One could probably build a small library for the books written on the subject of financial independence. It’s a subject many of us like to fantasize about, but few of us will see materialize in our lifetimes. Why? Mostly because we allow competing priorities, egos and financial peer pressure dictate how we spend, and save, our money.

The good news is you don’t really need a book to learn about financial independence (though, if you do decide to read more on the subject, I highly recommend Your Money or Your Life). All you need to do is remember the seven secrets below.

Secrets to Financial Independence

1. Pay off debt. Yes, even the mortgage. I can hear the mathematicians screaming now – “PAY OFF YOUR MORTGAGE?” What about the tax deduction? What about all-time low interest rates. I don’t care about either one. To reach financial independence I’m all about reducing monthly expenses. A mortgage represents the highest monthly expense in most family budgets, and ours is no exception. Knock out credit card debt, car debt, student loans and the mortgage and you’ll owe a monthly payment to no one, which puts you on the fast-track to financial independence.

2. Quit buying crap. And while you’re at it, quit signing up for crap. The other day I sat down to try to tally our monthly expenses. Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Problem is I kept forgetting little expenses we’ve signed up for. Oops, there’s the Netflix charge; then the gym membership fee. The other day the TiVo bill hit. I enjoy all three of these examples immensely, but altogether they represent about $50 a month. Talk about being nickel and dimed! Of course, there are other things I’m forgetting to list here. You can see how challenging it is to come up with a total monthly outgo figure these days!

3. Forget about trying to impress people. Do you have any idea how much money is wasted in a lifetime trying to impress other people? Just think of the things we buy, and the options we choose, for show rather than for practicality. Flashy cars, big houses and expensive jewelry matter little to those working towards financial independence, because we recognize you’ll be paying for that stuff long after we hang up the employee badge.

4. Make savings a top priority. If I had a financial do-over, I’d start saving half of my income from the very first day I started working. I can think of no faster way to accumulate wealth, build financial discipline, and expand your creatively frugal way of thinking to make things work on a meager income. Trouble is, very few of us ever thought to do this, so right out of the gate we needed more like 90% of our income just to pay for all the goodies we accumulated. To make it happen, talk to your payroll office and elect to have 50% of your paycheck deposited in an online savings account (I’ve reviewed a few of the best online banks in the past), separate from your primary checking account. Now, live on what’s left. Every year you pull this off you are essentially buying (saving) a year of freedom from earning an income.

5. Be aggressive early on. I’m a conservative person by nature. I don’t like to take big risks – with money, or life in general. But if I could talk to my 20 year-old self now I’d tell him to live a little. Invest a little money (10% of your portfolio or less) in that stock you just know in your gut will be a winner, because you know the quality of the people in management, or you believe in their product. Don’t be afraid to invest in that “aggressive” portfolio in your twenties, and early thirties. You’ve got time for ups and downs. You’ll win some, and you’ll lose some, but at least you won’t have any regrets.

6. Be conservative as you near financial independence. As passionate as I am about taking risks when you are still young, I am equally passionate about being conservative in the last few years leading up to reaching your “number.” That’s the time to start dumping the risky stuff, and start gearing down into low-risk investments. Some of your nest egg should be in cash, a little in bonds, or if you like simplicity, maybe something like a LifeStrategy Income Fund that takes the thinking (and emotions) out of investing your nest egg, or at least a portion of it. Be sure to check recent returns on such funds, as many billed as “conservative” lost their shirts in the recent downturn. At this point in your journey to financial independence you should be fairly immune to market swings, and more concerned with protecting the principal you’ve worked to accumulate.

7. Determine your own “number.” Speaking of your “number,” don’t let some financial egghead across a desk look down his nose and tell you that you need exactly $1.4 million to “maintain your style of living in retirement.” Garbage. Most of these guys immediately follow this with a sales pitch for an annuity, or a scare tactic about clients living to 90 years-old and running out of money. If you are dedicated to living frugal, paid off all your debts (see step 1), and built a comfortable nest egg based on your individual needs, you should be just fine.

Financial independence doesn’t have to be a mythical place we only visit in our day dreams. There are enough people out there living it, writing about it, and experiencing the joys of being free from the requirement to earn an income to survive. Learn from them. Model your behaviors after them. But be careful who you follow.

As author Thomas Stanley proved in his book, The Millionaire Next Door, most self-made millionaires look a lot different than the Paris Hiltons of the world. They probably drive a two year-old car (or older), shop where you shop, and live in a modest home. They don’t wear flashy jewelry, have a string of letters after their name earned from a decade of schooling in the Ivy League, and their idea of a fun family vacation probably looks like a week-long trip Disney World, not Paris or the Mediterranean.

The real secret to financial independence is to start living your life with that goal at the forefront of all your financial decisions. The longer you put it off, the worse your chances of ever succeeding will be. But for those who start early, and stay passionate about their dream, the payoff at the end is one of the more freeing experiences we can ever enjoy.

