The Financial Independence Show (Cody Berman and Justin Taylor)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by  James and Emily from Rethink the Rat Race who have one of the quickest journeys to financial independence you'll ever find. Living in Huntsville, Alabama they find themselves in one of the best real estate markets in the country for rental properties. They took that opportunity and ran with it. In 2017 they bought their first rental property and two years later they hit their 11th property and are now ready to retire this summer! Cody and Justin are both great friends with this duo and this is definitely a can't-miss episode. So go take a listen, leave that 5-star review and give us some feedback! Episode Summary James and Emily both had frugal backgrounds with James especially being on the really low end of the income spectrum They met at a local community college and James got his college mostly paid for through financial aid James ended up changing his major 4 times before eventually acquiring an associates degree Emily wasn’t eligible for financial aid due to her Dad’s income but her parents did pay for her first two years She ended up being able to pay off the final two years herself so they both graduated debt free Emily would take a job starting at $60k and James was at $35k per year in Huntsville, Alabama Even though they were in an affordable area with $95k of incomes, they weren’t saving a dime They said they were happy with there life but weren’t spending money intentionally but looking back they can see that they’re so much happier with their life now James was at work one day and someone said they came across a website that had changed their lives which turned out to be Mr. Money Mustache James immediately went all in and came home adjusting water heaters and laying down all these things they were going to cut from their lives...probably too aggressively he’ll admit This was 2016 when they discovered this idea of financial independence They estimate they cut their expenses down to $35k the next year after discovering the topic and have since cut it to closer to $12k Emily discusses how changing lifestyles can affect friend groups and social connections After cutting their expenses down as low as they could they looked to accelerate their path even more through real estate investing We go over their processes in finding properties and getting them ready to rent You’ll get a taste of James fantastic knack for negotiating They bought their first property in Summer of 2017 and have since hit 11 properties Most of these units were had for under $50k and all of them bring in over 1% of the cost back via rent Example: $50k house that brings in $500 is bringing in 1% every month All of the homes were bought using traditional mortgages Now they have enough money cash flowing every month to cover over 2x their expenses This has accelerated their path so fast that they’re now looking to retire in September That’s a 2-year path to financial independence! On top of real estate, they’re also maxing out one 401k and both IRAs Emily’s family owns a home in Cyprus that they plan on moving into this summer and doing some remodeling. Emily already has her EU citizenship and James is applying They’re not 100% sure what long term future looks like but they’ll probably pick up some side hustles in Cyprus to stay busy and travel all over Europe   Key Takeaways Everyone has advantages: Some people might not realize living in Huntsville, Alabama is a huge advantage for financial independence but James and Emily realized this advantage and maximized it Leverage is crazy powerful: James and Emily aren't these crazy high-income earners but they now own 11 rental units in 2 years. That's all possible thanks to the leverage you get through mortgages Not Knowing is Ok: James and Emily don't have the rest of their lives mapped out. But what 28 year old does?

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin are joined by a third co-host! J from FIRE Drill Podcast / Millennial Boss. The three discuss their experiences with side hustling and also talk about the new Side Hustle Courses that Cody and Julie (J) are launching. There are also testimonials from several side hustlers who just recently took the course and are starting to earn real money online. Whether you want to become a digital nomad, build an online empire, or just earn some additional income outside of your day job, we've got you covered. Join us in this episode and learn why side hustling is right for everyone! What Are These Side Hustle Courses All About? Well, there are three separate tracks: Blogging For Profit - Everything you need to know about how to start a profitable blog from Day 1. The course covers website setup, content creation, monetization, outsourcing, and everything in between. Etsy Printables - Learn how to open your Etsy shop, create your first listing, optimize your digital products, and market them like a pro in this course. We walk you through everything you need to know step by step. Freelance Toolkit - Do you want to earn money on your own time in a matter of weeks? Whether you have no existing skills or a few talents, we show you exactly how you can make money freelancing and get paid the most for your time. Between the three courses, we spent thousands of hours building out the lessons which include 250+ videos, text lectures, worksheets, templates and more! Here are some of the highlights: Info-packed modules with text and video lectures Bonus lessons, free templates, and interviews with industry experts Weekly assignments and printable lesson plans to keep you on track Free month in the VIP Facebook group for accountability & community Advanced modules to take your side hustle to the next level Key Takeaways Side Hustling is mutually beneficial: When many people think of "making money online", they envision some scammy internet marketing scheme. However, there are tons of ways you can earn money online where you deliver value to your customer/client and get paid for it. Not everyone is a natural: You don't have to a Type-A rockstar or creative genius to start a side hustle. Anyone can acquire the skills to make a little bit of income outside of the traditional day job. Added layer of financial security: Every incremental dollar that you earn with your side hustle brings you one step closer to financial freedom. Even a few hundred dollars a month can go a long way over time. Call to Action Determine what side hustle might be right for you and take action. If you need additional inspiration, check out the Gold City Ventures Side Hustle Courses! Featured Guests Julie - Co-Founder of the Gold City Venture Side Hustle Courses, Etsy Printables Expert, Host of the FIRE Drill Podcast, and blogger at Millennial Boss. James Lowery - Co-Founder of Rethink the Rat Race and real estate investor. Nicole - Owner of The Printable Fairy Etsy Shop. Nick Monfreda - Aspiring freelancer and golf enthusiast. Jessie Bui - Owner of Jessie Bui Fitness: Instagram, Facebook, Email. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by  Rob and Melissa from Flea Market Flipper. You can just hear the passion jumping out of their voices and it's easy to see why when they show how they make $100k+ working only 25-30 hours a week flipping items. Throw away assumptions like long hours spent shipping or fixing junk just to make $5. This is a truly impressive system they've built. They also love educating and are offering all the FI Show listeners a free guide to selling on eBay! So go take a listen, leave that 5-star review and give us some feedback! Episode Summary Rob is the laid back one of the group and Melissa is the one who is the more money focused one From the start of their relationship they always used flips to earn money In the beginning, they would just use it for vacations and cars but not employment Rob saw his parents flipping items and just fell in their tracks When Rob sees an item he can just quickly research the item on eBay and also give you a ready to use post so you don’t have to do much effort at all After their third child was born four years ago they turned this to a full-time job They don’t see any advantages they have to anyone recreating their exact same business They’ve even started coaching people around the country The style of flipping they do and coach is revolved around doing a smaller amount of flip with much larger returns instead of focusing on quantity Commercial equipment is often something that can be had really cheap but sold at a big premium When you check out their blog and reports you’ll see that they’ll sell and ship anything The only thing they typically won’t mess with is anything following much below $100 profit They source most of their items locally through things like Offer up, craigslist, or Facebook marketplace but sell almost exclusively on eBay Sometimes they’ll do some touch-ups or small fixes but for the most part, they don’t do any work to the items which are different than when you’d flip a house Rob started flipping out of a convertible mustang but over time he upgraded to storage units, a truck, trailer, etc.  He stresses that you should just stick to what you have until you start making money off the flips On only 108 sells on eBay they made over $80k for the year which means they don’t have to spend a ton of time shipping items Then we get into talking about a flip challenge they have going on We’ve all heard of crazy stories/rumors of someone turning a rubber band into a car but this is real and is well documented This challenge has them taking an item and turn it into a rental house within a year and they’re on track! It all started with a free chair from the trash They stress that they try to teach what they can on taxes for these types of sales but note that they differ state to state so check your local laws They do note that in this business you can see irregular income but they combat this by keeping recurring cost low because they pay for everything in full upfront They’re currently not focusing on stock market investing because they’re really comfortable with real estate and already have two rental properties and are hoping for 10 over the next 7-10 years They’re so excited about sharing their skills with everyone through the flipper university and also some free exclusive content for FI Show listeners!   Key Takeaways Money is Everywhere: Just another reason why quitting a job doesn't mean you can't make money somewhere, somehow if you need to Imitate then Improve: Rob and Melissa didn't create a new industry. Selling used stuff is as old as they come but they're doing it better than just about anyone and have built an impressive and repeatable process Family First: It's so awesome seeing Rob and Melissa get their kids involved in the flipping and to see how this style of work allows for so much quality time with their kids instead of locke...

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Diego Corzo from House Hacking Club. His story is incredible and highlights why so many view America as the land of opportunity. Diego didn't even know he was undocumented until he attempts to get a drivers license. He faced a ton of obstacles but never stopped trying. Some luck and hard work meant he ended up qualifying for the Defense Action on Childhood Arrivals and DREAMER acts. Now Diego is living a successful life, spreading his story through places like TED talks...and yes paying a healthy sum of taxes. So go take a listen, leave that 5-star review and give us some feedback! Episode Summary Diego's family came to the United States on a VISA but it lapsed and left Diego here undocumented as a child He didn't even realize it until he started trying to apply for a drivers license and didn't have all the necessary paperwork He hits more roadblocks when he looks to college Eventually, he would get into Florida State University He could make money to help pay for college by building and selling study guides to fellow students or building websites Things seemed to be going Diego's way until he realized he couldn't actually work for anyone in his current status Then came the DACA and DREAMER programs under the Obama administration This gave Diego a chance to work and be as successful as any other kid raised in America He wasn't satisfied with the status quo though Diego came across the Book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad and it changed his whole view on life From then on, he knew his focus was to have assets and make his money work for him and not the other way This led to the first of many house hacks and his entry into real estate He actually bought his first home at age 23 After three years he quit his full-time job as a software developer and now owns a plethora of properties Diego is now a Realtor in Austin, TX and continues to grow his rental property empire   Key Takeaways Someone has it worse: This one just jumped out at me. I always think about how life was different if I had a better start and then you see people who started so far behind those who we'd consider at the back. But he still succeeded. Headlines are people: Man, when we see talking heads on TV, regardless of what side you're on, it's so easy to forget that things are complicated and that these are real people who are impacted greatly by the decisions and laws we're considering. Your message is important: If I was Diego, I'd be terrified to tell my story from worrying about what might happen to my family but he realized he could inspire so many people. It's not even about having a great story. Your story will be more relatable to some person than any other story they could hear. So tell it. Call to Action Imagine a young Diego scenario. No one can hire you but you need a job. What skills can take advantage of, what creative money making opportunities are you prepared for in case someone else isn't around to hire you. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Learn More About Diego! House Hacking Club More in-depth look at Diego Diego's TED Talk Contact Diego: Twitter Facebook Email Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Bobbi Rebell from the Financial Grownup Podcast and author of How to Be a Financial Grownup. She has a really interesting beginning from the ground floor and working her way up to multiple large media outlets and building a career on camera. Bobbi eventually saw an opportunity to step away and become her own boss which would end up being both a great financial choice and a great choice for her family. Come listen to where she finds her inspiration and the tangible steps she took to building both a successful corporate career and a business. Listen and follow along with the summary below and make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page. Episode Summary Her dad was a Wall Street guy who would give the kids an opportunity to plan out their total expenses for a semester and they would make their request and that'd be there only chance to ask for money. (pretty awesome parenting exercise) She admits she had a lot of fortunate events and circumstances in her life but she also has had a great work ethic and paid her dues along the way Bobbi's working career started with working at a bakery, wrapping presents and folding clothes before her unpaid internship at CNBC She would come in during the middle of the night because people were a lot more likely to allow her to help and actually build a resume When she graduated college she didn't have any student debt which she credits to her granddad starting the trend of putting money back for her own parents' college Bobbi actually bought her studio apartment straight out of college at 23 in New York City and would end up flipping a couple of properties which lead to her nicer, larger apartment she owns today in NYC That first studio was only $90k which she bought during some down years in NY real estate Her friend actually got a similar apartment for under $70k! While she was making some big financial moves and making great progress, she wasn't without fault She bought a $3k chair with a home equity loan but she obviously rebounded Her career would quickly take off and she attributes it to always doing a little more than is expected and always adding skills She actually got her CFP from NYU thanks to some of the training her job paid for During her career, she became close with the likes of Tony Robbins and anchored shows at PBS and Reuters There were a couple of transitions obviously in that career and she details advice on loyalty to people vs businesses and how to handle transitions One day on a walk she decided to start a brand and write a book to help young people become financially responsible grown-ups Through the process, she was transparent with her company about her eventual transition The transition was a big one as she had three kids and a lot of groundwork to build for her business but she took a thorough approach over a three year period A big tip she gave us was to see if your company offers buy-outs for your job before you simply quit After agreeing to a slight delay in leaving, she did get a pretty nice buyout We then jump into some rituals and habits that keep her motivated and to help avoid burnout with such a high energy personality After making her transition, she realized that it really wouldn't take that much money on the side to make it a smart decision because of how expensive it was to work and raise children With this entrepreneur ventures, she doesn't pay for childcare and she can write off a decent amount of things as business expenses While she felt comfortable that she'd be able to make enough money on the side, she was surprised at what ended up being the most profitable Her favorite and most profitable part of her work is doing sponsored content for different brands On top of that, she MCs events, wrote a book, has two podcasts....  and more!

In today's episode, Cody and Justin take you on a behind the scenes tour of their monthly budgets. For some context, Cody is 23 and moving to Boston in September and Justin is 29 living in Boston with his girlfriend. Neither of them has kids. It's also important to note that despite their low monthly expenses, Justin and Cody do not feel deprived whatsoever. They're both enjoying life to the fullest. Ready to nerd out on some numbers? Let's dive in. Housing Justin - Currently paying $837 per person in Boston for a 2BR apartment. Cody - Paying $600 to share a room in Boston in a 3BR apartment with three roommates. Both Justin and Cody do an extensive amount of research before committing to a housing arrangement. Transportation Cody - Spends approximately $225 per month for gas and maintenance on his paid-off Nissan Frontier. Justin - A whopping $110 per month despite owning both a car and a truck... in a big city! The absence of a car payment or lease drastically reduces the cost of transportation each month. Food Justin - Spends $60 per month on groceries and ~$100 on all other food-related items (including alcohol) for a total of $160. Cody - Grocery expenses are typically around $110 and eating out / alcohol come in at about $190 for a total of $300. Justin and Cody are able to keep their food costs down by buying only primarily on-sale lean meat and vegetables and cooking 90%+ of the time. Entertainment/Travel Cody - Total monthly expenditure is around $400 per month. Justin - Spends about $300 per month in this category. Both Cody and Justin agree that experiences are 10x more valuable than material possessions. That's why they allocate a fairly large portion of their budget toward this category! They also take advantage of credit card rewards to gain free flights and airport perks. Miscellaneous Although it was hard to pin down exact numbers, Justin and Cody do have a miscellaneous category. Basically, anything that doesn't fit into the four categories above makes it into this one. Recently, Cody and Justin have started to focus more on quality instead of just buying the cheapest option possible. Key Takeaways Keep the big expenses low: Since Cody and Justin keep housing, transportation, and food low, they have a lot more flexibility when it comes to the fun categories (a.k.a. entertainment and miscellaneous) Do the extra research: One of the reasons why Justin and Cody are able to keep their monthly expenses low is because they are willing to put in a little bit of extra work to find a deal. Income Matters: Both hosts understand that saving isn't everything. If you're having trouble saving because your income is simply too low, consider starting a side hustle or figuring out ways to move up in your current role. Calls to Action Justin: Do you remember what you ate for lunch last Tuesday? Probably not. Figure out what other "Tuesday lunches" you have in your life and cut those out as much as possible. Cody: Lifestyle inflation is one of the sneakiest enemies of financial independence. Start experimenting for a week (or more) at a time and cut different things out of your budget. If you don't miss it, don't add it back in! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Contact Us: Twitter Facebook Email Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Zeona McIntyre who is an absolute boss with Air BnB rentals. Her story starts by getting a degree she'd never use and $50k in student debt. Fast forward to 2011 and a roommates exit opened her eyes to the possibility of Air BnB. Today she owns six homes and manages over 20 more that are all making huge profits on Air BnB. Listen and follow along with the summary below and make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page. Episode Summary She grew up in a family that wasn’t good with money and included moments on food stamps Finance was always an interest to her and she started digging deeper into studying it around 18  She actually grew up in Maui There was always a deep interest with her in entrepreneurship and hustling Her dad didn’t believe in college but she ended up going even though she admits she didn’t use her degree and a lot of people go into debt for it with no benefit  When she graduated she came out with $50k in debt after getting a fashion marketing associates degree in Los Angeles She realized her degree was pointing her towards a corporate environment that wasn’t appealing to her After college she bounced around fun jobs like being a tour guide She was able to save money even with these fun jobs With the tour guide jobs, they were living on the road so she didn’t have housing costs During this time she was trying to pay student debt but only the minimum  After 10 years she realized she had barely lowered her student debt at all because of interest She moved to Boulder in 2011 to become a massage therapist and discovered Air BnB Because she already had experience with Couch Surfing, it felt comfortable to her She had a two bedroom apartment she was renting but had furnished it all herself After a roommate left, she decided to just Air BnB out the extra room It wasn’t steadily rented, but enough to cover the rent After it started being successful, she rented another apartment Yes, she was renting two, two bedroom apartments for Air BnB! At a point she started cleaning the places herself which allowed her to quit her $12/hour job We talk about how to give your Air BnB a unique touch to make it more desirable She feels like Air BnB is way more interesting and profitable than long term rentals Her first real introduction to financial independence also came in 2011 via Mr. Money Mustache She was 25 and wanted to retire by 30 When she started the focus was just on the large nest egg It eventually pivoted to a cash flow mindset when she saw the success of Air BnB She became cash flow FI at age 28 and began buying homes Now she owns 6 homes and manages over 20 properties at age 33 It’s important to remember that anyone can try this All you need is a couch or a backyard with a tent to get started Remember though things like towels and sheets! Then we talk about managing other people’s Air BnB vs posting your own place Rates range from 20-40% (Much higher than long term rentals) Key Takeaways Weird Works: Who would ever think to rent a second apartment just to put on Air BnB? It sounds weird but it's high profit and low risk! Build Habits: Zeona didn't have much money at first but she started good habits even if it was just $50. That allowed her to handle her money when she actually had a lot of excess coming in. Mix Business and Pleasure: Zeona has found a way to travel and support her business. By owning Air BnB's across the country, she can visit them to check up and get a vacation at the same time. Call to Action Look around your house or maybe a family members house and if you have a room or space that goes unused, pop it on Air BnB. Just get started! Join the Community

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Chris Mamula who is about to release his new Choose FI book. Chris has a great and relatable story that we really think everyone could follow. His story was also met with a lot of the same mental struggles we all face on this journey. Chris and his family are now financially independent in Utah. Listen and follow along with the summary below and make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page. Episode Summary Chris and his wife have always been financially aware He was able to get through college debt-free His wife started working a year prior to him but she was carrying $20k in student debt Chris got his masters in physical therapy while his wife focused on math and operations research When they graduated Chris and his wife were both making in the mid 30k range They eventually got their income up to the 80-90k range each  From the start, they were saving ~50% of their income Making a move to a rural city would eventually really increase their income Interesting note that medical professionals can often earn more in small markets Chris did end up utilizing a financial advisor that was really taking advantage of him with fees They would go on to pay their house off in seven years and really start investing In 2012 they discovered they were going to have a child after not thinking it was possible Chris admits that he was a touch depressed at the idea of having a child It just seemed like all their financial plans were going to fall apart But just a few months later, he was all in after seeing that sonogram Around this time he discovers FIRE and starts really getting smart on investing He decided to start handling his own investments and how to restructure his $400k nest egg You can check out Chris’ full portfolio at his blog Can I Retire Yet That strategy has obviously worked as they got to retire a year ago Then Chris discusses how they would decide where to live in retirement They ended up landing at Ogden, Utah (skiing was big criteria) In reality, his wife was offered a remote job that allowed them to keep insurance with few hours and Chris got a book idea Chris had no idea what writing a book would entail but knew he wanted to do a series of interviews Being able to tie all those chapters into a cohesive story turned out to be a challenge The biggest thing he learned in the writing process was that designing a life you want is much more important than actually retiring He also calls out what a difference it can make to turn saving money into a fun competition versus it feeling like a chore Chris isn’t sure he’ll ever actually stop putting in work but certainly isn’t worried about pay Then we transition the discussion on how Chris is raising his young child in regards to money and educational path Key Takeaways Saving fixes all: They didn't make a ton of money, they got cheated by advisors, they had a kid...but they retired early Mental is tougher than money: Several examples were covered about psychology and those mental hurdles are so much tougher than an equation Relief not retired: The main focus should be on building a life you love not simply retiring because that's where the happiness really comes from Call to Action Chris has such a love for the outdoors and so do we. This week we just want you to lower the stress and back away from the computer and get outside. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Learn More About Chris!

