Working in standard tech-industry cubicle jobs in various locations throughout the late ’90s and early 2000s, Pete Adeney retired from real work way back in 2005 in order to start a family. This was achieved not through luck or amazing skill, but simply by living a lifestyle about 50% less expensive than most of our peers and investing the surplus in very boring conservative Vanguard index funds and a rental house or two.

His blog runs much deeper than investment advice, it’s a trojan horse for anti-consumerism, environmentalism and a blueprint for how one can create a life that is better than your current one, that just happens to cost 50-75% less.

In 2011, Pete started writing at mrmoneymustache.com about his philosophy, which has grown to reach about 23 million different people (and 300 million page views) since its founding. It has become a worldwide cult phenomenon, with a self-organizing community and incredible news coverage.

Happiness is the only logical pursuit

— Mr. Money Mustache