Jeremy writes in with the following question regarding maximum mortgage payments for a new house:

What percentage of your net income should go towards a mortgage?  I don’t want to rush into anything so I was hoping you could give me some ideas as to what to avoid.  Would you consider giving me a couple pointers?

Thanks for your question, Jeremy. Before we get into specific numbers, I have to commend you for even taking the time to ask the question. Unfortunately, many people are still rushing out to sign up for a mortgage without considering the years of financial obligation they are taking on, and what impact that will have to their overall financial plan down the line.

The 28/36 Rule

There are several ways to look at the answer to, “How much house can I afford?” Some people, including most Realtors and mortgage brokers, banks, etc. use what’s called the 28/36 rule. The formula means mortgage lenders like to see your monthly mortgage payment come in at less than 28% of your gross income, and your total monthly debt payments, including your mortgage, represent less than 36% of your gross income. Notice I said gross income, as in before taxes and deductions. The fact you asked your question specifying “net income” means you are on to something.

When someone asks how much our annual income is we typically respond with our annual salary, and any other income from self employment, etc. But the number we use to budget from, and live off, is much lower after Uncle Sam stakes his claim along with benefits deductions for health insurance, and other employment-related expenses that come right out of our paychecks. So why not use this figure to determine mortgage affordability?

Because using gross income increases the amount of house agents can sell you and mortgage brokers can lend you, which means higher commissions and larger interest payments in their pocket. It’s not that they are doing anything wrong, it is just a different way of looking at the question of affordability.

The Frugal Mortgage Calculator

I actually have a more frugal formula for determining how much you can borrow for a home. I personally would not spend more than 25-30% of my take home pay on housing. So if your combined household income is $4,000 a month, meaning the direct deposit or paychecks from your employer totals $4,000 a month, then I would not spend more than $1,200 a month on a mortgage. To do so would mean giving up money towards another financial goal such as debt freedom, kids college savings plans, or even an early retirement.

What If the House I Want Comes With a Higher Mortgage?

Well, this is a case of suffering from champagne tastes with a beer pocketbook. Who doesn’t want to buy more than they can afford at some point in their lives? As I see it, you have three options.

• Ignore my advice and buy the bigger home with a bigger mortgage payment.
• Save up for a larger down payment to drive down the amount financed, and the resulting monthly mortgage payment.
• Shop for a more modest home.

Of course I would strongly consider option number three, because larger homes come with larger expenses (taxes, utilities, maintenance, etc.), even if you can get the monthly mortgage payment lowered with a large down payment. Still, option two does have some advantages. By waiting to save a larger down payment, chances are you can also clear some debt, which may improve your credit score and qualify you for a lower interest rate (and a lower payment). Still, consider the increased costs of owning the larger home, even if you technically qualify for it based on income.

If you are wondering, we currently spend about 18% of our monthly take home pay on housing. But that wasn’t the case when we first moved in (fortunately our income has increased over the years) – and it caused a real pinch those first few months. Don’t make the same mistake we did!

Ask the Readers:  How much of your take home pay are you currently spending on housing?

Refinancing a home loan in order to save a few hundred dollars each month on mortgage repayments is a smart move for long term home owners. However, if you are planning to refinance your mortgage and in the near future plan on relocating, refinancing your property may cause you more trouble than the entire process is worth. According to Bills.com, “It may take anywhere from three to five years to realize the savings, given the costs incurred during the refinancing process.” If you are ready to refinance your home and are willing to wait a while to reap the rewards, home refinancing is the ideal solution for you.

Approach your existing lender. You already have an existing relationship with the lender, if you have always kept lines of communication open and always sent your mortgage repayments on time, there is no reason for your existing lender to turn down your home refinancing request. A benefit to refinancing your home through your existing lender is that they will often offer you special deals just to keep you from taking your business elsewhere.

However, you may benefit from keeping an open mind. Just because it’s often easier to refinance your home mortgage through your existing lender, doesn’t always mean it’s worth it. Sometimes, switching to a different lender will get you a better deal in the long term. Contact at least ten different home mortgage lenders and ask them for a quote. Tell them that you are making a general inquiry and are currently contacting multiple lenders to find the most competitive rate. Letting the lender know that he’s got some competition can’t hurt any.

Review refinancing offers.  After you have called ten lenders and received their quotes, it’s now time to review the offers. Don’t fall prey to the common tactic used to draw in borrowers. For example, a common tactic used by lenders to draw in borrowers it to offer discounter of waived closing costs in exchange for a higher interest rate.

While you will not be losing any immediate out of pocket cash, in the long run accepting such a rate can turn out to be more expensive than simply sticking by your current home loan. If you have approached numerous lenders and are yet to encounter a package that suits your needs, keep looking. There will always be a lender offering more competitive rates.

Applying for the mortgage refinance.  It’s probably been a while since you have applied for a home mortgage, and luckily for you lenders have improved on their speed a bit.  The overall home refinancing application process is very similar to applying for your home’s first loan. However, the wait time for this application will be decrease to approximately three to six weeks and you can now apply for a home refinance loan through the comfort of your own home.