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Kim from The Frugal Engineers. Kim started nowhere near engineering and with no financial goals. A math professor and an intro to Dave Ramsey would turn her life and career choice completely around. Kim would eventually build a side hustle that would become her full-time job. That side hustle brought in more money than she ever made in traditional employment, allowed her to stay at home with her child, and even let her husband reduce to part-time work. Now both Kim and her husband are self-employed and working for joy instead of stressing about finances. Listen and follow along with the summary below and make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page. Episode Summary Kim took a gap year after her junior year of college to work at Disney world She had been living off scholarships and didn’t really have to worry about income During that gap year, the scholarships ended She bought a car and racked up $10k in credit card debt  The main culprit was a guy she was dating who was already in a corporate job She kept trying to keep up with his spending along with the travel and eating out Kim ended up graduating with an engineering degree Engineering wasn’t on her radar until a math professor pushed her that way Her financial turnaround came after a friend introduced her to Dave Ramsey While she always understood the math she didn’t have a grasp on the psychological side From there she made a plan that included never taking on debt again In grad school, she’d meet her future husband who took her on a date to dollar tree Kim made a vow to pay off all her debt before they would get married It was on their debt payoff celebration that he proposed Then we dig into how she graduated from just Dave Ramsey teachings Now that she’s comfortable with credit cards, she fully embraces travel rewards Fast forward and they have a child and are just discovering the FIRE community After some quick math, they realized at age 29 they were only 6 years from retirement That plan was if nothing changed but Kim wanted to work from home Kim dual-hatted a side hustle with her job She built that up so much that she now works from home and reduce childcare costs After just two years she was making much more than her traditional work Inspired by Kim’s transition her husband started working for himself as a consultant Kim’s side job was hard to juggle with being a new mom at first After calculating things, they realized it was more profitable for her husband to go part-time and free up time for her and greatly increased their work-life balance Once they were completely location-agnostic they decided to leave Florida They tried Oregon for a while but it was too expensive Starting this year they started the journey of finding a place to put down roots They tried Tennessee, Alaska, Nevada but ultimately settled on Wyoming Wyoming has great tax benefits and access to skiing for their daughter Now the next thing they needed to tackle health insurance They tried standard heathlcare.gov plan with a high deductible Then they tried a health share program through Liberty These plans are interesting because they can be more selective of who they cover It was $450 per month for a family of three Kim would have to pay upfront for the bills and then file for reimbursement They struggled with timelines on reimbursement and lack of understanding from doctors After 6 months they went back to a standard plan that was over $900 per month Currently, they’re on a “short-term” health insurance plan It’s only $230 per month but comes with a high deductible and no HSA Then we shift to discussing the detailed steps of finding your FIRE home They made spreadsheets that would mimic their spending in a specific city They visited playgrounds, realtors, and the Wal-Mart Test

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by the magnificent Military Dollar. Justin really had a blast getting to vent the military money misunderstandings  with someone who could relate. Everything gets covered here. Military housing, insurance, investing and of course retirement. Listen and follow along with the summary below and make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page. Episode Summary When she was in college she didn't have a lot of money Her parents were also draining on her finances some in college It was clear to her that she needed to get her finances together and started tackling finance books She ended up commissioning as an Air Force officer through the ROTC program She also got a scholarship but because it was a private school, it didn't cover everything When she graduated she had $20k in student debt, credit card debt and a car payment Both of her parents are entrepreneurs but aren't very good with money Upon graduation she got a new car and had a total of $42k in debt After four years in the military she was debt free Her degree was in political science but she ended up in a very different career field Now she's making great headway towards financial independence She loves her job and never wants to work for pay after she retires Then we discuss the flaw with just choosing a job you love We then discuss why it can be beneficial to live in a high cost of living city Mil dollar then starts breaking down exactly what she makes in the Air Force Justin and Mil dollar then break down common money mistakes military make The big ones include housing and comparing military to civilian pay Then we unravel the military 401k also known as the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) This includes some big changes coming to the TSP this year! Now the moment you've been waiting for...retirement We go over both the traditional retirement and the new blended retirement system Military Dollar finished the episode with how she plans to travel the world with free flights in retirement Key Takeaways Military is a really solid FI path: Unfortunately people think the military is something people do because they didn't have any options. In reality it's full of some of the smartest people you'll ever meet and certainly one of the most sure fire ways to retire between 38-43. People will find an excuse: Military members often spend all of there housing allowance on a house even if they could get by just find spending  a third. The mentality doesn't make any sense but it's an easy excuse for sure. FI lifestyle possibilities are endless: During the wild card question, Mil Dollar talks about this magical retirement community. That's the beauty is you can do whatever you want and there's no reason to live a cookie cutter life you don't want. Call to Action If you know someone in the military or considering the military please share this episode with them. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Contact Military Dollar: Via her blog Military Dollar Catch her on Twitter Join her Facebook group Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by the incredible duo of Kristy and Bryce from Millennial Revolution. Their story is so inspiring. They start at the most traditional lifestyle route of a professional career and seeking homeownership. Then one day they realize the housing costs are simply out of control and they'd rather retire instead. Three years later they quit their jobs and have been traveling year-round since then. They're keeping busy though with projects like their new book Quit Like a Millionaire. This will certainly be one of the most entertaining episodes we've had to date so go listen now. Listen and follow along with the summary below and make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page. Episode Summary Bryce wasn’t focused on saving money in college...beer took priority When they graduated they were just solely focused on saving for a home They lived in a modest apartment while chasing a home The house prices kept outpacing the housing Before they could find a home, they realized they’d saved $500k Then Bryce came up with the idea to ditch the house idea and retire instead Kristy saw the value in this after seeing a coworker collapse from stress They hit a million at the age of 31 We then dig into how they actually got the $500k in the first place Kristy credits the scarcity mindset she got from being raised in poverty in China They moved to a cheaper apartment, used public transportation, and reigned in their eating out splurges They weren’t naturally frugal at the start with Bryce dropping hundreds on booze and Kristy collecting high-end purses.  Kristy even got into unboxing videos for these purses Bryce then starts discussing the differences between how he and Kristy see things Kristy is much better at being frugal but was much less comfortable getting started with investing They really fill in each other's gaps to make the perfect financial independence duo Kristy said what helped get comfortable with investing was understanding how much she'd lose to inflation in savings accounts Then Bryce starts covering their investment strategy and how they navigated the 2008 recession That strategy is a big cornerstone of their book which seeks to show how to handle every rough situation you may encounter Kristy covers how they started out with salaries in the $60k range but would get several raises along the way Their savings rates began around 50% and would get up to 72% before retiring Kristy then covers how to use a number centered approach to choosing your major in college Bryce and Kristy then start covering all the work they're doing now in retirement with the book and blog They credit being in a position where the focus didn't need to be money as their key to side hustle success Kristy then starts telling the backstory to how her video about millennials and money went viral At this point, we shift gears to understanding how they continue to travel the world year-round for under $40k per year They prefer Air BnB over a hotel for the kitchen and laundry access Then they discuss how they build a schedule when constantly traveling and some of the bumps to expect along the way Currently, they're staying in a location a little over a month but plan to start rotating between locations quarterly Those three-month stints will allow them to build real lasting relationships Key Takeaways Create your own trend: It was amazing to see them realize that they didn't just have to follow the path everyone else was following. Why buy a house if that house was going to anchor you to a job for decades. Handling the worst: Too often we only tell success stories and don't give enough focus on preparing for non-ideal scenarios. Kristy and Bryce nail this topic. Millennials are misunderstood: Millennials aren't pampered or lazy. They just consistently choose to follow lifestyles that their pa...

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Chad Methner from Little Brother Life Coach. Chad really wants to encourage people how to reach FI even if they're nowhere near a six-figure salary. We discuss his battles during the recession, finding himself in a job he hated, and how he came through it all. You'll catch Chad now helping others through coaching and setting up local meetups. It's a unique angle so go listen and follow along with the summary below and make sure to check out the links at the bottom of the page. Episode Summary Chad first discovered financial importance from a Dave Ramsey book he stumbled across The parts about debt pay off really hit Chad He's still $20k in debt from college After high school, he just did some manual labor while he tried to figure out what to do for college He got half off tuition thanks to his dad's job at Ohio State After college, he couldn't land a job because it was 2009 and the recession was in full swing He didn't rack up any debt from college until he got his masters in 2015 While the job he had did some tuition reimbursement, it still cost him $25k in debt That along with a car and some other loans left him with over $40k worth of debt He continues at this job making under $11 per hour After he got his masters he went to try and get a promotion Unfortunately, they didn't give him any options After six years there he had maxed out at $13.25 an hour and decided to leave He landed a new job and almost doubled his income to just under $50k and in a role where he was more comfortable We asked why he staid at that first job so long unhappy and underpaid For Chad, it was just comfortable and easy but he finally had enough The discussion swapped to how he saves money on this lower-income The biggest thing for him was cooking at home It turned into a full-blown hobby instead of just a money saver He plans to be out of debt in 3-5 years His big goal is to retire before age 55 and hit that $1M mark Chad is also trying to build up side hustles including coaching and writing a book Then we discuss the "poverty-tax" and the importance of an emergency fund Key Takeaways Everyone can benefit from this journey: Chad began this journey on as little as $10.75 per hour and it's changed his life. Your velocity may be different but the impact is still extremely meaningful. We can always help: Although Chad is still working through his debt payoff, he still has a lot to teach other low-income individuals chasing FI. Don't settle for misery: Chad obviously stayed at his first job too long. After 6 years he was still underpaid and forced into positions he hated. Regardless of pay, working in a job you hate is never worth it. Call to Action Start planning some frugal activities and trips. Maybe even take a look at activities you currently do and find a frugal alternative. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Contact Chad: Via his blog Little Brother Life Coach Catch him on Twitter In our Facebook group! Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Alex Fasulo who is the queen of Fiverr. This 26 year old makes insane money as a copywriter all online. Alex came from a family of entrepreneurs but sought a job in politics or law. After graduation, she found herself in a job she hated and quit soon after. Alex turned to a little site called Fiverr to start trying to earn money online. Fast forward a while and she'd become a Fiverr pro who travels the world and makes over $350k per year risk-free. Listen and read below to hear how she did this and how you can too. Episode Summary She really started paying attention to money after moving to NYC and being out of a job just a few weeks later The job didn't turn out to be at all what she was expecting So she quit She comes from an entrepreneur family Her mom has done hand-painted clothes Her dad has made board games She went to school for political science and aspired to be a lawyer or politician In the house, they were smart with money and savers However, there wasn't conversations on investing or anything more complicated Before she quit her job she had been on a site that was still pretty small called Fiverr After a few months, she started having some traction with it Alex recalls the first day she ever made $100 in one day and felt like this could work Then we start discussing how she grew her rates and found her value After a year of taking things really seriously, she was earning around $32k Alex talks about how important the review is during this growth stage She said if you're early on, it's best to just create a new account if hit with a bad review Now we unravel the origin of Fiverr Pro and how Alex's earnings exploded Alex was invited to a photoshoot for Fiverr and then told she was invited to this new program The minimum rates would be four times what she was currently selling Keep in mind that there's no pro membership or risk to Alex Eventually, she was making over $300k per year and money was piling up We then discuss what Alex plans to do with all that money Then we discuss the drawbacks like all the sitting, bad backs, and carpel tunnel While the business is crazy successful for Alex, it isn't really possible to scale further Currently, Fiverr doesn't have a team version but it may be in the future Alex isn't ready to leave Fiverr anytime soon because they bring her so many clients Even though they take 20% of the profits, she doesn't believe she could find the number of gigs We then talk about some of her biggest or craziest deals including the royal family She's also starting other side hustles like converting horse trailers into mobile bars and ebooks Key Takeaways Brace yourself for change: It was awesome to see how well Alex did with the change that happened when she found herself in a job she hated. We have to be ready for what life hands us and make the most of it. Income can be exponential: Much like investments, income can also grow exponentially as you build a reputation Online doesn't mean easy: We often romanticize working online but it's obvious Alex has put in countless hours to build her dream. Don't expect easy money to just fall in the sky Call to Action Go browse Fiverr and look for inspiration to start selling your own gig! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Contact Alex: Via her blog and grab her book Catch her on Facebook Follow her Instagram In our Facebook group!

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Carl and Mindy Jensen from 1500 Days. This power couple is a staple in the financial independence space. We had a blast recording live at FinCon and can't wait for you to hear. Discover the origin of the 1500 day blog, the dinosaurs, and why Carl will never be a plumber Listen and read below to get all the wisdom from Carl and Mindy. Episode Summary Carl discovered FIRE after having a bad day at work at age 37 He ended up setting a goal of retiring in 1500 days He met his goal at age 43 Mindy and Carl write over at 1500 days Mindy is also a co-host of the Bigger Pockets Money Podcast They live next to Mr. Money Mustache in Colorado After becoming friends they went in together in a co-working space We start unwrapping Carl and Mindy’s upbringing Carl’s parents weren’t very good with money He also was the first in his family to go to college Carl became a work-a-holic and a money hoarder He would wake up with nightmares about money and getting fired Mindy actually is the one who still works though She loves her job, which has nothing to do with her education Mindy and Carl had their kids before they discovered FIRE They were three and five years old Both kids are still in school With that, Mindy doesn’t miss valuable family time by working We then discuss how the kids perceive them as retired parents Mindy recalls growing up spending all Saturday going to garage sales She said her parents had money but didn’t let the kids know Carl recalls picking individual stocks when he first started working He doesn’t recommend this approach now but got lucky with it Mindy didn’t utilize the stock market until she got married But she did start investing in real estate right away Her first place was a $50k condo She sold it a little later for $75k We go back to hearing how Carl started his blog 1500 days It was based on the days left he had to work after discovering FIRE The blog was a way to keep him accountable Currently, they invest in real estate including a Maine trailer park They also do index funds, solo 401ks, and a syndicate deal They still do live in flips and are about to start a new one We then discuss the things they do for fun Carl’s favorite thing about retirement is the uncertainty The next big project they have is starting a brewery Mindy discusses not moving around even with no job holding them down Then we dial into the final three questions Trust us you won’t want to miss these Hint… Carl gets sprayed with feces  Key Takeaways You may not change: Carl was addicted to working and staying busy. Just because he doesn't have to work, doesn't mean it changes that natural instinct to look for the next project. You may work for fun: Most people get nervous about retiring early out of fear. In reality, most people still end up making money in retirement. Just look at Mindy who's killing it at Bigger Pockets Have fun people: Our favorite thing about Carl and Mindy is just how much fun they have with life. Don't stress yourself out. Enjoy the ride. Call to Action The call to action this week is in honor of our guests... DRINK A BEER!    Non-Alcoholic is just fine :) Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Contact Carl and Mindy: Via their 1500 Days Listen to Mindy at Bigger Pockets Money Follow them on Twitter In our Facebook group! Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Taylor Offer from FEAT Socks. This 26-year-old has been making millions since he was 22 from selling socks. Yes, you heard us right...Socks. But FEAT Socks aren't your average socks and Taylor isn't your average entrepreneur. Taylor gave up a prestigious investment banking internship to follow his dreams and create a business. There was failure and even an unhealthy amount of success. Today Taylor has streamlined business and his life and ready to show you how. Listen and read below to hear his amazing journey. Episode Summary We welcome Taylor from FEAT Socks This business now makes millions annually From a young age, Taylor was fascinated about price arbitrage -- this is where you can buy something and sell it for a big markup Taylor doesn’t remember one moment that made him interested in money He was more focused on value even as a child Going into college he was only focused on a lucrative degree He got a coveted internship in banking Then realized how unhappy everyone in this business was That made him realize that entrepreneurship was going to be his path People were hard on him for dropping his coveted internship His first business venture was a marketplace for college kids It was called Market Loco and got over 500k hits in a month The infrastructure costs were too expensive, so it failed His next venture was making custom print t-shirts for frats / sororities He started door-to-door but did a huge cross-country spree It was really successful at the beginning and seemed too easy Then one of his orders got ruined by the manufacturer on a $7k order Taylor realized custom business was really tough Great quote – “There’s a million ways to get it wrong, and only one way to get it right” He meets his soon-to-be business partner his senior year His partner parker had done $1M+ in custom lacrosse jersey sales They brainstormed and settled on crazy socks as the next idea This would become FEAT Socks They sold $2k worth of socks out of a backpack on campus the first day Over their senior year they sold 20k pairs of socks They were making these by hand with a heat press Eventually they hired out college friends Imagine college kids in an unheated workspace, drinking and making socks They really grew their list through Instagram and Facebook Things really turned when they got their angel investor Overnight they get $250k as seed money and FEAT Socks is legit Then through some connections they get Aly Raisman as an influencer It was during the Olympics and she sells $500k worth of socks and FEAT Socks goes viral Originally, they were going to give away 50% of the company for $50k Instead they raised the $250k at a $1.5M evaluation Then we start talking about how the business got away from them At age 23 they are making millions, move to LA and hire 20 entry-level employees They get a 5k square foot warehouse all decked out Taylor and Parker get named to Forbes 30 under 30 and life seems perfect Then, their logistics company misses Christmas delivery dates for a ton of customers They also spiraled into depression and worked 16 hour days all week Taylor just broke down one day and took a one way to Thailand He saw these poor kids in the streets who were happy That moment made him really realize what was important They also realized they had $75k in overhead -- this caused them to let go of more than 75% of their workforce and to automate everything It was cheaper, better quality, and way less stressful FEAT is now very successful with only 1 hour of work per day for the founders With FEAT Socks running on its own, they started a marketing company Taylor actually has like three other businesses going on (serious entrepreneur!) He feels like he’s happy but always finding the balance Oh,

In today's episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Ben Le Fort. Ben is Canadian and has an awesome back story. His parents were financially unstable even to the point of needing Ben to help with the mortgage as a teenager and bankruptcy. Ben would go on to turn things around and is now on the financial fast track. He and his wife now own two properties and are saving aggressively towards retirement. Fun note, one of those properties is actually the home that his parents now live in. Listen and read below to hear his amazing journey. Episode Summary Ben grew up upper-middle class but then 2008 happened Both of his parents were realtors and the recession crushed them leaving them bankrupt His parents had no savings and the housing market crashed Looking back he saw some flags that they hadn't been saving One of those flags was being asked to help pay the mortgage as a teenager  The problems his parents went through caused him to choose economics as a major Ben would end up graduating with about $30k in student debt This was  a rough go because he was having to use student lines of credit His parents' income made him ineligible for financial aid or government student loans in Canada Ben would go on to miss some payments which took a toll on his credit Upon graduation, he couldn't find a good job because of the recession (2010) This drove him to going back and getting his masters degree Ben got roommates in a run-down apartment for $350 a month He tried to continue living the college lifestyle so he could pay off his debt Ben became debt-free in 2015 Then Ben talks to us about meeting his wife She was very risk-averse and investing scared her After tackling stocks they moved on to real estate Ben now has two properties and has done very well on both Fun note, his parents actually rent a property from him Ben's financial world is now off the charts and he's looking to help other That's what started his venture into blogging online via Medium That writing has now turned into a legitimate side hustle We then tackle Canadian investing vs American investing Key Takeaways Be prepared for the unthinkable: His parents were so used to their income and the stability of the housing market. When it crashed, they certainly weren't prepared. Your start doesn't define you: The thing that really jumps out in this episode is that his parents' bankruptcy didn't mean Ben couldn't be successful. It actually benefited him through the motivation it gave him. Currency Matters: There was a really tangible discussion where Ben called out the tactics of someone in Canada investing and how it differs from the United States. Call to Action Whether it is a parent, cousin, or just a friend. Find a loved one who could use a talk about finance and open up and talk to them. Keep it simple and make them feel comfortable if you can. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Connect with Ben: Via his publication on Medium called Making of a Millionaire Via his writing at Wealthtender   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog) Check out our Sponsors Skillshare is an online learning platform with 30,000+ classes in design, business, and more.  Join the 5+ million students currently on Skillshare and make yourself a MVSH (more valuable side hustler)! Use our custom URL Skillshare.com/FiShow for 2 free months of premium membership access.  There are no commitments, it's free to start,

In today's episode, you'll hear how to get to financial independence via Blackjack (wait, what?). Yep, that's right. Cody and Justin are joined by Colin Jones from Blackjack Apprenticeship. Colin got an education in mathematics and started out as a teacher. A buddy introduced him to card counting and changed his financial path forever. He turned a couple thousand dollars he and his wife had saved and tried his hand at the card tables. That small amount of seed money would lead to millions in earnings, a team of prolific card counters, a documentary and his website where he looks to train the next great card counters. Listen and read below to hear this incredible story. Episode Summary Colin's upbringing led him to be frugal He really just wanted to be in a band and wasn't interested in college His parents urged him to go He decided he'd rather go to school than go out on his own Colin ended up studying mathematics which was a great foundation to card counting When he was 22 a friend gave him a book about card counting to win at blackjack Colin then talks about his practice schedule went After his friend started ramping up his earnings to $80 an hour, Colin decided to give it a real try He took $2k of the $6k he and his wife had saved to seed his efforts For the first few months, he wasn't really making much His friend got picked up by a national card counting team Then, later on, that same friend transferred all that knowledge to him and that really upped his game After a bit, they realized they could make $200+ per hour if they had $100k in money to play with For his career-high, he earned $434 dollars per hour It took them 6 months of 30 hour weeks to get to six figure earnings After a couple years they had formed a team that was making $500k per year Colin opens up about how his profession was viewed by his family which were missionaries Then Colin talks about the legality of card counting at a casino Spoiler alert: it's perfectly legal Colin also gives us a brief overview of how card counting works One interesting thing is Colin has never put money into the stock market He prefers to invest in real estate and grow his online business His online business is Blackjack Apprenticeship The site has online forums, software, and training videos to help you learn card counting yourself On top of that, he does three or four live events where he helps polish fellow card counters' skills Colin signs off by challenging everyone to question why they want to be financially independent Key Takeaways Money can be made everywhere: This is just another example of the limitless ways you can earn money in today's world. Easy money is hard: Colin can repeatedly walk into a casino and earn money but it took countless hours of hard work and practice. Tombstones: We absolutely loved his statement about the goal isn't to have financially independent on your tombstone. Life is bigger than that. Call to Action Write out five things you envision you'll do in retirement and then elaborate on why you actually want to do those things Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Connect with Colin: Via his website Blackjack Apprenticeship Also, check out his book 21st Century Cardcounter Documentary Snippet   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, you'll hear how Nate created a site to help people navigate student debt called LendEDU. You'll hear how this website was born during college and now makes over $1M per year. Joining Nate is one of his employees named Mike. We cover their specific site, the industry, and tips for students today. Listen and read below to hear this awesome business transformation. Episode Summary Colin's upbringing led him to be frugal In high school, Nate had some jobs He didn't really care about finance until college His freshman year he took on a good bit of debt in 2012 Mike still has student loans He didn't take it seriously until graduation Nate also worked during college He started paying off his debts immediately He graduated with $60 debt $45k came after 2 years then he changed it up He started mixing in community college Nate and Mike met in college Nate starts LendEDU and brings on Mike By the time they graduated in 2016, it became a full-time job They both highlight how little finance information is available to high school and college students They also realize others cover their material But they try to present it in ways more consumable by younger people Mixing in video and shortening length We dive into some tips for incoming freshman Question really why you're going to college Do you already know your profession? Is trade school a better option? Then exhaust every grant and scholarship Students should also look at what their total debt bill with be, not just year one Nate saved $10k by mixing in community College while at a 4yr university Then we jump into the business side of the website They started off making $200 per month from advertisements in 2014 By the end of 2015, they were making $10k per month By the end of 2016, they reached $50k per month The team has scaled to 15 people Today LendEDU makes over $1M per year working with 120 advertisers Their reviews are all unpaid and therefore objective Separation between the income and the rankings of products is important to them Then we talk about unique new ways to avoid student debt One is payback programs where you commit a percentage of your future salary The other is where you don't need a co-signer for your loans Under this model, it is based more on your degree choice and time left 'til graduation Key Takeaways Don't wait for success: It was awesome to see how Nate didn't put this business off until he graduated Hire who you trust: The team has grown to 15 and 10 of those were college classmates. Trust is often more important than qualification White Space Can Be a Style: Plenty of companies were covering these topics but none in a way that resonated with 20-year-olds Call to Action Take a look at your student loans and see if there is a refinancing option or anything to make those payments fly by. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Connect with the LendEDU Crew Via their website LendEDU.com Check out our Sponsors Skillshare is an online learning platform with 30,000+ classes in design, business, and more.  Join the 5+ million students currently on Skillshare and make yourself a MVSH (more valuable side hustler)! Use our custom URL Skillshare.com/FiShow for 2 free months of premium membership access.  There are no commitments, it's free to start, all the classes are free, and all the material is taught by experts. Check out Skillshare today to see how you can level up your skillset.

