Independence Money

Let’s talk about independence. For some, it is passive income which exceeds their monthly expenses. Others believe it is traveling the world with a backpack or living on a self-sufficient farm far from civilization.

For me, independence is not a goal in it self. It is not independence from society. I think that relationships where one person trusts another person are generally important for our society. A husband who loves and trusts his wife, an entrepreneur who has trust in his employees and delegates important tasks to them, or citizens who trust and somehow depend on politicians doing a competent job.

Independence is more the ability to fuck off at any given time out of any given situation. For me, independence is also the ability to ask the truth and say the truth. “Fuck Off Money” is what you need to be independent at any time. FOM (Fuck Off Money) will allow you to walk away from any situation on your own. It is crucial for your own feeling of self-worth. It allows you to quit any toxic relationships immediately – showing the middle finger to your boss, friends, coworkers, boyfriend, wife, or whomever it may effect.

So what exactly is FOM and why do you need it?

Fuck off money is basically a term for savings which allow you to walk away from any situation. It is money which allows you to live with your current lifestyle for at least 12 months. You can use these 12 months to generate a new source of income or find a new home. To find a new job, start a new business, or move to a new city.

Knowing that you always have the ability to walk away makes you independent even though you might have a job, be an entrepreneur, or be in a relationship.

How to get started

1. Open a new, separate bank account: If you have one bank account right now, go to another bank and open a new bank account solely for the savings of your fuck off money.
2. Make it very hard to access the money: While opening the bank account, make it very hard to access the money. Depending on your bank, you might opt out of online banking, and not use any credit- or debit cards. The hurdle to withdraw or transfer money from this account must be hard. This way, you cannot use your fuck off money for any daily expenses.
3. Calculate how much fuck off money you need: Think about your lifestyle. If you say fuck you to your current life, what will you need to live for 12 months? If your current monthly expenses are e.g. $1400 you multiply this by 12 months. Your target fuck off money is therefore $16,800. If you can easily minimize your monthly expenses to $1000, your fuck off money is $12,000.
4. Transfer as much fuck off money as you can to your new account: Transfer the highest sum you are able to easily transfer to your fuck off money bank account. The higher this sum, the faster you can fuck off.
5. Set up a savings rule: Every time you get paid, whether it is your business income or your paycheck, transfer a fixed amount (i.e. 30%) to your fuck off money account. Always transfer this money first, before you spend any of it.

Here is a little note: Your fuck off money must be liquid cash for at least 3 months. When you say fuck you to your boss or spouse, you need cash in your hands tomorrow. If you set up your fuck off money in special saving accounts – invest the money in stocks, ETFs, or whatever – you usually cannot access the money immediately. Pay attention to this liquidity gap.

Also: I highly recommend to continue saving even though your fuck off money can now easily cover 12 months of your current lifestyle.