I live an anti-consumerist lifestyle - one that is focused on maximizing health, time, and money rather than the acquisition of stuff. One could call it life-hacking: how to turn the powerful force of consumerism on its head, and make it work for you, rather than against you. By age 39, I retired and am financially independent (AKA FIRE - Financially Independent, Retired Early), although I do still work (to fulfil non-monetary goals and also to supplement my investments).

How did I go about doing this? Through "a combination of simple living, anticonsumerism, DIY ethics, self-reliance, and applied capitalism" (from Early Retirement Extreme). If I had to write a blog about how I achieved my current lifestyle, it would read pretty much like this great blog by Mr Money Mustache: http://mrmoneymustache.com

I was influenced by "The Four Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss (life- and time-hacking), as well as "Rich Dad, Poor Dad", by Robert Kiyosaki (finance), and "The Testosterone Advantage", or more recently "The New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove (health/fitness). I base my life philosophy on the Stoic philosophy, as described in the book A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.

Note, these aren't affiliate links, these are books that genuinely changed my lifestyle. I didn't understand anything about the world of finance or investing (or the possibility of being financially independent) until I attended the excellent Financial Fitness training course. I've been making progress on the road to financial freedom ever since.

In a nutshell

Here's an over-simplification of my guidelines to maximizing health, time and money.

1. Health

This should be priority #1. If you don't have time to gym 3 times a week, you should make time (even if you have to trade off income, i.e. change jobs).

On a scale of 0 (completely ineffective) to 10 (highly effective), gymming twice a week is about 2, and three times a week is about 7. You are wasting effort if you gym less than 3 times a week.

Gym should be about increasing your strength (both men and women), not about aerobics or cardio. Leave cardio for the great outdoors (running, cycling). Why strength? Basically, you need to increase muscle tissue to offset the drop in metabolism as you age. Read the aforementioned New Rules of Lifting book for more.

Strength training is a universal fix for most health problems, and the best (and cheapest) weapon against aging. Don't believe me? Then meet Ernestine Shepherd, a female body builder in her late 70's who looks like she's in her 20's!

A highly effective and simple routine for men and women is the one I follow: Strong Lifts 5x5

Sleep is just as important as diet and exercise, and not getting 8 hours a night can be massively detrimental to your health. I would consider Matthew Walker's book Why we sleep required reading for everyone and potentially life-changing. Also check out YouTube videos for more.

2. Time

Time should be priority #2. If you value your time, you will make good decisions about how you spend it. The value of leisure time is not to be under-estimated. The essay In praise of Idleness (by Bertrand Russell) is a good read as to why.

If you're "too busy" to go out for an unscheduled coffee with an old friend or meet with colleagues, then you may need to improve your time management skills. I highly recommend following the productivity techniques described by David Allen: "Getting Things Done" (AKA GTD). Combine this with the "Pomodoro Technique" for maximum productivity. If work still overwhelms you, then consider changing your job/employer or letting your employer know that they are under-staffed.

Understand that time and finance are linked together: if you take out a loan for a purchase, you will need to work to repay it, which will rob you of time. Even if you didn't take out a loan, you would reduce the amount of money invested, which would reduce your passive income, which may mean you'd have to earn more money. Bottom line: everything you buy robs you of time, more-so if you have to pay monthly.

I get asked: "well what's acceptable to buy, and what's not?" That's for you to decide, but I have a simple guideline: I prefer to spend money on lifestyle items (like a bicycle, tent, or guitar) rather than status-symbol items (like a luxury sedan). I also prefer to buy items that get me out of the sitting/lying down position that we spend most of our life in.

Once you have enough free time, you will start to ponder about how you can live a more fulfilling life. You will finally be in a position to help change the world (or your neighbourhood), learn new things (like playing the piano or why the Solar System is flat), explore the world by travelling, and generally growing as a person. Ultimately, happiness is growth.

3. Finance