About Free Range Finance
Who I Am (And Why You Should Listen)
Hi there! I'm Max, and I write Free Range Finance to help regular people achieve financial independence and reclaim control over their time.
I'm not a certified financial planner, wealth advisor, or trust fund kid with "insider secrets." I'm just someone who figured out that the standard American financial path is completely insane and decided to do something different about it.
What I Write About
This newsletter covers the fundamentals of achieving financial independence:
Expense optimization (housing, transportation, food, and everything else)
Income growth (career advancement, side hustles, skill development)
Simple investing (index funds, tax-advantaged accounts, avoiding complexity)
Tax optimization (keeping more of what you earn)
Mindset shifts (thinking long-term, avoiding lifestyle inflation)
Real examples (my actual numbers, mistakes, and lessons learned)
Why I Am Qualified
I achieved financial independence at the age of 35. I started with a negative net worth and worked 14 years in corporate America. I didn’t start a business, inherit money, or make a fortune trading crypto. Instead, I:
Optimized every expense category
Increased income through strategic job changes and skill development
Invested consistently in low-cost index funds
Avoided lifestyle inflation as income grew
Made plenty of mistakes along the way (which I write about honestly)
Why I Write This Newsletter
I'm already financially independent, so I don't need this newsletter to pay my bills. I write because:
1. The advice out there is often terrible - full of affiliate links, get-rich-quick schemes, and complexity that doesn't help real people
I genuinely enjoy explaining these concepts and connecting with people on similar journeys
I want to help others avoid my mistakes and reach FI faster than I did
How I Write
Practical over theoretical: Every strategy I recommend is something I've actually implemented. If I don’t have experience in an area, I’ll let you know.
Simple over complex: The most effective approaches are usually the most boring
Honest about trade-offs: Nothing is perfect, and I'll tell you the downsides along with the benefits
No affiliate links or sales pitches: When I recommend something, it's because I think it's best for you, not because someone paid me
Regular people focus: I try to write advice like I would explain something to my grandmother. I don’t assume you have any existing financial background.
What I'm Not
I'm not a certified financial professional: This isn't personalized financial advice. It's educational content based on my experience and research. If you have special circumstances, my advice may not apply.
I'm not perfect: I still make financial mistakes and learn new things. When my thinking evolves, I share that honestly.
I'm not trying to sell you anything: No courses, coaching, affiliate links, or sponsored content. The newsletter is the product, and it's free.
I'm not promising overnight success: Financial independence takes time, discipline, and patience. Anyone promising quick fixes is probably trying to sell you something.
Why "Free Range Finance"?
The name reflects what financial independence really provides: the freedom to roam freely instead of being confined by financial constraints. Just like free-range animals get to make choices about how they spend their time, financially independent people can make decisions based on what they want to do, not what they need to do to pay bills.
Get Started
New to financial independence? Start with What Is Financial Independence? to understand the basics.
Ready to calculate your goals? Check out How to Calculate Your FI Number.
Want to see the math behind early retirement? Read Why Your Savings Rate Matters More Than Your Salary.
Let's Connect
The best way to support this newsletter is by sharing it with someone who might benefit. Word-of-mouth is the only "marketing" that aligns with keeping the content completely independent.
Have questions or suggestions for future topics? Hit reply on any newsletter—I read every message and often use reader questions to inspire new content.
Here's to your free-range future,
Max
Free Range Finance teaches regular people how to achieve financial independence and reclaim control over their time. No affiliate links, no sales pitches, just practical strategies that actually work.
