085 | Science-fiction author M.K. Williams talks about her journey toward financial independence, the decisions she’s made along the way, and self-publishing her first three novels. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/085 ——————- Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 🙂 If you want to support us, here are some easy ways: 1) Leave an iTunes review: http://www.choosefi.com/itunes 2) Use our page to sign up for travel credit cards Note: We may receive ...
Jul 23, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast 084R | The essential steps to a FI mindset, travel rewards updates from Brad, voicemails from the community, and highlights from Monday’s episode with Jillian with Montana Money Matters. —————— Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 🙂 If you want to support us, here are some easy ways: 1) Leave an iTunes review: http://www.choosefi.com/itunes 2) Use our page to sign up for travel credit cards Note: We may receive a commission if you are approved for cards on this page 3) Most imp...
Jul 20, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast 084 | Jillian, from Montana Money Adventures, talks about simplifying her life while raising five children, valuing grit and resilience, taking risk, and the value of financial independence. What you'll hear in today's episode: What does Jillian mean by “big family minimalism”, and why did she consider it a survival tool? How did Jillian decide to adopt several children? What role do grit resilience play in her story, and how does that play out in her life? How does Jillian manage the chaos that...
Jul 16, 2018•1 hr 13 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast 083R | A checklist to optimize your hobbies, a highlight on the San Diego local group, and messages from the ChooseFI community: All of this while we recap Monday's episode with Cody Berman. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/083R
Jul 13, 2018•54 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast 083 | 22-year-old recent college graduate and second generation FI, Cody Berman, talks about embracing frugality, saving and investing in his youth, optimizing a path through college, and getting his Disc Golf business off the ground. ——————- Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 🙂 If you want to support us, here are some easy ways: 1) Leave an iTunes review: http://www.choosefi.com/itunes 2) Use our page to sign up for travel credit cards Note: We may receive a commission if yo...
Jul 09, 2018•59 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast 082R | Discussion of Brad and Jonathan’s purchasing habits, messages from the ChooseFI community, benefits and drawbacks of roboadviors, and a summary of capital gains harvesting. Jonathan gives a review of some travel hacks on a recent trip to Chattanooga, TN. Capital One Venture Card allows users to redeem miles for nearly any travel cost. PSA: bring a copy of your child’s birth certificate if you’re traveling. Review of Monday’s episode with Dani and Laura, Jonathan and Brad’s wife. Jonathan ...
Jul 06, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast 082 | Brad and Jonathan’s wives, Laura and Dani (respectively), talk about their introduction to FI, combining finances, budgeting with children, and maintaining balance. How did Dani and Laura approach saving before meeting Jonathan? How did Laura’s parents change careers to improve their financial status? How was growing up in Zimbabwe different from a typical American upbringing? What did saving money mean to Dani when she started working? How did Dani respond to Jonathan’s initial proposal t...
Jul 02, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast 081R | Strategies for decluttering and living with less (reflecting on Cait Flander's interview with us on Monday), life hacks from the community, and a winner for the free ticket to CampFI in Joshua Tree! The ChooseFI community is growing and gaining national attention. How This Couple Saved $1 Million in 11 Years and Became Financially Independent Before 40 Nine Money Podcasts You Should Be Listening To Local Groups are really effective in some parts of the ChooseFI community. Jonathan joined ...
Jun 29, 2018•58 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast 081 | Cait Flanders, author of “The Year of Less”, talks about building $30k of consumer debt, challenging herself to go two years without shopping, and learning how to be comfortable in her own skin without the distractions of consumerism. For more information, visit the show notes at http://ChooseFI.com/081
Jun 25, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast 080R | Conversation about teaching your children to save and invest, healthcare options, and an argument in favor of home gardening and composting. Brad contemplates applying for “Survivor”. Review of Monday’s episode with Khai from AlabaMalaysia. How does Jonathan use the idea of “anchoring” in his own life: setting big goals so that even if he misses, good things still happen? Brad and Jonathan talk about how they would set little, achievable goals, to reach a larger, long-term goal. Jonathan ...
