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Tanzania Safari Highlights, Passive Income on Autopilot, and AI Disruption TalkJosh and Elliot discuss Josh’s recent first international trip: a two-week Tanzania safari organized by Kristen Knapp’s FI Friends Travel and “Safari Lauri,” which exceeded expectations and felt more like an adventure than a vacation. Josh shares a favorite memory of deciding via paper-rock-scissors with Swahili-speaking guides to take an optional afternoon safari that led to hearing week-old lion cubs and seeing their mother, and notes they saw the African Big Five plus many other animals, ate lamb, and learned basic Swahili. He reflects on limited internet, receiving rent and other income streams while away, and how language exposure in Frankfurt revived his old German and renewed interest in language learning. They then pivot to AI’s impact, including claims of open-source reverse engineering of Adobe and Microsoft Office and PS5 jailbreaking, and discuss work uncertainty. Elliot covers returning from physical therapy, difficulty forming a workout habit, and “one more year syndrome,” weighing FI timing and a future inflation-adjusted gift for his children amid job dissatisfaction, bad boss, and commute.00:00 Jet Lag Catch Up00:55 Safari Trip Setup03:10 Paper Rock Safari06:29 Lion Cubs Moment08:20 Food And Big Five13:36 Passive Income Autopilot16:34 Swahili And German19:52 AI Disruption Talk31:35 Workout Habit Building35:51 One More Year Debate46:44 Wrap Up And Feedback Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Does Time Slow Down After You Retire? (Plus: One More Year Decisions & FI Doubts)Josh and Elliot open by talking about Josh’s upcoming first international trip to Tanzania and a geography-trivia Instagram account. Josh shares that since retiring 17 months ago after a 25-year corporate career, time feels like it has slowed down. They discuss Josh’s informal “research” on time dilation, novelty, loss of external time markers, and keeping a steep learning curve through new projects. The conversation shifts to Elliot’s uncertain FI timeline: his job has worsened, he’s aiming to reach a bonus/RSU milestone, and he’s debating working longer to fund inflation-adjusted monetary gifts for his three kids, estimating he’s about 93% FI and wrestling with emotional versus mathematical readiness.00:00 Safari Travel Banter01:21 Geography Trivia Detour03:03 Retirement Time Slowdown06:49 Time Dilation Explained15:29 Keeping Novelty Alive23:15 Learning Curve and Drums25:21 One More Year Decision28:59 FI Math and Family Gifts38:27 Trusting the Portfolio48:11 Wrap Up and Safari Warnings Spotify: Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Credit Card Hacking Mistakes, Annual Fee Cleanup, and Early Retirement Doubts Josh introduces a conversation with Elliot focused on credit card hacking and, later, Elliot’s thoughts about possibly extending his early retirement timeline. They discuss a St. Louis heat wave, their current FIRE stages (Elliot nearing retirement; Josh 1.5 years into early retirement after leaving work in April 2025), and listener feedback on fear of boredom. Josh shares a cautionary tale from years of chasing sign-up bonuses and referrals, accumulating a large stack of cards, failing to close unused accounts, and wasting an estimated $1,500–$2,000 per year in annual fees; they discuss tracking tools, closing cards, and temporary credit-score impacts. Elliot describes disliking his job, weighing an extra year to meet family goals, and interviewing internally to change his situation. They also cover post-retirement guilt, Elliot’s improving foot recovery while coaching soccer, and the growth of the St. Louis ChooseFI community activities. 00:00 Episode Setup 01:11 Heat Wave Catch Up 02:26 Where We Are Now 04:29 Boredom Before Retirement 07:09 Credit Card Hacking Pitfalls 12:13 Tracking Cards and Fees 15:00 The Stack of Cards 19:25 Elliot Weighs One More Year 24:46 Life After Retiring Feelings 33:00 Getting Active Again 35:20 ChooseFI Community Hikes 37:34 Thanks and Wrap Up Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Spending on Convenience, Rental Deadlines, and a New Weekly Planning System Josh and Elliott catch up after a short break and note that releasing episodes every other week has coincided with a spike in views, listens, and listener feedback. They revisit their “spending on convenience” challenge: Elliott tried