The number that tells you when work becomes optional

"Financial freedom" is a vibe. The exit math turns it into a single number you can actually aim at.

“Financial freedom” is a vibe. The exit math turns it into a single number you can actually aim at.

Here’s how to find yours — and start closing the gap. Do Step 1 before you close this page.

Step 1 of 5

🧮 Find your real monthly number

Not your dream life — your actual bills. Add up what one ordinary month costs to keep your life running. That figure is the target your assets eventually need to cover.

TIP

✅ Do this now: Add up one month of essential expenses. Write the number down.

Step 2 of 5

🎯 Turn it into an asset target

A rough, widely used rule: assets can safely throw off about 4% a year. So multiply your yearly expenses by roughly 25 to get the ballpark asset base that replaces your income. It’s big — but now it’s a number, not a feeling.

TIP

✅ Do this now: Multiply your monthly number × 12 × 25. That’s your rough exit number.

Step 3 of 5

📊 Count what you already have

Add up what’s already working for you — 401(k), investments, home equity, any side income. Most people are further along than the anxiety in their head suggests. You can’t measure progress you never counted.

TIP

✅ Do this now: List your current assets and total them. That’s your starting line.

Step 4 of 5

✂️ Shrink the number two ways

The exit number moves for two reasons, and you control both: what it costs you to live (lower it and the whole target drops) and how much you invest each month (raise it and you close the gap faster). A dollar cut from expenses beats a dollar earned — it lowers the target itself.

TIP

✅ Do this now: Pick one recurring expense to cut, and route that exact amount into investing.

Step 5 of 5

🗓️ Recheck once a year

This isn’t a daily number. It’s a compass. Check it once a year, watch the gap close, and let compounding do the boring, powerful work in between.

TIP

✅ Do this now: Put a yearly “exit math” reminder on your calendar — same date every year.

💡 The whole plan, one screen

Total one month of real expenses.
× 12 × 25 = your rough exit number.
Total what you already own.
Cut one expense; invest the difference.
Recheck once a year.

You can’t hit a number you’ve never calculated. Now you have it.

This is the kind of plan I break down every week.

Get it free →

— Oye