In today's episode, you'll hear about the Financial Freedom Summit! To help us cover the summit we bring on Grant Sabatier from Millennial Money and PT Money who created FinCon. This summit is for everyone. It's not a blogger conference, it's for everyone who is trying to improve their relationship with money. The Summit is May 1st - 3rd, 2020 in St. Louis. Listen as we uncover why we are so excited about a conference that you surely won't want to miss. Episode Summary We start off by getting PT Money's background who started as a CPA He would then go on to create FinCon (if you've never been...just GO) Then we move to Grant Sabatier He went from $2.26 over $1M by the time he was 30 He writes over at Millennial Money Grant also authored the book Financial Freedom Then PT gives us an overview of how FinCon got started in 2011 Grant then talks about this need for The Financial Freedom Summit He first noticed this need while on the road across America talking about financial freedom He and Cody then set out to create a game plan and road map It's just an honest attempt at being stewards of the community The big change conversations will happen everywhere It may be in the hall, between sessions, or in the lobby in the middle of the night The big goal is to track $1B in net-worth increase in 10 years No one will be here trying to make a commission off of you Just people answering your questions There's also a rockstar list of speakers You can also make the conference your own with separate tracks Tracks like debt payoff, parenting, real estate, or entrepreneurs In the end, we just hope to see you all in St. Louis May 1st - 3rd Key Takeaways Everyone is welcome with money: This isn't just for a small sect of people, if you want to grow your relationship with money, you're welcome Finance is more than early retirement: Debt payoff, financial freedom, meaning to money, there are so many There are tracks for everyone: Budgeters, entrepreneurs, real estate, small business, or gig economy... there are a lot of tracks Call to Action Go and grab and get your tickets so you can join us for this awesome weekend. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Learn more about the Financial Freedom Summit Buy tickets and learn more about the conference at TheFiShow.com/summit Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, you'll hear the powerful story from Deanna who writes at Recovering Women Wealth. Deanna would bounce around the world while sprinkling in college which she graduated from at age 28. By that time she had already been married and divorced but found her passion in teaching. Unfortunately, she then became addicted to drugs and alcohol and found her self six figures in debt. Thankfully at age 36 she got sober and now at 46 is debt free and on solid financial ground. Listen to one of the more powerful episodes we've ever had and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Her parents were good with money and she was rebellious She knew money was necessary to be able to get out on her own Deanna did some learn some money lessons but they didn't sink in until much later She admits that they wanted for nothing and were middle class Deanna's parents also saved up for her college Her dad was a successful salesman and her mom stayed at home She would end up bouncing around while sporadically going to college Deanna would end up in Europe, Colorado, and Ohio At 25 she was married and 27 she was divorced Deanna would also have to file for bankruptcy because so much debt was in her name At 28 she would finish her undergraduate degree and find her passion in teaching While it took her 10 years to get her undergrad, she got her graduate in just one year To pay for her lifestyle during all this she would rely on being a waitress She started out on a promising career in education as a mathematics teacher Then someone from her past came back to her life and got her hooked back on drugs She stopped teaching and got offered a job at a country club she used to work at Unfortunately, it was a job surrounded by alcohol Deanna would continue to spiral and found herself six figures in debt The Turning Point She recalls seeing three paths including insanity, death, and a glimmer of hope At 36 she realized she was done and quit cold turkey She was able to do this without entering a treatment facility Instead, she just utilized anonymous groups Her money journey started to turn around too A church friend introduced her to the Dave Ramsey techniques Now four years she was making a lot of progress but still had struggles She would end up losing her house due to foreclosure Now with little debt remaining, she was extremely motivated At age 43 she made the decision to move in with her parents to accelerate things She became debt-free in December 2017 Today she works in the insurance industry and loves her job She started that career-making $40k and is now up to $70k Deanna is actually looking to take a year and volunteer at an orphanage in Uganda We can't wait to see where life takes her and her powerful story Key Takeaways Financial freedom > Retiring Early: Deanna is 46 and not near the end of her FI journey but she feels so free without the burden of debt Use these powers for good: I love how this community takes there freedom and uses it help others the way Deanna does It doesn't have to be a sprint: Deanna has made huge strides but many would not feel comfortable taking a year off but that's what she wants to do so she can volunteer at an orphanage in Africa... and that's pretty awesome! Call to Action If you know someone facing addiction, send them Deanna's story. Even if you don't, we all have bad habits. Face one unhealthy habit this month and eliminate it! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes

In today's episode, you'll hear from the side hustle king Nick Loper from Side Hustle Nation. Nick got an eye-opening opportunity in college and knew he had to be his own boss. He would eventually work three years in the corporate world. During that time he was building his side hustle. It was quickly covering his expenses and he never looked back. Listen and learn all about side hustles and let us know what you think. Episode Summary He started paying attention to money when he started realizing how expensive things were Things such as renting a tux for prom His parents didn't let on that they had the money that they didn't It wasn't that they were rich but they did well His first memorable job was through a program called College Works They pitch entrepreneurship, sales, and customer service You don't know what the job is until the pitch is over It turned out to be house painting They gave him an area of responsibility and taught him several skills He was in charge of hiring, firing and solving customer issues They warned Nick that he may never be able to work for someone after this experience Nick mentioned how important this experience was to applying his education He would go on to work for three years in corporate America Nick's 1st Side Hustle Nick built his first side hustle at 22 It was a comparison shopping tools for footwear Every day he'd come home and work on the side hustle from 7-10pm At his normal job Nick was making ~$50k per year Before long the shoe site began earning enough to cover his expenses At this point, Nick was ready to take the side hustle full time What really flipped the switch for Nick was a quote from a conference It was "Work on your business, not in your business" Nick took this to focus on growing the business and less of the day to day grunt work That lead to the next side hustle which was a yelp type site for finding a virtual assistant Choosing Your Side Hustle Nick recommends finding two areas you're in the top 50% in Then find a way that those two things intersect He also suggests trying out things to experiment You'll often find your true golden idea once you get started on a project If you begin to dread the work, it may be time to stop working on that side hustle Tiers of Side hustles Nick says side hustle fall into three categories: Service, Product, Audience For Services, Nick really recommends branding fragmented services He gives the example of building a maid service that has great customer service and ease of booking For Product he recommends a "buy low, sell high" model like print on demand shirts Then for an audience, you can sell clicks to ads or affiliate links Also once the audience gets large enough you can sell something like an ebook or course Key Takeaways Expertise not required: Nick's first side hustle was comparing shoes and Nick knew very little about shoes Be better, not necessarily different: It's more important to provide a great experience than something that's never been done Think in scale: When building a side hustle focus your energy on how it will scale. Remember work on the business not for the business Call to Action Go check out Nick's giant list of Side Hustles and find a few today Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android   Learn more about Nick Via his blog at Side Hustle Nation Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, you'll hear from Mrs. Miller who writes over at Millers On Fire. Mrs. Miller grew up in the Bronx surrounded by low incomes and not much excess. She gets out and her salaries begin to really climb. Once she passed the six-figure mark, she started feeling the guild of success. At age 32, she comes to terms with what she'd achieved and found a new motivation in a journey to financial independence. She also shares her experience with the Blogging for Profit Course. Listen and learn all about side hustles and let us know what you think. Episode Summary She originally wanted to go into criminal law. The original plan was to get a political science degree That should set her up to become a lawyer Once she decided being a lawyer wasn't in the cards she swapped majors She'd end up graduating with a business degree Being born and raised in New York she lived there with her father while she hunted for a job She'd eventually find work with the U.S. government in California Mrs. Miller's Background Her salary would quickly climb from $35k to $70K and eventually up past $100k The problem was her lifestyle inflated alongside her paycheck She slowly increased her savings rate from 3% to 10% Lacking financial literacy, she didn't consider what investing could do for not only her future but start a shift in generational wealth Mrs. Miller Discovers FI At age 32 she came across an article that explained this idea of financial independence She took a look at her life and spending and realized she had a lot of financial potential She admitted to struggle to even store all her clothes and shoes Throughout her working career, she'd only been saving 10% of her income After the discovery of financial independence, she would ramp that up to 50% Mrs. Miller Spreading FIRE (+ Blogging for Profit) Once she experienced such a shift in mindset, she wanted to spread it In 2016 she bought the domain name for millersonfire.com Unfortunately, it didn't go anywhere Running a website proved to be overwhelming Then in 2019, she took a course on Blogging for Profit From there she found the tools and motivation to get back to her passion project Mrs. Miller has seen a big turnaround and shares that for her readers She also does a great job of being extremely transparent with her numbers The Millers sit at a net worth of about $500k Their goal is $1.1M and hope to hit that by age 44 Key Takeaways Success can hurt:   Mrs. Miller was crushing her professional life but felt undeserving and guilty when she knew many people even in her own family, who were struggling. Don't listen to standards: Saving 10% can feel like the finish line, push yourself to save as much as you can, not hit a minimum number. It's ok to get help: Mrs. Miller tried blogging back in 2016 and hit a wall before getting help from the Blogging For Profit Course. Call to Action Reevaluate a project you started that fizzled out due to overcomplication Side Hustle Courses [Limited Time] Blogging for Profit Course (receive bonus ebook on signup) Etsy Printables Course (receive bonus ebook on signup) Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Learn more about the Millers Via their blog at Millers On Fire Read her Blogging for Profit Course Review Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, you'll hear from Jen who co-hosts the Frugal Friends podcast and writes at Modern Frugality. Jen really didn't want to become frugal in her 20's because she was afraid of losing out. Over time she realized the amount of work it was taking to reach her goals was too much. She decided to stop only focusing on more work and begin focusing on frugality. Listen and learn all about side hustles and let us know what you think. Episode Summary The first thing her husband wanted to do after getting married was paying off student debt Jen was not originally on board with this She didn't want to live under a rock under her 20's Her husband explained the opportunities that they'd have if they got out of debt They were $78k in debt total The two of them also didn't have a ton of income Jen came around to getting out of debt but still didn't want to lower her income She tried to add on three side hustles on top of her job There was so much stress that she ended up with shingles In totality between all their work and side hustles, they were bringing in up to $88k Originally the goal was to be debt-free in 5 years In the end, it turned out to only take 23 months Jen's Tools for Turning Around Her Finance One of the most powerful tools she used was a method called habit stacking This is where you take one habit you're good at and sticking another on top Hers was brushing teeth with budgeting tied in on it Jen also really recommends manually tracking vs automated systems at first Another tool Jen used was a no-spend challenge This is where you don't spend money on any non-critical item for a set period of time Many times people shoot for a month Saving money is good for you and the environment she also calls out Buying cheap things that get tossed lead to waste Cheap vs Frugal Impacting someone else negatively is cheap Impacting yourself negatively is cheap If it's illegal it's cheap If something takes you so much time to save money that you're not there for someone else it's cheap Key Takeaways Less is more:  Jen actually became happier in life after stripping off unnecessary spending instead of it being a burden Saving is self cafe: She talked about how so many of the things we spend money on take us away from things we really care about Cheap is harmful: We discuss how being cheap is destructive to relationships and the environment Call to Action Assign a value on a scale of your choosing to the expenses in a certain category. Start reducing the ones you value least. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Learn more about Jen Via her podcast One of her books -> Saving with Spunk, The No Spend Challenge, Meal Plan on a Budget    Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, you'll hear from MK Williams who authors Financial Independence Fiction. She started out chasing a career for money but found herself unsatisfied. MK studied the art of writing and self-publishing. Now she is authoring books and helping other authors as well. Listen and learn all about side hustles and let us know what you think. Episode Summary MK saw her mom put herself through law school and struggle From there she always wanted to hoard money vs spending it She decided to major in economics This decision was largely to earn a higher income She had a passion for writing but didn't feel like she had the skills MK graduated in the middle of the recession so no job was lucrative Her first job would come through a fluke all at USAA She had moved down to Florida to live with her parents Her starting salary was $38k but she didn't love her job While in Tampa she would meet her now-husband Jason Jason actually owned his house and was renting rooms out to people It's very obvious that Jason and MK are completely on the same frugal page We then discuss how they keep finances straight as a couple They actually just use whatever credit card they need for rewards Writing as a business MK had this dream that she would just write a book and a publisher would show up That didn't happen She said it took her three to four years of learning to be ready In the end, she settled on self-publishing MK wasn't driven to write for money at first She then discusses how she grew her brand organically Mk wasn't open to the idea of just paying for tons of ads to grow Then we talk about MK's inspiration for her fictional novels She shares a story of her husband who started selling her families stuff at 12 FI Journey MK got out of debt in 2012 Then they discovered Mr. Money Mustache in 2013 The topic didn't stick at first but then they read Early Retirement Extreme and it stuck this time They had always been good with money but there was no real purpose behind it. Then we swap gears into how she's helping Fiology and ChooseFI with their books MK is now a full-time author and independent publisher by helping others learn how to self-publish She's also taking all these lessons and sharing them via her YouTube Channel MK also shares how authors can still provide physical books without huge upfront costs Key Takeaways Partner in crime: It's so important to get on the same page with your partner, if your not today, just keep working Keep Learning: MK shows how she's continuously learning such as re-reading Harry Potter to understand how a series builds Cheap is harmful: We discuss how being cheap is destructive to relationships and the environment Call to Action Practice your listening skills, We learn from listening not from speaking. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Learn more about MK Via her website 1MKWilliams.com Read her FI-fiction book Learn about self-publishing via her YouTube Channel Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, you'll hear from Lisa who writes over at Mad Money Monster. She started off life poor, had a bad first relationship, then discovered Financial Independence. Lisa was in her 30s and went in full force cutting out all her expenses. It turned out to be too harsh and she shifted her mindset to FI/OR. This is Financial Independence / Optional Retirement and she breaks that down for us. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary She grew up poor so she was always fascinated with money Once she had her kid she really knew finances were important Then she meets her current husband and they start to close on their big dream home Lisa talks about how the home was way out of their price range Luckily the inspector found black mold in the house This meant the deal fell through and they avoided huge debt Lisa was in her mid-30s in 2015 when all this happened Growing up Poor Then Lisa talks about her upbringing in a 400 sq ft trailer She does note that it was in a great school district Most of her classmates lived in big nice houses Neither of her parents graduated high school Justin and Lisa talk about how to fit in when you don't have money One of the big things was spending a little to get name brand clothes Since they lived in such a small house their family was doing ok They weren't living on super thin margins but they weren't saving anything FI Journey Lisa already had her undergrad, masters, and career started before finding financial independence She had been saving for retirement since day one but no extreme focus Lisa steps back in her story to cover a relationship that fell apart earlier in life She ended up leaving their house with nothing Lisa actually owned a home that she rented to her parents but didn't want to stay there So she ended up renting another apartment Then we step back to what life looked like when she really discovered Financial Independence The day she discovers it, she goes into work and maxes out her 401k contribution Then they started cutting everything No weekly pizza or coffee dates, nothing was off-limits FI/OR - Financial Independence Optional Retirement Lisa goes over the 5 big points of this idea of FI/OR Pressure is off - you don't have to be extreme and retire super early for no reason Makes work more fun - FIRE made work seem daunting, focusing less on it made work fun Scale back / Stop Side Hustles - these are just second jobs and it can grind you down Gives You Options - now you can focus a little more on the things you love vs rapid spending Lisa's original goal was to stop working in 2021 and just do nothing Then she started thinking about kid's college/wedding, vacations, mom's care Now Lisa is rethinking her timeline and moved it to 2025-2030 She and her husband currently have blogs and rental properties She also admits she could never just retire and do nothing Key Takeaways No money? Spend it anyway: Lisa talks about how important having nice clothes was for her self esteem growing up poor It's ok to slow down: Obviously Lisa has pivoted and changed her plans and she sounds so much happier with optional retirement. Pick a Partner: We discuss how being cheap is destructive to relationships and the environment Call to Action Slow down a little, spend some time and money on something you love and avoid deprivation. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors

In today's episode, you'll hear from Gina who you can learn more about at Horkey Handbook. Gina grew up poor but graduated college at 19 and began a string of successful careers. After burning out in corporate America, she decided to try her hand at entrepreneurship. Now she is running several successful online businesses aimed at helping others become entrepreneurs themselves. Listen, learn,  and let us know what you think. Episode Summary She grew up poor and money was always a challenge As kids, she'd have to buy her own clothes even in middle school Gina started babysitting at age 11 But Gina was always driven to make something of her self She actually started going to college while she was an 11th / 12th grader This allowed her to graduate college just before she turned 20 The program is a special thing that Minnesota does and is free Then she ended up getting married at 21 and settled down in her hometown After college, she worked for a company helping people reach fitness goals Then she'd transition careers into being a financial advisor Gina was working 60 hour weeks but was learning a ton It's obvious that Gina is an extremely hard worker This means that she thrives in a commission-based jobs Her biggest advice for these type jobs is to sell something you're passionate about She gives some interesting insights into the life of a financial advisor Gina would stay in this career field for 10 years Just before leaving the corporate world they started preparing for a change Her husband quits his job in 2013 to be a stay at home day She knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur and started investigating Gina would start freelancing in several different areas Then she did some virtual assistant working By 2015 she was full-time entrepreneur Her corporate job had been paying about $60k before she left She talks about a lot of the success and benefits One of which is they take a 2-month vacation to the beach in Texas every year They actually unenroll their children from school every year and home school them There were some struggles though She felt guilty being close to her kids but having to work all-day Gina now has a separate location on her property to work in It really helps her separate life and work Gina does struggle with taking on too much work This year she actually stressed herself out so much she grew a dependency on alcohol Luckily she is now been sober for over six months Then Gina goes over some tips for managing stress Her and her husband are both frugal and don't want a lot of flashy things She does, however, believe in investing in herself Gina actually pays $3k per month for a business coach and it's totally paying off Her and her husband also utilize a personal trainer Then Gina goes over a laundry list of businesses she's involved in These include virtual assistant, freelancing, and Pinterest courses Some of these are branching off into niches Such as podcast virtual assistants Key Takeaways Control your income: Gina talks about how a sales-oriented career puts earning power into your own hands Commit Cautiously: Gina put so much into her businesses, but at times pushed herself way too far Branch successes: When Gina finds something is working she doubles down and finds another angle to also go after Call to Action Invest in something that will improve your life. Whether business, fitness, or anything that makes you happy. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes

In today's episode, you'll hear from Lauren and Steven who write over at Trip of a Lifestyle. This awesome couple took a six-month honeymoon to Hawaii and that changed everything. They got a taste of traveling on a budget and earning along the way. We can't wait to showcase how they took control of their work-life balance and living life to the fullest. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Discovering Financial Independence Lauren started paying attention to income in college She worked her way through college with scholarships and jobs Then when her and Steven moved together to California they started talking to advisors Steven's started getting interested in investing after he started working They ended up getting sold some really bad investments from a bank investor Although it was a bad situation it was a big learning moment They actually came up with this idea of having investments covering your expenses before formally discovering FI It was also really helpful that they started early before they had faced lifestyle inflation The big change for them after finding FI/RE was just saving with more of a purpose They end up moving back to Florida to take advantage of a free master's program for Steven This program was based on a requirement that Steven would teach for a bit in Florida During his teaching commitment, they got married and started brainstorming their honeymoon Long Term Honeymoon They had a goal of really driving down the cost per day for a Hawaii trip Instead of a week or two, they would stay six months They bought a used car, rented an apartment, and worked 10hrs per week When the trip was over, they had broken even and their net-worth actually grew This trip supercharged their will to retire early Lauren & Steven were actually more excited about work because they knew what they wanted now When they returned to Florida they also bought a small condo for cash Even though they owned their house, they brought in roommates to bring in more money Finding Work-Life Balance To enable this type of travel they leveraged their skills to earn money while on the go Steven picked up some private tutoring jobs They both also do photography Lauren negotiated with her employer for a part-time remote job which they agreed When they would go on trips after buying their condo, they'd sign short term tenants Lauren will also help out small business with social media All 61 National parks in seven months After a period of working after returning from the honeymoon, work started taking a toil They felt really burnt out and felt like they should just be doing more of this travel So they came up with this idea of seeing all 61 national parks Total cost of the trip including van depreciation, healthcare, chartering planes etc was $37k That's total for two people and seven months It would have only cost $21k if they skipped a couple of the really remote ones Over that seven month period between side jobs and rent, they earned $37k So their income matched their expenses while taking an incredible trip You can get the full breakdown of this trip here Their Spending They have spent $18k-$27k per year They are comfortable not chasing a specific FI number Lauren & Steven look to continue their side jobs but have no interest in starting a business Key Takeaways Test driving FI/RE: Lauren and Steven talk about how their trips are a test run at what financial independence will look like. Avoid burnout at all cost: It's so important to enjoy the journey on your way to retirement It's ok to not be a boss: I think it was very insightful that Lauren & Steven would rather use businesses than create one Call to Action Take a mini-FI/RE vacation and take some control over your work-life balance. Join the Community

In today's episode, you'll hear from just your Hosts! That's right no guests to save the day. As a reminder, Justin chronicles his life at Saving-Sherpa.com and Cody writes at FlytoFI.com In today's episode, the guys tackle 10 financial tips they always hear and give their take on what's true. Hopefully, you enjoy this special episode! Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Credit Card Balances We discuss why you should ALWAYS be using a credit card The need for setting up autopay to pay off the full balance Neither of us recommends carrying any balance Some think it helps build their credit In reality, you're just setting yourself up to pay a ton of fees The actual factor that relates to this is credit history which doesn't require a balance Rent vs Buy Justin calls out the importance of keeping in mind closing costs, HOAs, insurance, etc It's much more complicated than comparing a mortgage to just your rent These things are especially true if you're moving every two or three years If you can go beyond and do things like house hacking, then buying is certainly a great option Also, keep in mind the non-money part of the decision Owning a house can be stressful and add in more variables to your life New vs Used Justin recommends buying a car that's 5 years old on a deal Then keep that car for two to three years and try to sell before you hit 100k Justin prefers these cars to be under $10k  Cody discusses depreciation and interest rates Justin then compares buying a car and keeping it for 20 years vs rebuying periodically Good vs Bad Debt Obviously there is some debt that's terrible such as credit cards with 15% interest Then there is a middle ground where it's debt that doesn't earn revenue but allows you to invest more Both felt like anything that 4-5% range in interest should just be paid off as quickly as possible Going to College Going to a community college first isn't a no-brainer Many scholarships that universities offer are only given to incoming freshman Justin would have missed out on 10s of thousands if he went to community college Cody calls out how important it is to just be intentional He also calls out the cool trades and technical skills that don't require a college degree Filling Up Savings Accounts Justin highlights how destructive inflation can be It's also scary to see how many people have avoided investing during the last five years These people are often terrified that we've hit the top Both guys highly recommend buy and hold as well as getting into the market right away Financial Advisors Justin does see value for some to have a tax specialist but doesn't see the need for a financial advisor It may be a good idea to pay a one time fee for an advisor to help set up a plan you're comfortable with That could help you get off the sidelines without being tied down to fees long term These advisors often charge at least 1% which can really add up You can see how much these fees are costing you by using Personal Capital's Fee Analyzer tool. If the only reason you're using an advisor is to give you a scapegoat when things go bad, rethink that To round it out, Justin cautions employees from having too much of their portfolio in their employers stock Whole Life Insurance Justin highlights that no reputable financial independence writer has recommended Whole Life insurance People want to sell you these because the salesman gets a royalty for life Whole Life mixes insurance and investing which means neither is as efficient as it could be This doesn't mean you should necessarily cancel your plan if you're already deep into it If you're really interested in this topic, we covered it previously in-depth You can find that episode with Sa El here Also, don't forget to check out our sponsor Bestow for great insurance quo...

