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The Financially Independent Retire Early (FIRE) movement is popular for good reason: who doesn’t want to take control of their life and become financially independent?
Today, there are hundreds of blogs that purport to teach readers how they can make their financial dreams a reality. But the sheer volume of advice online makes getting started overwhelming. That’s why Moneyzine.com decided to compile a list of the most credible and genuinely useful FIRE blogs.
Early Retirement Now was created by Karsten Jeske - better known as “Big Ern” - after quitting his finance job in 2018. Since, he’s travelled the world and built a home with his wife. But he’s still found time to write some extremely useful and insightful content.
The blog draws on his expert knowledge of finance to help readers make the system work for them, understand what’s coming and ultimately follow in Ern’s footsteps by earning enough to retire early.
Social media: Twitter
Must read: How to beat the stock market
Think Save Retire is run by a husband and wife duo named Steve and Courtney Adcock. Having realised their own dreams of retiring early in 2016, they built a blog to help others do the same.
It’s built on the premise that becoming financially independent shouldn’t be difficult or confusing. The content is clear, honest and personable - helping you navigate the complicated terrains of financial literacy and wealth building with ease.
Social media: Twitter
Must read: The awesomeness of not being important
Rich and Regular started in 2017 when founders Kiersten and Julien left real estate investing to embrace the FIRE movement. They wanted to share their frustrations and successes - and ultimately help readers realise their financial goals.
The blog blends personal stories with insights into debt, investing and entrepreneurship. They are unafraid of challenging orthodox advice and offering a candid look at how their lives have changed since starting the blog.
Social media: Instagram
Must read: Revisiting out financial plan
Our Next Life is the blog of Tanja Hester, who retired at just 38 and has since been dubbed the “matriarch of the women’s FIRE movement”.
The blog combines the standard advice on saving, spending and earning with a socially conscious edge. Investment advice includes ethical considerations, and Tanja’s latest book Wallet Activism focuses on using the financial awareness FIRE promotes to make positive change in the world.
Social media: Instagram
Must read: Thinking about frugality more broadly
The clue is very much in the name of Retire By 40, Joe Udo’s FIRE blog. He started writing to track his own mission to retire early, and managed to achieve his goal after just 2 years (with the help of pre-existing savings).
Now, he offers honest insights into what is required to retire early, how financial products and services can be leveraged to help you and what to do with the financial freedom you do eventually achieve.
Social media: Twitter
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1500 Days to Freedom covers a range of topics relevant to FIRE enthusiasts, including investment insights and spending tips. But some of the most valuable content is more related to lifestyle.
The blog offers a direct view into the life of someone who has been able to become financially independent, as well as plenty of guidance about how to live better when you achieve the same goal.
Social media: Twitter
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The Retirement Manifesto was founded by Fritz Gilbert after he achieved early retirement - at the age of 55. His perspective is level-headed and honest, looking at retirement as a marathon not a sprint.
The content is wide ranging, from book reviews and personal essays to advice on health insurance and investing strategies. It is ideal for readers that want to make a clear-sighted plan for the next 10 years.
Social media: N/A
Must read: The ultimate retirement planning guide
Tread Lightly, Retire Early charts Angela’s attempts to realise the aspiration of FIRE. She writes candidly about her experiences, both good and bad. For anyone unsure whether FIRE is for them, this blog offers invaluable insight.
Social media: N/A
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The Fioneers are Jess and Corey, a couple living in Boston. They started the blog in 2018 to document their journey towards financial independence; Jess quit her job in 2021, while Corey left his in November 2022.
The blog covers standard topics like money saving advice and financial planning. But it also includes plenty of insights into travel, mental health and general lifestyle improvements related to FIRE.
Social media: Twitter
Must read: Money doesn’t magically fix problems
Inspire to FIRE is an exceptional resource for anyone who finds financial topics daunting. The blog offers detailed comparisons and explanations to help readers make better, more informed decisions - and realise their FIRE aspirations.
Social media: N/A
Must read: What’s my FIRE number?
Jim left his corporate job at 43 and started Route to Retire. His path involved careful saving, lifestyle frugality and real estate - all of which he covers in his content.
The blog offers great advice about credit, money saving tricks building the right behaviours and mindset to achieve your financial goals.
