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Hey everyone! Today we have a BIG announcement about our upcoming Chautauqua in the UK, but first a little background.
Many years ago when we first started working Wanderer picked up a book from the library he had heard rave reviews about. It was a book called Your Money or Your Life.
- Link your spending to your Happiness. Does spending X on Y make you more happy, or less happy?
- Eliminate spending that does not make you happy.
- Build up enough assets to pay for your pared down annual spending and you are now Financially Independent.
To say it was a game changer would be a massive understatement, and the public agreed, rocketing the book to New York Times Best-Seller status, landing the authors Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin on the Oprah Winfrey show (twice!) and elevating them to basically revered demi-god status.
Now, the book is not without its flaws. It was originally published in 1993 and by the time I read it somewhere in the early 2000’s, parts of the book had become laughably dated. The original version I read had a section about investments that was about 2 pages and basically instructed the reader to buy Treasury Bonds, because they were yielding 12% and what more do you need?
HA. Snort.
So while the original core ideas behind Your Money or Your Life were sound, the strategies on how to implement it were not. And unfortunately, by the time we found out about this book, the authors had gone silent. I read that Joe Dominguez, sadly, passed away in the late 90’s, and Vicki Robin had stopped writing about Financial Independence and disappeared into the metaphorical woods to focus on other things.
So it’s in this vacuum that what I like to call the “Modern FIRE Movement” was formed. Started mostly by Jim “The Godfather” Collins and Mr. “The Money” Mustache, and then later joined by MadFientist, Paula Pant, Jeremy, Justin, and, of course, ourselves. Our goal was ambitious: We wanted to figure out how to adapt that original message of Financial Independence/Early Retirement to today’s investing environment.
And we’ve succeeded in doing not just that, but in finding multiple pathways to FIRE. Whether through real estate investing (Paula), frugality (MMM), Index Investing (Jim), Global Arbitrage (Us, Jeremy) or some combination, the Modern FIRE Movement has largely succeeded in finding and marking pathways for others to follow to Financial Freedom.
So what does this have to do with Chautauqua?
Well, remember Vicki Robin, the author of Your Money or Your Life? Out of the blue she contacted Cheryl, the organizer of Chautauqua Ecuador and asked if she could be a speaker.
The reaction was immediate.
Mr. Money Mustache, who had originally been scheduled to appear for the first week of Chautauqua Ecuador only, changed his plans so he could join us in the second week as well, specifically so he could meet Vicki. And then as word started spreading about what was going on, and under the transitive property of “The Idol of My Idol is My…Super-Idol, I guess?” the second week of Chautauqua Ecuador sold out almost immediately. Hence why that big red “SOLD OUT” sign appeared mysteriously on the right sidebar there on Chautauqua Ecuador. We didn’t even have time to announce the change on our blog before it got sold out.
So again, why am I telling you this?
Well, after weeks of back-room cloak-and-dagger negotiations, I am thrilled to announce…
Vicki Robin will ALSO be appearing at Chautauqua UK as well!
Besides co-authoring the book that basically coined the phrase Financial Independence, Vicki Robin is a renowned speaker, educator, and an activist for sustainable living.
Many people ask us whether Early Retirement is some short lived fad that will continue to work 30, 40 years from now. Well, Vicki is living proof, because she’s the ONLY one who did it for that long!
I don’t like to say things like “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” but if you come to Chautauqua UK, you will get to meet not only us, MadFientist, and Jim “The Godfather” Collins, but also the Eve of “Adam & Eve” fame of the entire FI movement!
And that may be as close to a once-in-lifetime opportunity as it gets.
But act fast. If what happened to the Ecuador Chautauqua is any indication, any remaining seats are going to get snatched up FAST.
Official Chautauqua UK Site: http://ukchautauqua.weebly.com/
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It will be an amazing event.
Very sadly I’ve had to drop out attending the UK event in 2017 – I had really been looking forward to it.
However, I’m sure that 2018 will be a great event, after the first UK event in 2017.
Oh no. Sucks that you won’t be able to make it 🙁 Was looking forward to having you sign my copy of your book.
Oh well. Guess it’ll have to wait until next year.
If you have any free time in your itinerary, we could always meet for a coffee & to sign the book – I live less than 30 minutes drive from Heathrow.
Convenient! Okay, after we book our flights, maybe we can work out a time before or after Chautauqua to meet.
