Book idea (collection of personal plans)

Questions and comments
jacob
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Post by jacob »

I've been thinking of lots of ways to reach the next layer of people beyond those who get FIREE/FUME/ERE immediately. The most recent one is to see if it would be possible to gather fifty 400-800 word essays of personal plans/journals/successes/failures.
Sad as it may be many perceive arguments to be stronger when a lot of people agree and I have definitely found it powerful to be able to point doubters to the journals.
This way it would be clear how many different solutions there are, different kinds of incomes, different kinds of investments, singles, couples, children, rural, city, hobbies, etc.
Suggestions welcome.


jacob
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Post by jacob »

I don't think the Pareto law applies here. Having writing about ERE and talking (mailing) with people for several years now, I've learned that some will hold off indefinitely until a particular point is explained in a particular way and then everything will fall into place for them. I am making a list of these ways.
So I think it is to a large extent my failure to communicate rather than people not wanting to be convinced. It's fairly easy to discard something if it doesn't relate to ones values (e.g. don't understand it, only done by one crazy guy in an RV, can't relate to my situation). Having many examples is a scatter shot at the values and situations for people who don't have the imagination/ability to understand the principles but need to copy someone.


HSpencer
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Post by HSpencer »

Would be nice to retrain folks about being more frugal. (AKA as reducing one's need for money without pain.)
Your getting in the shower, hot water running, the phone rings.

Do you:
a. Turn off the water, then answer the phone.

b. Answer the phone, leave the water running, chit chat one minute and tell the caller to please let you call back.

c. Answer the phone, talk for ten minutes, and almost forget the water is running.
Pure exercise in being frugal, above. This is the part modern day people just don't get. Problem is they have no mama or daddy to instill it in them any longer. Many would think nothing about selecting answer c, above.
I think this is the popular mindset today. Not many "string savers" any more.


AlexOliver
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Post by AlexOliver »

I'd do d. get in the shower, call them back later. I hate talking on the phone :) Also might be wet from sticking hand in the shower to test water temp, and water + cell phone = no good.
@jacob: "I've learned that some will hold off indefinitely until a particular point is explained in a particular way and then everything will fall into place for them"
Or maybe their situation has changed a little bit, and now they're ready to hear it.
This would be an interesting book, though. Case studies in ERE!


EMJ
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Post by EMJ »

With all due respect HSpencer I think there is another answer to your question. Instead of the Pavlovian response of running to answer you could finish the shower. With answering machines, call display etc there is no reason to believe that a truly crucial message would be missed.
While this may seem off topic I think that always dropping what we are doing and allowing other peoples demands to rule our time is part of our big picture, all society problem.


HSpencer
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Post by HSpencer »

Yeah, it was just an example. You could do a similar with lights on in empty rooms. Or leaving the refrigerator door open and go answer the front door. I have seen that one. Tenant called and said "my refrigerator is not cold". Anyway---
A moment of thought pays off.


NYC ERE
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Post by NYC ERE »

This sounds like a great way to make your ideas more accessible, Jacob. I suggest dividing the book into sections of "done it," "doing it," "challenges," "abandonments," "extremes (someone starting with $200k in debt; someone else living on $200 a month)" and "I love what I do, I'm never going to quit my job." That last one could include one person who saves responsibly anyway, and one that doesn't.
Essays sound good; interviews + profiles sound better to me--that way you can editorialize a little bit and the audience can get an idea of the interviewee's outward personality from a third party (you). The first book covers "why" and "how" very well; the "who" could be equally motivating, IMO.
Suggested title: "I Shall Be Released: Profiles of 30 Extremely Early Retirees."


Dienekes
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Post by Dienekes »

I think a second book would be perceived by the general public as a positive signal that this author/philosophy/lifestyle is successful or can lead to success. The logic would be: otherwise, who would invest in the time and money to do another book (i.e., it is not a cheap signal to make). This increase in the perceived quality would be greater the more differentiated the second book is to the first--and I think your idea about the 50 essays is a nice differentiation.
In terms of organization, my view is to weave the essays into a narrative. If the target audience is "high hanging fruit," then those folks will need some hand-holding and storytelling. So rather than organizing chapters by types of essays, maybe chapters could be organized by topics like: "How Some Overcame Initial Resistance," "What if Your Not Ready to Go 'Extreme'," "What if you Just Got Laid Off?," "What if You Love your Car More than Your Wife?," "What if 'Investing' Means Lifting Your Mattress?" Okay, so maybe some of these chapter titles need to be rethought. However, I think the idea of storytelling would be the most effective (although, it would also be more work).
Seconding firefighterjeff, I think it is useful to know each essayist's priors before going ER(E)/FUME. Readers will be rightfully suspicious that you have to be predisposed to frugality to make it work. Granted, there is some truth to that (at least I think so). However, it really isn't just about frugality as it is about changing your core values and views on consumption, production, freedom, financial independence, and what "retirement" means.


jacob
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Post by jacob »

I like the interview idea. I hadn't thought of that. It's also a lot easier to answer interview questions than write an essay.
The first book was very much driven by what I found important. Things I felt obvious were simply left out. Things like building the spreadsheet to plan out the future. In retrospect, such a spreadsheet was the tipping point for at least two people that I know of.
It's crucial to find out how other people think. I'm not very good at this since I tend to think differently or at a different level. It's hard to teach something when it's been almost 10 years since you went through it yourself.


