This former computer engineer who lives in Colorado is the apostle of the Fire method. His blog has given ideas to all those who aspire to the life of neo-annuitant.
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The latest news, Mr Money Mustache would have traded his bacchantes for a beard of three days. But for his fans, the aura of "MMM" does not depend on the length of his hair. For a long time, the American guru of financial independence has preferred to flourish anonymously in the shadow of his blog and his avatar at the quickdraw cowboy. Success – MrMoneyMustache.com claims 1.5 million page views per month – it has been unveiled.
Behind the "young" retiree – he left the world of work in 2005, only nine years after entering it and on the eve of his 31e Anniversary, says 45-year-old Peter Adeney, a former Canadian-born computer engineer living in the residential town of Longmont, half an hour from Boulder, capital of Colorado, USA. During their short working life, Peter and his wife, also a former computer engineer, earned on average around $ 120,000 a year. That's a little less than 10,000 euros a month, a very comfortable income, but nothing exceptional in the high-tech sector.
Dividends and rents
Over the years, the couple – both from middle class families and without wealth – saved by reducing their lifestyle. No car, replaced by bike trips, few restaurants or expensive outings, a lot of housekeeping, recycling and second hand, some rare trips …
As a result, the squirrel couple saved two-thirds of their income each year, invested in a retirement savings plan and shares, despite a home loan for their principal residence and medical insurance. After nine years, in 2005, they decide to retire with $ 600,000 of investment aside, and their $ 200,000 house rented, after buying another home smaller and less expensive. Dividends and rents have allowed them to lead since a modest life. The family, which has grown a child, spends only $ 24,000 a year (about 22,000 euros).
$ 400,000 per year in advertising revenue
This success story made of discipline, material renunciation and a very pronounced taste for figures, has become an additional source of income for a Mr Money Mustache paradoxically more and more rich. Launched in 2011, his blog generates, according to him, nearly $ 400,000 a year in advertising revenue from its partners, banks and other financial services. If he donates a quarter to charity, the frugalist reinvests the rest to develop ancillary activities, training center, school, conferences to dispense his good word, but also a ceramic workshop, one of the passions of the couple to the more entrepreneurial fiber than rentier.
