Financial Freedom Is a Load of Old Bollocks

Years ago, I was introduced to the concept of financial freedom and thought, “Wow! Amazing! Sign me up!”

The idea sounds simple enough: build passive income streams greater than your expenses and then you never have to work again. You’re “free”.

If you Google “financial freedom”, you’ll find hundreds — probably thousands — of courses, schemes, and ideas claiming to show you how to achieve it. Many promise quick results with minimal effort.

Here’s the truth: most of them are a complete load of old bollocks. At best, they don’t work. At worst, they can cause serious financial damage.

Let’s take a look at a few of the biggest offenders.

Property “Freedom” Courses

You’ve seen the headlines:

“I built a multi-million-pound property portfolio and now I don’t have to work. Let me teach you how to do the same!”

It’s a classic.

But I can’t help asking — if they’re so successful in property, why are they selling courses instead of building more property portfolios?

A quick look at Companies House often raises more questions. Where are all these supposed assets? Some might be held privately, sure, but for at least the past eight years it’s usually been more tax-efficient to hold property through a limited company. So, where’s the evidence?

And if they truly want to “give back” and help others, why sell the courses at eye-watering prices? Why not just share the knowledge for free?

I work with plenty of landlords, and they’re some of the most hardworking people I know. But let’s be clear — property investment is not passive. Even with a letting agent, there’s always something that needs attention. Tenants can cause damage, repairs cost money, and void periods can eat into profits.

Add to that the growing regulatory and tax burden on landlords from both major political parties, and it’s fair to say that property income isn’t the easy route to freedom it’s often sold as.

Network Marketing

Next on the list: network marketing.

I was involved in one of these businesses years ago. I met some great people and had a lot of fun, but I never made any real money from it — and neither did most of the people I knew.

A small handful at the top earned good incomes, but they were still working in the business. I thought the whole point was to be financially free?

There’s probably a 98% chance you’ll never make meaningful money from network marketing. But if they told you that upfront, who would join?

Instead, you see endless posts on social media showing off “luxury” cars and exotic holidays. The reality?

Those holidays are often company incentive trips — not personally funded getaways.

The cars are leased, not owned — and the monthly payments come out of the marketer’s own pocket.

If that works for you, fine. But it’s misleading to suggest it’s a path to genuine financial independence. Because, once again, it isn’t passive — you have to work, constantly.

The Myth of Passive Income

So, does true passive income actually exist?

Yes — my dad and my in-laws have it. It’s called retirement.

They receive income without having to work for it. But it took 50 years of effort to get there. They still budget carefully, they still have worries, and they sometimes struggle with loss of purpose and boredom.

They’re proof that having money without work doesn’t automatically make life perfect.

Then there are the truly wealthy — Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates. They could retire tomorrow and never run out of money, yet they continue to work. Why? Because their work gives them purpose and meaning. The money is just a byproduct.

Redefining Financial Freedom

So, let’s ask the question honestly: if you were financially free — money flowing in effortlessly, no need to work — what would you actually do all day?

After the holidays, the new car, the house upgrades, and helping your family… then what?

Here’s what I believe: even if financial freedom were achievable, most of us wouldn’t actually want it.

Humans need purpose and meaning. Work, in some form, gives us both. The goal shouldn’t be to escape work entirely, but to do work that feels meaningful — work that energises you, challenges you, and contributes something valuable.

Maybe financial freedom isn’t about having passive income greater than your expenses. Maybe it’s about peace of mind — knowing you’re financially secure and that your income comes from work you enjoy.

That, to me, sounds far more like real freedom.