Social media: Twitter
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As an unemployed 27 year old, the founder of Retire Before Dad set himself a goal: to earn enough money to retire before his father. The blog offers advice intended to help readers do the same.
The topics cover a range, from passive income and starting an online business to real estate and investment strategies. But don’t let the range fool you: every topic is covered in detail and with great insight.
Social media: Twitter
Must read: 20+ passive incomes ideas
Aussie Fire Bug tracks the progress of a FIRE aspirant as they explore the possibilities and perils of financial independence. The blog is highly relatable, offering honest insights into the process. There is also plenty of content about investing strategy and how to save more effectively.
Social media: Twitter
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Financially Alert is the blog of Michael Quan, who reached financial independence at just 30 years old - and retired at 36. He now helps others achieve the same goals, providing detailed and personable content.
His blog covers personal finance, side hustles and saving tips - as well as insights into the reality of having a family and living as an early retiree.
Social media: Facebook
Must read: Reddit personal finance: the missing guide
Julie and Jason Buckley retired at 43, after cutting their 9 year FIRE plan down to just 2 years. Now what do they do? Their blog will give you plenty of insight.
They offer an unusually candid view of the life of financially independent travel. Not only is it hugely inspiring, it will also be a vital resource for anyone who hopes to one day follow in their footsteps.
Social media: Twitter
Must read: Why we’ve decided to sell our house and buy shares instead
The founder of Five Year FIRE Escape retired at 32. The blog is based on a belief that the average person can, if they so choose, make enough money in five years to retire. The blog is dedicated to helping readers do that.
The content combines personal finance, investment insights and self-help. Readers are not only taught how to achieve their financial goals, but what mindset is required to do so.
Social media: Facebook
Must read: Yes, money is everything. But not in the way you think
Eat Sleep Breathe FI founder Chrissy reached financial independence at 42. She has continued to produce regular content, including reviews of money-related products and services, budgeting advice and personal stories.
The blog includes several noteworthy series, including posts about the cost of living in specific cities, where Chrissy interviews people from the FIRE community about their experiences.
Social media: Facebook
Must read: How much does it cost to live the FIRE life?
Alan Donegan is the founder of Reb Business School, but his blog offers a great deal of free advice on entrepreneurship, financial independence and content creation. He covers nuanced technical topics and motivational stories in equal measure, helping aspiring FIRE individuals both invest better and approach their goals more sensibly.
Social media: Twitter
Accidental FIRE founder Dave became financially independent in his 40s. But rather than rest on his laurels, he decided to share how he achieved that situation with the world via his blog.
The blog covers the psychology of money, financial updates and insights into the changing nature of work. Readers will gain a clearer understanding of current economic affairs whilst also picking up tricks to help them retire sooner.
Social media: Facebook
Must read: What I’ve learned from 5 years of semi-retirement
Ali and Alison Walker achieved financial independence in 2017 - and retired a year later. Their content has won multiple awards and helped them build a growing online community.
The blog offers guidance on building a plan for financial independence and financial insights, as well as interviews with other FIRE community members.
Social media: Instagram
Must read: What’s your “why” for FI?
The founder of I Retired Young quit his accounting job at the age of 47 to pursue a more meaningful life. The blog emerged from his own research trying to figure out what a financially independent life would be like.
He offers a frank and transparent view of the FIRE life, talking candidly about his living costs, the psychological impact of the lifestyle and advice on financial planning.
Social media: Instagram
Must read: Will I be bored if I retire early?
Final Thoughts
The journey to become financially independent can be long and tough. But the blogs explored above will help you through. Whether you’re looking for specific investment advice or simply want something to aspire to, learning from others’ experience is absolutely invaluable.
Choosing the best FIRE blogs:
With the FIRE movement’s growing popularity, it’s not surprising there were a huge number of blogs to choose from. We narrowed down the contenders using the following criteria:
Experience: Only individuals with legitimate experience in financial independence were included. This ensures they offer genuine insights based on credible knowledge.
Relevance: The blogs included are all directly relevant and useful to the aspirations of FIRE. No generic financial advice; everything has to be specifically geared towards the goal of financial independence.
Scope: Given the variety of methods through which financial independence can be achieved, we strived to include blogs that reflect a wide range of methods, approaches and ideas.
Regularity: We prioritised blogs that post content frequently, to ensure our readers got plenty of up-to-date information.
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