Aldi curbside grocery pickup and found it saved weekend time, while Josh sought quotes to outsource drywall and painting on a vacant rental but declined after receiving a nearly $7,000 estimate and deciding the money was better reserved for repairs he can’t do himself. Josh shares reframing the frustration of house projects, dropping self-imposed rental deadlines, and creating a “rental real estate investor policy” with notes per property to guide decisions when vacancies occur. He also explains restructuring his weekly planner by moving non-urgent tasks into categorized electronic lists reviewed monthly, reducing stress and perceived busyness. Elliott discusses current life stress, a failing water heater, and getting a new puppy, which led to canceling an October trip. 00:00 Catch Up and Feedback 01:54 Convenience Spending Check In 02:34 Grocery Pickup Experiment 03:27 Rental Rehab Quote Shock 07:33 Time vs Money Mindset 09:58 Rental Deadlines and Policy 13:54 Weekly Planner Overhaul 21:44 Feeling Less Busy Lately 23:51 Elliotts New Puppy Update 26:18 Wrap Up and Thanks Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Elliot’s Pre-Retirement Fears: Boredom, the Big Shovel, and Trusting the FI Math Josh and Elliot decide to continue the podcast after receiving encouraging listener feedback and invite more comments via email and Spotify. They focus on Elliot’s approaching planned exit from his W-2 job after March 1, 2027, timed to a mid-February bonus and RSUs vesting March 1, while noting he may pivot if circumstances change. Elliot describes an “existential” unease about early retirement, mainly fear of boredom and fear of giving up a lucrative “big shovel,” especially with three elementary-aged kids and future education costs. They discuss how FI “only solves money problems,” the mindset challenge of trusting the math versus analysis paralysis, and how surrounding influences can amplify worries. Elliot feels excitement and terror about owning his time but believes he could earn money again if needed, likely outside corporate work. They agree to revisit additional fears and later discuss drawdown strategy. 00:00 Welcome and Feedback 01:19 Elliot Retirement Setup 03:12 Target Date and Work Factors 06:08 Josh Retirement Lessons 07:32 Elliot Fears Boredom 09:45 Doubt and FI Mindset 12:16 Thought Experiment Without FI 16:42 Social Circle and Life Stage 20:38 Fear of Unknown Time 23:57 Contingency Plans and Barista FI 27:52 Mindset Shift After FI 29:05 Wrap Up and Next Episode Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Where Do We Go From Here? Rethinking the Podcast Cadence Josh and Elliot open by discussing 311 announcing a St. Louis show at The Factory in Chesterfield on November 11 (recorded August 11) and then shift to the future of their podcast after missing their first Monday release in a year. They compare it to pointless corporate reporting that no one noticed when stopped, noting they’ve received no listener complaints. They enjoy the conversations but find weekly editing, scheduling, and generating fresh topics increasingly taxing in a saturated personal finance/FI podcast space. They consider reducing frequency (possibly every other week), trying guests, solo episodes, or including their spouses, and they ask listeners for feedback and topic ideas, noting they average about 400 listens per episode. They also touch on Elliot being 6–7 months from retirement, Josh’s positive retirement experience, Elliot’s foot recovery and PT, and Josh’s colonoscopy with a benign polyp and a 7–10 year follow-up recommendation. 00:00 311 Show Excitement 01:34 Podcast Cadence Reality Check 02:09 Corporate Report Déjà Vu 06:09 Pros Cons of Continuing 08:45 Finding Fresh Topics 11:45 New Formats and Guests 13:19 Listeners Feedback Matters 17:16 Retirement Fears and Wins 20:34 Injuries Recovery Updates 21:41 Colonoscopy PSA 26:05 Wrap Up and Next Steps Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Convenience Spending Experiments: Lawn Care, Cleaning, Food, and Outsourcing for FI Josh and Elliot discuss “convenience spending” and how it fits into financial independence, comparing DIY habits with paying for services that save time or improve life. Josh shares success with professional lawn fertilization but struggles to outsource more, while Elliot happily pays for lawn mowing and considers home cleaning despite kids quickly undoing results. They cover other convenience spends and trade-offs, including haircuts, eating out, breweries/entertainment as community-building, and hiring a tax preparer for speed and confidence, especially with real estate. Josh describes negative experiences with contractors and quick-lube car maintenance, fueling his reluctance to outsource property management and repairs. They consider testing meal prep kits, grocery pickup/delivery, and house siding washing, and tie the topic to shifting from accumulation to drawdown and “Die With Zero” ideas. They agree to test outsourcing—Josh for real estate help, Elliot for house cleaning or grocery services—and revisit results in a month. 