Our Members fall into two categories:
1. Achieving Financial Zen as COMFORTABLY as possible
2. Achieving Financial Zen as QUICKLY as possible
In other words, Category 1 Members are anchored to their Financial Zen AGE.
And Category 2 Members are anchored to their Financial Zen NUMBER.
CATEGORY 1 – SOLVING FOR FINANCIAL ZEN AGE
Personally, I’m a Category 1.
We’re on the path to retire at 55. While I never ACTUALLY plan on retiring, I think it’s important that the captain of the Financial Zen ship is <10 years out.
So any increase in our spending is accompanied by either:
1. A decrease in spending elsewhere OR
2. An increase in earnings
This allows a buffer for manageable lifestyle creep.
CATEGORY 2 – SOLVE FOR FINANCIAL ZEN NUMBER
Our members in Category 2 are working towards getting to their Financial Zen Number as quickly as possible.
(ICYMI: If you spend $150k a year, you need $3M in the bank to retire. $3M is their FZ Number.)
So their anchor is to put every penny they can find into their Financial Zen Funds.
They don’t allow much for lifestyle creep and even actively try to reduce expenses.
WHICH IS BETTER?
Neither. We encourage people to lean into whichever way they’re wired.
It’s as subjective as what your favorite color is.
What we don’t encourage is not knowing what you’re solving for.
Financial Zen Masters don’t float down the river rudderless.
