The Financial Independence Show

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you the dynamic duo of Mike and Lauren. You may know them from their fantastic DIY YouTube videos or hearing about their huge European travels. These two have had some interesting jobs: experimental marketing, gemologist, commercial real estate, and YouTube guru to name a few. They’ve never had a typical desk-job but that hasn’t stopped them from being retired by age 30! Oh, and did I forget to mention they have two kids which they gave birth to in Costa Rica? Trust me there’s a lot to unfold her so you’ll want to listen for sure. Episode Summary Met when 12 Dated at 15 Married at 19 and 21 Never had a desk job but have been employed a couple times Started a commercial cleaning company in college in 2007 Got successful so he dropped out of college She moved to New York City and became a gemologist They lived with family while she was getting her gemologist certification She now stays home with her two kids She started making $50k after her 6 months of schooling He then got into this experiential marketing gig where one of his jobs was to create a mobile quicksand booth He talks about the hardest part of starting his cleaning his business was going door to door and getting told no so many times as he tried to get the word out They got their first big contract was through word of mouth but they underbid by a large margin They initially bid $10k per month and then quickly realized they needed to increase to $24k per month  and their client was totally cool with it She worked at Saks 5th Avenue and Tiffany’s They loved NYC but it was just too cold for them after 3 years there He did some lighting and production for a church and she worked at a friends Jewelry store when they moved back to Florida They both worked at those for 4 years and quit She quit to have their first son and he quit to go full time on YouTube in 2016 His first year on YouTube he made $20k His second year that jumped to $68k They did a 10 week trip for two across Europe for $10k which spurred the idea of doing YouTube travel videos They jump into how they still continue to travel even with kids including a 7-week backpacking trip to Europe They recommend traveling a little slower with kids and not bouncing from city to city every couple days but maybe every week After seeing some success from their YouTube channel they started making online courses They gave birth to both kids in Costa Rica They did so to get dual citizenship and avoid a lot of health care costs U.S. healthcare wouldn’t give them exact quotes while Costa Rica gave them a specific menu They gained full citizenship and their children gained dual citizenship to Costa Rica They had the affordable care act plans which allowed them to have really low cost of insurance due to their low income when covered They pay $50 per month to be a part of Costa Rica’s universal health care system as a fall back plan They retired when he was 30 and now just blog, YouTube and travel They’re cash flow FI vs the traditional large nest egg FI They completed the purchase of a warehouse were the cash-flow comes from through owner financing The warehouse needed a good bit of work that Mike was able to do mostly himself outside of some plumbing and electrical Key Takeaways Stability isn’t necessary:  We often stay focused on building careers and working our way up ladders. They showed that we can keep things fresh and do a wide variety of jobs and still make perfect progress towards early retirement. Don’t assume America is the answer: They chose to go outside of the U.S. for healthcare and it was only partly to save money. They also appreciated the transparency and stated that the level of care was beyond what they would have gotten at a local hospital anyways. Challenge assumptions such as the U.S. being your option for healthcare. Passion meets proficiency: They discovered something they were good at. Skills that they could pass on to others and that they were passionate about. This is the perfect recipe for success when brainstorming money making ideas. Find where your passion meets proficiency. Call to Action Survey your life and find one unique skill or passion you have and develop a plan to monetize 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 Links from the Episode Mike and Lauren’s Blog Mike and Lauren’s YouTube channel   Contact Mike & Lauren: Twitter: @MikeAndLauren   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a truly optimistic outlook on getting fired. Rob from Getting Canned walks us through his story of losing his job at one of the worst times in history, in 2008 during The Great Recession. Rob’s struggles lead to finding an amazing income source and international travel opportunity all in one. Rob moves to Taiwan where he would teach English for three years and make some fantastic memories while the economy recovered. Tune in this week to see yet another showcase at how financial independence is possible for all. Episode Summary Recently lost his job after working there 4 years He was placed on a performance improvement plan prior to getting fired Started a blog to be a resource for people who had lost their job Created a checklist of all the things to do when you find out you may be getting fired He talks about filing for unemployment and rolling over your 401k as really important parts of the checklist Had gotten fired in 2008 and went unemployed for 2 years Decided to go to Taiwan to teach English It was an amazing experience for him and feels that it’s a great option for “Barista Fire” He was paid $20/hr working 20 hours per week His first job actually came with free room and board He stayed in Taiwan for 3 years with one 6 month break in between 2008-2010, during his unemployment, he met a lot of frustrations with applying for jobs He talks about how unemployment can prepare you for your FI lifestyle He got in the best shape of his life during that period Rob got the idea of moving to Asia to teach came from meeting someone randomly who had done it. He considered Japan, China, and Taiwan He did a Skype interview where