Kindlefirst draft, june 2022
← this one. for now.
Every number above felt final when I wrote it. None of them were. This page is about the math between the drafts — the spreadsheets at 5 AM, the recalculations after bad months, and what it actually costs to never need a paycheck again.
filmed at 6:14 AM on a Tuesday. the coffee was cold by the end.
p. 003
Savings that move
before you wake up.
Every payday, $2,340 moves automatically — 401k maxed, Roth IRA funded, taxable brokerage topped up. By 5:15 AM it's done. I'm on my second coffee and I haven't made a single decision. That's the point. Automation is the only willpower that doesn't run out.
← automate the boring part, feel everything else
Savings Rate Calculator
The spreadsheet I use every month to track what percentage of gross income actually moved toward FIRE. Includes tax-advantaged vs. taxable breakdown.
p. 004
Quarterly rebalance.
Seven minutes, four funds.
VTI 60%, VXUS 30%, BND 10%. Once a quarter I check the drift. If anything's off by more than 5%, I rebalance with new contributions instead of selling — no tax event, no drama. The whole thing takes less time than eating lunch.
← boring investing is the only kind that works
Investment Allocation Template
Three-fund portfolio tracker with automatic drift detection. Plug in your balances, it tells you exactly what to buy. No math required.
p. 006
p. 005
p. 007
$340 a month.
Groceries for two, zero deprivation.
Sunday I spend 90 minutes and $85 on groceries. By Thursday I've eaten well every single day and tracked every dollar. The savings rate lives or dies in the grocery aisle — not the stock market. Most people optimizing their portfolio are ignoring a $400/month leak at Whole Foods.
← the spreadsheet that gets screenshotted most
Grocery Budget Spreadsheet
Weekly meal plan with automatic cost-per-serving calculation. Built for two people on a $340/month target. Includes a substitution list for price spikes.
p. 008
Three videos a week.
Built 284K while working full time.
I film at the kitchen table with a $40 ring light and my phone. The content calendar keeps me from staring at a blank screen at 10 PM. Each video maps to a real number from that week — a savings milestone, a rebalance, a grocery haul. Real math is the content.
← the $40 ring light is still going
Content Calendar Template
The exact system for planning 12 videos/month around real financial milestones. Includes hooks, formats, and the formula for a screenshot-worthy savings rate post.
p. 010
p. 009
Download the
Whole Toolkit.
Everything I use, in the order I use it. Built over three years of 5 AM sessions and bad market days. Nothing held back.
Savings Rate Calculator
The exact formula used every month
Investment Allocation Template
Three-fund portfolio, rebalanced quarterly
Grocery Budget Spreadsheet
Optimized to the cent, $340/month for two
Content Calendar
How 3 videos/week built 284K followers
18,400+ nurses, engineers, and tradespeople already have it