00:00 Convenience Spending Setup 01:39 Lawn Fertilizing Win 03:17 Paying for Lawn Mowing 06:10 Cleaning and Time Value 10:51 Haircuts DIY vs Pro 13:27 Eating Out as Convenience 16:00 Breweries and Community 18:24 Hiring a Tax Preparer 21:37 Real Estate Help Needed 24:44 Meal Kits and Groceries 29:48 House Washing Experiment 31:31 When Convenience Goes Wrong 34:43 Mindset Shift and Drawdown 40:10 Pick One Experiment 41:35 Wrap Up and Next Steps Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Camp FI Rocky Mountain Week 1.5 Takeaways: Community, Drawdown Strategies, and Life After FI Elliot and Josh recap their trip to Camp FI Rocky Mountain Week 1.5, comparing travel routes and sharing takeaways. Josh prepared by researching communication strategies to manage introversion and anxiety in groups, practiced meeting people, and noted how uniquely receptive the FI community is versus everyday life. They discuss the camp’s retiree-leaning vibe, insights from “veterans” on drawdown strategies and sequence-of-returns risk (including skipping COLA increases), and the challenge of giving themselves permission to spend after strong market returns and added income streams. Key themes include community as “chosen family,” physical and mental health, and sessions emphasizing emotional wellbeing and therapy. They mention mixed reactions to a crypto session, credit-card maintenance, using a fee-only advisor/CFP, 72(t) strategies, camp activities like hiking and pickleball, and Josh’s 4,000+ mile post-camp road trip and reflections on a personal “wonderful life” policy statement. 00:00 Saturday Morning Kickoff 00:27 Getting to Camp FI 01:48 Introvert Prep and Social Energy 06:37 Week 1.5 Vibe and Veteran Wisdom 09:57 Drawdown Strategies and Spending 15:43 Community and Friendship Building 23:51 Camp Highlights Pickleball and More 25:40 Rehab and Youth Sports Madness 31:53 Content Takeaways Therapy Focus 37:58 Finance Action Items CFP Cards 72t 44:10 Cons Sleep and Not Enough Time 49:02 Personality Types and Social Circles 53:20 Post Camp Road Trip Recap 57:49 Wonderful Life Statement and Wrap Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Camp FI Road Trip Plans, FI Book Takeaways, and Staying Positive in the Heat Josh and Elliot record a grab-bag episode before leaving for Camp FI Rocky Mountain 1.5, discussing midweek camps and travel logistics. Josh is extending the trip with a solo road trip to Colorado and on toward Montana near Glacier National Park to visit his son. They discuss Cody Berman’s book Retire by 30, including “cash flow FI” from rental properties and his ideal-day schedule, and Nick Maggiulli’s The Wealth Ladder about how strategies change across net-worth rungs, including starting scalable businesses. Josh mentions his part-time real estate work (~19.5 hours/week). They also touch on Bill Bengen’s “Safe Max” (4.7% vs 4%) and portfolio complexity, then Josh shares efforts to stay positive and active during a St. Louis heat wave. 00:00 Trip Plans And Camp FI 01:46 Road Trip To Montana 03:50 Prepping The Chevy Colorado 05:06 Book Review Retire By 30 12:04 The Wealth Ladder Framework 16:16 Real Estate Work And Time 18:58 Rethinking The Safe Withdrawal Rate 22:58 Staying Positive In The Heat 25:22 Wrap Up And Goodbye Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Estimating ACA Health Insurance Costs for Early Retirement: Subsidies, MAGI, and Plan Choices Elliot and Josh discuss healthcare as a major early-retirement cost and review a BiggerPockets Money episode featuring free tools for estimating ACA premiums. They compare the BiggerPockets calculator with healthcare.gov, noting discrepancies but agreeing both help illustrate key variables such as zip code, household size, ages, and modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), especially around the 400% federal poverty level subsidy cliff. Josh explains how to use healthcare.gov’s “Browse Plans & Costs” and shares that for a two-person household at $84,000 MAGI he sees about $700/month in subsidies and a $381/month bronze plan. They then run Elliot’s family-of-five example on healthcare.gov, exploring income inputs, a Medicaid-eligibility warning at $100,000, and a $1,011/month subsidy at $120,000 that yields a $505/month bronze plan versus a $949/month silver plan. They discuss tradeoffs between premiums and out-of-pocket costs, how premiums rise with age, and using these estimates for budgeting tools like ProjectionLab. 