Stop Working . Start Living: How I Retired at the Age of 36 . Without Winning the Lottery

Monika Rohlmann is an environmental consultant in Victoria, B.C.

Dianne Nahirny was an average person with an average job when she
started her extraordinary approach to retirement. The highly disciplined
techniques of a penny pincher, combined with her passion for finances,
allowed her to retire at 36. The daughter of immigrant parents, both of
whom worked double and triple jobs, Nahirny grew up appreciating the
luxuries and scorning the waste of earning power spent on necessities.
And therein lies the secret of her success.

The age-old adage “a penny saved is a penny earned” is the
practical starting point from which Nahirny builds her approach. It is
an approach that rests on four key principles: (i) know your money (keep
a balance sheet); (ii) seek alternatives to buying anything new; (iii)
don’t pay a service, pay yourself; and (iv) refuse, reduce, recycle,
renew. The first half of the book describes Nahirny’s path to
retirement; the remainder describes how someone else can actually do it.
Each chapter ends with a handy bulleted list of lifestyle and financial
success points—a fast track to financial thrift. You may not retire
young after reading this practical and engaging book, but you’ll be a
step ahead in living for yourself rather than living for your pay
cheque.