Wednesdays, October 4, 11, 18, 25 || 6:30-8:30 (Genius Huddles will continue for one year after)
SE Uplift || 3534 SE Main Street
$234 for course + genius huddle || $123 for genius huddle only (FF alumni) || Discounted Tuition Available

Taught by Douglas Tsoi

There is only one person responsible for your financial health: you. Become the CFO for your life. Most people, no matter what their income is, have little to no financial education. In this course, we'll talk about the seven levels of financial maturity, from financial dependence or living paycheck to paycheck, to saving minimally and lastly, having financial freedom. We'll explore the influence that hidden assumptions of consumption and debt have in our capitalist system. The ultimate goal of this course is to help you reclaim ownership of how you spend your time and your energy. Ultimately, financial freedom is about taking having the resources and time to care of the people you love, and make a larger creative contribution to the world. The alternative is spending most of your adult life working (mostly likely for someone else), and hoping that you have enough to retire when you turn 65. 

This course offers you a way out. You'll write your financial manifesto and make a plan on how to execute it. You'll learn the habits, attitudes, and behaviors of people who have reached financial independence. Special topics include voluntary simplicity, investing, and how intimate relationships affect the way you treat money. Your genius huddle, essentially a mastermind group, will continue your financial education and keep you supported and accountable as you work towards opting out of our consumerist system and into a life you control. 

Seem impossible? Total freedom can be done within 20 years. Really. Read more about Douglas's personal story in this FB post.

Week 1: Understanding Money.  Talking about money is a taboo and thus we aren’t very aware of our relationship with it. We'll start with our internal assumptions about money, where they came from, and how they dramatically influence our lives. Then we’ll talk about the personal savings rate and how it affects how many years you have to work.

Week 2: Minding the Gap: Consumption + Income.  We’ll break down the personal savings rate into its two basic components: spending + production. We'll talk about the profound implications behind taking control of both. We’ll go into depth about the personal and global consequences of consumption. In this class, I'll give you one tip that will save you enough money to pay for this course within a year. Lastly, talk about the attitudes and behaviors necessary to really take control of your financial life.

Week 3: Writing Your Manifesto and Making a Budget. We live in a financial system that fundamentally requires people to be in debt. We’ll talk about breaking consent to the high-consumption, debt-driven system. No matter where you are on the path, working towards financial independence means taking back control of your life. You’ll draft your financial manifesto. Then you'll make 1 year, 5 year, and long term budgets that matches match your values, aspirations, and priorities. 

Week 4: Investing + Financial Genius Huddles. We'll talk about the nuts-and-bolts of investing. We’ll cover creating passive income, investment accounts types of investments, risk and return, socially responsible investing, real estate and other important concepts in investing. We'll form financial genius huddles: ongoing group meetings with your FF classmates and other alumni. Those groups will keep you accountable to (1) your manifesto and budget and (2) your continuing financial education and growth for the coming months and years.

"This course was great! I used to avoid thinking about money because it stressed me out. This course really helped me to re examine and re create my relationship to money. I'm totally inspired now to think and learn about money, and am starting to save and invest in the future that means the most to me. Douglas was an excellent instructor. He is a living example of financial freedom, and was an skilled facilitator, guide, and advisor during the process. Take this class! It's the best investment (in your dreams) that you'll ever make." - Dan Daly


"The Financial Freedom course changed my perspective on money and removed a lot of mental and emotional barriers I was having to taking control of my financial life, as well as providing me with a lot of practical information. Highly recommend!" - Kronda A.