Jun 22, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast 080 | Khai Shing, a former contestant on The Amazing Race, and blogger at ALABA+MA+LAYSIA, talks about balancing her pursuit of FI while finding ways to travel, worldwide, at discount prices. Did Khai start with global travel, or with The Amazing Race? Took about 3 months from applying to The Amazing Race with her twin brother, to being selected for the show - traveling all over China. Khai grew up in Malaysia, and plans to return there for retirement, once she achieves FI. How did Khai and her ...
Jun 18, 2018•55 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast 079R | Highlights of Monday’s episode with Tim & Amy Rutherford, discussion about healthcare, additional podcast recommendations, and voicemails from the ChooseFI community. For more information, visit the show notes at http://ChooseFI.com/079R
Jun 15, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast 079 | Tim & Amy Rutherford talk about early retirement, living with lower expenses and a busier schedule of fun, free activities, and what life changes they made to get there. How did Amy and Tim meet and what were their spending habits at the time? What did “frugal” look like for Amy and Tim initially? With enough money in the bank, cutting their spending gave them an opportunity to retire almost as soon as they became aware of financial independence. Managing spending is equally as important a...
Jun 11, 2018•1 hr•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast 078R | Lots going on in this episode with a recap of Episode 78 with Travis Hornsby about Student Loan Debt Repayment Options. But also, Brad sold his house and Jonathan has become a “rockstar” at selling things on Craigslist. For more information, visit the show notes at http://ChooseFI.com/078R
Jun 08, 2018•1 hr•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast 078 | Travis Hornsby, founder of StudentLoanPlanner.com, talks early retirement, traveling Europe, and developing a passion for helping people crawl out of student loan debt. What you'll hear on today's show: Why did Travis attempt retirement at 25? If you’re unhappy before reaching FI, will you be happy afterward? Where did Travis’ frugal tendencies come from? How did Travis get paid to go to college? Do many universities offer full scholarships, and where should students find that information?...
Jun 04, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast 077R | An second part to the conversation between ChooseFi community member Tallis, who teaches dance classes in retirement facilities, and Pop-Up Business School founder Alan Donegan, to help get Tallis’ side hustle off the ground. Precursors to this episode: Episode 30 and Episode 56 . Tallis gives an update on her side hustle to-do list. Client feedback: the questions you ask impact the results you’ll get. What is the best way to sell Tallis’ dance classes to the retirement facilities. Tallis...
Jun 01, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast 077 | Experienced travel hacker and world traveler Marla Taner shares story of reaching financial independence, and her best tips for getting to Hawaii, Costa Rica and the Caribbean with minimal expenses, using credit cards points and air miles. ——————- Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 🙂 If you want to support us, here are some easy ways: 1) Leave an iTunes review: http://www.choosefi.com/itunes 2) Use our page to sign up for travel credit cards Note: We may receive a commi...
May 28, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast 076R | Brad and Jonathan brainstorm ways to implement local adventure into their own lives and the lives of the ChooseFI community. Also, achat about high school reunions, local libraries, and a few clarifications about 401k contributions. Jonathan's 26-year-old sister just hit an 85% savings rate. Living at home can be super helpful to the recent college graduate, or young person entering the workforce. Getting to $100k net worth is the hardest part: after that, compounded interest starts worki...
May 25, 2018•1 hr•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast 076 | Mrs. Adventure Rich talks about making the choice to live an adventurous life, her family’s pursuit of financial independence, and finding a balance between maximizing financial opportunities and living a happy, fulfilling, high quality of life. ——————- Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 🙂 If you want to support us, here are some easy ways: 1) Leave an iTunes review: http://www.choosefi.com/itunes 2) Use our page to sign up for travel credit cards Note: We may receive a...
May 21, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast 075R | “Personal finance is becoming financial independence.” Financial independence doesn’t necessarily mean retiring early; it means allocating your resources in the way you see fit. This is just a taste of what we discuss in this recap from Monday's interview with Brian Feroldi from The Motley Fool. Jonathan talks about blowing his budget on breakfast at the cold bar in Wegman’s, while Brad thinks that grocery shopping at Wegman’s is the same cost as Walmart. Brad talks about meeting stranger...
May 18, 2018•50 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast 075 | Brian Feroldi talks through the advantages and disadvantages of individual investing, the realistic expectations for performance, and his strategies for beating Wall Street. Professional money managers operate under different parameters and mindsets than an individual investor Stockbrokers must make decisions based on short-term returns What other disadvantages do professional money managers face, in contrast to individual investors? How do professional money managers truly spend their tim...
