your life The Calendar review and weekly plan of tasks and decisions Show Notes: Episode on Mental Decluttering Other Previous Episodes on productivity Getting Things Done by David Allen Photo Credit: Thomas Frost Jensen via Compfight cc

Part three in a series on developing your own independent moral compass. Here is a summary of the ideas covered: Moral behaviour evolved as an evolutionary adaptation to gain the advantages of the division of labour that come from peaceful cooperation. The act of peaceful communication logically contains and implies the criteria for moral rules. There are four rules for avoiding conflict over scarce resources that are valid according to the criteria of universality, logical coherence and non-contradiction by behaviour. The rules are inherent in the nature of peaceful communication and can't be argued against without self-contradiction. Rule 1: Each individual has exclusive control of his or her own physical body. Rule 2: The exclusive control of a previously unowned scarce resource belongs to the first person to "homestead" the resource. Rule 3: The exclusive control of a newly produced scarce object belongs to the person to created the object (as long as they owned the component resources that they made it from). Rule 4: Justly acquired control over scarce resources can be given away or traded by voluntary agreement. These four rules together comprise the non-aggression principle. Protecting yourself from straightforward aggression is a practical matter. Protecting yourself from aggression that is disguised with bogus moral justifications is more complex: you need your own moral compass to avoid confusion. The purpose of this series has been to outline the principles necessary to reconstruct valid moral rules for yourself, so that you are not duped by bogus moral justifications. Show Notes: The Economics and Ethics of Private Property by Hans-Hermann Hoppe Photo Credit: chrisotruro via Compfight cc

Part two in a series on developing your own independent moral compass. Four criteria are outlined that can be used to assess whether any law or rule of behaviour is moral. The criteria discussed are: Enables conflict avoidance regarding scarce resources Universal Logically coherent Actions always speak louder than words (any rule can't involve a so-called performative contradiction)

An episode about developing your own independent moral compass. Topics covered: The huge influence of morality and moral arguments. Examples of different approaches to morality. The real purpose of shared moral rules. The benefits of developing your own moral compass.

An episode about my new book Becoming an Entrepreneur: How to Find Freedom and Fulfillment as a Business Owner. Topics covered include: First reviews of the book from readers. What the book is about and why I wrote it. The process of writing and self-publishing, including my struggles along the way. My experiment in crowdsourcing feedback with "beta-readers" from TVL listeners. Future plans. Show Notes: Get the book on Amazon.com Get the book on Amazon.co.uk Cover design by Will Moyer

Pete Blacow has taken two career breaks to travel the world. In this episode he shares his experience of long-term travel and taking time out from working. Topics covered include the practical issues of taking a career break, the pros and cons of long-term travel, and Pete's recommendations for anyone interested in travelling the world. Show Notes: The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

This episode is about freeing your mind by decluttering all your mental baggage on a regular basis. Topic covered include: The benefits of going on an information and media diet The importance of having a trusted system for how to declutter your mind and control the information buildup around you. The role of a weekly clear-out, as part of a weekly review Applying the "inbox-zero" approach beyond email to digital inboxes, physical inboxes, social inboxes, and life in general. Show Notes Getting Things Done by David Allen Inbox Zero talk by Merlin Mann

Comedian Rosie Tran (@FunnyRosie) interviews financial freedom advocate, investor, and host of The Voluntary Life Podcast, Jake Desyllas (@jakedesyllas). They discuss the various ways to escape the rat race. Jake talks about the different techniques he has discovered, including unjobbing, extreme saving, business ownership, investing, and more. Also, in depth discussion on the importance of personal and self development in the process of financial freedom.

This episode is an interview that I did with Kevin Koskella from Freedom Lovin podcast. Kevin and I talk about expat life in Mexico: the pros, cons and experiences.

Part 2 in a series on win-win negotiation. This episode explains the process of principled negotiation and answers two key questions for any negotiation: What determines your negotiating strength? How do you create value in a negotiation? Show Notes Getting to Yes by Fischer and Ury Episode 144 Win-Win Negotiation Part 1: Communication Episode on Negotiation from 2012 Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement Dovetailing in negotiations

Part 1 of a series on win-win negotiation. This episode covers communication as an integral part of negotiation. Jake highlights some useful techniques from psychology to help you communicate productively in negotiations. Show Notes: Getting to Yes by Fischer and Ury Active Listening Games People Play by Eric Berne I-Messages