In today's episode, you'll hear from just your Hosts! That's right, no guests today, but plenty of voices will be heard. This episode is covering some of the activity that's been going on in our Community Facebook Page In today's episode, the guys share with you the powerful accomplishments The FI Show group is achieving. Also if you join the Community Facebook Page, we're starting a new thread for 2020 goals. Comment with your goals and we'll feature you on an episode coming out later as well as check-in and keep you accountable! As always they'll also be transparent with their own wins. Hopefully, you enjoy this special episode! Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Wins from various community members Set up a Roth IRA for 18 yr old daughter Visited FI friends in 10 states Wrote a book with their daughter Got to at least one comma in each account Wrote a book 5 figures from a side hustle FIREd at 44 then hit UK Chautaqua, CampFI, and FinCon Reached FI at age 30 Maxed out his and wife's 401k Couple that both FIRE'd before 30 Vacationed and paid off a truck Paid off a mortgage Fired a financial advisor and started to DIY Transitioned to full time selling on Ebay and many more.... One huge transformation Discovered FI on Christmas of last year with only $1,500 in a checking account (plus some mutual funds for retirement) Since then, negotiated a $12k raise Got her company to pay for  PMP Volunteered at a startup to learn new skills to switch to a better-paying industry Moved to another job for ANOTHER $30k raise Automated savings to accumulate a $20k emergency fund Maxed out Roth and HSA for the first time, plus getting a 401k match! Took  time to think about WHY even pursue FI Now in the process of downsizing life and purchasing an RV to travel the country, see the public lands, and spend more time outdoors!  The Hosts Share Too Justin saved 76% and  is 80% of his way to FI He spent $23k while living in Boston With $10k of that going to rent...ouch Full break down of expenses for those curious Bills: $1,133 Travel: $315 Misc: $255 Eating out/drinks: $108 Gas: $61 Groceries: $53 Justin started a new job and upped his earnings Some notable trips to Hawaii, Mexico, Colorado, countless other trips and time with family   Cody spent $28k while also living in Boston Quit his job in January of 2019 Toured the country for 3 months living in a camper for Grant Sabatier's Financial Freedom book tour. Got the Financial Freedom Summit setup for 2020 And took a 3.5 week trip to Peru and Chile in December   Key Takeaway Reflection is Powerful: Both of us and the FI Show community felt so much more motivated to tackle 2020 and just felt so much better about ourselves after we realized how much we all crushed 2019 Call to Action Join the FI Show Community Page! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors One of the best ways to protect your family is with term life insurance. Even though we don't like to think about it, it's important to have financial protection in case the unexpected happens. Bestow is an awesome and reputable life insurance partner of ours that makes this process simple and easy. They use data to remove the doctor visits and paperwork involved with the traditional life insurance process. And you can apply from anywhere in just minutes. You don’t have to jump through a bunch of hoops to determine yo...

In today's episode, you'll hear from Court who writes over at Modern FImily. Court and her wife are (mostly) retiring early in Canada at 32, but will continue work a bit more until their second child is born. They did this with student debt and a priority for living a full life while chasing their dreams. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Discovering Financial Independence Court had $70k of student debt after her bachelors and masters degree She'd start her career in 2009 She was focused on getting out of debt Court paid it off in 2.5 years At this point, she looks to buy her first home She then also discovers Mr. Money Mustache Starting a career She had the opportunity to participate in this rotational program It allowed her to rotate three times in six-month time segments across different jobs That gave her a wider view of options and allowed her to choose one right for her Start of  a family She would meet her now wife in 2011 Her wife would also end up with some student debt It was obvious right away that both were frugal and passionate about travel Court drove the spreadsheet part of the relationship but their goals align Looking forward After getting married in 2015 they start designing their future Court's wife was originally from Canada and they set their sites there They would sell their home and all their things in Florida Then they traveled for 6 months before moving up to Calgary Court thought she'd a while to find a job and might travel another 6 months Luckily the job came through sooner Court was frugal but didn't have the investing background until finding the FI community They welcomed their first child in 2018 and are planning for a second Canadian Perks Canada gives 18 months of paid time off for new parents This nets around $25k per year The insurance is incredible She tells a story of going to the emergency room with less than $20 out of pocket The medical bills for the birth of their child were limited to parking at the hospital Court got her citizenship through her dad but could have gotten it through her wife She also still gets U.S. perks like good travel rewards credit cards Canada also gives you around $5k per year for children up to 17 years old Canada will also give you $500 via match into an education saving plan They also have payments to citizens over the age of 65 that's based off income She also says that taxes are actually not that much higher than the USA Looking Forward Court lays out her withdrawal plan for retirement She's moved to 60/40 stocks as she's about to stop working There is a plan to get back to 80/20 after a few years in retirement They plan to try and have a second child Court goes over some of the considerations for a lesbian couple having children They saved and planned for a 4% withdrawal rate They believe they can be happy with closer to a 2% withdrawal rate   Key Takeaways Better than expected: Court talks about how much faster FI came than expected Canada has perks: It's so important to enjoy the journey on your way to retirement Power in learning: Court wasn't from Canada but she's immersed herself to become an expert Call to Action Take a closer look at the fine print of your city/state/country programs and retirement options and consider what moving might look like. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors

Today's episode was recorded live at Camp FI down near Gainesville, Florida. Camp FI is a retreat of 40-60 people at locations across the country filled with people chasing FI and supporting fellow members of the community. This episode highlights people who were convinced to come to CampFI without any background to the FI/RE movement. Two other interviews include a graduate student studying the FI/RE movement and the camp's creator, Stephen. Stephen talks about the origins and future of this camp and the motivations to keep this community growing. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Laura Inspired by an interview with Vicki Robbins She was drawn by the way people see the role of work in their lives The community was also very open to being researched She noted how diverse the age and background was of the movement It also came out that most people actually love their jobs The last thing she called out was how intentional and conscious of their decisions You can email her at firestudy@umich.edu if you're interested in being interviewed Mike He never could have imagined being at a conference like this A friend of his recommended that he came He notes how ready he is to take action the minute he gets home Mike really recommends that people give this community a chance Tactically he got an overview on how to get his realtor's license He didn't image the generosity that he found with the community Roople Rupel is a practicing physician She loves the challenge of why you're living life the way you are Rupel calls out the trouble she sees with physician burnout She also noted how easy it was to have deep, personal conversations with this community While at the conference she moved investments away from higher fee options to low-cost index funds She hopes that doctors will dig a little deeper and find why they love doing what they do Refocusing on that and restructuring their life she hopes will alleviate the burnout Since hearing about the movement, she ditched her overpriced apartment and bought a home Creator of CampFI - Stephen Stephen tried to make more of an emphasis on making real connections with the attendees He hopes that people who are looking to get involved with FI/RE community will just jump in Stephen first attended a camp like this in 2016 and knew he had to spread this idea to more people This year they look to have at least nine of these camps all across the country Stephen had no background in event planning and didn't know what to expect Luckily everyone showed up who bought tickets the first year Also worth noting that CampFI is where Cody & Justin met and The FI Show was born   Key Takeaways FI isn't so different: Many of the stories we heard from FI "newbies" during the week mentioned that this community isn't just a bunch of "weirdos" and "money nerds". It's just people making slightly more conscious decisions. So many paths: There was so much diversity: age, gender, profession, and general paths to FI. It showed just how many ways there are. People are good: The American news cycles are often rough and draining. It's nice reminding yourself just how good people really are. Call to Action Start leaning on or creating a community around you that supports your growth as a person and your goals to reaching FI. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors One of the best ways to protect your family is with term life insurance.

Today's episode is an awesome chat with Emil from Roofstock. Emil covers why he wanted to get into real estate and what held him back. He knew his area of California was too expensive and discovered the idea of long-distance real estate. Roofstock gave him the tools and confidence to make his real estate dreams a reality. Then a couple of years later he actually joined the company and is here today to walk us all through his journey and what Roofstock could bring to the community. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Emil's Background Emil was instilled with values early from his frugal parents In high school, he got interested in stocks and started self investing At the time he was picking individual stocks but doesn't advise that He luckily had a friend who was like a child genius with stocks When heading out for college he needed a car and sold his stocks to purchase one In college, he studied economics His first job would be aggregating data on pharmaceutical companies It's clear Emil gets a ton from his time working across a few startups Emil also stresses the importance of Networking It would ultimately lead to his job at Roofstock   Emil's Journey to Roofstock Emil became a user of Roofstock in 2017 At the time the company wasn't at a point to bring on remote workers He would continue to send marketing materials to Roofstock that he thought the could use Over time Roofstock opened up remote positions and he went to work with them Emil had a strong connection to the company because he always wanted to invest in real estate His dad actually had been investing in real estate for a long time The problem for Emil was the prices that were near him So he got interested in remote real estate That's where Roofstock came in to save the day He now has several properties over multiple states including Florida and Indiana. He bought his first home in 2017 for $84k in Jacksonville with an original rent of $900 The property had a new roof and HVAC so it almost turn-key Today it is renting for $954 He also has never had to change tenants Total cash-flow has been $8,200 Appreciation has also increased the property value by $26k Roofstock Details Roofstock links you up with preferred property managers You're not required to use them but you're not forced to find someone Roofstock makes their money during the sale of the homes It's actually a great deal for both the buyer and seller The seller ends up paying 2.5% vs a standard 6% for the sale Then the buyer pays $500 but gets a ton of support Beyond the property manager help, they also have preferred lenders Emil scans Roofstock to find states with good returns Then he looks for states that have landlord-friendly laws to avoid squatters He also recommends job and population growth Most properties have an inspection report This inspection report also comes with an estimate to get it rent-ready Then you can leverage the property manager to find a trusted contractor Roofstock Guarantees If you're not happy with a purchase, roofstock will help you sell it If it's not sold after 90 days, roofstock actually buys it back They also have a rent guarantee This kicks in if you can't rent a property after 45 days After that point, Roofstock will pay 75% of rent It does require some things on your end You're using a preferred property manager The home is rent ready Rent isn't set at an unreasonable level Free to Sign Up Yep, Roofstock is 100% free to sign up You only need an account for certain functionalities, but still free Currently, they service residential only but up to 4 unit properties   Key Takeaways Everything gets disrupted: It's awesome to see a service like this trying to take something traditional and put a unique twist on it.

Today's episode is an awesome chat with Jillian from the Everyday Courage Podcast. As a young adult, Jillian had huge goals in life to adopt children, travel the world, and hit financial independence. Then, Jillian hit all these things by the age of 32. While it is amazing to hit goals early, it can leave you devoid of a north star. Now she is helping others through coaching and this podcast to find their own goals and push themselves Especially those parts of our lives where we settle and tell ourselves that 'it's ok" or "it's good enough". "Avoiding the 6's" as she calls it. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Jillian's Background Jillian got married at age 19 She saw from an early age that money gave you options They started off their marriage with $55k worth of debt From the start, they always stuck to a goal to save 50% They made some difficult choices like living in a camper or roommates They would end up investing and buying rentals This would lead them to be financially independent at age 32 Their goal was certainly never that early in the beginning Jillian credits her small-town upbringing for her strong work ethic She also notes that hard work gave here control she craved Her home life was rough at times and out of control Everyday Courage Podcast Jillian discusses how we typically see courage as huge events In reality, there are moments every day where we can do courageous things Success is like this too where there are small wins all around us She warns against having peak experiences with unfulfilling large gaps between Then we start talking about success She breaks down how success is so different for everyone Jillian talks about how to keep going once you met all your goals She thought she had a lifetime of goals but hit them by 32 She talks about the amount of reflection that takes Jillian also describes how luxuries become necessities as you grow Now she has big goals that have no time limit She explains the importance of imagining yourself as the person who has met your goals Then think about what gaps exist between that person and who you are now. Avoiding the 6s When we're in a situation that's a 2 out of 10 there's little risk As in, if you quit a job that's a 2, how much worse could the next job be in comparison Then if it's an 8+ it's where we want to be The problem comes in the "good enough" are of the 6 Doesn't everyone struggle with fitness, relationships, work/life balance, etc When pressed on these situations they feel like "it's ok" Jillian urges people to not settle into these 6s She tries to focus in on things that people hesitate around Finding the things in your life that you procrastinate around Then understand where that resistance is coming from Mostly being aware of the resistance and having the curiosity to solve it The layout of the podcast The show is set up in seasons around a theme and interview They are set up to be really short listens There will also be a workbook where people can follow along Episodes are only 6-20 minutes long One episode comes out every week The seasons are wrapped up in two-month chunks   Key Takeaways Courage every day: Jillian's premise is that we all have things in our lives that we can work towards every day that takes a little courage. Define your success: Don't let someone else set your goals for you because even if you meet them you won't be fulfilled. Luxuries to necessities: Jillian explains how coaching or retreats may be luxuries at first but as you continue they can become necessary to your growth Call to Action Find a "6" in your life and push yourself to make progress in that area and not settle. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and...

Today's episode is an awesome chat with Purple from A Purple Life. Purple has an awesome story and she hits a giant milestone of retirement at age 30 this year. She covers how she continued to jump jobs in a way to increase her salary 3x while raising job satisfaction. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Purple Beginnings Purple was introduced to financial independence by her partner However, she didn't listen to his advice for two years She felt she had things in order to retire in her 50s Her mom actually retired in her 30s Purples mom also helped build financial understanding She would give purple $1 for chores but remove taxes first Purple talks about being frugal in high school and college Her degree was in American Studies She ended up landing a job in advertising Then New York happened She said she was brainwashed there Expensive heels and purse subscriptions ensued Job Hopping Her first New York job paid about $35k She was also super unhappy and stressed Purple quit that job without another one lined up She was hired in a couple of weeks with a promotion and $13k raise That made her realize how much she could leverage job offers The next job was another $17k raise which put her up to $65k Then she looked to start dropping her expenses This would take her out to Seattle which was half the cost of Manhattan Job hops would continue until her salary today of $110k In total, she had 3x her income and cut living costs in half between rent and taxes FIRE Ignites It started clicking that these voices like Mr. Money Mustache were actually realistic She got a lot more serious about all her line items A big one she calls out is learning to cook After things settled, she realized she could and will retire at 30 Her Why of FIRE She doesn't want to be held to a schedule... that simple Purple doesn't hate her job and even gets to work from home She also plans to stop renting and slow travel all over the world Purple admits she doesn't know if being a nomad will be for her Her target date is September 2020 Why her Journey works Never owned a car Doesn't want a house Will not have children Started investing early Only spends $18k per year Net-worth 2015 - $89k 2016 - $137k 2017 - $234k 2018 - $280k 2019 - $448 Projected $500k at retirement She's super flexible Un-productivity Advocate Purple is a hard worker and type-A But she recognizes too many people equate being busy as successful There's no strong desire with her for a side hustle It's important for her as an introvert to take time and recharge She does, however, plan on continuing her blog And she also uses the app Job Spotter to make some money on the side   Key Takeaways Leverage Yourself: You make $x today but that doesn't mean it's what you're worth. Don't underestimate your value. Compounding is Strong: Purple started not making a ton and living in a very expensive place but now she's retiring at 30. It worked because she started early and just kept saving. Busy isn't required: Purple calls out how we don't have to inject stress, plans and work into our lives, that it's ok to just relax. Call to Action Take a look at your skills and how they could fit in a different role or company that allows you to up your salary. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors Empower is a mobile app that makes managing your money ...

Today's episode features Rebecca from My Fat Purse. She breaks down how she and her husband paid down his $180k student loan debt in just 2 years. Rebecca and her husband gave up pensions from the military and are poised to hit FI in 5 years. She talks about how powerful tracking their spending and avoiding lifestyle inflation was to this journey. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Rebecca's background She started taking her finances seriously after marriage Rebecca's husband came into the marriage with $180k of debt They paid that debt off in 2 years Rebecca graduated without any student loan debt thanks to the military She studied mathematics for her bachelors Then she got paid by the Air Force to get her masters Paying Down $180k Debt Rebecca attributes tracking expenses as the most powerful force to paying off debt They put all of one salary completely towards debt She also calls out how important it was to avoid lifestyle inflation That refers to slowly spending more money over time Rebecca's husband was also in the Air Force He was supposed to be on scholarship but ended up losing on it She covers that tough decision on giving up a pension and chasing FI Life After the Military Her husband took a slight hit in income and she saw a raise Rebecca stuck with working for the military as a contractor Her husband decided to completely change up his job They now have control over where they live but decided to stay in Colorado This was mostly due to her husband's job and ease for her to find a good job Path to FI They have purchased two homes One is their primary residence The other was for renting out on Air BnB That experiment didn't turn out well so they sold it Outside of their primary residence, they keep it simple with a three-fund portfolio Rebecca feels they are five years away from financial independence Next Rebecca walks through why and how they combined finances They do keep separate accounts for some flexible spending Budget Tracking Rebecca really emphasized tracking spending and how she does it She started with Mint Recently she transitioned to an app called EveryDollar She also has built a very robust tracker you can download   Key Takeaways True Partnerships: Rebecca didn't put all the debt payoff on her husband, she knew that their goals were tied together and decided to help Tracking not budgeting: People often think you have to set limits on yourself when in reality, simply knowing where your money goes is the first step Not all real estate is gold: Just a nice reminder that while real estate is extremely powerful, it's not foolproof as Rebecca found out Call to Action Take some time and completely track your expenses for 1-3 months even if you've done so in the past. This can help make sure you fully understand where all your money is headed. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors Empower is a mobile app that makes managing your money the easiest thing you do all day. How? Automated saving. Painless budgeting and spend tracking. Human coaches ready to share personalized recommendations on how to pay down debt, uncover extra savings, and tackle any other finance question on your mind. Proactive tips and up-to-the-minute alerts to help you make better financial choices in real-time. Make sure to use offer code FISHOW when you sign up to earn a $5 bonus when you reach your savings goal!

In today's episode, you'll hear from just your Hosts! That's right, no guests today, but plenty of voices will be heard. This episode is covering the 2020 goals we sourced from our Community Facebook Page. In today's episode, the guys share with you the powerful goals The FI Show group set for 2020. As always the Community Facebook Page has set the bar high and brought us some impressive ambitions that we can't wait to follow and help motivate! As always the hosts will also be transparent with their financial goals for 2020. Hopefully, you enjoy this special episode! Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Goals from various community members 345 bench / 445 squat / 515 deadlift Add $100k to their net-worth Visit 15 new countries Publish a second book Finalize estate plan Quit jobs and fix up Air BnBs Pay off student loans Buy first house hack Positive net-worth Attend 2020 FinCon Complete triathlon Make $35k from rentals Buy replacement commuter car Put extra $12k towards mortgage Payoff house Zero consumer debt Max out IRAs The Hosts Share Their 2020 Goals Justin Finish a half marathon length spartan race Put $100k into the stock market Make $1800 selling blood / blood cells Link To Learn More - Tell them Justin sent you! Finish 2012 Ford Transit camper-van conversion Have an 80%+ savings rate Hit his FI Number ($550k)   Cody Get to his lowest body fat % of his life Buy a house hack Invest $50k into retirement accounts Take one memorable trip every month Volunteer more Push himself and take a risk   Podcast Get an A-list celebrity / athlete on the show Double listeners and community members Hit the road and meet the community in person   Key Takeaway This community is ambitious: We were amazed to see how strong some of these goals were but based on the 2019 progress, we know they are going to hit them. Call to Action Join the FI Show Community Page and share your goals with someone! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors Empower is a mobile app that makes managing your money the easiest thing you do all day. How? Automated saving. Painless budgeting and spend tracking. Human coaches ready to share personalized recommendations on how to pay down debt, uncover extra savings, and tackle any other finance question on your mind. Proactive tips and up-to-the-minute alerts to help you make better financial choices in real-time. Make sure to use offer code FISHOW when you sign up to earn a $5 bonus when you reach your savings goal! To be eligible to receive the $5 bonus, (a) you must enter offer code FISHOW at signup, (b) you must be an active Empower subscriber, (c) you must open your Empower AutoSave account no later than 4/30/20, and (d) your Empower AutoSave account must have reached a balance milestone of $100 or more 30 days after opening the account. The bonus will be paid into your Empower AutoSave account on or around the 4th of the month following the achievement of the balance milestone. Must be a new Empower customer to qualify.   Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Josh Overmyer from JoshOvermyer.com Josh lost his job and a major chunk of his home value in 2009. That would force him back under his parents' roof for two years. Luckily he turned things around and discovered FI but it wasn't all roses. Josh takes us through that whole journey including bouncing back from failures with precious metals, penny stocks and peer to peer lending. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Josh's background Grew up in small-town Indiana Dad worked in a factory, Mom works as HR manager both 20+ year careers First in his family with a 4-year degree He majored in Urban development Moved down to Fort Myers Florida in 2005 The Great Recession Hits Then the recession hit and work came to a halt Then in July 2009, he lost his job Josh then moved back home to stay above water He had bought a house that saw its value get severely lowered Josh had to keep up a low-cost lifestyle for two years He averaged $19k in spending Josh would move out of his parents' house in 2011 Bumpy Path to FI Then he started finding FI/RE bloggers like J Money Josh eventually found a job in grant administration Then Josh starts talking about the failures he’s learned from These include investing in precious metals, penny stocks, and peer to peer lending Hitting His Stride Josh would land a new job back down in Florida At the exact same time, he would start driving for Uber He just kept saving and saving July of 2017 he started maxing out his 457 Over his 3.5 years working in Florida he would start at  30% and ramp-up Josh then covers all the activities he takes place in the FI community In his day to day life, he doesn’t have people to talk about Finance with But through FinCon and CampFI he has found his people  He has also credited Travel Rewards as the biggest game-changer for him The whole 3.5 years he worked he didn’t have vacation so he saved points Now he’s utilizing those points and recommends the Capital One credit card Josh then talks about how to hit those minimum spends   Key Takeaways Life hits hard: Josh never could have seen his world flipped upside down from the recession, but it did and he wasn't prepared Learning from mistakes: Josh tried several different angles at investing before finding his groove Stay Positive: Josh is so upbeat about his story and now in a great place and will be ready for the next market challenge Call to Action Head over to our Facebook Group and let us know a failure you've had and what you learned from it. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors Empower is a mobile app that makes managing your money the easiest thing you do all day. How? Automated saving. Painless budgeting and spend tracking. Human coaches ready to share personalized recommendations on how to pay down debt, uncover extra savings, and tackle any other finance question on your mind. Proactive tips and up-to-the-minute alerts to help you make better financial choices in real-time. Make sure to use offer code FISHOW when you sign up to earn a $5 bonus when you reach your savings goal! To be eligible to receive the $5 bonus, (a) you must enter offer code FISHOW at signup, (b) you must be an active Empower subscriber, (c) you must open your Empower AutoSave account no later than 4/30/20, and (d) your Empower AutoSave account must have reached a balance milestone of $100 or more 30 days after opening the account...

