A free uFIRE workbook
The FIRE Starter Workbook
A calm, practical first year on the road to financial independence. Twelve short chapters, each with a worksheet and one small step. Free to download.
Free workbook
Get the free FIRE Starter Workbook
Twelve short chapters with worksheets, from your why to your first-year plan. Free when you join Kindling, our weekly email. Your download opens right here.
What it is
A printable workbook for anyone who likes the idea of financial independence and isn't sure what to do first. Work through it at your own pace: about an hour a week for a few weeks, then a short check-in each month. Print it, or save it as a PDF and fill it in on screen.
It builds on the free tools here, like the FIRE number calculator, the Freedom Date calculator and What will you retire to?
In your 40s, 50s or 60s and catching up? The Retirement Readiness Checklist is free too.
What's inside
Chapter 1
What the freedom is for
Write down what you'd retire to, so the plan has a reason.
Chapter 2
Where you are today
A one-page snapshot of what you own and what you owe. No judgment.
Chapter 3
Where the money goes
Thirty days of noticing your spending, and spotting what matters to you.
Chapter 4
Your FIRE number
Rough out the amount that could cover your spending, and its limits.
Chapter 5
Your savings rate
Why the share you keep matters more than the size of your paycheck.
Chapter 6
Debt, in order
List what you owe and choose a payoff order you can stick with.
Chapter 7
A cushion first
Build an emergency fund so a surprise doesn't undo your progress.
Chapter 8
The accounts, explained
Workplace plans, IRAs, Roth, HSAs and taxable accounts in plain English.
Chapter 9
Investing basics
Diversification, fees and time, explained without telling you what to buy.
Chapter 10
Earning more
Raises, skills and side income, weighed against your time and energy.
Chapter 11
Your first-year plan
Turn the workbook into twelve monthly steps and a few milestones.
Chapter 12
When life happens
Job changes, family, setbacks: how to adjust the plan without quitting.
uFIRE is education only, not financial, investment, tax or legal advice. Please check big decisions with a licensed professional. How we make money.