Doug chats with Jen Smith, author & co-host of the Frugal Friends podcast. Jen shares her journey of paying off $78,000 of debt, her no-spend challenge, value-based spending, addressing financial guilt, and the importance of community support. She also introduces her new book, “Buy What You Love Without Going Broke” (co-authored by podcast partner Jill Sirianni) and discusses the book-writing process along with some of the challenges. This episode is brought to you by GhostBed . Doug has the...
Jan 14, 2025•55 min
Doug chats with Jordan Grumet (Doc G) about his journey through medicine, burnout, and eventually finding Financial Independence. Jordan shares insights from his books, “Taking Stock” and “The Purpose Code”, focusing on profound lessons learned from hospice patients about money, life, and purpose. They delve into the concepts of ‘Big P’ vs ‘Little P’ purpose, how individuals can create meaningful lives without succumbing to purpose anxiety, strategies for finding purpose, and improving overall w...
Jan 07, 2025•45 min
Doug and Carl chat with Adrian Brambila and Dr. Brad Klontz about their new book “Start Thinking Rich”, which is geared toward helping individuals achieve Financial Independence and wealth. They discuss wealth-building strategies, financial habits, challenges of the “DIY mindset”, common misconceptions surrounding wealth creation, and spending for happiness. This episode is brought to you by GhostBed . Doug has the GhostBed Luxe Mattress and loves it! Take the 3 minute sleep quiz to see which ma...
Dec 31, 2024•59 min
Doug chats with Kristen Knapp about the principles of Coast FI and Slow FI. Going beyond mere definitions they explore the benefits of these strategies, including reduced stress & greater life satisfaction, along with insights into working part-time, investing strategies, lifestyle design, unexpected life events, and the significance of intentional spending & saving. They also answer a couple related questions from the Facebook group. Questions: Melanie – What’s the difference between Sl...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Doug chats with Frances a year after her and her husband’s initial appearance on the show. She provides updates on her and Peter’s job situations as well as updates on all things financial – current housing situation, savings & investing strategies, spending, and expense tracking. Frances also shares some personal updates while asking listeners to provide feedback to some questions that she’s working through. Listener Questions: Continue to dollar-cost-average $10k per month from savings int...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Doug and Carl chat with Frances & Peter to analyze the couple’s financial situation and determine the viability of their Coast FI strategy. They discuss investment strategies, personal financial goals, maintaining a balance between frugality & enjoying life, the potential of leveraging real estate, and other financial planning aspects. Note: This is a rebroadcast of MHFI episode 186 This episode is brought to you by GhostBed . Doug has the GhostBed Luxe Mattress and loves it! Take the 3 ...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 17 min
Doug chats with Adam, a psychology professor, to examine his financial journey from zero net worth to a million dollars in a decade. Adam shares insights into his strategic real estate investments, deliberate career choices, the concept of Slow FI & lifestyle design, achieving a balance between work & a fulfilling lifestyle, and how his background in psychology influenced his financial decisions. This episode is brought to you by GhostBed . Doug has the GhostBed Luxe Mattress and loves i...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Doug and Carl chat with Chad Carson and Jeremy Schneider live from FinCon 2024 in Atlanta. The group discusses the benefits of financial independence, their unique entrepreneurial journeys, working after achieving FI, the current state of the FIRE movement, and the need for tension in life. They also discuss their opinions on both e-bikes & electric cars. Jeremy introduces his startup, Nectarine, a marketplace for fiduciary financial advice, while Chad shares insights on his real estate-focu...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Doug chats with Sean Mullaney (The FI Tax Guy) about the essential elements of estate planning. Sean covers the importance of planning for everyone (not just the wealthy), stresses the significance of having a will, updating beneficiary designations, and creating trusts to protect assets & ensuring financial security for loved ones. Special attention is given to estate planning in regards to kids (providing guardianship) and working with the correct professionals to plan for taxes. The discu...
Nov 19, 2024•55 min
Doug chats with Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) about a variety of topics centered around retirement, fitness, happiness, and sustainable living. Pete also answers questions from the Facebook mailbag. Sam – What advice would you give to a young adult today that wants to retire early? Niel – Congratulations on becoming an empty nester. What are you most looking forward to in this new phase of life? Khang – What is something new you’ve tried recently that you would recommend to others? Rich – Wha...
Nov 12, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Doug and Carl reunite at FinCon 2024 in Atlanta to say hi & catch up with each other. They both discuss recent travels, preferences for staying close to home in Longmont, and dieting/cutting calories especially around the holidays. Carl also provides a fitness update and an update on how his home projects are going. Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper . Save 50% site-wide on your new mattress, pillow, and bedding over at GhostBed (coupon code: MILEHIGHFI ) Need a fee only ad...
Nov 05, 2024•39 min
Doug and Dusti answer questions from the Facebook mailbag. Sam – I’m Coast FIRE, currently working part-time to cover expenses without touching my portfolio. I have a NW just shy of $2M, with $1.5M in broad, low-cost ETFs, and the rest in my house and retirement account. My NW fluctuates daily, sometimes by $1K-$3K, or up to $10K-$30K with market volatility. Here’s my dilemma: even with a solid NW, I still stress over expenses like a $600 home repair, higher home insurance, or an unexpected wate...
Oct 29, 2024•42 min
Doug chats with Kristen Knapp, a meteorologist from St. Louis, about her Financial Independence journey, how she made it to Coast FI, and the importance of the FI community. Kristen shares how her frugal upbringing & early financial literacy set the stage for financial stability, details her transition from a full-time meteorology career to a part-time Coast FI lifestyle (including all of the life events that influenced her decision), and shares what she’s doing now to fill her time. She als...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Doug and Dusti answer questions from the Facebook mailbag. Chris For Doug: I know this is a stereotypical interview question, but where do you see yourself in 5 years? With Elizabeth’s recent retirement and your continued involvement with the FI community, how do you see your life changing (or perhaps not) in the next handful of years? For Dusti: How is retirement going? Any updates or new observations since you were last on the podcast? Niel – I would be interested to hear more about your hobbi...
Oct 15, 2024•45 min
Doug chats with Jesse Cramer from “The Best Interest” blog & podcast about retirement planning. They discuss the impact of making overly conservative vs aggressive assumptions, exploring key factors such as investment returns, inflation, spending, tax rates, and social security. Jesse highlights the importance of understanding personal risk tolerance, leveraging third-party advice, and continuous learning to make informed decisions about financial independence and retirement. Be sure to chec...
Oct 08, 2024•51 min
Doug chats with Carl about his decision to leave the podcast to focus on wrapping up personal projects. Carl shares struggles with balancing podcast duties, fitness goals, burnout, and family obligations. He shares some regrets from his MHFI podcasting experience while also reflecting on his fondest memories. Doug talks about the future of the podcast and brainstorms how it may look going forward. Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper . Save 50% site-wide on your new mattress, pil...
Oct 01, 2024•46 min
Join Doug and Carl as they embark on a road trip in Carl’s Tesla Model Y. In this episode, they discuss the state of their podcast, upcoming exciting series on happiness, and their plans for book writing. (Sorry about the audio! Doug sounds horrible, first time recording like this so I hope next time it’ll be better…) The duo shares their personal experiences, insights on podcast growth, and humorous tangents. Support our sponsor: GhostBed! Save 50% site-wide on your new mattress, pillow, and be...
Sep 24, 2024•51 min
Doug and Carl answer questions from the Facebook mailbag. Akshay – I like the concept of giving money away, but I don’t want to die with zero. This is too close for comfort. I agree with helping out kids with their education, as long as they have skin in the game. I also agree with the idea of not wanting to wait until the end to pass your wealth onto your kids. It’s very much aligned with our life plans. However, I prefer to not die with zero, even though the book, by the same name, is nothing ...
Sep 17, 2024•56 min
Doug and Carl chat about various aspects of consumerism including recent trends, rising costs, and the evolving culture of tipping. They discuss the rising cost of vehicle prices & financing, increasing cost of car insurance, the future of autonomous cars, and compare fast food & grocery costs over the last decade. They also delve into the confusing culture of tipping to debate proper etiquette and question when & how much to tip. Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper ...