Today's episode features Tyson Koska from OnTrajectory. Tyson joined the Army when he didn't have enough money to go to the college he wanted. Later, he would end up with an English and Philosophy degree which didn't land him a job. He fell back on an old skill of programming and up-skilled his way into eventually making six figures. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Tyson's amazing turnaround. Episode Summary Tyson's background From a young age, he had jobs and tried to make his own money His goal has always been to be independent When it was time to go to college his parents offered to help But for them to do so he would have to live at home Instead, he decided to join the Army and became a helicopter pilot Tyson admitted he made a lot of missteps when he first started working He blew all his money and racked up credit cards Reinventing and Up-Skilling He left the military in 1992 In the end, he would end up in that little local college after all Tyson decided to study English and philosophy Those majors didn't provide any job prospects Tyson fell back on his old skill of programming that he learned at age 13 This spun into a job and a pipeline for up-skilling Over that stint, he would climb from $30k income to over $100k His income was increasing but so was his spending Tyson says that was largely due to marrying the wrong person Then we discussed what really flipped the switch for him He recalls a friend who wanted to open a McDonald's His friend said he needed $100k to do so That sounded like a ridiculous amount of money to him but inspired him Creating OnTrajectory Another big turning point was when his second kid was on the way There was so much unknown and he couldn't find a tool to help him plan for them This need led him to build OnTrajectory Now he sees both individuals and advisory firms using the tool It's also available for a free 30-day trial with no credit card needed to sign up Then Tyson walks us through all the incredible detail you can get from the app There are walkthroughs on YouTube as well as several guides It's a really cool tool that allows you to insert tons of complicated life events into your projections   Key Takeaways Mistakes Happen: Tyson calls out several missteps but he learns from them instead of dwelling on them Life is Complicated: OnTrajectory was born out of this idea to model all the crazy life events we can run into Call to Action Head on over to OnTrajectory to start your 30-day free trial and see what your plan looks like with all those important life moments. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors Empower is a mobile app that makes managing your money the easiest thing you do all day. How? Automated saving. Painless budgeting and spend tracking. Human coaches ready to share personalized recommendations on how to pay down debt, uncover extra savings, and tackle any other finance question on your mind. Proactive tips and up-to-the-minute alerts to help you make better financial choices in real-time. Make sure to use offer code FISHOW when you sign up to earn a $5 bonus when you reach your savings goal! To be eligible to receive the $5 bonus, (a) you must enter offer code FISHOW at signup, (b) you must be an active Empower subscriber, (c) you must open your Empower AutoSave account no later than 4/30/20, and (d) your Empower AutoSave account must have reached a balance milestone of $100 or more 30 days after...

Today's episode features Christine Hughey who owns A Little Local Flavor food tour business. Christine navigated several cities and years to land her dream job in Nashville. Then shortly after, Christine would be celebrating a new marriage and devastated by their household income dropping from $120k to $35k. At the bottom, she took a challenge to start her own business and in no time had created a six-figure food tour company that is growing at leaps and bounds. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Christine's amazing turnaround. Episode Summary Christine's background She feels like she had a better than average financial understanding growing up Christine would go visit who are Grandmother who tasked them with tracking stock prices Her Grandmother would also buy them small stocks in companies they understood It gave them something to chat about over their times apart Christine admits that she took all those lessons for granted until much later When it was time to go to college, Christine wanted to get into the print industry This ended up requiring her to get an engineering degree at the college she was at From there she moved to Colorado and got a job she did not enjoy Journey Towards FI In 2006 she is making around $35k per year and saving around $200 per month She also realized a true engineering job wasn't going to be there for her in Denver From there she moved to a small town in Texas for a few years Then her dream job opened up in Nashville, TN Things Begin to Fall Apart We're now entering 2013 on the journey and Christine is hitting her groove Until she is shocked to find out that she'll be losing that dream job quickly after starting Leading up to this, they had tried to push more and more work on her with no increased pay Christine's husband helped her through this down period Then she got a new contract for a dream job as an engineer and things were looking up Then six weeks after their honeymoon, that new contract got pulled and she was unemployed On top of this, her husband lost his largest income-generating gig Six weeks after their honeymoon they saw their pay get cut from $120k to $35k They started cutting all expenses and downsizing their house Christine admits that the whole experience was crushing She vowed to never let one company be the source of her income The turnaround Christine finally finds work at a food tour company in Nashville The hours are long and the pay had gotten cut in half Then January 2018 happened and her life completely changed This was when she attended her first financial independence event Christine attended CampFI down in Florida At the conference, she was challenged to start her own food tour company When she got home, she quit her job and started her own business that May This was the start of A Little Local Flavor Building a Six-Figure Business Christine admits she was out of her comfort zone What got her through was just taking one small step every day Most of her education came from podcasts It took some time for her to shed being an engineer as her identity As she built her team she had several keys she wanted to hit Some things she wanted was to fair pay, have strong values, and a good work environment She then layers in lots of bonuses into her employees' pay This small step really incentivizes them to do great work By the end of 2018, they had over $60k in sales But then 2019 grew like crazy She grew her team to include 8 employees They also saw the number of visitors grow to 4400 and sales to $330k With that, they took home 23% as profit Christine expects to grow that margin and increase tour types and locations Her 2020 goal is $500k for the company She also hopes to be able to scale back her involvement   Key Takeaways Social Currency: Christine talks about how to put ou...

In today's episode, you'll hear from your hosts only. Hopefully, you find some comfort in today's episode during this uncertain time. This episode is covering the Coronavirus, how it impacts us mentally, physically, and financially even if we're lucky enough to avoid getting sick. These are certainly tough times but we hope there are some bright spots you can use as motivation to get through this. We don't know how long this could last, so let's get through this prepared and together. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think. Episode Summary Topics Covered in Todays Podcast Focusing on Coronavirus and FI We start off covering  current correction We’re currently at late 2016 levels Then talk through scenarios if you pulled out of the market in 2008 and stayed out for X number of years Even if you invested at the height of the market (September 2008), your annualized, inflation-adjusted return as of March 2020 is 4.5% Federal tax filing deadlines and payments extended to July 15 (including estimated quarterly payments) Cover importance of  having an emergency fund Briefly touch on unemployment benefits Share our thoughts on if we get stimulus checks, what you could do with it  Go over side hustling / extra income ideas We look at how you can support local businesses and yourself Do you have tech skills? Help companies go digital as a consultant Share our opinions on stopping the spread of the virus (incubation period, social distancing, etc.) Give insight into our own personal impacts with travel etc Brainstorm some low cost/ free hobbies you can do online Help you see how Zoom/Skype tech can replace happy hours and social events  Emphasize fitness while quarantined  Try to highlight the money you'll be saving during a quarantine  Then look to share some potential escapes you can still do that are quarantine friendly Running  Camping  Biking  Photography  Road trips  We go into over-preparing, mentally and financially, for the potential that life remains in an altered state for many months Finally, we remind you that now is the perfect time for projects you've been putting off, now is the perfect time to accomplish   Key Takeaways This could take time: We have to plan both mentally and financially for uncertain times to consider for many months. Silver Linings: It's certainly not a situation any of us want to be in, but what can we do to come out of this as strong as possible? FI is here to stay: There are voices out there calling for the end of FI, but there will never be a reason to stop aligning your spending to your values, living responsibly, and educating yourself on finances. Call to Action Really think through and put together a plan for how you can last 8+ months living in this way that covers you financially, emotionally, and physically Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Sponsors Empower is a mobile app that makes managing your money the easiest thing you do all day. How? Automated saving. Painless budgeting and spend tracking. Human coaches ready to share personalized recommendations on how to pay down debt, uncover extra savings, and tackle any other finance question on your mind. Proactive tips and up-to-the-minute alerts to help you make better financial choices in real-time. Make sure to use offer code FISHOW when you sign up to earn a $5 bonus when you reach your savings goal! To be eligible to receive the $5 bonus,

Today's episode features Dustin Mathews from WealthFit. Dustin worked for and built several businesses. Some of these businesses had huge incomes and expenses but Dustin found himself without a ton to show for it. Then Dustin discovers FI and starts radically changing how he lived and starts spreading financial advice himself. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Dustin's amazing turnaround. Episode Summary Dustin's Journey to FI He attributes Rich Dad Poor Dad as his entry into FI Most of his work / finance life was around building a business and selling it He started out with some startups but then decided to create his own business Dustin admits he didn't mind racking up debt for these businesses He attributes his entrepreneur spirit from his mom Dustin's First Business As part of a mastermind, he found someone who could use some marketing help The business was selling courses around lines of credit for businesses  A big recommendation Dustin give is doing lots of small changes and testing along the way. After Discovering FI He walks us through the tough conversations with his wife Dustin also said that for tracking expenses, a google sheet stuck with him where fancy apps didn't Then Dustin got the opportunity to go work for Wealthfit Stepping Back to His Six-Figure Courses He starts getting involved in product launches which were very profitable Then he starts a seminar business around teaching others to do product launches These seminars could bring in over $1M a year That would be over $250k over three days It's important to remember that was gross income The business kept sprawling with more expenses On top of that, Dustin was spending all his money without worrying about saving Teaching Others From His Mistakes When Dustin got the opportunity to work at Wealthfit he was excited Excited to help others avoid mistakes he made with his businesses and personally grow He calls Wealthfit the Netflix of personal finance They have courses and materials around both personal finance and entrepreneurship/side hustles We wrap up with Dustin sharing how he landed Dennis Rodman on his podcast   Key Takeaways Easy Come, Easy Go: It's awesome to grow your income but you need both intentional spending and income in order to make progress Lift others with your mistakes: We loved how Dustin brings his knowledge and opens up about his failures in a way to help others People can change: Dustin has felt what it's like to live a life full of expenses and huge incomes but the FI message still resonated eventually Call to Action Slow down a little if you still haven't found your purpose and re-evaluate that your money and effort are aligned with your goals. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data and helps to track your spending, net worth, and investment accounts. Keeping track of your money has never been easier. With 1.6 million users and growing, this platform is becoming a leader in its industry. We have both been using Personal Capital for years and highly recommend it. Sign up for your free account here!   Dustin's Information

Today's episode features Robert from Stop Ironing Shirts. Robert worked his way up the sales career path. Then in 2019, he retired with over 28x his annual expenses. Fast forward to today and he saw that shrink to 18x his expenses. People often always wonder what it would be like if they retired just before a crash. Now you have the opportunity to see how that looks first hand. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Robert's wild ride. Episode Summary Robert's Journey to FI Robert didn't have much money growing up He started noticing the people around him who did Then he tried to reverse engineer how they got there He contrasts how his grandparents had a structured career path and his parents didn't His dad did end up in sales which is where Robert first found the career path Robert Finds His Career He graduated high school in 2000 Robert thought he'd go into computer programming That quickly changed when he hated programming Then he got a department store job celling cell phones This made him realize sales was for him Robert goes over how sales have no politics or ambiguity in pay It also means that you can make as much as you can perform Robert Experiences His First Crash Robert talks about his experience with the 2008 crash He talks about how his 401k was less than his contributions even with company match Then he talks about how you just have to keep plugging away when it's dropping Your earnings in a savings account simply can't keep up with inflation Robert Discovers FI He talks about the life decisions he made once he discovered the FI movement in 2013 The canceled fancy hotels and tried to do some of their own home renovations Some of those changes didn't pan out but the overall path was clear for them They looked and felt like they could retire around 5 years from that moment In 2015 he had a good job opportunity and it locked him into three more years The timing worked out pretty well but pulling the trigger was still scary Crash Take 2 Robert now talks us through what life has been like during this latest crash He went from Fat FIRE to Lean Fire in one month Robert had also taken on a little side gig but was let go because of the turndown He says at this point you just have to give up control By this he means, just stay the course and don't do anything rash Robert also gives us insight into which individual stocks may or may not be favorable as we come out of this crash Especially focusing on companies that are getting bailouts which hinder investors And rest easy, Robert says he's nowhere near considering full-time work   Key Takeaways Sell Your Salary: Robert walks us through the high earning potential that sales brings Trust the Process: Losing 10x your annual expenses in a month can be disturbing but Robert isn't giving up on the process Call to Action Research some companies you're interested in, you don't have to make any individual stock purchases but it can be a fun exercise to vet companies that you may be interested in. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data and helps to track your...

Today's episode features Gina from The Frugal Convert. Gina has a powerful story of being alone and broke at age 19 with a child to take care of. She didn't let her circumstances define her and took control of her life. Then over time, things began to slip again and she realized she needed to change at a more conscious level. Now she's a full-fledged frugal convert and closing in on financial independence. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Gina's wild ride. Episode Summary Gina's "Jar of Pickles" Moment Gina found herself 19, newly married, and pregnant and totally broke. Her then-husband took her phone, car, credit cards...everything She was hungry and alone in her home and had nothing to eat but pickles Then she found herself on the floor crying Gina then started going through all the bad decisions she'd made in her life that led to this But then she decided she could take control She divorced him and life moved on Now she's married to the man of her dreams Gina takes steps back again Things were going well for a while after her wake-up moment Then Gina got comfortable and started racking up credit card debt She and her husband were happy and well employed but her habits hadn't changed Then they found themselves in over $100k in debt Earlier in life, she had racked up debt She had done this because her rent was $1150, she was going to college, had a kid, and only earned $1200 per month Gina would get a loan to consolidate her debt but then keep racking up more with the new limit Making Habits Stick Gina realized that she would have to really change her habits to turn her life around Her first step was to start really tracking her spending It wasn't cold turkey, she just lowered the frequency of disposable spending Eating out once a week instead of three times a week, etc She admits she tried to make a budget before she tracked her spending That is generally a big mistake and leads to failure Without a point in time, it is hard to make reasonable projections She also says that a budget should be a living document It can't be something you set and never adjust Gina utilizes an excel spreadsheet and breaks it into four categories The first is survival - food, utilities, rent The second is debt The third is extras - Netflix, eating out, etc The fourth is fun money - even if you still have some debt to pay off Redefining Frugality It's not about deprivation, it's about reprioritization It is fun and rewarding to be frugal You become picky about what you spend your money on and only focus it on things you're excited about She also began to realize that she was actually just buying things because it was a habit It wasn't that she needed them or even wanted them long term Now she's much more into decluttering and keeping things simple Finally, Gina walks us through how this is all possible in Los Angeles She also shares budgeting with her kids They don't feel deprived, they are just getting educated and comfortable with money Leaving A Legacy She really wants to follow her passions full time and step away from traditional work Gina also wants to get more into real estate and having extra streams of income In 2007 they had bought a condo, then the 2009 crash happened Her husband lost his job because it was tied to the mortgage industry She was furloughed due to the turndown So her focus will be on diversifying their income streams Her real passion is going out and being hands-on with moms in the welfare She wants to develop programs they can use to take control of their finances   Key Takeaways When Life Hands you Lemons: Gina had every right to be down on life and never crawl out of her low spots, but she always learned and improved herself. Behind Every Paycheck is a Passion: Gina acknowledges that her day to day job isn't he...

Today's episode features Rob from The Simple Startup. Rob had an interesting childhood were he got most of his early education in Ireland. This gave him an opportunity to be exposed to unique learning environments that don't typically exist in the United States. Now Rob is leading by example and teaching his own students these valuable lessons of personal finance and entrepreneurship. He has also taken it one step further by creating a workbook that can spread these lessons to everyone. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Rob's amazing lessons. Episode Summary Rob's Upbringing Rob feels like he had a lot of great influences early but didn't bite on the advice In his elementary school in Ireland, he was involved in some saving focused programs About two years ago he started getting involved with teaching financial literacy with younger kids Rob was born in the United States but was in Ireland most of his life until age 21 He comments that you don't see the drive for FI in Ireland that he's seen here We discuss differences in pension systems and wages between Ireland and America How Rob Became a Teacher He had several options to choose from between sports medicine, architecture, and teaching Rob mostly went with teaching because he got the summer off and he loves getting outdoors Even the subject he was going to teach just sort of fell into place Rob actually started teaching in 2014 Taking Money to the Next Level Rob admits his wife was better with money when they first met That gap he was noticing drove him to take money more seriously Within 12 months of marriage, they paid off all of their $20k of debt After his debt was paid off, he started focusing more on financial independence Origins of Rob's Love for Entrepreneurship Rob's high school in Ireland offered him a gap year that is all around self-development His business teacher made them actually start their own businesses The kids were in charge of the full cycle Rob says it was basically the Lean Startup Model Finding something that can be started with resources you already have on hand That first business was selling baked goods which sold at school They profited about 500 Euros The group actually had their own custom stall and custom aprons Educating the Next Generation of Financially Literate Citizens Rob asks his students on a skill they'd like to learn but never have Then he challenges them to learn that skill without his help and prove their mastery of it Something like changing the oil in a car and creating a YouTube video teaching others to do the same Then he started a club called The Millionaires Club This club is fully self-funded without fundraising They get their money via business they run themselves and can keep 10% of the earnings As he started building out resources and structures for this he decided he should build a workbook This workbook is an actionable workbook that's very interactive and not just something you read He calls it a how-to guide around starting your first business It's really targeting teens and young adults This workbook covers the full lifecycle  Finding a need, building the business, handling the finances, and pitching it to others   Key Takeaways The Lessons are versatile: Whether it's business, personal finance, or responsibility -- these type of lessons can apply and improve lives in many areas Think outside the box: Rob didn't let what a teacher normally does define what he was going to do with his students and is seeing the results Call to Action If there is a young person in your sphere of influence that you can encourage to try a project or a small business, then help push and guide them through that experience. If not, try a self inspection and consider starting up a trial run of a business with extremely low startup costs to see if it's something yo...

Today's episode features Harry from The Rideshare Guy Harry started down a very traditional path -- an engineer in a cubicle. Then in 2014, he started moonlighting as an Uber & Lyft driver. He started a blog and began sharing real data that helped drivers know the Do's / Don'ts and ultimately how to make more money. Today, his blog has an insanely large following and it continues to expand into more and more areas. He's also launched a course, Maximum Ridesharing Profits, to teach new side hustlers how to take advantage of the rideshare economy. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Harry's amazing ride. Episode Summary Harry's Journey to Side Hustling Harry remembers when he realized he could sell chips from his lunch as a kid His lesson was that when people want to pay for something you need to find a way to accept it Harry took a fairly traditional route career-wise He got an engineering job and worked the cubicle environment But Harry was used to entrepreneurial ventures From selling chips to doing laundry, and then driving Uber / Lyft on the side in 2014 Harry then goes over the moment he realized traditional employment just wasn't enough It was realizing a fellow employee had been working in the same building for 40 years He was also having a lot of fun driving for Uber / Lyft and making $35-$30 per hour The pay was higher back then as fewer drivers were available Finding a Career Via Uber / Lyft Harry never really wanted to drive for a living but enjoyed the process So he started The Rideshare Guy Here he would lay out very clearly and thoroughly all the things you should consider as a driver The blog started growing and surpassing the money he made in his regular job It also didn't seem scary because his boss left the door open to return Frugality and Lifestyle inflation Harry talks about how he is reasonably frugal but not extremely He also talks about how some lifestyle inflation is positive Nothing over the top but things that make his life more comfortable and less stressful Deeper info on Uber / Lyft and Rideshare Guy It's important to keep in mind the pros/cons One big benefit over a similar paying job is the flexibility It also gives you good practice to balancing accounts for running a business At the end of the day, all the things on the sites are just logistics Getting something from point A to point B He also talks about some of the locally specific gigs These may pay more and even come with more traditional benefits Getting the most out of being an Uber/Lyft driver Harry recommends a used fuel-efficient car, imagine a ~2014 Prius Then he talks about options that allow you to only do pickup/drop-offs along your route So you could add this into your normal day Then Harry talks about liabilities Different insurances and protections to keep customers from coming after your assets It's not worth ruining your life over a side hustle if you have a lot of assets If you don't have much to your name, it's a little less stressful Another good tip is driving weekend nights and workday commutes It's also important to keep up with miles to deduct those expenses from your taxes Check out his course, Maximum Ridesharing Profits, if you're looking for an all-in-one resource to crush the rideshare side hustle game Beyond Uber / Lyft Harry notes that most people only drive temporarily He wanted to start focusing on the jobs these drivers are transitioning to He's done a lot of coverage on transportation jobs like truck driving/taxi drivers Then other demand-based  jobs that have similar setups But these are in completely different fields than transportation like a notary of the public These are all covered under the "Thinking Beyond Rideshare" category     Key Takeaways Provide Value: Harry was successful because he gave a t...

Today's episode features the former #1 NFL Fullback and author of Your Money Vehicle, Jed Collins. Jed had realized his dream of reaching the NFL but with that first big check, came a lot of fear. Since that point, Jed now embraces fear and shares the lessons he learned with young players and people all over the country on how to take control of their finances. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Jed's amazing ride. Episode Summary Jed Collin's Entry to the NFL Jed talks about his first big check He knew he'd already spent it all before he even opened it The money had gone towards an engagement ring for his now-wife Jed entered the league as an Undrafted Free Agent so the NFL wasn't a given But Jed had an accounting major so he had a fallback He talks about how having a fall back plan is actually looked down upon He also admits that he understood corporate finances but didn't resonate on a personal level Helping With Rookies Jed goes to sessions around the combine to educate rookies on personal finance Some of these rookies struggle with peer pressure around luxuries like cars and jewelry But a lot of pressure is actually from families that they're now supporting There are also things like rookie dinners were these young kids are dropping $27k on dinner And that's for veterans who don't need anyone to buy them a thing The Rookie minimum is almost $600k now NFL Members Don't Comprehend What They Make Players don't comprehend the difference between contract value and take-home pay The money coming to you is heavily taxed You also are not guaranteed a spot on the team for the full contract either There is a pension system for those that make it three years in the league But this doesn't kick in until 55 It equates to about $500 per month for every year in the league Mindset Comparisons: Money and Football Jed was actually cut 13 times And later in his career, he was named the #1 Fullback in the league That just shows how unstable it can be for a player in the league He feels that there are a lot of parallels between someone being successful and life and sports He also shares stories about Drew Brees that just shows how dedication and process can lead to success 5 associations of money Jed talks about automating what you do with your money He breaks it down to 5 money areas or associations These (not in order) are: Society aka Taxes Past Decisions - Rent / Bills / etc Present Day Actions - Day to day choices Future Choices - Investing / Saving Compassion - Donations / Giving   Key Takeaways Peer Pressure: Jed talks about how powerful peer pressure is and it's obviously not just a concern for kids in school Strong Minds: We love all the parallels Jed draws between his mindset and process in the NFL to be successful on the outside Call to Action Divide your spending up into the 5 associations that Jed discussed and automate where your money goes Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data and helps to track your spending, net worth, and investment accounts. Keeping track of your money has never been easier....

