Fired Up Finance ยท Tools for the life you want
Money is a tool. Point it at the life you actually want.
Start with the life: the home, the people, the work you'd choose, the trips, the slow mornings. Then see what it takes, give your pay its jobs, and check in as you go. I built these tools to do this with my own money, and I'm sharing them so you can too.
Step 1: Curate the life you want
Start with the life, not the money: where you'd live, who's around you, what an ordinary Tuesday looks like and how much of it is work. Pin it up on The Vision, an online vision board, on your own or with the people you share life with. The numbers come next, and they mean more once you know what they're for. There are no wrong answers, only expensive ones. What does a good ordinary day look like for you, and how much of it is work? Get there sooner, or enjoy more of the way there? Where do you want to call home, and what is it like? Who do you want around you, now and later? What are the big moments you want? The trips, the celebrations, the adventures.
Step 2: See if it's realistic
Put real numbers on the vision in The Plan. Add the house, a year off, kids or the big trip as life events, then compare versions side by side. You'll see whether your money covers the life you've pictured, what getting there looks like year by year, and when work could become a choice.
Step 3: Give your pay its jobs
A plan only works if your pay agrees with it. In The Split, give every dollar a job: the bills, the things you love now, and the saving and investing your plan needs. Then spend on what matters without the guilt, because the rest is already taken care of.
Step 4: Check in as you go
Every month or two, log your balances in The Check-in and see whether you're on track. Life changes, and so does what you want. When it does, go back to your vision and update the plan.
How much do I need to fill in?
Not much. The Plan opens in Simple: a handful of numbers and the answer, with Full there when you want life events and scenarios. The Split starts you from the lines most budgets have, and The Check-in needs only your balances.