Once again, all our vacation days are spoken for (latest trip to Asia and upcoming 3+weeks in Northern Europe). Unfortunately, we’ll miss out on this opportunity to meet all you fine people! As I say every time, maybe next year…
Joe and Vicky did write an incredible book, but they were not the first. Paul Terhorst wrote Cashing in on the American Dream, How to Retire At 35 in the mid 80s. Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at 38 in the late 80s or very early 90s and wrote a number of books on their experience. Fellow Canadian Charles Long wrote How to Survive Without a Salaty in the early 80s about his experience living a low cost life on his own terms. And Scott and Helen Nearing wrote Living the Good Life in the 50s describing their self sufficient life that lasted from the 1930s until their deaths in the 80s and 90s (Scott lived to age 100) living in Vermont and Maine.
I love reading of your and the others experiences. Keep up the good work. Wish I could be in England for the Chautauqua this year.
A few years ago I had the chance to meet and become friends with Billy and Akaisha Kaderli. Great folks and true pioneers in living free.
Last saw them in Guatemala about two years ago. After time in Vietnam and other places word is they’re back there now.
I’ve very excited to meet Vicki this August in the UK! We’ve exchanged some emails and this Chautauqua is gonna be epic!
Glad to know there are other FI authors out there. Thanks for sharing and for reading!
Right you are Jeff. David Shi has a wonderful book on the history of simplicity in the US, pointing out that it’s as American as apple pie from even before the Europeans landed, since the Indigenous peoples understood fully that resources need to be tended, stored and shared such that every year there’s plenty for everyone. Thoreau was the first to essentially say one of the core ideas in YMOYL – money is life energy. There’s no telling why Your Money or Your Life turned out to be the break out book of my generation and not Duane Elgin’s more thoughtful and comprehensive Voluntary Simplicity or Paul Wachtel’s the Poverty of Affluence. I think it’s because we translated ideas and philosophies into a methodology of self-inquiry that popped people out of their petty pace.
I’m updating the book now to bring it into current realities – which of course are always shifting. That’s why bloggers like Kristy and MMM and Jim and all the rest are essential for navigating change.
Vicki,
I’m really looking forward to the update to Your Money or Your Life! Having grown up on a farm, your TEDx talk on local eating also hit home. Our farm did a lot of substance growing along side the for-profit stuff. Local eating back in the 80’s – with all the canning and freezing that came with it. Now, in the big city with the high-stress, high-profile job, pursuing FI just makes more sense. I don’t know much more of my life’s energy I can pour into the rat race.
Please keep up the good work. I’ll talk to my wife about the UK chautauqua. I see there are just a few spots for couples left, but we’d need to work out childcare. Jetting off to the UK without the kids seems tough.
Awesome post! We are SO excited about Chatauqua UK this year! Can’t wait!
Ahhh. It’s my dream to attend at least one Chataqua, but this isn’t my year unfortunately. I can’t wait to see all of the wonderful ideas and collaborations that come out of it! I didn’t read YMOYL until last month, actually. It’s an excellent primer if you want to understand the principles behind FIRE. They released a more updated version after the initial release, but it’s still dated.
Yes, the collaborations and ideas are the best part. We are already throwing some collaborative ideas around and it’s going to be SO awesome to turn them into reality with our FI peeps.
Hopefully you can join us in a future Chautauqua!
I’ve heard a few podcasts that were recorded at the Chautauqua’s and while I’d love to attend, I don’t think it’s in the cards for us this year. We went to Ireland last year and had a blast but the stars are unlikely to line up for that this year.
Hope to hear you on some podcasts after it’s over though!
Was it the MadFientist podcast?
Most likely yes. I went on a podcast binge recently and listened to a LOT of them.
That is so cool. I read the book twenty years ago. It made saving and investing real for me. I even had the paper chart on the wall. Before that time, I thought investing was for people with money and who was I? I barely had any. Just debt. Now, I can quit my job any time. I’ve cut my hours to 60% (I still want health insurance coverage for now). And we have a house (yes, the dreaded mortgage), but we like where we live and we’re okay with that right now. I took a longer road, but I still got there. Thanks for posting this.
Wow, you went from thinking investing was only for rich people to having the means to quit your job at any time. Nice! It’s good to know that book has changed so many of our lives 🙂
Don’t forget the tightwad gazette by Amy Dacyczyn, dated in some areas but very relevant. She has also disappeared but would be amazing to see! I am currently booked up with miracle ? and looking forward to future opportunities ☺️
We will keep you posted as they come up.
I’m excited to hear more about this event with the godfather (or mother I guess) of FI. I had no idea this was the book that started it all. Even though it’s a bit dated I feel like I need to check it out.
Definitely check it out. It really is timeless.
Don’t forget that the dude who started Early Retirement Extreme, Jacob, bequeathed his followers to Mr Money Mustache as Jacob was ready to retire from blogging after reaching FI and staying there for years. I’ve read MMM from the early days and actually found him from Jacob’s “second retirement” post.
Yes don’t forget ERE! Jacob was the one who told me (through his web site) about MMM. Jacob’s posts are still available to read and are excellent.