Luckily for you I have some cool FIRE friends (who don’t suffer from writer’s block like I do… 😉 ) to refer you to.
Friends who blog in English:
Cheesy Finance: A Dutch couple with a kid who are already at the barista FIRE stage and intend to become fat FIRE within the next couple of years. They invest in real estate, hold a sensible investment portfolio and kick ass in the FIRE lifestyle departement. You can follow their progress through their “cheesy index”.
Fire the boss: a smart guy in his twenties who’s good with numbers, knows his way around investing and is eager to reach financial independence. However, he is determined to live life to the fullest on his path to FIRE. Oh, and obviously fire his boss. 😉
If Dutch doesn’t sound gibberish to you, I’d encourage you to check out:
Financieel Onanfhankelijk Blog: this guy’s the real deal, he retired early at the age of 49. That in and of itself is a huge achievement, but reaching FIRE in The Netherlands with our not-so-FIRE-friendly tax system is outstanding. The quality of his posts are excellent and this blog is a must-read for all you Dutch FIRE enthusiasts.
Thinking Big: now that’s the spirit! He likes to slash his mortgage and invest mainly in index funds. He dreams of owning rental properties in the future and since he’s dreaming big…he might just inspire you to do so as well. He also shares some numbers for all you lurkers out there.
Niet tot 71: a couple who don’t want to do mandatory work until their official retirement age of 71 but aim for 55 instead. This means that they’re working on their FIRE plan which they view as a marathon instead of a sprint and enjoy life to the fullest while they’re at it. For example: they bought a motor home (which is always a plus in my book) that will take them on many adventures to come. Meanwhile, you as a reader can enjoy their updates on net worth and their thought process on the decisions they make.
Van her naar hot: HOT in this case stand for Happy (Healthy), Opportunity-rich and Time-rich. While FIRE in and of itself is not the goal here, working less and enjoying the ride is. If you’d like some inspiration on how to get to this relaxed state of mind you want to follow this blog.
Geldnerd: works for the Dutch government has so much knowledge about Dutch laws and regulations, it’s uncanny. He excels at Excel 😉 and has created a handy FIRE calculator for the Dutch. He shares experiences and he’s all about handling your money with intention. Yep, this blog is a treasure trove for all you Dutch FIRE enthusiasts out there.
Fireme.nl: is a self-employed techie who experienced an epiphany after the last recession when he realised that he made too little revenue, had no pension worked out for himself, had no cash cushion whatsoever and got himself some bad mortgage deals. Add a health scare to the mix and you’re good to do a 180, which is exactly what he did. He doubled his income, started extra mortgage payments, got himself started on a pension, started investing and got of his butt by getting those muscles into shape. You are welcome to join him during his very inspirational road-to-fire.
EconoWiser 