If you want to retire early (and travel), I’ve got a life-changing resource for you. Earlier this year, I wanted to get myself into a better place financially so I started reading personal finance books. Many of them were marginally helpful. 

But then, I stumbled across the book “Quit Like a Millionaire” by Kristy Shen and Byran Leung. It has been one of those books that you continuously return to as a resource. I learned way more than I thought I would. Their approach is more than just saving money, it’s how to enjoy your life! Which is essentially our motto here at She Takes Five. 

This book introduced me to simple investment strategies, motivated me to cut my spending, and challenged the advice we’ve received from our parents’ generation. 

Lastly, they introduced me to the FIRE community (financial independence retire early). Those who were able to build wealth, retire early, and live their lives the way they want to live them. Whether that’s traveling, or pursuing passion projects, or all of the above. 

Here are a few key takeaways in order to build wealth and retire early: 

Live with a scarcity mindset. 

Cut out things that don’t make you happy. Their approach is more analyzing your expenses and figuring out where you can cut costs without completely ruining your quality of life. So if you still want to drink your daily coffee, go for it. 

Invest

In order to build wealth, you need to invest your money. As a career woman, I’ve always wanted to learn to invest but I was too nervous to pull the trigger. I don’t have a finance background and always felt overwhelmed. What do I invest in? What if I lose all my hard-earned money? How do I know which resources to trust? 

Kristy and Bryan focus on investing in index funds vs. individual stocks so that you don’t lose all your money if a company goes under. They share their investment portfolio and how it evolved over time. Their advice is simple and easy to understand (even for someone without a finance background). 

Don’t buy a house. 

If you are thinking about buying a house, read this book first. This was probably the most surprising tip because it goes against all the advice ever given to me. There are a lot of costs that come with homeownership from the initial purchase through the maintenance. If you want to build wealth quicker, consider renting. 

What I loved so much about this book is that you don’t need to have a trust fund or an inheritance to build your wealth. You can start with zero. The authors themselves came from nothing and built everything they have now. It’s also written in a comedic tone which makes it more fun.  And if you want to travel more, they’ve shared lots of their money-saving tips to make that happen.

One last takeaway (there were so many) it’s never too late to start. Don’t focus on your past financial mistakes, just look forward.

I would highly suggest reading this book if you are remotely interested in financial wellness and living a more fulfilling life. “Quit Like a Millionaire,” was one of my all-time favorite reads. And if you want to learn more about their journey and stories from the FIRE community check out their blog: Millennial Revolution (I am a subscriber).