作者分享了自己从每月收入1800美元，生活成本约1000美元开始，通过两年积累12000美元，从而能够辞去工作成为全职音乐家的经历。强调财务自由的关键不在于拥有多少财富，而在于收入是否大于支出，以及如何通过低成本生活实现财务自由。

💰 作者在曼哈顿从事日间工作，年收入约2万美元，周末通过表演儿童马戏表演赚取额外收入，每月能存下约800美元。

🏠 作者与室友合租公寓，每月租金约333美元，通过自制餐食进一步降低生活成本，每月支出约1000美元。

🎵 作者在22岁时积累了1.2万美元，足以辞去工作成为全职音乐家，每月通过少量演出收入覆盖生活成本。

📈 作者认为财务自由的关键在于收入大于支出，而非拥有巨额财富，低成本生活是实现财务自由的重要途径。

🧠 作者警示人们不要被魔术师吸引注意力的动作所迷惑，真正的关键在于如何通过合理规划实现收入大于支出。

I don’t usually talk about money, but a friend asked me what it was like to get rich, and he wanted to know specifics, so I told him my story.

I had a day job in midtown Manhattan paying $20K per year — about minimum wage.On weekends I would earn $150 per day performing circus shows for kids, though I’d spend about $50 in bus fare to get to the gigs.I was sharing a three-bedroom apartment with two other roommates in Queens, so our rent was $333 per month each.I made peanut butter sandwiches for three meals a day, and at night maybe some eggs.I never ate out, and never took a taxi.My cost of living was about $1000/month, and I was earning $1800/month.I did this for two years, and saved up $12,000.I was 22 years old.

Once I had $12,000 I could quit my job and become a full-time musician.I knew I could get a few gigs per month to pay my cost of living.So I was free.I quit my job a month later, and never had a job again.

When I finished telling my friend this story, he asked for more.I said no, that was it.He said, “No, what about when you sold your company?”

I said no, that didn’t make a big difference in my life.That was just more money in the bank.The difference happened when I was 22.

It’s not how much you have.It’s the difference between what you have and what you spend.If you have more than you spend, you’re rich.If you spend more than you have, you’re not.If you live cheaply, it’s easy to be free.

Magicians wave one hand around to get your attention, while the other hand does the trick.To be smart, watch the other hand.