Happy Ever After

Discover how financial freedom - and not fairy tales - is at the heart of your very own Happy Ever AfterDid you know you can become a millionaire by saving just $7 a day and investing for 7% returns? Probably not, because financial literacy is a subject that's overlooked by the vast majority of schools and universities, despite its importance to every single person on the planet.Written initially for a teenage daughter and then turned into a course to train migrant workers, Happy Ever After: Financial Freedom Isn't a Fairy Tale focuses on the fundamentals of understanding money, saving and investing, showing how the "magic" of compound investing can transform tiny initial amounts into genuine wealth. Finally, it shows readers how to achieve the "Freedom Formula" of 25x your annual spending - that can set you free.Perfect for anyone who hopes to make their future financially brighter than their present, or help their own children avoid mistakes they made, Happy Ever After has a playful tone, featuring a spoiled princess and talking frog, hand-illustrated to help explain some of the trickier ideas that can help change your life.

Acknowledgements xiPreface: Once Upon A Time . . . xiiiIntroduction: Are You Happy Now? xixStop Believing In Fairy Tales xxiThis Isn't A Fairy Tale, Princess! xxviThe Chapter 1 Cheat Sheet 1Chapter 1 The M.I.S.S.I.O.N. 3The M.I.S.S.I.O.N. Stages 5The "Freedom Formula" 7Part 1: The Freedom Formula is 25X 7Part 2: The "X Factor" 8Why The Freedom Formula Is So Important 9"Out Of The Woods" 11The Emperor's New Money 18The Chapter 2 Cheat Sheet 21Money 21Chapter 2 M for Money 22What is money? 23Time (and Energy) = Money 29Working people have money but no time 30Old people, of course, have no energy 31The Energy Equation Following The M.I.S.S.I.O.N. 32Your First Step Out Of The Woods 32Are You Ready To Be Happy Ever After? 33The Cinderella Side-Gig 38The Chapter 3 Cheat Sheet 41How We Learn To Make More Money 41Chapter 3 I For Income 42How To Make Active Income 42Dream job? Dream on! 42The Bad Things About Bad Jobs 46The Side-Gig Side Bar 50Jill Saves On The Side 54A Second Step Out Of The Woods 56Are You Ready To Make More Money? 57Free Income Stuff - Side-Hustle School 60The Age Of Dragons And Saving 62The Chapter 4 Cheat Sheet - Saving 65How We Save More Money 65Chapter 4 S For Saving 67Why do we save? 67Become A Master Of Disaster 68Saving For Investments 69Saving For Freedom 73How do we save? 751. The envelope method 772. The direct debit method 783. Bonuses and businesses 80A Little Help ... 83How much should we save? 85Trick Yourself Into Saving More 88What are you saving for? 91Do You Know How Saving Makes You Happy Ever After? 95Back In The Real World ...Save-tember! 97The Wicked Witch Of The Worldwide Web 100The Chapter 5 Cheat Sheet 103How We Spend Less Money 103Chapter 5 S For Spending 105"50 - 30 - 20": or should that be "20 - 50 - 30"? 106The (Basic) Cost of Living 10730% Fun? 115Free (Cool) Movements That Discourage Spending 122Should I Be Worried About My Spending? 125The First Seven Cuts 127Are You Ready To Be Happy Ever After? 132Jack And The Giant Bean Stock 136The Chapter 6 Cheat Sheet 139How We Make Money Work For Us 139Chapter 6 I For Investing 141The Long-Term Magic of Compounding 145R for Risk 148R for Return 154Risk = Return? 155"Integrate" Your Investing With Your Life 156S Is For Spread 166K is for Knowledge 170Back In The Real World: Avoiding Scams 179Are You Ready For Happy Ever After? 183A Tax Break 185How To Own One Cool Cat 188The Chapter 7 Cheat Sheet 191How We Own This! 191Chapter 7 Three Os For Ownership 193Own The Process 193What Do You Really Own? 195The Freedom Formula 208Back In The Real World: Climbing A Pension Mountain In Your 100-Year Life! 223What Woods? 224Are You Ready To Own Being Happy Ever After? 225"Happy Ever After" 230The Chapter 8 Cheat Sheet 233How We Know When To StartBeing Happy Ever After 233Chapter 8 N For Now 234Here Be Dragons - Yes, Right Here, Right Now 235No More Delays 238No More Excuses 240The End - Or The Beginning? 251Can You Be Happy Ever After Now? 252The M.I.S.S.I.O.N. Cheat Sheet (Again) 255Index 257