Best Blogs to Follow for Financial Independence Advice

Top financial independence (FI) blogs include Mr. Money Mustache (frugality/mindset), Financial Samurai (high income/real estate), and Afford Anything (investing/options). These websites, together with ChooseFI and JL Collins, offer practical guidance on living below your means and investing in low-cost index funds to avoid the 9-to-5 grind.

Here are the best blogs to follow for Financial Independence advice:

Core Financial Independence (FIRE) Blogs 

• Mr. Money Mustache: Known for aggressive savings, frugal living, and a no-nonsense mindset to retire early.
• Financial Samurai: Offers data-driven, often debated, advice on real estate investing, passive income, and high-income strategies.
• Afford Anything: Focuses on investing, passive income, and the philosophy that you can afford anything, but not everything.
• JL Collins: Famous for the “Simple Path to Wealth,” prioritizing low-cost index funds (VTSAX).
• ChooseFI: A comprehensive community and podcast/blog focusing on the mechanics of reaching FI.

Mindset and Sustainable Living 

• Get Rich Slowly: Focuses on building wealth slowly through consistent habits, debt management, and avoiding quick-rich schemes.
• Budgets Are Sexy: A fun, non-intimidating look at budgeting and net worth tracking.
• The Frugalwoods: Covers extreme frugality and intentional living, often focusing on moving from city to rural life.
• A Purple Life: A first-person account of a 30-something woman achieving FI.

Strategic & Lifestyle Focused

• I Will Teach You To Be Rich: Ramit Sethi focuses on earning more rather than just spending less, encouraging “rich life” spending.
• Millennial Money: Geared toward young professionals focusing on investing and side hustles.
• The Happy Saver: Offers real-life case studies on how people are navigating debt, saving, and investing.

Here are 10 of the top blogs about financial independence and early retirement:

1. Mr Money Mustache www.mrmoneymustache.com

“This blog was born in 2011 out of exasperation,” says Mr Money Mustache (the pseudonym of Peter Adeney, a Canadian software engineer who retired in the US at 30). He was already then six years into early retirement, yet sick of friends complaining about how broke they were while constantly dining out and buying brand-new cars. He blogs about how to create a life “better than your current one, that just happens to cost 50 to 75 per cent less”. He spends around $24,000 a year and documents his exceedingly frugal ways, from DIY solar power to the cost of building a garden studio. He also features guests who have achieved their own financial independence.

Blog highlight: Killing your $1,000 Grocery Bill – Mr Money Mustache breaks down his $365-per-month food cost for three (a cost per meal of $1.33).

2. I Retired Young www.iretiredyoung.net

Dubai-based former accountant David Cox retired last year aged 47, although his wife still works as a teacher. This blog of a “pretty average guy” sets out monthly costs, the “decisions and choices” that gave him his financial freedom, and what daily life looks like now he has retired. His independence has come thanks to a portfolio of 12 properties, which help provide the Coxes with an income of £5,500 (Dh27,969) each month. Every month, Mr Cox publishes an analysis of what he spends: in February, his day-to-day costs came to £2,381. In 2017, he over-spent his £44,400 budget by £5,700 – or 11 per cent – but his target is kept deliberately conservative. A relevant blog for UAE expats with lots of data for the number-crunchers.

Read Also: Free Online Courses to Boost Your Financial Literacy

Blog highlight: Investing Nightmares – Don’t Do What I Did! The investment mistakes that cost Mr Cox £427,000.

3. Money Saving Mom:

This blog is run by Crystal Paine, a mom of six who has been blogging since 2007. She shares practical tips on how to save money on groceries, household items, travel, and more. She also offers freebies, deals, and coupons to help you stretch your budget.

4. The Simple Dollar:

This blog is run by Trent Hamm, who started it in 2006 after he got out of debt and learned how to live frugally. He covers topics such as budgeting, investing, retirement, insurance, and career. He also reviews books and products that can help you improve your finances.

5. I Will Teach You To Be Rich:

This blog is run by Ramit Sethi, a bestselling author and entrepreneur who teaches people how to earn more, save more, and live a rich life. He offers courses and coaching on topics such as personal finance, business, psychology, and career.

6. Budgets Are Sexy:

This blog is run by J. Money, a former cubicle dweller who quit his job in 2017 to pursue his passion for blogging. He shares his net worth, income reports, challenges, and experiments with money. He also features guest posts and interviews from other bloggers and experts.

7. Get Rich Slowly:

This blog is run by J.D. Roth, who started it in 2006 after he paid off $35,000 in debt. He writes about personal finance from a holistic perspective, focusing on not only money but also happiness, health, and purpose. He also shares stories and lessons from his own life and from other readers.

8. Making Sense of Cents:

This blog is run by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, who paid off $38,000 in student loans in 2012 and now earns over $100,000 a month from her blog and online business. She teaches people how to make money online, save money, travel the world, and live their dream life.

9. The Penny Hoarder:

This blog is run by Kyle Taylor, who started it in 2010 as a way to document his journey of paying off $50,000 in debt. He now has a team of writers and editors who produce content on topics such as saving money, making money, managing debt, and living well.

10. Financial Samurai:

This blog is run by Sam Dogen, who retired in 2012 at age 34 after working in the finance industry for 13 years. He writes about investing, real estate, retirement, taxes, and other aspects of wealth building. He also provides tools and calculators to help you plan your finances.

11. NerdWallet:

This blog is run by Tim Chen, who founded it in 2009 as a way to help people find the best credit cards for their needs. He now has a team of experts who provide unbiased advice and reviews on topics such as banking, credit cards, loans, insurance, investing, and more.