May 14, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast 074R | An update the community on recent activities, discussion about the opportunity cost of college and potential alternatives, a ChooseFI scholarship announcement, and a few voicemails from the ChooseFI community. Brad recaps his trip to the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, and a visit with the ChooseFI local group in Omaha Jonathan shares how he recently cut his grocery costs by nearly $700 ...and more can be found at http://ChooseFI.com/074R ——————- Thank you for being a pa...
May 11, 2018•54 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast 074 | Ryan Carson’s tech-education company, Treehouse, teaches computer coding as a trade skill, giving students an opportunity to enter the work force, or change careers in nine months, at a fraction of the cost of a four-year degree. Ryan considers coding a trade skill, rather than profession that requires a four-year degree. Ryan founded Treehouse to help people avoid student debt, get a job sooner and start saving for their 401k sooner. There will be 1.4 million new jobs in tech, and only 40...
May 07, 2018•57 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast 073 | How do you make money online? We discuss the 7 most common ways to make money online, plus a review of Monday's interview with Jamila Souffrant from Journey To Launch. We dive deep into making money with: Membership sites Digital courses Create a product or service Advertising Sponsorships Listener/Reader supported Affiliate marketing ...and (BONUS) grow your brand and watch what opens up to you. For more information, visit the show notes at http://ChooseFI.com/073R ——————- Thank you for b...
May 04, 2018•58 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast 073 | Jamila Souffrant tells us about college internships, buying real estate right out of college, a few failed business ventures, and her decision to pursue FI, starting by saving $85,000 in the first year. We talk to Jamila about: How Jamila and her husband saved $85,000 in 2016 As the child of an immigrant single-mother, how did Jamila’s childhood experiences impact her college and early professional career? Jamila shares what wealth means to her now Failing Forward: the idea that progress i...
Apr 30, 2018•1 hr•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast 072R | Lively discussion about cryptocurrencies as investments, review of last week’s MidAtlantic Camp FI, and several exciting contributions and questions from the ChooseFI community. What you'll hear in today's roundup: Brad’s brother is visiting from Santiago, Chile – how is he managing his path to financial independence as an international teacher? Review of Monday’s episode discussing Bitcoin with Myles Wakeham What are drawbacks of cryptocurrency? Is Bitcoin a good investment, or is it jus...
Apr 27, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast 072 | Bitcoin, should you Buy it? Myles Wakeham tells us how he discovered Bitcoin, how and why cryptocurrencies have to value, and gives us a nuanced perspective of where cryptocurrency might go in the future. How did Myles, a software developer, come to invest in Bitcoin? Myles spent years figuring ways to pay his Bangladeshi software developer, until mid 2011, when his contractor discovered Bitcoin as a more effective method of payment. There's much more to this story - and to learn about cry...
Apr 23, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast 071R | Brad and Jonathan compare their college experiences to Chris Hutchins’ from the Monday episode, they discuss the importance of owning your own FI decisions, and we get updates from several members of the ChooseFI community. Brad considers starting a blog for his daughter as second-generation FI. Review of Chris Hutchins’ episode last Monday. Brad compares his experience of packing meals ahead for vacation to Chris’ grandparents growing up. What is value of cultivating relationships, and h...
Apr 20, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast 071 | Chris Hutchins, founder/CEO of Grove, a new, optimized financial planning company based in San Francisco, talks about how a life and career of entrepreneurship led him to the FI community, and his current business venture. And, how his new company meets the needs of the average person better than a traditional financial planner. What you'll hear in this episode: Is Chris a risk taker or financial conservative? How did Chris find his way into the financial planning and optimization world? W...
Apr 16, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast 070R | Updates from Brad and Jonathan, review of Vickie Robin’s episode, discussion of how ChooseFI aims to handle politics, and more updates from the ChooseFI community. Highlights: Brad is moving houses, making good community a priority in his family’s life CampFi MidAtlantic this weekend is Virginia this weekend, but there’s two more this year: Aug. 3-6 in Joshua Tree, Calif., Sept 7-10 in Little Rock, Ark. More info here: CampFi Jonathan started Skinny Waste, Fat Wallet. First episode is up ...
Apr 13, 2018•57 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast 
