Financial freedom is learning to live on less then you make, which means that you are saving some of the money you earn. Financial Independence is when the return on the money you have invested is large enough that it can replace the money you earn with your hands. For much of my career the idea of achieving financial independence seemed totally unreachable. We all have the ability to attain financial independence. Although it seems like a slow process int eh beginning, at some point the growth curve of your investments takes off.