he had to do a practice teaching session The main requirements were to speak with an American accent and a college degree He got a tourism VISA for 60 days that the employer then helped them change it to a work VISA which was good for a year His first apartment was a studio in new and in a nice neighborhood for under $400/mo He used their great public transportation system The medical care was what he found to be the biggest savings At one point he to go to the emergency room to get stitches with anesthesia was $30 He mentions the odd type of side jobs that are possible in those unique situations One was being approached to be an actor in a short because he stood out so much in Taiwan The primary language there is Chinese He learned a little bit just to “survive” He talks about how knowing English opens you up so much for travel One certification he recommended was TEFL which helps with getting some of these jobs He also recommends Upwork and Fiverr, and Wyzant as good resources for gig economy especially in times of unemployment Rob also implores people to diversify their income streams and go through the thought process of what it would be like if you lost your job tomorrow Key Takeaways Resourcefulness is a superpower: We see this all the time. Whether it’s keeping grocery bills low, finding free furniture, or finding work. Resourcefulness and flexibility are these amazing superpowers that make financial independence almost unstoppable. It is ok to ask for help: I thought it was really humbling to hear Rob talk about taking unemployment. It can feel like you have failed but everyone has moments that they need help and it’s likely you paid your fair share into programs like unemployment anyways. The world isn’t so scary: This is the biggest takeaway for sure. The world can seem massive and scary but if you can read this, then you probably know English and as English speakers, we often take for granted just how accessible this world is to us. Rob barely learned any of the language and still survived just fine. He worked there for several years and even made a trip to the ER. So what’s stopping you from stepping out into some unfamiliar territory? Call to Action  Consider what it would be like if you were fired tomorrow and create a game 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! 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 Links from the Episode Dave’s ESL Cafe Upwork, Fiverr, and Wyzant Getting Fired Checklist International TEFL academy with location and earning matrix Contact Rob: Getting Canned Twitter: @GettingCanned   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you one of their favorite episodes to date. Paula Pant is always conducting great interviews herself but today she’s the one answering questions. She walks us through her amazing story of only three traditional years of employment, traveling the world, and the steps she took to secure her financial independence. There is something for everyone in this episode. You’ve got philosophy, entrepreneurship, freelancing, and even some great real-estate tips. This discussion also gets into focusing also on increasing income and not just being consumed by minimizing expenses. Paula calls this “The gap” or the delta between your earnings and expenses. Go check out the episode for yourself and let us know what you took away from the show. Episode Summary Grew up in a normal middle-class family where they weren’t rich but didn’t have to worry about money Paula had a desire to study abroad in college but the prices were too high She decided instead to work for a few years to save money and then travel Graduated college in 2005 and started at a newspaper making $25k per year She worked there 3 years topping out at $31k per year On the side, she was freelancing and earned an additional $25k on the side in a travel fund Quit her job and left her lease in 2008 She backpacked around Egypt, Cambodia, and other countries on a budget of $1k per month When she returned from her trip she decided to go full-time freelancing After 18 months, her freelancing was making over $100k per year She began taking her excess income and investing in real estate The rental properties are now netting over $40k She talks about how achieving in life drives her to continue to work consistently vs just doing the gig economy and bouncing around We discuss how important it is to find a job you love to do because any skill can be spun into a high paying job She talks about the pressures of growing up in a Nepalese culture and how you’re expected to either be a doctor or an engineer in order to escape We discuss how so much of the FIRE movement revolves around spending what seems like extremely frugal lifestyles when in reality it’s just normal life for so many people in America and across the world She also discusses how more of the focus should be on the income side of the equation vs the spending part of the equation This led us to the discussion of “The Gap” or the difference between earning and spending not necessarily just one side of the equation The conversation then swaps over to an overview of Paula’s real estate investing It’s clear that Paula has a passion to read and to learn and talks about how the internet has now democratized learning She gets into what she looks for in a house from both the location and physical attributes of the home and how she’s purchasing houses from a distance In 2019 she will be launching her own real estate course She talks about how financial independence gives her time to be with others and volunteer She continues to travel and was actually out of the country when the Suze Orman interview went viral We discuss her hitting $1M net worth around 30 and the changes she would make if she had to do it over again Key Takeaways What do you want? Paula describes how no matter what your passion is, it can be profitable enough to become wealthy and find financial independence. Her work at a newspaper was low paying but she took that same skill and passion and became her own boss and increased her salary by 500%. The gap. We loved this explanation. Instead of debating whether you should increase your income or decrease your spending, just focus on the gap between the two. Both are very important so don’t let either of them become the center of attention. Just focus on the gap. What FI can bring. The examples Paula gave with what she is doing with her flexible time were so important to think about when you’re going after these goals. It’s so much more than sippin’ margs on the beach. She has the opportunity to be there for her friend and she becomes a new mother and she has time to volunteer to things that are important to her. Imagine how much more rewarding life can be when you’re in control. Call to Action Increase your income! Whether it’s picking up a side hustle or figuring out a way to maximize your main hustle, there is some way for you to increase your income in 2019. 