Today's episode features the star of the Playing With Fire documentary, Scott Rieckens. Scott found himself saving 8% an heading towards a lifestyle that seemed unsustainable. The FIRE movement showed him that his value/happiness was not aligned with his spending. Scott and his wife made an amazing transformation and shared it with the world. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Scott's amazing journey. Episode Summary Scott's Background His Dad was in the Navy so he picked up and move many times. His Mom would always try to pick up a job at the new location She also handled the bills and investing outside the pension At a certain point, Scott realized his lifestyle wasn't sustainable He was trying to take on more and his spending was also increasing Then he found the FIRE community That took his focus just from income streams to also include responsible spending Entrepreneur Focus Scott found himself laid off three years after college He and a friend spent three months to put together a business plan They raised a couple hundred thousand dollars to build an indoor golf center But as they worked the projections, they ended up scrapping the idea Then he goes back to the drawing board and back to the small business center for help When Scott goes there for advice, the advisor realizes Scott has social media experience In 2009, very few people had this experience and the advisor encouraged him to pursue that route From then on, he's been an entrepreneur Scott recommends the book The War of Art for entrepreneurs Embracing FIRE Scott recalls the Chautauqua trip in Ecuador with people from the FIRE movement There he learned that if this didn't work, he'd just be going back to work like everyone else That realization made him feel much more comfortable with the attempt at hitting FIRE Scott then breaks down why everyone doesn't embrace a journey of financial independence Not being in the right place in life or being afraid of what they could uncover We also talk about the taboo around money Playing With Fire Scott's original idea was to go around interviewing people about the movement Then it swapped to him actually going through the journey and transformation He talks about how difficult and invasive the documentary Scott also the moments the camera missed Now Scott is taking the Playing With FIRE brand into a Podcast   Key Takeaways Awakening: It's so cool to listen to someone explain the process of totally shifting your outlook on life as Scott did with his spending Strong Minds: We love all the parallels Jed draws between his mindset and process in the NFL to be successful on the outside Call to Action Make a list of the 5 things that you value the most and that brings you the most happiness. Then reflect on what percentage of your budget is spent on items from this list. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data and helps to track your spending, net worth, and investment accounts. Keeping track of your money has never been easier. With 1.6 million users and growing, this platform is becoming a leader in its industry.

Today's episode features a real Money Nerd, Whitney Hansen. Whitney paid off $30k of debt in 10 months. She also bought a house at 19 and got her MBA for $472. She started out life with some hardships but that fueled her interest in personal finance. Now she's taking her lessons and empowering others through financial coaching. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Whitney's awesome insights. Episode Summary Whitney's Background Whitney's parents separated after an abusive relationship They then moved to Boise in a two-bedroom apartment Her mom was supporting them with $7.25 of income This was all to support a family with six children Whitney tells a story of how excited she was to get a mattress out of the trash This was when she was 18 Helping Others Save Some people think they can out-earn bad spending Whitney's #1 point is to find the values and "why" of the person you're trying to help Not all tactics are going to resonate with people but leading by example is a great start She also talks about being relatable If you only share the wins, it can seem unobtainable Start of Financial Coaching Whitney was $30k in debt but working two jobs She focused and paid off all her debt in 10 months After that people started hitting her up for advice That's when she discovered financial coaching Money Coach vs Financial Advisor Money Coach's can't tell someone what type of insurance they should buy They shouldn't tell a client to buy a specific stock They also shouldn't try to give specific tax advice Instead, a Money coach should focus on saving, philosophy, and just holding them accountable. Tips to Becoming a Money Coach It's important to understand how hard a client is willing to work It can change how you work with them or if you should work with them at all You also should start coaching for free or heavily discounted That way you can see if you really want to do this before getting too invested   Key Takeaways Pressure makes diamonds: We loved how Whitney took her circumstances and used them as motivation Speak their language: Whitney talks about resonating with people about money. You have to meet them where they are and not just try to force them into doing things that worked for you. Call to Action Take and share financial tips with someone. Try some of the tips Whitney mentioned and really try to resonate with the person. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data and helps to track your spending, net worth, and investment accounts. Keeping track of your money has never been easier. With 1.6 million users and growing, this platform is becoming a leader in its industry. We have both been using Personal Capital for years and highly recommend it. Sign up for your free account here!   Whitney's Information Her Website: Whitney Hansen Her Podcast: The Money Nerds   Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features the most resourceful guests ever, Eddy Garcia & Sam Schiebold from Living Earth Systems. Eddy and Sam bring a wealth of information on how to re-think how we feed ourselves. From living on the land to growing tonnage of produce and feeding 20 people from a tiny parking lot. They are on a mission to inspire and educate the world on how to properly grow and sustain food through plagiarizing nature. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Eddy and Sam's awesome cause. Episode Summary Eddy & Sams's Background Eddy talks about living off the land as a kid in Hawaii on fish and coconuts An experience that many would pay hundreds of dollars for That reshaped Eddy's thoughts on wealth He realized he could acquire more or desire less At a young age, he also realized giving was really important to him He never stayed at home and skipped school for surfing Sam went a more traditional route This included a Physics degree from a top-10 university She quickly realized that her degree didn't mean much to her Sam ended up finding her way to Hawaii and got into a concept of permaculture Permaculture vs Regenerative Farming Permaculture is the idea of making a sustainable food source much like a forest Eddy & Sam practice something different than Permaculture called Regenerative Farming Eddy gives a history lessons on these methods that stem back from the 70s He says he just tries his best to just copy nature This means not bringing in plastics and artificial fertilizers It also means a lot less human interaction Patagonia recently released a regenerative farming certificate Starting Your Own Crop Eddy calls out a potato as a great starter These grow in warm or cold climates with little effort Another option is radishes Seed to radish is only a 25-day process He also recommends different types of greens Eddy also says you can grow a lot of things from organic vegetables Teaching & Empowering Eddy and Sam are producing courses and videos on growing These tackle anything from composting to urban farming Also helping others overcome a fear of not having a "green thumb" These are all around a closed-loop methodology This means not bringing in or taking out materials That means growing is way cheaper We also cover how this could work for busy professionals They also teach classes and make films on-site in Hawaii This is done on a 170-acre farm in Maui They also have tours and farm to table dinners Eddy and Sam are also actively bringing a portion of Maui back from being a  trash dump. Finally, there's also an intern program!   Key Takeaways Acquire more or desire less: Eddy talks about rethinking how we look at money and how nature plays a huge part in that. Less with more: It's amazing what Eddy is able to grow in such tiny areas, some as small as an eighth of an acre Call to Action Try to grow something. Potatoes, radishes, or an aquaponic system. If you really aren't ready, then find some sustainable sources of food for your next grocery run. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data and helps to ...

Today's episode features Julien and Kiersten from Rich & Regular. The name is a play on Rich & Famous where they talk about how they never want to be disconnected from regular people. They share their personal and professional journey. Julien and Kiersten also share the unique challenges that face the black community and wealth-building. Most people can think of white people who are wealthy but not famous, yet when we think of black wealth, we conjure names like Oprah, LeBron, or Obama, and Julien and Kiersten want to show that it doesn't have to be that way. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this incredibly important topic. Episode Summary Julien and Kiersten's Background Julien grew up with a scarcity mindset This was during the crack era in 1980's Brooklyn He knew that money existed but never saw it in real life This led him to believe he could never be rich Kiersten's background was very different She grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta Kiersten says she was comfortable and never worried about money Julien credits mentors at all stages of his life for his ability to make it in life He says these people would always push him further In 2005 he was graduating from Georgia State University and spending time in Europe This trip changed his world view and made him realize what's possible Difference's in Spending Come to a Head Julien and Kiersten go on a vacation to Panama Julien expected they would really cut back on spending after returning His focus was on getting the credit card back to zero Kiersten was on a totally different page She wasn't looking to slow down spending This caused some friction but obviously they got through that Kiersten realized she just always had income coming in so she felt like there was always more Wealth Disparity of the Black Community Julien highlights the median net worth of black members of the Boston community The median net worth at the time was $8 He talks about the problems society we will see as this gap grows He cautions that there will be violence and crime as people get restless Julien also quotes a study that project the median net worth of black families in the U.S. will be $0 by 2053 How Do We All Help Kiersten urges people to support black-owned business She talks about how this allows you to vote with your dollar This also trickles down to other families She says that for any product you can buy at a big store, you can probably buy from a black-owned business No FIRE Number Julien doesn't find a lot of value in focusing on a FIRE number Kiersten jokes that it has bounced around by 100s of thousands Hitting that number wouldn't radically change how they operate They're very motivated to keep that number climbing With this money, they can make more of an impact on social activism Resonating with the Black Community Talking about the FI path in a non-linear way Often times people of color don't have the benefit of predictability Then we talk about the book The Real Pepsi Challenge In this, it's highlighted that black people aren't just white people with darker skin The experiences and interests there are just different You wouldn't market to a mother of three the same way you would to a man with no children So it should be familiar that different people need messages in different ways Julien and Kirsten feel like they're meeting people where they are and speaking to people who haven't been spoken to Rich and Regular Get Published They didn't expect to be writing a book this soon This process has involved agents and a writing coach There were 13 different versions as they tried to pull this together Julien describes it as part financial love story, part financial inspiration, and  part an invitation to the black community to come to join the FI movement

Today's episode features Doug from Niche Site Project. Doug brings in hundreds of thousands from his affiliate websites. These sites are those websites we all use to help us decide exactly which brand/version of a product we're looking to buy. He started off on a traditional route in engineering but with this incredibly successful venture, he just manages these sites and teaches others how to follow in his footsteps. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about Doug's awesome episode. Episode Summary Doug's Background Doug's first money experience was around mowing lawns He wanted to buy a CD player and realized there was a sustainment tail Doug would also need money to buy the actual CDs He ended up mowing lawns for another 7 years But entrepreneurship didn't really take hold Instead, he went the traditional route Doug went to college and started his career as an engineer Doug's Engineering Journey Out of college, Doug was making $52k per year He didn't have any financial or savings goals His wife though was a real saver She rubbed off on him and he came around In 2013 the real changing moment happened He stumbled on a podcast in 2013 This podcast was called The Smart Passive Income Podcast Entrepreneurship A month after listening to these shows he started his first gig Doug decided to start with Amazon affiliate pages He admits his first few sites weren't great But after 6 months he was making a few grand per month That's when he realized that he could quit his normal job What is an Amazon affiliate site We've all been searching for a product and looked for help to choose We ultimately end up on a "Top 5 hard drive" list Through this list, you click on a link and eventually buy one That link is specific to that site so the owner gets a commission You are helped out and they get paid, it's a win-win SEO is huge to get them there but don't forget to be helpful Doug also spends some time talking about how he manages his team and sources virtual assistants He also offers a full course to teach others on how to do this   Key Takeaways Affiliates are a win-win: These sites help you make an efficient purchase and put money in an entrepreneurs pocket Keep it simple: Doug laid out his management style and how simple and streamlined it is. As he said, you can always make it more complicated later. Call to Action Grab some free resources at nichesiteproject.com/fishow and at least study affiliate links or maybe try to build one yourself. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Sign up to Proptech Conference for a Cause hosted by igloohome. Your ticket fee will be donated to Team Rubicon for Covid-19 relief efforts. Doug's Information Website: NicheSiteProject.com/FIShow Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Dustin Heiner from Master Passive Income Dustin vividly remembers a march to the boss with kids waiting at home, knowing he was about to lose his job. He knew from that day, he needed to build his own income streams away from traditional employment. 30 real estate properties later and he had the freedom he always wanted. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Dustin's Background Dustin is a serial entrepreneur Websites, pizzeria, graphic design, and even a skateboard manufacturing gig He refers to a traditional job as "Just Over Broke" During this journey, he stumbled upon real estate investing His first one was profiting $350 per month and he was hooked Dustin learned the hard way There weren't any good courses or coaches out there at the time He talks about how much he learned from his mistakes Breaking Away from Tradition Dustin also went to college just because it was what he felt like he should do This led to a ten-year career in IT at a government agency He walks us through the fearful moment when he realized he didn't want to rely on someone for employment ever again. That fearful moment was when Dustin got laid off with 4 children He did continue to work in IT but he swapped his perspective From then on, he would introduce himself as a real estate investor 9 years and 30 houses later, he was able to step away from that traditional career Dustin could have stepped away earlier but admits it is tough to walk away from stability Dustin's Real Estate Investing Dustin started out living in California Prices didn't make sense there so he looked out of state He was investing in Ohio, Texas, etc Out of all the houses he's purchased,  he's only traveled to see one in person This requires a network of people you can trust The key here is the property manager, they are the quarterback His requirement for a house is a minimum of $250 per month profit We also talk about renting vs owning 401ks & Real Estate Investing Dustin talks about cashing out or borrowing from 401k to buy real estate He actually doesn't like investing 401ks at all This comes off his assumption that he can make so much more from real estate So his argument isn't that 401ks are intrinsically bad Common Real Estate Mistakes Not accounting for paying for a property manager Not putting back money for repairs Buying a house with really small margins Buying a home in an area where everyone is leaving In general, overestimate expenses and underestimate rental income   Key Takeaways Your Paycheck is not your value: Companies pay you just what they need to so that you stay but they're as profitable as possible. Overestimate the bad, underestimate the good: Dustin recommends this mindset when looking at real estate. Call to Action Look into real estate as an investment. If your stuck on the fence, especially due to prices in your local area,  then do like Dustin did and grab a property manager to invest out of state. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Express VPN is one of the leading virtual private network service providers in the industry. Before I learned about Express VPN, I used to use incognito mode when I wanted to protect my information and browsing history. But I was wrong. Your internet service provider can actually still legally sell your information even if you're using an incognito browser.

Today's episode features Nikko from Nikko Industries. What a cool and unique guest who is on his way to making $250k this year off his 3-D print business. This business was no easy task as Nikko didn't become a U.S. citizen until he was 25. What started as Nikko just trying to be an awesome dad, quickly turned into a life-changing money endeavor. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Nikko's Background Nikko's parents were not good with money Nikko and his family immigrated to the United States At a young age, he made a vow that he would not be the same way He would provide and be smart with his money for him and his children Due to being an immigrant, he wasn't able to think about college or many things until he was 25 Nikko joins the military after getting married and becoming a citizen Then he realizes how much more money he could make on the outside From there he takes a traditional commercial role but keeps an eye on entrepreneurship Nikko's Entrepreneurial Journey Nikko talks about all the failures he had along the way He had so many setbacks that at one point he just quit But then things turned around for him He says, When I stopped chasing money, money started chasing me Nikko says you really have to love what you do to be successful The business venture that really turned things around for him was 3D printing Birth of Nikko Industries Nikko's drive was to find something that helped him enjoy his time with his kids His son loved things like Thor and Iron Man etc Nikko came across someone on Instagram who had printed pieces to a costume He put the 3D printer on the back-burner for a month to make sure he was serious After a month he couldn't stop thinking about it and bought one He started by building a community and youtube channel Then he started looking to actually sell products Scaling a Business Nikko admits that he doesn't know how to design these products from scratch He leverages others to make the designs and market it His biggest skill is delegation and making sure he's tapping into the right products His 1st year he made 50k in revenue 2019 his revenue grew to $130k In 2020 he's on pace to make over $250k in revenue Most of this revenue is just off of the digital files He says that he spends about 4 hours per week And now he's coaching others to build 3D printing businesses Then a person can take these files and use their own printer to make them Nikko also has a big focus on giving back During the Covid outbreak, he was printing free face shields for frontline workers   Key Takeaways Stop Chasing the Money: Nikko talks about how things started turning around when stop solely focusing on the money. Maximize Your Skills: Nikko never designs a file yet makes so much money on them, he uses his skills of delegation to the max Call to Action Just go educate yourself in 3D printing. Whether it's Nikko's side hustles, medical advances, or even housing solutions, it's such a cool topic that everyone should check out. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We are completely obsessed with tracking our net worth to understand our current financial positions (you should be too). Instead of spending dozens of hours adding up all our assets and subtracting our debts, we use a free service called Personal Capital. This free, easy-to-use portfolio management tool aggregates all of your financial data ...

Today's episode features Genecia who is the creator of Soul Rich Woman. Genecia's main goal is to empower women business owners to go from offline to online. She's proven this over her career with millions in revenue and is sharing that with the 200k+ members of Soul Rich Woman. You won't want to miss all her advice, especially around the love of F words. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Genecia's Background At 18 she started with a simple thought of making more in a single hour She was going to school, working, and teaching as a yoga/dance instructor So she decided to build a group of instructors were she made a commission off them Genecia attributes her success to  resourcefulness and the people she surrounded herself with After college, she entered a traditional job in a hospital helping children with learning issues She realized that she was making way less in a 9-5 than working for herself in college Then she transitioned to consulting Offline to Online In 2013 she transitioned from working offline to online She made $100k in 3 months And $1 Million within a year Then she invested in a cafe retail chain Helping other Women go Online The group started just as "Webinar Wednesdays" And in the beginning, there was no traffic But she stuck with it and started advertising on Facebook In the group, she helps instill a growth mindset The group she started is called "Soul Rich Woman" The group is over 200k strong! She talks about women who love "F words" Fabulous, freedom, financial independence, family This education and community is available as an annual or monthly service Genecia also really focuses on marketing and helping businesses get repeat business Where to focus first She says to work on your business, not in your business This means outsourcing tedious work so you can focus on growth Stay on top of trends Love the customers first and then create what is good for them Genecia walks us through a case study of a fitness instructor going online   Key Takeaways Get Sticky: Genecia talks about retaining customers by always providing value, this makes them come back for more, aka sticky Leverage the internet: The internet is a force multiplier for not only finding customers but also to augment with employees Call to Action Grab $50 and outsource something that is draining you of your time so you can be more productive in areas that really matter Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Sign up to Proptech Conference for a Cause hosted by igloohome. Your ticket fee will be donated to Team Rubicon for Covid-19 relief efforts. Genecia Alluora's Information Website: Soul Rich Woman Twitter: Genecia Alluora Instagram: Genecia Alluora Recommended Book: Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Kanwal Sarai from Simply Investing. Kanwal shares with us his unique investing style. This style is a combination of value investing like Warren Buffet and a focus on dividend payouts. Kanwal takes our questions in stride and makes some really great points. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Kanwal's Background Kanwal graduated with a computer science degree at age 24 in 1996 About three years in, he realized traditional work couldn't be a forever path This was before anyone was calling it "F.I.R.E" His first side hustle attempt was purified water Long story short...the side hustle was a flop Neither of them knew anything about marketing/sales Building His Own Investment Method In 2003 Kanwal started developing his own investment strategy His son was just born and was keeping him up all night One of those sleepless nights he grabs an investing book and was hooked At the time he was paying 2.5-3% fees for advisement His main focus came down to strong dividend-paying companies He calls it "Dividend Value Investing" This is a combination of undervalued companies that also pay dividends 12 Part Checklist of Dividend Investing 1. Do you understand the product or service 2. Will people still be using the product/service in 20 years 3. Do they have a low-cost lasting advantage (think Coke's secret recipe) 4. Would you use the product that people would use during a recession 5. Do they have consistent earnings growth 6. Do they have consistent dividend growth 7. Do they have a low payout ratio (dividend vs earnings) 8. Do they have low debt % 9. Do they have a good credit rating 10. Do they actively buy back their shares 11. Is it under or overvalued P/E 25 or less The current dividend yield is higher than the 10-year average Price to Book ratio <3 12. Keep your emotions out of investing Kanwal publishes 227 companies that meet these criteria as part of his Simply Investing Report Even with all these rules, you still may find a dud That's why diversification is still so important Kanwal recommends 25-50 funds Why Dividend Investing Over Index Investing Holding the total market (index funds) means that you're going to own some poor quality stocks Getting cashback in your pocket to diversify instead of simply seeing appreciation in one company Kanwal reinvests dividends across all his dividend stocks and not right back into the company that originally paid it The average annual yield Kanwal sees from his dividend stocks are 3.5-5%   Key Takeaways Take The Emotion Out: Kanwal's 12 rules help create a systematic process without being clouded by human emotion Set Goals, Be Patient: Don't get sucked in to get rich quick schemes, find quality companies and make continual progress. Call to Action Leave a review on iTunes, share it with us, and then we'll select two lucky listeners for a prize. One listener will get a year subscription to the Simply Investing Report and the other will get full access to the Simply Investing Course. That's $500+ of value! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Looking for a low-cost cell phone service provider with great coverage? Look no further. Mint Mobile provides the same premium coverage you're used to, but at a fraction of the cost because everything is online. All their plans come with unlimited talk and text and you can choose...