That’s right, you only have leave your home if you want to, you being present during the physical application is no longer a requirement thanks to technology. Loan officers fill out an application form on your behalf with the information that you provide to them through the electronic application.

Jazmin Espinal is a professional freelance writer and the owner of Capital Web Writing, a web content solution for businesses and webmasters. To contact Jazmin or to see samples of her writing, please visit CapitalWebWriting.com.

Every now and then I run across an example of someone living an ultra-frugal lifestyle and it really appeals to me.  This was the case when I saw a video at Living Off the Grid about people who build, and live in, tiny house.

Now, our idea of a tiny house might be two bedrooms instead of three, or anything less than 1,200 square feet.  Most in and around real estate would agree.  However, I’m referring to extremely tiny houses – in the neighborhood of 100 square feet.  We are talking just enough room for small couch, kitchen and loft with a bed.  Upscale versions feature indoor plumbing.

The benefits of living in such a tiny house are captured in the interview with Peter King, a tiny house builder in Vermont.  Imagine being able to construct one of these tiny homes in a couple weeks, pay cash for it (no mortgage), and live off the grid thanks to a solar panel.  Sounds like my kind of place!

Now back to reality.  There is obviously no way my family of four (five if you include a dog  that weighs as much as some people) could occupy such a tiny house.  However, there are some valuable lessons here for those of us who are not single.

My wife and I have kicked around the idea of downsizing our home.  We decided to stay put for now, but examples like this always get my downsizing juices flowing again.  I start dreaming of a cheaper mortgage payment, lower utilities, lower taxes, and less stuff. Even thought we can’t move into a 100 square foot home, that doesn’t mean we couldn’t look at downsizing to a smaller home than the one we are in now.  And we could enjoy many of the same benefits, though admittedly to a lesser degree than those who live in tiny houses.

Benefits of Buying a Smaller Home

• Lower monthly mortgage payment
• Lower taxes
• Easier to pay off mortgage completely in a shorter time
• Less space to fill with furniture
• Smaller lot (maybe) to maintain
• Significantly lower utilities

So what’s holding us back?  Well, there’s the idea of moving, which sucks the energy right out of my body.  To add to it, there’s the realization that we would need to do a little work to our house to get it ready to go on the market.

At the moment, I don’t feel like doing either one – moving or fixing up! And, to be perfectly honest, we’ve sort of grown into our current space, and would need to get rid of a ton of stuff from all rooms before we could even consider moving into less space.  Still, it is something we will continue to consider, particularly if the right house with the right deal comes along.  In the mean time, I’ll live vicariously through people like Peter King and other ultra-frugal friends.

In a typical week I receive variations of this same question several times via email, comments and from followers on Twitter: “Should I Pay Off Mortgage Early?”  For the most part, my answer is, “It depends.”  But on a few occasions, when people share more details of their overall financial plan, I tell them to go for it.  Pay off your mortgage early and live in that home free and clear!

Having a mortgage is one of those culturally expected things, along with car payments and credit cards.  Most financial gurus fall backwards out of their chair when you mention paying off your mortgage early, instead of plowing more dough into their carefully selected portfolio of investments – most of which are not properly aligned with your risk tolerance, nor your overall investing strategy.

The market downturn, which apparently is still turning, seems to have more and more people reevaluating the question, “Should I Pay Off My Mortgage Early?” Up until now conventional wisdom said no. Invest that money in the market, and keep paying interest to the bank to get the tax deduction. Now I’m not so sure. Seems to me like we would have been better off to be sitting here with a paid-for house than a handful of worthless investments.

That is basically what Steve was alluding to in a post that caught my eye some time ago, “What If Saving Was Stupid?” One of the more profound statements was that “money in the market isn’t saved – it’s invested, and investment carries a risk that it won’t be there when you need it.”  So true; as many of us have had the recent misfortune of discovering.

But eliminating debt, including your mortgage, is a sure thing.  Assuming you are not borrowing any new money, paying off $50,000 in debt means that $50,000 debt can never come back.  It doesn’t matter what the market does.  It doesn’t matter if we are at war or in peace time.  It doesn’t matter how strong or weak the U.S. dollar is – that debt is never returning to your personal balance sheet.  To me, that is a powerful incentive to use the $50,000 to pay off my mortgage early.

Sure, I could invest that same money in the down market and watch it go to $60,000 by next year.  But that is far from a sure thing.  Besides, without a mortgage I could easily start dropping $1,000 a month into investments.  It wouldn’t take very long at that pace to hit $60,000 in investments. And if you really liked having a house payment, you could always refinance your mortgage.

What this question really gets to is your tolerance for risk, and your dreams for the future.  I hope to “retire” from working for money earlier than most people, and I cannot do that with a mortgage payment.  So for me, thirty years of payments is not an option.  With a paid-for house, and very few expenses, retiring would be a much more viable option because it would not take much in the way of earnings to sustain a frugal living.