NYC ERE
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Post by NYC ERE »

@Jacob you know where to go for the interview transcripts. :)


aquadump
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Post by aquadump »

I applaud your efforts. This reminds me of The Cheapskate Next Door. While it's an interesting idea to hear what other people are doing, it came off in a way saying that all "cheap" actions are equivalent, at least to me.
Some people are cheap by driving old vehicles. Some people are cheap by re-using zip-lock bags. Some people are cheap by getting food out of the trash. These are all interesting ideas.
But, if I want to be ERE, I am not going to start with cold showers. This is why I enjoy YMOYL. Combining YMOYL with the 21-day makeover first allowed me to see that an extra $200 in housing is equivalent, or greater, to any of my vices.
This is more of a tangent than a suggestion. To transition this into a suggestion, I would keep the book's content in the same order as the 21-day makeover.


m741
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Post by m741 »

I like this idea, but truth be told I'd probably pick up any book you decided to publish.


SkaraBrae
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Post by SkaraBrae »

I have a copy of YMOYL's companion book, "Getting a Life". I have read it more than once -- it serves as inspiration when I start to feel the dream fade a little, or encouragement when I face a temporary setback. It also covers people of varying backgrounds who successfully used the program; I think a similar book for ERE would be a great idea. (Plus, you could buy ERE + companion book together on Amazon to qualify for free shipping. ;) )
It's hard to tell what little bit of information or line of text will make it click in people's brains. All you can do is watch their eyes for the aha moment, or ask those who have already got it. For me, it was realizing I could be out in under 13 years. There are a lot of challenges involved, yes, and a number of changes to my expenditures (and income) will need to be made. But I could still be out before I'm 40.
I would be careful about dividing the book into topics a la 21 day makeover lest it devolve into a frugality encyclopedia. We've got enough of those already. I want to know stories of how people are achieving ERE: how young parents with twins are doing it, how a single mom did it, how a childless couple with no education past high school did it, how a teenager is doing it, how a 50-something who thought they'd have to work another 15+ years did it, how a single-income family is approaching it...
Granted, only one of the zillions of potential situations is going to apply to me -- and maybe even that will have elements I don't identify with. But people will give more credence to the idea if they see that it is adaptable to a wide variety of situations. If we can see that someone else like us has done this already, it reassures us that we can do it too and makes us feel like we aren't trailblazing alone.


msrich
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Post by msrich »

A book of case studies concerning ERE would be very helpful in my opinion. Anytime I direct people to the website, I get the same response from everyone: "I am NOT living in an RV" LOL!! I then try to explain to them that there are a myriad of ways in which one can become ERE while living in a variety of housing situations. So a book that touches on this would be great so that people can see the variations.


tac
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Post by tac »

I think it sounds like a great idea. BUT...
I would wonder if you are going to be able to find that many people who have done it. My impression is that most people talking about ER/ERE on the internet have not achieved FI yet, or if they have, they are now deriving income from telling others how to do it. I know I would not be very interested in reading essays from that particular subgroup because a) I can find the same thing on their blog and b) the number of people who can achieve/sustain ERE by selling their method/advice to others is extremely limited and it's therefore not an especially useful model to hear about.
I think to find people who are genuinely FI (not working towards it), who achieved it in a short amount of time, and who are maintaining it NOT through PF blogging/seminaring/writing would require a fair bit of work (but would make for a REALLY interesting collection). Of course, you are ERE, so you've got plenty of time for that ;)


jacob
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Post by jacob »

@tac - Yes, I may have to give it a few years (not a problem). There are people who have followed a similar path already independently. I get the occasional email from someone telling me that they did more or less what I did and retired at thirty-something. Maybe I'll just have to round them up so to speak.
I agree that making a living by telling others how to make a living by telling others how to make a living isn't very interesting. This is more of a "lifestyle-blogger" approach and isn't considered financial independence, more like a rockstar-job. There are only room for a few people doing that and success would likely require unseating whoever is currently making a living doing it.


m741
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Post by m741 »

One thing I would like to see in this approach is specific numbers. In YMOYL, there were examples of people reaching FI, but there were no numbers attached to it.
Although the process of achieving FI is of course interesting to me, it also helps to have concrete examples of total savings, returns as a % of savings, etc, because it would help me gauge the cost of frugal living in different ways and in different places. Also, it gives me some concrete goal to shoot for: "if I save this much money, it's possible to live in this way."


dragoncar
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Post by dragoncar »

I'd caution against 50 essays from INTJs trying to explain themselves to other types. Instead, you could try to get one from each of the 16 types, or at least a mix of the four temperaments. Not that I think MTBI is gospel, just that if you are trying to reach a larger audience, you may need to determine what those who "don't get it" have in common.


Beaudacious
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Post by Beaudacious »

INFP/Idealist here... And I'd gladly contribute my story once I reach FI (Target Age:30)! Got a few years to go though.
There have been a few books about early retirement I've come across that include stories... but they haven't been to in-depth.


jacob
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Post by jacob »

@dragoncar - Very good point. That's a trap I could easily have fallen into and one which must be avoided. INTJs trying to explain themselves to others ... story of my life :-P


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