Today's episode features John Soforic, author of The Wealthy Gardener. John gives his passionate story of how he went from $200k in debt to over $200k in passive income. The lessons he learned led to a book he wrote for his son titled The Wealthy Gardner. The story starts with a stroll through the graveyard but certainly has a happy ending. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary John's Background John takes a walk when he was 30 He just goes walking in his town Then he walks into a graveyard and sat there for a half-day John was just contemplating life He had two kids, long hours, and $200k in student debt Then he read a book called "How to Think and Grow Rich" Then he set a goal to have $240k in passive income before the age of 50 Fast forward and John retired at age 49 He would then go on to write The Wealthy Gardner as a way to communicate the lessons he learned to his son Building His Passive Income Step one was leveraging all 112 waking hours and not just 40 He was working 40 hours in his clinic and 30 hours outside Then he started educating himself on real estate John also hired teams to help him That allowed him to have 500 hours of work a week to his goals This included buying 8 duplexes at once It was an incredible deal where he got them at half price He was able to do this because he offered to buy them all The sellers were part of an estate and looking for quick cash The Wealthy Gardener Book John wrote the book in hopes that his 19 yr old son would be influenced by it He convinced him to be his editor to make some money During the process, John asked him to argue points with him Today his son is 25 and saving over 50% of his income so it seems to have worked He also fought to keep spirituality into the book to keep it true to him John originally self-published and book that has now been translated into three languages   Key Takeaways Leverage: John created so much leverage through teams and real estate which allowed him to unlock his earning potential Stay True to You: I loved how John is open about his beliefs and how he didn't let the prospect of money change them Call to Action Investigate passive income streams. Don't get stuck thinking only on huge goals -- just start small and start soon. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners If you're a rental property investor or business owner, you'll definitely want to check out igloohome. Have you ever had to give out a door code or leave a key under a mat for people to enter your property? Not anymore. igloohome's smart locks work entirely on an app + Bluetooth connection so there's no need to sacrifice security. Check out their products today at igloohome.co and get 15% off with promo code FISHOW. Express VPN is one of the leading virtual private network service providers in the industry. Before I learned about Express VPN, I used to use incognito mode when I wanted to protect my information and browsing history. But I was wrong. Your internet service provider can actually still legally sell your information even if you’re using an incognito browser. But when you use Express VPN to surf the web, the software encrypts your web traffic and masks your IP address to give you real privacy. Use limited-time offer ExpressVPN.com/FiShow for 3 months off a 1-year subscription. Start protecting your privacy today! John's Information Website: WealthyGardener.com

Today's episode features James Lowery from Rethink The Rat Race James is a repeat offender back from episode 36. In that episode, he dug into his background and how he and his wife retired in their 20's after amassing real estate in just two years. This episode we dive more into his accomplishments in the health and fitness arena. From lifting, cardio, diet, and more all through the lens of someone on their FI journey. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary James' Background As a refresh, James and Emily saved heavily Invested that into real estate properties in Huntsville, AL Then when they retired, they moved to Cyprus Obviously COVID-19 had other plans and they had to return to the U.S. Now they're putting a little effort into some of their rentals And looking for their next adventure James' Diet He refers to his diet as "Freegan" This is because he's 95% Vegan but will make exceptions These exceptions are for non-vegan meals that avoid food waste So if the food is already there and it's free, he'll eat it James' fitness ventures James has done bodybuilding competitions, lifting, and helped with physical therapy He takes some time to break down the positives of each of these Then we start ways to mix it up because cardio doesn't have to be just running on a treadmill James loves trail runs, HIIT training, weight lifting, and the huge amount of content out there on YouTube He recommends you recognize your body can do more than you think but also be careful of going to some extreme right off the start Keep It Simple James mentions how entire food groups do not have to be eliminated Extreme style diets are so hard to be successful with long term He recommends mostly vegetables / not too much mindset That just means understanding the calories you have coming in but making veggies the prominent part of your plate Also don't overthink the amount of weight your lifting Keep it light if your form starts to slip, don't stress about breaking records Also, don't forget the simple parts like hydration Hydration can impact your calorie burning, energy, and cognition Also don't stress about finding the perfect ratio of Fat/Carb/Protein Don't Get Intimidated  This journey doesn't have to be expensive The food costs can be reasonable James & Emily actually only spend $40/week per person and eat a ton of healthy foods and veggies Then you don't have to pay a ton for a gym membership There's plenty you can do at home, outside or for $20/mo at a Planet Fitness And if you need to earn some extra cash, James actually covers side hustles that are great for your fitness Also, don't get intimidated with bulking up to fast Lifting weights doesn't magically make you get bulky It can be a great way to get toned and burn calories   Key Takeaways Get Creative: I loved the story of James doing this floor exercise to replace a pull-up movement It doesn't have to be complicated: Too many people sit on the sidelines because they're looking for the perfect diet or workout plan when simple balanced eating and getting active is an amazing start. Call to Action Start a fitness or health challenge with someone. Maybe even put a little money on the line to keep up the motivation. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners If you're a rental property investor or business owner, you'll definitely want to check out igloohome.

Today's episode features Dr. Steve Yacovelli, author of  Pride Leadership and creator of TopDog Learning Group. Steve brings an incredible amount of expertise on leadership as well as diversity and inclusion. He also brings an interesting backstory where he went from working on a Disney Cruise line to being hired by Disney as a consultant on those very cruises. Steve will teach us all how to listen, build trust, empathize, and ultimately to lead. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Steve's Leadership Foundation He got his first taste of leadership in his fraternity in College Steve calls out how people just simplify leadership at times to just having people skills He has distilled his leadership principles into six areas Being authentic Having leadership courage Having empathy Building relationships with those around you Effective communication Shaping the culture around you Listen to Understand not just to Respond He talks about how you should listen to understand and not just to respond This is avoiding that feeling you get when you feel like you can't wait for someone to stop talking so you can make your point In reality, you can't be empathetic to someone if you can't get to really know and understand them Inclusion is Good for Business When hiring and building a team, it's important not to hire people just like yourself Not only does it increase your chances of missing a great hire, but it also opens you up for more risk This risk is because you'll hire people with your strengths but also your weaknesses By hiring a more inclusive group we not only support people without bias, but we also cover our blind spots Steve says it's better to strive for conscious inclusion instead of just working on your unconscious bias Later in the episode, Steve goes into more metrics of why inclusion impacts the bottom line and not just social initiatives Leadership in LGBTQ+ Steve makes it clear that he's not trying to say being straight or not means you won't be a better or worse leader Instead, he helps the LGBTQ+ community see how they can use something like their sexual orientation as a strength One example he gives is authenticity If he hid the fact that he had a husband, that wouldn't be very authentic, and he helps this community spot these opportunities There's More Diversity to Diversity than you think Sometimes we only think of diversity as race, sex, and sexual orientation but there's a lot more Steve prefers a specific model that is illustrated by layers and rings In the center is our personality Your personality is completely unique Next out are those items we traditionally think of (sex, race, sexual orientation, etc) Those are dimensions that typically don't change frequently Then you have the external dimensions which can change frequently In this section, you have pay, parenthood, income, habits, physical appearance, etc Next, you have the organizational dimensions (hourly, manager, legacy groups, etc) Finally, you'd have the country in which you're operating This is important just because there are many different cultural norms to consider Key Takeaways Listen: It's always a good idea to really listen. Maybe you don't know the person, fully understand the problem, or even know what you're supposed to be doing. Listening can fill all of those holes. We're all leaders: Steve made a point to call out that we can all practice leadership even if we don't have people reporting to us. Call to Action When in conversation this week, make a conscious choice to really listen to others. Listen with the goal to understand and not to look for holes to poke in their argument or to show how smart you are with a great question. Instead, really listen to learn from them and understand their points. Join the Community

Today's episode features Grumpus Maximus, author of  The Golden Albatross and creator of the Grumpus Maximus website. Grumpus was three years away from a pension when he had a breakdown. This pushed him to gather all the information he could on his pension to choose on staying or going. Ultimately, he stayed and from then on became focused on teaching others how to understand and utilize their own pension plans. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Grumpus' Beginnings In the spring of 2016, he suffered a mental breakdown This was while serving in the military He was only 3 yrs from a pension This made him do a lot of investigating into his pension He gives people advice on how to balance mental health and personal finance decisions We also talk about how to decide when to stop chasing the pension This is important because there's often such a long time to earn the pension Varieties of Pensions Grumpus highlights the vast differences in pensions These differences make them more or less valuable Differences include healthcare and inflation adjustment One thing to look out for is how well funded the pension is If it is only 50% funded, then it could be a riskier and less attractive pension What is a Pension? Generally, it's some percentage of money based on your salary that you receive forever You might have to work X number of years and at that point, you're fully vested Some allow you to ramp up your pensions vs all or nothing Think partial vs cliff vesting The main reason for a pension is for retention If you're ready to leave, they may offer you a lump sum It's important to consider tax implications and how much value you're giving up Grumpus also highlights that all plans must offer survivor benefits This is where your spouse or dependent would get a part of your pension after your death Rely Only on Your Pension? Simply put, you shouldn't only rely on your pension The closer you get to vesting, the more you can assume you'll have it You also need to study how likely your pension is to actually exist This is on top of understanding how likely you'll be able to handle a single job for 20-30 years Grumpus Moves Abroad He moved to New Zealand and enjoying the conversion rate We then discuss how the pension is taxed based on state/country you live in Grumpus is a big fan of the range of activities available in New Zealand Cody couldn't agree more! Key Takeaways Know Your Pension: The pension system isn't as simple as we thought, so study your specifics The future is uncertain: At times we don't take action because we're pessimistic but then, unfortunately, we make future assumptions based on overly optimistic projections Call to Action Study your pension! Even if you don't have a pension, chances are that you or your spouse has some type of benefits. Really dig in to make sure you fully understand and maximize those benefits. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Looking for a low-cost cell phone service provider with great coverage? Look no further. Mint Mobile provides the same premium coverage you’re used to, but at a fraction of the cost because everything is online. All their plans come with unlimited talk and text and you can choose the data plan that’s right for you and get the plan shipped to your door for free! Go to MintMobile.com/FiShow to get started now for just $15 per month. Grumpus' Information

Today's episode features Bob Lai from Tawcan. Bob and his wife are both dual citizens living in Vancouver, Canada. He has a big passion for geo-arbitrage, slow travel, and dividend investing. Hear how he's reaching FI while traveling and having three weddings! (spoiler alert, only one bride) Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Bob's Background Bob’s family grew up in Taiwan with a farming background Money was never taboo and stuck with him Frugality was a big point of emphasis His dad retired in his early 40s Bob had a cousin who retired at 42 And then another cousin who hit FI and kept working Bob talks about the influence that had on him Geo-arbitrage Geoarbitrage is the act of moving somewhere to lower your cost of living Think San Francisco resident moving to Montana This can be within your own country or abroad It’s important to consider your earnings also dropping This typically works best if you’re not working or working remotely Some jobs like doctors actually get paid more in small cities With the pandemic, this is possible for many more workers who’ve gone remote Exchange rates can also be your friend Living 181+ days in another country can also help you avoid U.S. income taxes Citizenship is obviously a big hurdle in certain countries Some countries give residency based on wealth or homeownership Geo-arbitrage can save you 50% or more Slow Travel Often we look at travel as short spurts (1 – 2 weeks at a time) This leads to trying to pack in as much as possible You end up so tired, you need a vacation when you get back Slow travel is the idea of spreading that over 3-6months This allows you to spread out costs of flights It also lets you book apartments vs hotel rooms Bob goes over how much more enjoyable it is and affordable He also talks about the benefits of having a home base when traveling Three weddings under $7000 Bob got married three times…. Remember that his wife was from Denmark This meant they both had families abroad His first wedding was mostly his family Bob’s wife made the cake and her dress! Of course, they used a coupon after the wedding to eat A month later they had a wedding with friends and her family They hired a friend who would go on to go to culinary school And their photographer was just starting out His wife actually altered her own wedding dress for the second wedding A year later they decided to do a wedding actually in Denmark This time it was at a small-town school and his picture did photographs Bob even took some of the photos Rounding out the Episode Bob talks about how he could retire now if he wanted He's happy with his job currently Their home is also very valuable in the crazy Vancouver market But life is good and his kids have a friend group Key Takeaways Slow down: Bob breaks down the power of slow travel which this show is a big fan of You have options: Don't think that just because you live or were born in a certain area that you have to stay there. Call to Action Look at your next planned vacation or one you've done in the past, compare those numbers with the slow travel version of it. How much per day does a six day vacation compare to a six month? Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Express VPN is one of the leading virtual private network service providers in the industry. Before I learned about Express VPN,

Today's episode features Terrie Chantel from TerrieChantel.com. Terrie is a successful speaker and business coach. She teaches teach business owners how to monetize their skills, uplevel their personal brand, create profitable offers, and convert followers into buyers. Being an entrepreneur wasn't always comfortable for Terrie. Check out how that changed for her and how she's helping others do the same. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Terrie's Background Terrie graduated high school at age 16 and college at age 20 Both of her parents were “workaholics" This made Terrie believe that "amount of work = financial benefit" At 17, her uncle wanted her to co-sign on a car to build her credit That gesture changed her life At age 22 she went on to buy a house and really understood money Passing Down Money Lessons Terrie has three boys, ages 10, 15, 17 Her #1 tool she uses is to “paint a millionaire vision in their mind” This is the act of making wealth achievable in their mind She also gets them to use her debit card to pay bills online Just getting them involved in finances and eliminating the taboo Now her 17-year-old is already an entrepreneur Bondage vs Freedom Her uncle was like her dad and went towards the plan he set out She graduates college and goes directly into corporate Terrie stayed there for 10 years 5 years into that career, she started moving into management The pressure was increasing, work was coming home, and the money didn’t seem worth it That’s not what she envisioned It felt more like bondage than freedom Seeing a New Way She didn’t have other peers she could turn to who felt this way Terrie was always the girl, the youngest, and often the only black person  Being surrounded by all these 6-figure earners, Terrie saw how high earners spent money But everyone worked themselves to death and just watched their vacation pile up Simply put, Terrie had no idea there was another option So Terrie started her own side-hustle Through this, she begins to meet other entrepreneurs Then she did realize there was another way Can't Let Go of Stability Terrie gets laid off around the holidays and gets pregnant with her second child So she really starts taking her side hustle serious In her first month, she had 100 clients through a lot of hustle She would even set quotas for handing out business cards But even with all that success, she still went back to corporate work It just felt too secure Terrie did keep the business going by hiring and training someone She admits not everyone is driven to be an entrepreneur But if you have that passion, you have to follow it Tips for Starting that New Business She says some people jump to marketing too fast To help others you need to be financially stable yourself She focused mainly on customer service and building a solid product Once those frameworks are set, then you can focus on other things like marketing If you can’t consistently hit the number you need for bills, that’s a bad sign This means it’s time to take a pause and look at your processes She likes to look at it in three-month chunks Terrie says you should be seeing a consistent profitability to know your frameworks are set Valuing Yourself Then we talk about valuing yourself This includes charging a premium for your services Stop focusing on yourself and think about the client Think about how you’re going to change their life Then you’ll see just how much you're really worth Key Takeaways Security is addicting: Terrie had trouble walking away from her normal W-2 job. It's a valid feeling! Don't Jump To Marketing: Solidify your product offering and take care of your clients, let marketing come later. Call to Action Get creative with that work ethic.

Today's episode features Erica Ballard from Erica Ballard Health. At first, Erica struggled with her self image and finding out what "healthy" really meant. Through experimentation and education, she unlocked how to really help others achieve their peak health. Now she's helping others and educating the world on what real health is. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Erica's Background Erica thought looking good was the key to her happiness She also thought she was doing fitness and health the right way Erica was actually working at a non-profit promoting healthcare and wellness Unfortunately, this non-profit wasn't promoting the best practices Eventually, she came to the realization that wellness isn't one size fits all It took her a while to find what worked for her Creating an Experiment Mindset The program that Erica went through pushed you to challenge your wellness beliefs It would convince you to be vegan and then highlight the benefits of meats Eventually, you start to see what makes real sense to you and not just following a narrative Then we discuss problems with the food pyramid and breakfast being the most important meal of the day To find what works for you she promotes experimenting Introduce one new piece to your wellness journey at a time and keep what works for you Crowding In vs Eliminating Erica promotes that you bring in the things that you want instead of focusing on the cut Add in more grains and more water, the things you're cutting out will eliminate itself Challenge yourself on the things you are hanging onto that are keeping you from wellness goals How are those bad habits serving you? Then Erica drops all kind of knowledge on us around sugar Healthy People Perform We discuss how health and wellness goes beyond life expectancy It also impacts your job performance and thus your profit margins Entrepreneurs love to boast about performing on four hours of sleep That's impressive But imagine how well they'd perform on eight hours of sleep! Turn your good (which might be great for everyone else) into your great The All-Important Sleep Don't eat close to sleeping (2-3 hours between food and sleep) Get off the phone before bedtime Don't drink caffeine after 2 pm Sleep is the first thing Erica recommends you to work on for wellness We need 7-8 hours per night! Performing on four hours of sleep isn't interesting or impressive Key Takeaways One size fits one: Erica highlights over and over just how personal that fitness and wellness are, experiment! Good Intentions: Even though Erica was working at a non-profit promoting health, she was still unknowingly a part of the problem Call to Action Experiment with your own health and wellness journey. Pick one thing this week to add. Whether it's exercise, water, or greens, just add one thing. If you see an improvement, keep it, and add another. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners Looking for a low-cost cell phone service provider with great coverage? Look no further. Mint Mobile provides the same premium coverage you’re used to, but at a fraction of the cost because everything is online. All their plans come with unlimited talk and text and you can choose the data plan that’s right for you and get the plan shipped to your door for free! Go to MintMobile.com/FiShow to get started now for just $15 per month.  Erica's Information

Today's episode features Joe Saul-Sehy from Stacking Benjamins. Before creating a massively popular podcast, Joe made a lot of money mistakes. This all came to a clash when he was working as a financial advisor, owned his own business, and still could barely get the money to get home. Now Joe is bringing finances into so many homes via a unique comedic angle. Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode! Episode Summary Joe's Background Joe was in high school and remembers seeing news specials on money-saving tips He also got inspired by the movie Wall Street But it took Joe a long time to actually put it into practice His parents pushed him to work hard but money was taboo Making Money Missteps On his first day at college, Joe spots a long line at an American Express Credit Card table He talks about blowing money at the mall and fancy meals at Ruby Tuesday for his friends Then things get real when he gets a bill and his parents refuse to help him His credit was destroyed and the interest started building Even in his professional life, he thought he had an earning issue, not a spending issue But we know from famous athletes that a spending problem will always overcome earnings Joe started earning more money with his own business but kept racking up debt Keep in mind, his business was as a financial advisor The breaking moment is when he has no money or credit to buy gas to get home Joe had to dig for change in his seats just to get home Turning Things Around Joe realized he needed to "hide money" from himself This meant automating money to go into separate accounts that he didn't see He also realized that he couldn't go cold turkey Joe gave himself an allowance so he could buy some of those entertainment items He said it's important to not be too restrictive or else you'll relapse Entrepreneurial Journey Joe says he's a bad employee He would always clash with a boss Joe admits he also wasn't a great boss at first He might hire people too much like him Or spout off ideas through the day not thinking his employees would take that as direction Starting Stacking Benjamins Joe sold his business at age 40 This was inspired by a colleague who walked away because it wasn't fulfilling That person, Chris,  stepped away to go climb mountains across the world Chris would then go on to start an adventure travel company Inspired by this, Joe decides to go back to school to become a teacher/coach He realized quickly that it wasn't for him So Joe starts dabbling in a blog and creates the  Stacking Benjamins podcast He wanted to take the unique angle of comedy They took it really seriously and even would attend comedy classes Pulling From Others Joe recommends the book by Austin Kleon - Think like an artist He really recommends people look at others in their industry and pull all the best parts It was actually a car podcast that was hilarious to him that inspired the Stacking Benjamin theme Joe says he actually wants a finance show where no one learns a thing about money In reality, people learn a lot but it doesn't feel like a class He would go on to pull from a board game podcast, car podcast, and even a little kids podcast Key Takeaways Imposter Syndrome: Joe was a financial advisor but still struggled to follow his own advice. We all need help on this journey. Let Others Inspire You: Don't feel guilty about taking takes from others as long as it isn't inspiration. Call to Action Change, assess, repeat. Start to source ideas from others and try them out. Don't just be stagnant! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group

Today's episode features Jerry Brown from Peerless Money Mentor. Jerry grew up in a self-described ghetto with no real view of a way out. We cover his background, how he turned things around, and how he's built a powerful financial independence network. You won't want to miss this inspiring story! Listen, learn, and let us know what you think about this awesome episode. Episode Summary Jerry's Background Jerry didn't really know he was poor growing up But he lived in a crime-filled neighborhood with few outside role models His mom also needed assistance to get by He talks about how people were surprised he'd even admit that he was from the area he lived in Growing up he thought basketball or rapping would be the only possible way to escape His mom did put a big emphasis on learning but financial independence never seemed reasonable Can you Bootstrap Past Disadvantages? Jerry sees it as a mixed bag He does put a lot of weight into hard work But he also acknowledges the real disadvantages He was also cognizant enough to understand his family was a big advantage Jerry's Financial Mistakes Jerry was young and healthy so he thought he didn't need insurance A large dental procedure led him to serious credit card debt Then he started buying more things on credit Eventually, Jerry would buy a $22k car while only earning $22k per year Financial Wake Up Call He came home and his fiance had her bags packed Jerry realized he couldn't afford to live by himself So he thought he'd just live out of his car to avoid the embarrassment of moving home Jerry was also carrying debt with 25% interest rates He was making payments but was never actually making progress A friend recommended he refinance through a personal loan This lowered his debt all the way down to 5% For his remaining credit card bills, he did a balance transfer That gave him 0% rate for 18 months Jerry's Side Hustle Journey He tried Swagbucks but the payout was terrible Then he tried Uber but it was taking a toll on his car Jerry also tried We Go Look where you send in pictures of damaged vehicles for insurance claims. Now he is getting more into freelance writing and social media management Jerry also highly recommends Beta Testing. Networking This was a really powerful part of Jerry's story Networking expanded his world view It also tangibly impacted him From ideas on debt payment or side hustles like freelance writing Jerry really highlights the importance to surround yourself with people you can draw knowledge and encouragement from Key Takeaways Artificial Limits: One thing that really stuck out was the disadvantage that people experience simply by having low expectations set for them and surrounding them. Mental Health: We loved that Jerry was open about his mental health journey and his encouragement to others to also take it seriously. Call to Action Expand your network! One easy way is to just join our Facebook group page. Other options are LinkedIn, MeetUp, or other Facebook group pages. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Check out our Partners We’ve all heard of LinkedIn, but have any of you managers or small business owners used the platform to hire new talent? LinkedIn Jobs uses its state-of-the-art technology to put your listing in front of qualified candidates. When you’re ready to make that next hire, visit LinkedIn.com/FiShow to get $50 off your first job listing. Jerry's Information

