27. October 2026

Free, not rich: why your number matters more than a million

Rich and free are two different goals. How to work out your personal freedom number, where the time for a new start comes from and why consistency counts more than hours.

Rich or free? Most people say “both”. But these are two completely different goals. One needs a lot. The other needs enough. In this article I show you how to work out your personal number and why time is rarely the real problem.

Rich means having a lot. Free means not having to.

You are rich when there is a big number in your bank account. Sounds good. And yet you can be rich and still sit in traffic at six every morning.

You are free when your ongoing income covers your ongoing costs. Without selling your time for it every single day. That is a completely different idea.

Robert Kiyosaki, the author of “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, does not measure wealth in money. He measures it in time. His question goes roughly like this: if you stopped working today, how long could you get by? This idea changed a lot for me.

Why freedom is easier to reach than wealth

For wealth you need a very big number. For freedom you need a number that fits your life. And it is usually much smaller than you think.

Picture two people. One has saved a million and spends everything that comes in each month. The other has income that keeps coming in every month and covers their costs. Which of the two can decide tomorrow how to spend their day?

How to work out your number

Take one evening, a sheet of paper and your bank statements from the last three months.

Write down your fixed costs. Rent or mortgage, power, insurance, car, phone, subscriptions.
Estimate your living costs. Food, toiletries, clothes, free time. Take the average of the three months.
Plan for reserves. For the washing machine that will break one day. For your holiday.
Add it all up. That is your number.

This number is your goal. Not the million. Many people get a shock at first. Then usually comes relief. Because suddenly the goal feels within reach.

Your first step: know your number

“I don’t have time.”

It is the most honest objection I know. And at the same time the most dishonest.

It is honest because your day really is full. Work, family, household, appointments. I take that seriously.

It is dishonest because time is rarely the real problem. A representative survey by Ruhr University Bochum and the German Center for Mental Health with more than 22,000 adults found an average of around three hours and 18 minutes a day on social media in 2025. Not because anyone planned it. It just happens. A video here, a story there.

Try the test. Open your phone settings and look at your screen time for last week. Most people are surprised. I was too.

Consistency beats quantity

I started with a few fixed hours a week. No more. But every week. Always at the same time. Like a fixed appointment with myself.

That is what made the difference. Not the amount of time. But that I really used it. If you invest five hours every week, after one year you have put more than 250 hours into your goal. That is more than a month of full-time work.

And how do you build income that keeps coming in?

There are many ways. Renting out property, your own products, investments. For me it was network marketing. No stock, no loan, no shop. Customers who order again and again because the products are good for them.

How much comes of it depends on each person. The range is huge. So I won’t make you any promises. But I’m happy to show you what a start with just a few hours a week can look like. How to check a model beforehand is in the article “Network marketing or pyramid scheme?”.

Frequently asked questions

How much time do I need to get started?

A few fixed hours a week are enough to start. More important than the amount is that you really use them every week.

Do I need to know my number to the exact cent?

No. An honest estimate is enough. What matters is that you have a number to work towards.

Is freedom only for high earners?

No. Freedom does not depend on your bank balance but on the balance between ongoing income and ongoing costs. People who live simply often have a smaller number.