00:00 Welcome and Setup 00:51 Homework and Bloopers 01:20 BiggerPockets Tools Overview 03:17 Key Variables and Zip Codes 04:19 Healthcare Gov Walkthrough 06:15 Subsidy Cliff Strategy 08:29 Elliot Runs Numbers Live 13:18 Bronze vs Silver Tradeoffs 14:56 Aging Costs and Family Changes 15:45 Comparing Employer Plans 17:09 Projection Lab and BP Calculator 20:23 Wrap Up and Takeaways Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Episode 50 Recap: Revisiting Our Biggest FIRE Decisions, Community, and Plans Josh and Elliot celebrate reaching 50 podcast episodes and recap prior discussions to see what changed. Josh’s high-mileage Chevy Colorado is still running and he plans a long road trip. Elliot revisits his housing case study and currently chooses to “do nothing” and stay put. Josh updates that his wife Lori remains full-time because part-time would lose benefits; they have “concepts of a plan” for a future withdrawal strategy involving possible 72(t), rental cash flow, cash/brokerage drawdowns, and Roth conversions, with a note to cover mechanics later. They discuss increased involvement in the FIRE community, including presentations and travel opportunities, and potential FOMO. Josh shares health and accountability updates (primary care completed, colonoscopy scheduled, dentist still pending). Elliot confirms canceling plans to move to France, staying off most social media, but using Amazon again. Josh decides against an early 401(k) withdrawal for home projects after high quotes and highlights listener feedback. They consider adding guests (including Lori) and recording in person, note the podcast loses money, and thank listeners for support. 00:00 Episode 50 Milestone 00:21 Why Recap Now 03:00 Car Series Update 04:53 Elliot Housing Decision 06:05 Josh Withdrawal Strategy 10:54 Listener Feedback Shoutouts 13:02 Can Elliot Retire Soon 14:19 Side Hustles Reality Check 17:51 Leaving FIRE Community 27:34 Health Accountability Goals 29:58 France Move Undo 30:41 Social Media and Amazon 36:59 401k Withdrawal Debate 41:07 Favorite Episodes and Regrets 43:07 Laurie Episode and Guests 44:13 Next 50 Episodes Plans 46:37 Podcast Money Talk 48:43 Final Thanks and Goodbye Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

The Hardest Part of Early Retirement: Mental Health, Rumination, and Finding Happiness Josh and Elliot discuss common challenges of early retirement—shifting from saving to spending, boredom, healthcare uncertainty (ACA subsidies and planning), loss of identity and guilt when saying you’re retired, social isolation, and fear of running out of money (Monte Carlo simulations, one-more-year syndrome, expense lumpiness, and flexibility). Fourteen months into early retirement, Josh says most of these weren’t major issues for him, but his biggest struggle has been mental health and happiness: after an initial honeymoon, stress from helping with a newborn granddaughter in the ICU, sleep disruption, recurring funks, irritability, and rumination over trivial and family/tenant issues. He describes using reframing, reducing complaining, reading self-help and mental-health books, drafting an “It’s a Wonderful Life” personal policy statement, and focusing on controlling what he can; Elliot shares returning to therapy and the idea that money only solves money problems. 00:00 Early Retirement Struggles 01:10 Saver To Spender Shift 02:58 Boredom And Purpose 06:05 Planning The Tuesday Life 10:18 Healthcare And ACA Fears 13:16 Identity And Guilt 21:31 Isolation And Community 24:48 Running Out Of Money 34:15 Mental Health Reality Check 42:01 Tools To Stop Rumination 45:10 Therapy And Taking Control 57:33 Closing Thoughts Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