Today's episode features your very own hosts Justin from Saving-Sherpa and Cody from Fly to FI. We just wanted to celebrate our 100th episode! Both of us give you a rundown on all the big life events that have taken place this year. Cody bought three investment properties and Justin hit FI at age 30! There's so much more so you won't want to miss this one. Episode Summary What You Can Expect To Hear Justin hits FI Cody buys 3 properties Cody goes Vegan Justin sells his van Justin moves to Texas Cody learns lessons from entrepreneurship We also celebrate accomplishments from those special people in our lives Experimenting with The FI Show going forward We want to hear from you! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features the healthcare option experts Lynn Frair and Jackie Cummings Koski. Lynn is crowdsourcing all the best health care options for the FI community and Jackie is a certified Health Savings Account (HSA) expert! Open enrollment is just around the corner and we're bringing you the knowledge you need to decide. This topic is crucial for everyone listening so don't miss this one. Links and Resources Comparing High Deductible Plans with a Health Savings Account to Traditional plans Lynn & Jackie recommend this tool -> WexInc HSA vs Traditional Calculator Really understanding what all you can do with HSAs Mad Fientist article helps with HSAs too How Lynn is crowdsourcing healthcare options especially for FIRE / Entrepreneurs Take a look at FI Healthcare Reach out to Lynn & Jackie Lynn Frair Website: FI Healthcare  Instagram: FI Healtchare LinkedIn: Lynn Frair Jackie Cummings Koski HSA Email: hsaquestion@gmail.com  Website: Money Letter 2 LinkedIn: Jackie Koski Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features the healthcare expert Scott Heiser who authored Healthcare is Making Me Sick. Scott is leading the charge on making healthcare understandable for all. He covers how new transparency data tools are empowering us as healthcare consumers and how best to handle your medical bills. This topic is crucial for everyone listening so don't miss this one. Summary Scott shares transparency data tools and how they're changing healthcare shopping Medical tourism is possible even within the United States You haggle for a used car, why not the payment on a knee replacement? Are non-profit hospitals raking in cash? And much more Reach out to Scott Book: Healthcare is Making Me Sick Website: UncoveredHC.com Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features your two podcast hosts, Justin & Cody. The cover guest questions on topics like medical bill negotiations, pricing, plan types, coverage when traveling, and more. They also let listeners in on exactly how they get their coverage now, and for Justin, how he plans to manage this once he no longer has that W-2 job. This topic is crucial for everyone listening so don't miss this one. Links From the Episode https://uncoveredhc.com/blog/the-top-healthcare-transparency-sites-2019/ https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes ehealthinsurance.com healthcare.gov https://uncoveredhc.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-health-insurance-for-2020/ https://uncoveredhc.com/blog/paying-for-health-insurance/ Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Mr. Nomad Numbers from Nomad Numbers. This begins our series on Geo-arbitrage which is the act of purposefully moving to a location for monetary benefits such as lower cost of living or tax treatment. Mr. &. Mrs. Nomad numbers were living in California and realized they could jump ship and retire. They chose to move to Taiwan where they could obtain a 3yr gold-card which would allow them to live there full time. Mr. NN also gives us the breakdown of how Taiwan has battled Covid-19 so effectively and what it was like going through that process. We're excited to bring you some guests who took their freedom to the next level and moved abroad. Take a listen and consider where you'd move if you had the freedom. Links From the Episode Taiwan Gold Card https://taiwangoldcard.com/goldcard-holders-faq/at-work/#can-i-just-not-work-at-all https://www.nomadnumbers.com/taiwan-employment-gold-card-application-guide/ Other Helpful Links https://www.nomadnumbers.com/cost-of-living-stuck-in-taiwan-during-the-pandemic/ https://www.nomadnumbers.com/slow-travel/ https://www.nomadnumbers.com/design-your-ideal-life/ https://www.nomadnumbers.com/top-tips-save-money-airbnb-guide/ Nomad Numbers Cost of Living Around The World Map Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Jim White from Route to Retire. We're continuing our series on geoarbitrage which is the act of purposefully moving to a location for monetary benefits such as lower cost of living or tax treatment. Jim and his family utilized a traditional corporate job to amass a nest egg large enough to retire in his early 40s. They were conservative enough to save for a life in the U.S. but wanted to find a lower price point abroad. Jim poured over the research and took a successful test run to Panama. The rest is history and Jim and his family now live there full time. They live a vacation life on an ordinary budget. Take a listen and consider where you'd move if you had the freedom. Links From the Episode Follow along with Jim's Net-worth Roth IRA conversion calculator Cost of living in Panama Investment drawdown plan Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode rounds out our series on utilizing your location as a tool to financial independence and is led by just thew of us hosts. You may hear this idea called geo-arbitrage. We wanted to pick two locations where we would actually like to take a test run of financial independence in a foreign country. Cody picked Santiago, Chile and Justin picked Porto, Portugal. This episode covers an honest and holistic look at what it would cost for a couple to live in these countries while still really exploring and enjoying them. Take a listen and consider where you'd move if you had the freedom. Santiago, Chile Housing - $500 for a one BR apartment - Comes with parking, laundry, gym, BBQ and pool Utilities (Electricity, Heat, Cooling, Water, Garbage) $135 per month Cost of Flights to Other Locations - Flights around South America starting as low as $35. - $385 to get back to  Cody's home in New England Restaurant Samplings - Simple meal at inexpensive restaurant costs $5 Grocery Samplings - $30-35 per week. With mostly fish, vegetables, beans, eggs, “healthy” pasta, fruits, and smoothies Phone/Internet - $45 per month Public Transportation - Taxis will take you anywhere for less than $10 - Average of $150 per month (per expat survey) Healthcare - Ranked 33 out of 190 countries (similar to Australia and Denmark and many of the doctors speak english) - $100-120 for healthy adult expat insurance Visa Requirements (how long can I stay?) - 90 days (plus can pay $100 for another 90 day extension) Weather - Coldest months are June and July with average highs of 61 degrees Fahrenheit - Only downside is that it rains 4-5 days per week Total cost = $1650/month 500 housing 135 utilities 120 groceries 250 restaurants 45 phone/internet 100 transport 120 healthcare 400 entertainment $19,800 per year   Porto, Portugal Housing - $833 for a one BR apartment in heart of the city - Comes with parking, laundry, wifi, all utilities Utilities (Electricity, Heat, Cooling, Water, Garbage) Included Cost of Flights to Other Locations - Flights around Europe starting as low as $25. Paris: $25 Barcelona $49 Milan $53 - $670 to get back to  Justin's home in Austin Restaurant Samplings - Simple meal at inexpensive restaurant costs $6 - Anthony Bordain visited restaurant also serves $1.80 martinis Grocery Samplings - $40 per week. $2.60/lb chicken, $1.30/lb pork, $0.75 fresh bread, $0.90 apples, $2.50 bottle of wine as examples Phone/Internet - Wifi is free, 22gb data and unlimited call cell phone for $18 Public Transportation -Amazing train system for very cheap which I factor into "Travel" Healthcare - Emergency room visits are free - Research shows ~$40 per month for plans Visa Requirements (how long can I stay?) - 90 days with just the passport - Full citizenship appears attainable if you can prove you have healthcare as well as stable income source to fund your retirement Weather - Lowest highs are 57 degrees December/January - Highest highs are 77 degrees in July/August Total cost = $1770/month (for a couple) 833 housing 140 groceries 300 restaurants 18 phone/internet 80 healthcare 400 entertainment (includes transportation) $21,240 per year   Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Marlys Woods who created her own business, Get in Tune Music Therapy, where she uses music as a tool to help her clients reach new heights. Never heard of musical therapy? Neither had we but it's very interesting. She pairs what she loves about music with psychology. The most common use case for this is for developmental issues or speech rehab. But it's also possible to use music as a tool for everyday productivity and releasing stressors. Marlys focuses on addiction which was her focus after her undergrad degree. She turned this into a full-fledged business where she employs other contractors to all help patients through their recovery utilizing music. Take a listen and learn about yet another amazing example of designing a life that brings you happiness and purpose. Links From the Episode Contact Marlys: Website: Getintunemusictherapy.com Instagram: @GetInTuneMusic Money Emotions & Music: Program coming soon for managing emotions on your financial independence journey!  Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features David Wood from Focus.ceo who has become one of the biggest life coaches and has helped 150k+ people. David spent over 20 years building a career as a consulting actuary for Fortune 100 companies. David helps high-performing entrepreneurs, executives and teams to identify and master their tough conversations, becoming the leaders they themselves would follow. There are so many awesome techniques that David shares. So sit back and try them out yourself while you listen. Links From the Episode Click here to get the following gifts from David: Cheat sheet for doubling revenue Video on achieving more in less time 15 minute live audit on doubling revenue And a 35 minute workshop David's Website: Focus.Ceo Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode is another one led by your awesome Co-hosts (Justin & Cody). The topic today is all about the mental part of our journeys to financial independence. Good and Bad. Depression, joy, grit, relaxing, purpose, people...this episode has it all. So take a moment and hear from the FI Show guys as they open up the curtain on mental hurdles they've faced and the strategies they've used to overcome them. Highlights From the Episode Realizing it's not about the money Finding your tribe Working too hard Comparison: the thief of joy Finding purpose Giving back ....And much more Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Dan Sheeks from Sheeks Freaks who has created a place for teens that are "obsessed" with making smart financial decisions. Dan is a teacher in Colorado and is really changing the lives of young people and giving them a place where they can feel normal sharing their financial interests. It's obvious through all the success stories he highlights that this is working and was a needed niche. We hope you're as excited to hear how the next generation is chasing FI/RE as we are. So sit back and take a listen. Links From the Episode Dan's Website: Sheeks Freaks Sheeks Freaks Instagram Sheeks Freaks YouTube Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Jake Cousineau soon to be Author of  How to Adult: Personal Finance for the Real World. You might even recognize Jake from his $50k Wheel of Fortune payday! Jake is now hoping to increase the odds of winning at life for young adults across the country. We talk to Jake about why he decided to build this financial guide to life and the lessons he has learned actively teaching the next generation of the FI/RE community. Share this episode with that rising senior or new college student in your life, but for now, sit back and take a listen. Links From the Episode Jake's Email: jake@htapersonalfinance.com Website: HTA Personal Finance Twitter: https://twitter.com/htafinance Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features the hosts (Justin & Cody) who share their early lessons in personal finance. How did two guys from completely different backgrounds both get so inspired to retire early? Who influenced them? Stop by and listen to some quirky stories of how they came to be passionate about personal finance and some tips for how you can inspire others around you. Share this episode with those friends who just need a little boost, but for now, sit back and take a listen. Links From the Episode Justin's Blog: Saving Sherpa Cody's Blog: Fly to FI Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features John Jonas from OnlineJobs.ph which is an impressive online marketplace that matches online workers from the Philippines with business owners from around the world. With over 1 million resumes on the platform, the website is ever-growing and constantly refining its matching capabilities. Virtual assistants, developers, video editors...the options are endless for filling a need you might have. As an employer, you get access to an amazing workforce at a low cost with no monthly fee and you don't even have to worry about 1099 taxes*. Whether you need to fill out some vacant jobs or just learn about an awesome business venture it's time to sit back and take a listen. *We're not tax professionals, hire an accountant for your specific situation Links From the Episode Get John's book (FREE): Outsourcinglever.com Find your VA Guaranteed: OneVaAway.com And of course OnlineJobs.ph Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Brent from Farm Fired Pizza aka the "Food Truck CEO". Brent runs an amazing food trailer with a wood fire pizza oven creating some of the best-looking pizzas you'll ever see. Brent didn't go to culinary school or come from a cooking background. In fact, he was a highly successful nurse who had worked his way up into more of the corporate side. This was great for his paycheck but terrible for his fulfillment. Ultimately, Brent decided to follow his passion for delicious pizza and quit that corporate job. Fast forward a little over a year and he's selling out events on a regular basis with a thriving business. Struggling to find purpose in your day job? Well, then it is time to sit back, take a listen, and get inspired. Links From the Episode Farm Fired Pizzas Facebook Farm Fired Pizzas Instagram Brent's Twitter, The Food Truck CEO Farm Fired Pizzas Website Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features your hosts Justin and Cody discussing the art of following your passion. Justin still works a more typical corporate job while Cody took to entrepreneurship almost immediately. When you're faced with the decision of which way to go, what do you do? In this episode, you'll hear the hosts talk about their personal views on the situation as well as tips to help make you successful regardless of which path you choose. Don't sit and suffer a miserable job you hate, but don't YOLO and quit a job en route to financial ruin. Now it is time to sit back, take a listen, and get inspired. Links From the Episode Kristy Shen's Quit Like a Millionaire Kristy and Bryce Interview Essentialism Book Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Anthony ONeal from "The Table" podcast and author of Debt Free Degree. Anthony has an incredible story of loss and triumph. He hit bottom as he lost everything and ending up homeless at age 19 while trying to figure out how to get through college. Anthony turned his life around and would go on to not only graduate but dedicate much of his life to educating other young people in hopes that they could avoid his missteps. Now, Anthony is a successful author and online personality who has helped thousands of people navigate college without taking on crippling debt. Have time for an amazing story? Well, then it is time to sit back, take a listen, and get inspired. Links From the Episode Anthony's Website Proximity Principle Book - Ken Coleman Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features one of the original personal finance bloggers, J.Money! Whether it was Budgets are Sexy, Rockstar Finance, or now All Star Money, J.Money has been inspiring readers and spreading the best finance content for over a decade. You may recognize the mohawk, but for us, it's the transparency and giving spirit that stands out. Listen to how someone who wasn't naturally good at money or came from a finance background would become one of the leading voices in the personal finance space. Now it is time to sit back, take a listen, and get inspired. Links From the Episode J.Money's Project Hub / Online Resume All Star Money PF Swagger Follow J.Money on Twitter Budgets Are Sexy Coin Thrill Love Drop Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Eric Richard from Nomad on FIRE. Eric worked his way into a lucrative corporate job in supply chain management, but with that came long hours and a terrible commute. He admits that frugality didn't come naturally to him but he saw how work was destroying his happiness and health so he took the plunge towards Financial Independence. After saving over $500k, Eric had reached Lean FIRE and took off to travel the world. He'd eventually end up back in the corporate world but this time in a great work culture that is 70% remote. He used his freedom to find the job that fit his life and is set up to be fully retired in no time. Financial independence isn't only about quitting your job, it's also about the freedom to find the right job for you. Now it is time to sit back, take a listen, and get inspired. Links From the Episode Nomad on Fire Blog Nomad on Fire Podcast Nomad on Fire Instagram Nomad on Fire Twitter Eric's Remote Year Review Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features your hosts Justin and Cody discussing authenticity and work-life balance. Both Cody and Justin are very open about their finances and love sharing both their failures and successes. Why? Because real stories give real inspiration. This is a crazy journey to suggest so having real data to back it up helps give confidence. The more authentic voices out there, the higher the chances are that someone can find a story they relate with. The episode is rounded out with a discussion on work-life balance. At the end of the day, there will always be more work, but you can't say the same about life. So set boundaries and stick to them. Is authenticity important to you? Do you have a handle on work-life balance? Either way,  take a listen, and get inspired. Links From the Episode Privilege and Perseverance  Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Andrew Kerr from the House Hacking Podcast. Andrew has been in the real estate field for almost 20 years and has experience with nearly every type of real estate transaction. By the end of the episode, you'll hear all about the pros, cons, and everything in between in regards to house hacking. Hint: It's one of the best ways to supercharge your path to financial independence. Ready to get creative with your living situation and lighten up those expenses? Well, sit back,  take a listen, and learn all about house hacking! Links From the Episode Podcast: House Hacking Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehousehackingpodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/fibyrei/  FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheHouseHackingPodcast https://www.facebook.com/FIbyREI/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/fibyrei https://twitter.com/thehousehacking YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYvwOEtC5VgEfgW3QNPS4Ow?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.youtube.com/thehousehackingpodcast Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Scott Trench. Author of Set for Life and CEO of Bigger Pockets. After college, Scott finds himself in a finance job he doesn't like and discovers financial independence which changes his entire philosophy. Financial independence led Scott to real estate and the rest was history. In this episode, we dig into Scott's mindset, his habits, his goal-setting routines, his thoughts on real estate, his investment strategies, and his overarching life mission. Sit back, relax, and hear Scott's amazing story. Links From the Episode Scott's Instagram Bigger Pockets Book - Set for Life Book - First Time Home Buyer Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Scott Krone. Scott is the managing partner and founder of Coda Management Group. During college, Scott and his fellow architect classmates found themselves providing free labor to their professor's development business. This odd form of free labor turned out to be a launching pad for Scott's career. He took on major projects right away and realized that he was more valuable than they realized and branched off on his own. Now Scott specializes in breathing new life into dilapidated commercial buildings and converting them into cash cow storage units. Scott also shares some of his insights with another passion of his, green home design. Crank up the volume and hear all about this unique corner of the real estate market. Sit back, relax, and hear Scott's amazing story. Links From the Episode Email Scott's Team: info@codamg.com Coda Management Group Scott's LinkedIn Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Alex Felice from Broke is a Choice. Yes, Alex chose that name to be a little controversial. He likes to stir things up a little and get the conversations going. For him though, he found himself broke in 2010 and he did make that choice to turn things around. He poured himself into personal finance education and completely reinvented his relationship with money. In 2014, he decided real estate would be his angle towards freedom. 18 months into his journey, he made more money than an idiot like him should have (haha his words, not ours). These days his real estate deals just keep getting bigger and bigger including a recent deal that brought in over 50 units to a group of investors. You won't want to miss Alex's views on beating broke, leveling up, and investing in real estate. Now take some time and see if you can learn about some choices you should make! Links From the Episode Find Alex on Facebook Find Alex on Instagram Broke is a Choice Book Recommendations  Youtube Channel Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features your hosts Justin and Cody discussing Real Estate. They both had no idea how real estate was an investment because their parents lived in the same homes their entire life. It wasn't an investment, it was just home. Fast forward and Cody starts finding profitable properties in Connecticut after he extends his sights past his home state of Massachusetts. Then Justin gets into the game through REITs and a syndication. Real estate investing can be extremely powerful due to its leverage and protection against inflation (if done correctly). However, renting also has its merit and real estate isn't for everyone. Are you interested in dipping your toes into real estate? Curious about what we think about the subject? Then sit back and take a listen as we break down our personal experiences in real estate. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features the founder of EconoMe, Diania Merriam. Diania wasn't always into money. She had her time in New York where she went through a phase many of us struggle with -- blowing money and living it up in our 20s. Diania decided to revamp her lifestyle but wanted to do so without giving up the experiences. She traded going out to eat for hosting dinner parties. Instead of going out shopping, she hosted clothes swaps. Then, Diania took it a step further by relocating to Cincinnati -- a city where she still feels like she has the amenities of a big city for a fraction of the New York price tag. After pursuing financial independence for a few years, Diania wanted to build a conference that inspired people and recharged their passion for personal finance. She knew she wanted something that was in person, had a high production value, and that gave a ton of value in a small amount of time. That's where EconoMe was born! You can join the likes of Bitches Get Riches, Kiersten Saunders, Joe Saul-Sehy, and more great speakers at this year's event. Use promo code FISHOW for 10% off. The conference is Saturday, November 13th, 2021 in Cincinnati, and we hope to see you there! Now take some time and learn how Diania is crushing her own journey while inspiring others! Links From the Episode Tickets to EconoMe (Use promo code FISHOW for 10% off) EconoMe Conference Diania on LinkedIn Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Bill Bengen, creator of the 4% rule. The 4% rule is arguably the most famous and influential research of the financial independence movement. The rule essentially says that you can safely withdraw 4% of your invested nest egg without ever completely depleting that nest egg. That means for every $100k you have invested, that you can spend $4k per year indefinitely. Bill has spent decades and countless hours tweaking these calculations and looking for any weakness in its logic. In this episode, we'll hear Bill's latest updates and what he now thinks about the 4% rule all these years later. Now take some time and see if Bill still believes the 4% rule is a safe path to early retirement. Links From the Episode LinkedIn Bill's Original Research Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Jessica from The Fioneers. Jessica wasn't always financially savvy and started her career making just $11k per year. Then, her husband introduced the ideology of retiring early and Jessica started climbing the corporate ladder. She quickly realized that racing towards financial independence at a rapid pace was taking too heavy of a toll on herself, so she changed course. No longer would she be hyper-focused on a retirement date but instead embraced what she calls "Slow FI". Taking the benefits of incremental freedoms along the way and enjoying the journey without burning yourself out just to shave some time off your working years. Jessica will challenge your beliefs of FI, so take a listen and see how your mindset may change. Links From the Episode The Fioneers Website Slow FI Interview Series Fioneers on Twitter Slow FI Facebook Group Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In this roundup episode, the FI Show Guys talk about how FI has given them flexibility and freedom. Reflecting on the 4% rule, cashflow FI, and the levels of financial independence you hit along the way. Want more confidence in negotiations? How about less stress when something goes wrong? Maybe even to feel free enough to take a chance with a career change? These are all fantastic benefits that FI brings. We hope you take this episode and either reflect on your journey or get inspired to start one. Links From the Episode FI-Lexibility with Diania Merriam The 4% Rule with Bill Bengen Slow FI with Jessica Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Allegra Paris from AllegraParis.com and the AP Fit program. If you look today, Allegra has created a successful and rewarding personal training business. She's helping others while also building a brand that provides her a life she loves. But things weren't always that simple. Allegra was facing massive burnout trying to make things work in New York City with her clothing brand and one-on-one training sessions. Eventually, she was forced to pivot and adapt when the world turned upside down (looking at you, COVID). Listen to today's episode for an inspiring story including tips on taking a business virtual, sourcing clients, and crushing social media. Links From the Episode AllegraParis.com Allegra's Instagram Allegra's TikTok Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features former professional Tennis player and NCAA Div 1 head coach Jennifer Magley. Jennifer started her life as a professional athlete but was forced to reinvent herself like so many athletes often do. She had to learn to be likeable and shed her unwavering competitiveness. Since then, Jennifer has become a leader in connection and networking. Jennifer has also written two books, attends countless speaking engagements, and does amazing charitable work -- all while crushing it as a mom. Listen to today's episode for some amazing mindset and personal improvement tips! Links From the Episode magleyjennifer.com Book - How to be a Queen: A Leadership Fable Book - Division 1 LinkedIn YouTube Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Ryan Helms from Legacy Podcasting. Ryan actually liked his position earning 6-figures in the supply chain industry, but he knew that there was something more out there for him. He initially started a podcast to learn from and talk with a collection of people. That quickly led him into helping other content creators build their brands. Today, Ryan's marketing agency is bringing in multiple six figures and he's helped dozens of entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their reach and impact. Listen to this episode if you're looking to quit your job, grow a business, and create an intentional lifestyle! Links From the Episode Legacy Podcasting YouTube - Podcast School Ryan's LinkedIn Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In this roundup episode, the FI Show Guys talk about resiliency, creating your own unique path, and the power of networking. Our last three guests -- Allegra Paris, Jennifer Magley, and Ryan Helms -- all taught us that success doesn't happen overnight. It's through repeated hard work, embracing and learning from failure, and bringing the right people into your inner circle. Want to hear how Cody and Justin have witnessed similar experiences in their own lives? Then this episode is for you! We hope you take this episode and think about how you can utilize some of these tactics and mental frameworks for yourself. Links From the Episode Allegra Paris Episode Jennifer Magley Episode Ryan Helms Episode Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features author, speaker, and mentor Adam Carroll. Adam shares with us his favorite finance technique that he calls "The Shred Method" which looks to utilize your HELOC (home equity line of credit) loan to its full potential. He also covers some of the powerful mindsets that he believes in which he shares with colleges and corporations across the country. It's clear why Adam has been picked up for TED talks. His passion and unique views are something everyone should take the time to hear. Listen to this episode and reach out with your thoughts! Links From the Episode Adam's Website The Shred Method Adam's Books Build a Bigger Life Podcast Mastery of Money YouTube Channel Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Brooke Packard, the teacher, realtor, real estate investor, cleaning business owner, physical product creator... what doesn't she do? Brooke was always interested in making more money from a young age. Her first entrepreneurial venture was her cleaning business, BP's Easy Living, which she's scaled from a one-woman operation to a team of 13 and growing. But the ideas didn't stop there. Brooke is maximizing every hour of her day and continuing to build businesses for financial freedom. Give the episode a listen and see how she plans to retire by 30! Links From the Episode Brooke's Instagram Brooke's Cleaning Company Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today's episode features Van Sturgeon who is an expert in real estate renovations with 30+ years of experience. He learned his trade the hard. Growing up, his parents purchased an apartment building but real estate was in deep trouble thanks to sky-high interest and unemployment rates. This forced Van into learning how to do the repairs his family couldn't afford. Fast forward to today and Van has seen and done it all. He breaks down all of his do's & don'ts to make the process less intimidating. Wondering how to quote prices, manage a project, or locate good help? Take a listen and you'll soon find out! Links From the Episode Van's Website -> Includes a free rehab calculator Van's Blog Van's Facebook Profile Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Grab our FREE Budget Planner Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave a rating/review! >> You can do that by clicking here << Learn More About Your Hosts Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)