An interview with Daniel Mackler about his new book Breaking From Your Parents. Daniel talks about why he chose to tackle this taboo subject, based on his own personal experience and that of many others. The interview was recorded in January 2014, and the book has since been released. Show Notes: Breaking from Your Parents ebook by Daniel Mackler Psychological Freedom: An Interview With Daniel Mackler Daniel's website Wild Truth (http://wildtruth.net) Daniel's videos on confronting your parents Part 1 and part 2

An interview with Augusto Pinaud about the concept of Extrodinary Time. Augusto is the author of 10 books including 25 Tips for Productivity. In this episode he explains his technique of devoting dedicated time to working on extraordinary challenges. He provides inspiring suggestions for how to push yourself beyond the comfort zone of doing good work and get to truly great work. Show Notes: Augusto Pinaud Website, Twitter @apinaud and email 25 Tips for Productivity #iPadOnly. The first real post-PC Book GTD Virtual Study Group Podcast Omnifocus The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Do More Great Work by Michael Bungay Stanier

"Most people think that they need to be tapped on the shoulder by the Epic Fairy if they ever hope to be epic, or if they're ever going to have the audacity to do something truly epic. But it's not true. Want to be epic? Just do epic s**t. There's nothing else to it." Johnny Truant An episode about ideas to help you make a habit of doing epic things. Show Notes: The Universe Doesn't Give a Flying F-k About You by Johnny B. Truant Getting Things Done by David Allen Why Making My Tasks Emotional Increased My Productivity by Robyn Scott Do More Great Work: Stop the Busywork. Start the Work That Matters. by Michael Bungay Stanier Augusto Pinaud GTD Virtual Study Group Podcast

This episode provides some thoughts on common objections to entrepreneurship. Topics covered include: The myth of an entrepreneur "personality type". Entrepreneurship as a personal development programme that can benefit anyone The possibility of a world where everyone is an entrepreneur

This episode is about how to develop and strengthen your network of business contacts. The ideas discussed are also relevant for friendships. Topic covered include: Following Through on Commitments Responding in Time Making Introductions Referrals and Recommendations Acts of Kindness and Helpfulness Show Notes: Getting Things Done by David Allen Inbox Zero talk by Merlin Mann How The World's Top Relationship Builder Makes Introductions Referrals 50 Ways to Show Gratitude for the People in Your Life How (Small) Heroic Acts of Kindness Will Grow Your Business Photo Credit: Paul Watson

This episode is about identifying your purpose in life. Topics covered include: The concept of Horizons of Focus used in David Allen's "Getting Things Done" How to manifest your life's purpose in every action that you do. Identifying and addressing gaps in your integrity Identifying the level of integrity shown by other people in your life. Show Notes: Getting Things Done by David Allen Episode 101: How To Dream Big (about visions and goals) All previous episodes on productivity

This episode is about financial freedom and asking oneself the question "how much is enough?" Show Notes Episode 116 (about the 4% rule and financial freedom) Article: "My husband retired young and goofs off all day" Episode 119 (Todd Tressider Interview)

The biggest challenge to becoming an entrepreneur is overcoming your conditioning. It's never been a better time to start your own business, yet we are all conditioned to think like worker drones. This episode is about how to break your employee conditioning. Show Notes: Episode 111 on Risk in Entrepreneurship The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley The Peter Principle

An update on my experience of going minimalist. Topics covered: The benefits of minimalism How it feels getting rid of stuff The downside of minimalism? Some suggestions for going minimalist Show Notes It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

Andrew is the founder and host of the Nomad Capitalist website and radio show. In this interview he describes his life as an expat entrepreneur, including: travels through South East Asia Becoming a nomad capitalist different opportunities for investment abroad Diversification: do you need it? Dealing with the practicalities of doing business on the road perpetual travel: the good and the bad

David is an entrepreneur and perpetual traveller. He is the founder of a successful technology consultancy and has been travelling around the world with his family for many years. In this episode he shares his experience of perpetual travel and entrepreneurship, including: The idea that got David and his wife travelling. The influence that The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber had on him How David turned an IT consultancy into a passive income business Experiences of living in Argentina, Spain and Thailand The benefits of minimalism and travel The psychological rewards of travel: learning to live more freely and operating without the rulebook you were given. The challenges of travel and how they are part of the experience Show Notes: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber David's Company Family Kahn Blog Email David

Pete Sisco is an entrepreneur, blogger and author of The Freedom App. In this interview, Pete talks about his life as a perpetual traveller including: Long term travel with a family Self-publishing Passive income businesses Working with people all over the world Dealing with bureaucracies when travelling Perpetual travel as the ultimate personal freedom Show Notes: Pete's website and blog The Freedom App book