Sep 10, 2024•47 min
Doug and Carl chat with Dan Manwaring, a former medical device salesman, who transformed his life from being $60K in debt to retiring early and traveling the world. Dan discusses his professional journey, his approach to financial independence, and his unique travel experiences along with fitness routines, eating habits, and the importance of enjoying simple daily routines for overall happiness. Note: This is a rebroadcast of MHFI episode 130 Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper ...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Doug and Carl catch up to discuss their recent summer adventures. They discuss Carl’s FI-centric road trip & his future travel plans, Doug’s experience with timeshares, fitness routines while traveling, and an update on Doug’s back injury. And because this is a money podcast, they also touch on the current state of the stock market. Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper . Save 50% site-wide on your new mattress, pillow, and bedding over at GhostBed (coupon code: MILEHIGHFI ) W...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Doug and Carl answer a potpourri of audience questions at CampFI Rocky Mountain with help from Mark Trautman (Mark’s Money Mind), Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache), Travis Hughes (Downshift Financial), and Mindy Jensen (BiggerPockets Money/Mindy on Money). On a scale of 1 to 10, how happy were you to see asparagus served in the cafeteria at CampFI? What was the most embarrassing moment on the way to FI? For Pete: How do you navigate a complex case study – how do you look at it, and how do you sim...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Doug chats with early retirees Jolene & Darren about their path to financial independence and early retirement. The couple shares their experience from 20-year careers in agronomy, high savings rates, and the impact of discovering the FIRE movement in 2018. They discuss life changes including downsizing possessions, international travel, utilizing the 72T rule to access retirement funds early, health insurance options, the benefits of South Dakota residency, and the importance of community. ...
Aug 13, 2024•1 hr 30 min
Doug and Carl chat with Debbie and Chris Emick from the “Go Bucket Yourself” blog & podcast about their journey to financial independence. Debbie & Chris discuss their core values, real estate, overcoming challenges & fear, cultivating a growth mindset, the significance of community building, and their adventurous lifestyle, including homeschooling and travel. Note: This is a rebroadcast of MHFI episode 052 Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper . Save 50% site-wide on ...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 23 min
Doug and Carl answer questions from the Facebook mailbag and read recent podcast reviews. Kristian – I was recently discussing the subject of financial independence with a friend, she sits in the business and entrepreneurial camp, and she has a strong opinion, regarding “having a FI number” as she thinks it is limiting my mindset. She often says that she feels like it’s working towards a minimum standard rather than trying to maximize my potential. Do you have any thoughts on this? Brett – Car l...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr
Doug and Carl discuss the challenges of retiring during a market downturn. They delve into the significance of Sequence of Returns Risk & inflation then propose strategies for financial management during recessions, such as cutting expenses, maintaining cash reserves, adjusting withdrawals, part-time work, and re-evaluating investments. Note: This is a rebroadcast of MHFI episode 133 Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper . Save 50% site-wide on your new mattress, pillow, and b...
Jul 23, 2024•40 min
Doug chats with two recent retirees, his wife Elizabeth & friend Dusti. They share vital tips and lessons they’ve learned, including financial planning, healthcare considerations, and the importance of flexibility and community in retirement. The group also discusses real-life strategies like writing things down, engaging in fulfilling activities, and easing into new routines. Be sure to check out the new GhostBed Massage Topper . Save 50% site-wide on your new mattress, pillow, and bedding ...
Jul 16, 2024•57 min
Doug chats with two recent retirees, his wife Elizabeth & friend Dusti. The group discusses the transition to retirement, sharing insights on dealing with stress, maintaining productivity, and discovering new interests. Elizabeth & Dusti also answer questions from the Facebook mailbag. Jamie – Have you decompressed yet from baseline stress? Others have said you don’t realize how stressed you really are until you leave the job behind. If so, how long did it take? What’s been the biggest s...
Jul 09, 2024•59 min
Doug and Amberly discuss the ins & outs of when to consider using a financial advisor. They explore the pros & cons of working with advisors, fee structures, the importance of fiduciary responsibility, how to avoid bad financial advice, and complexities of DIY financial management. They share personal stories and experiences to illustrate the discussion, including Doug’s past mistakes with an advisor and Amberly’s insights from hosting financial discussions & events. Be sure to check...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Doug and Carl answer questions from the Facebook mailbag. Branden – Basically Coast FI, but can’t pass up the tax advantages of a 401k and a Roth IRA even though focusing on a taxable brokerage account would provide freedom sooner. How did you prioritize which accounts to use and when? Julie – Do you favor long-term care insurance? Matt – How to approach the dating scene? Andrea – What advice do you have for parents pursuing FI with kids & what would you do differently? What thoughts do you ...
Jun 25, 2024•57 min