College Planning, 529 Tradeoffs, and Flexible Ways to Support KidsElliot and Josh chat about summer heat, an upcoming Colorado trip for Camp FI, and how long emails get ignored, then segue into college expenses and planning. Elliot references an Inside Out Money episode contrasting underfunding vs. heavy 529 saving (including a $600,000 example) and discusses 529 flexibility alongside concerns about over-saving and restrictions. Josh explains why his family avoided 529s, noting his children took varied paths (one degree, two partial, one no college), and describes focusing on controllable cost reducers like Missouri’s A+ scholarship (two years community college tuition) and earning credits in high school, plus covering books/fees and encouraging tuition reimbursement jobs. They debate ROI of expensive schools, the value of the “college experience,” alternative careers, and ideas for gifting money with guardrails or paying loans later to create “skin in the game,” acknowledging uncertainty about timing and kids’ choices.00:00 Summer Heat Banter00:54 Camp FI and Manitou Incline01:52 TLDR and Email Overload03:29 College Planning Kickoff04:19 529 Plans and Flexibility10:02 Scholarships and Community College12:56 Debt, ROI, and College Value21:35 Rethinking the Traditional Path28:14 Kids Finding Their Own Way37:53 Gifting Money and Skin in Game45:26 Wrapping Up and Next Time Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Net Worth vs. Investable (Liquid) Assets: What Really Funds Financial IndependenceJosh and Elliot discuss the difference between net worth and investable assets (liquid net worth) and why confusing them can mislead financial independence planning. Net worth is assets minus liabilities and can include a primary residence, cars, and real estate equity, but those assets may not be easily tapped to fund living expenses without selling. Investable assets—such as a 401(k), Roth IRA, and brokerage accounts—are the liquid holdings typically used for withdrawal-rate calculations like the “$1M for $40k at 4%” baseline. They explore how real estate adds complexity because equity doesn’t translate predictably into cash flow due to rents, appreciation, vacancies, repairs, and capital expenditures, and they emphasize the importance of decumulation mechanics, withdrawal strategy, and understanding where retirement income will actually come from.00:00 Net Worth Basics02:03 Defining Investable Assets03:06 Liquid Net Worth Explained05:36 The Million Dollar Myth06:52 Real Estate Equity Limits09:10 Returns and Leverage Tradeoffs11:28 Real Estate Cash Flow Reality15:29 Baseline FI and Projections21:51 Decumulation and Drawdown Plan26:46 Wrap Up and Take Action Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://my.mintmobile.com/refer/aEWp5rL ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you Want to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Finding Your "Why" for Financial Independence: Security, Time, Health, and Giving BackJosh and Elliot open with a humorous aside about “newspapers,” then discuss a Choose FI podcast episode featuring Allen Hansen and Kristen Knapp that raised the question of why people pursue financial independence beyond the math. They share how early experiences shaped their motivations: Josh describes childhood money trauma, being teased for Walmart clothes, and later bankruptcy, foreclosure, and divorce, leading him to seek financial security and better money habits; Elliot recalls private-school comparisons with wealthier peers and wanting to ensure he had enough. Their “why” evolves to autonomy and buying time, being more present for kids (including the value of FU money), improving physical and mental health by escaping sedentary screen-based work, and helping others through volunteering and sharing lessons. They emphasize planning what FI life will look like, expecting change, and using intentional, flexible time-bucketing.00:00 Cold Open Banter02:10 Why Pursue FI04:05 Money Trauma Origins10:19 Autonomy And Time12:09 A Perfect Retired Day14:28 Parenting And FU Money16:47 Health Wellness Benefits22:06 Giving Back And Service29:16 Retire To Something36:07 Planning Time And Change40:30 Wrap Up And Farewell Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: [email protected] Contact Josh: [email protected] Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://my.mintmobile.com/refer/aEWp5rL ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you Want to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI