Book cover titled 'Once Upon a Fi' by Paul Mollenkopf, illustrated by Vanessa Kuiper. The front cover features colorful cartoon illustrations of animals and characters, including a duck, a girl, a pig, a man working at a computer, and others. The back cover has a gold background with small illustrations of chickens and ducks, and the spine displays the title and author's name.

A delightful collection of short stories
inspired by timeless classics and fables,
thoughtfully woven with the core principles
of Financial Independence. 

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The Stories
You’ll Read:

The Tortoise and the Hare:

A Race to Financial Independence

The Odd Duckling:

Finding the Like-Minded

Jack and the Beanstalk:

Magic Cards that Sprout Growing Debt

The Boy Who Cried Wealth:

A Lesson in Stealth Wealth

The Three Little Pigs:

Getting a Straw, Sticks or Bricks Mortgage

Chicken Little:

The Market is Falling

A Spending Carol:

The Spirits of Spending Past, Present and Future

Oh, The Places You’ll Go:

The Things that You’ll Do, with the FI Community Standing by You

Wise Words From Our Readers

  • “Once Upon a FI is a refreshing approach to spreading the message of financial independence to even the youngest readers. The clever analogies using classic tales inspire valuable generational conversations around money.”

    Jackie Cummings Koski CFP®, AFC®
    Cohost of Catching Up to FI podcast
    Author of F.I.R.E. for Dummies

  • "In his first book, Once Upon a FI, Paul Mollenkopf weaves critical personal finance concepts into the fabric of timeless children's fables. This is an adult book for children of all ages. Paul references many leading thinkers and content creators in the financial independence (FI) space as characters in his prose. Their timeless lessons and stories take you down the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole to a world of time freedom that, once seen, cannot be unseen. This book is unique in its genre. Bravo!"

    Bill Yount, Creator and Cohost, Catching Up to FI

  • "... one of the most creative books ever in the FI space. Classic fables retold with an FI slant. For children of all ages."

    JL Collins, Author of The Simple Path to Wealth

  • “I read one story each night, like a bedtime story! My favorite was the re-imagining of A Christmas Carol. I could relate to it since I once got a credit card at 18, and DID NOT use it responsibly! I was haunted by the ghost of purchases past for quite some time. *shiver* I managed to extract some good financial advice, some of which I've never employed. I used to panic when the stock market would slump, checking my investments daily, but as it turns out, the sky really wasn't falling.”

    Brian Kenney

  • "I honestly think Once Upon a FI will appeal to those who have never heard of these concepts, or are very new to them, as well as those of us who've been here for a while. I gobbled this up."

    Kayla H.

  • "Fables and fairy tales are great ways to teach others about FI. They are entertaining while introducing foundational concepts in an approachable way. One thing I didn't expect was how the stories hit home with my life experience before and after starting my FI journey. For instance, 'The Ugly Duckling,' because I felt like I lived on a different planet until I started meeting others in the FI community. Also, 'A Spending Carol' because how you grew up shapes your spending, but it is up to you to change course."

    Devin H.

  • "I wish I had access to this kind of relatable, practical knowledge about money and future planning when I was a teenager. No one ever gave us a crash course in managing finances, avoiding debt, or setting long-term goals. I'm incredibly grateful to have this resource now, not just for myself, but to share with my young adult children. It's the perfect guide to help them build a foundation for a future of true financial freedom."

    Sara O.

Featured On:

The Catching Up To FI Podcast

Family

Inspiration For My Book

Grace,

I don’t know if you remember this, but when you were around 11 years old, I took you to a play. It was a musical parody of “A Christmas Carol” with the ghosts of past, present and future. Past, present, and future is also a good way to think in terms of your spending and your budget. What percentage of your income do you spend in these three categories?   

You bought your car quite some time ago.  When you make that monthly payment, you’re spending money on a past purchase.  If you plunk down a few bucks for an energy drink and gulp it down on the way to work, you spent that money on a present purchase. Then there’s the future.  This is the percentage of your income that you put into savings, 401K, and other investment vehicles. 

“Normal” Americans spend virtually 100% of their income on past and present, living check to check and having a real problem when an emergency or life change occurs. The weird people who I know and listen to in the FI community spend most of their income (sometimes 60-70%) on their future.  These are people that want to have work be an option within 15 years.

Love,

Dad

An excerpt from the letter to my daughter that became the inspiration for Once Upon a FI