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 Links from the Episode Paula’s Free E-book Contact Paula Pant: Twitter: @AffordAnything Instagram: @PaulaPant   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

We have an extra special gift for you today that requires no wrapping paper. This Holiday special Justin and Cody go at it alone with no guest to discuss their perspectives on materialistic Christmas, a brief recap of 2018 and their goals for 2019. We think you’ll really enjoy getting to hear a little more from your hosts this week and see a little more behind the curtain on their personal lives. At the end of the episode, we asked that you start writing out your goals and sharing them with us so we can keep you accountable. You can drop those goals in a voicemail at TheFIshow.com/voicemail or look out for a thread on the facebook page at TheFIshow.com/community. Episode Summary Here’s a breakdown of what we cover in this episode. Materialistic Christmas Discussion Justin and Cody discuss how their families viewed Christmas and gift-giving growing up They also discuss how the Financial Independence community has changed their own views on it Justin makes a case for a materialistic Christmas being a positive thing in households where some family members never buy themselves anything absolutely necessary, thus giving them one chance per year to have something simply for enjoyment. They both discuss their most memorable Christmas gift which actually both turned out to be the thin PlayStation 2. It’s also very clear though that they both value experiences over these items today Review of 2018 2018 was a packed year for both of the guys Cody started the year off with 5 months in Australia…wow this whole FI lifestyle sure is restrictive Justin kicked the year off with a trip to Iceland and kept the traveling going with 2 trips to Mexico with some scuba diving, three trips to Denver, the Grand Canyon, countless concerts, trip to the Hamptons, Vermont ski trips, and attended a UFC title fight This year is also the year Cody got deep into the FI movement and began Flytofi.com and this podcast Justin spent 5 months in a hotel due to a house fire but came out of it with 2.4 million Hilton points as a concession Cody got a chance to practice his speaking chops down at CampFI south Speaking of CampFI South, that’s where Justin and Cody actually first met back in September. Justin then joined Cody as the new co-host of this podcast when T.J. had to step away. So far they’ve seen 20k downloads but feel like they’re just now gaining traction and getting their systems set up to be more efficient with their time Just has also continued his work on his own blog Saving-Sherpa.com where he gives extreme transparency into his expenses and investing The hopes behind this are to try and show people you can still live a really exciting and rewarding life while on this journey He is also proud to still maintain his $60/month grocery bill for the 4th straight year Justin’s savings rate is over 75% while paying rent and living in Boston which works out to be about $24k in annual expenses His net worth grew $68k this year even with the rough markets Cody is able to save 85% of his income while living at home. This gap between his income and expenses gives him amazing flexibility! Goals for 2019 Cody is starting the year off with a bang by stepping away from his job and going on a nationwide book tour with Grant from Millennial Money Justin looks to continue his savings rate success and build more upon his blog They are both very passionate about growing the podcast and increasing their reach You can tell they go big on goals when they set the mission for 1 million downloads before the end of 2019 They think they can do so with a mix of fantastic headliners like Paula Pant and stories that had previously never been told like Jimmy the mailman from Arkansas who is already FI at 28 through real estate The guys also want everyone to share their 2019 goals with them and keep everyone accountable Key Takeaways Materialism can have a place.  When you’re in an environment where the whole family is so un-materialistic either out of principle or necessity, it can be useful to have one day a year where everyone gets to be spoiled with some items that they really want but would never buy themselves. It also allows each person to get the reward of giving something special which is pretty rewarding on its own. You never know what a year will hold. Cody got thrust into the financial independence space and hit the ground running and now in 2019, he’ll be walking away from corporate America because of it. In this space, we love to plan, which is never a bad thing, but we also need to understand that life is stranger than fiction and there can always be a life-changing surprise around the corner. Make big goals. What’s the worst that happens if you make a big goal? You either make it or you try as hard as you can but you don’t settle. The FI Show is going with a bold goal of 1M downloads before 2020 starts. What will your big goal be? Call to Action Go make some big bold goals for 2019 and share them with us so we can keep you accountable! 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 Links from the Episode Justin’s house fire recap How money can buy happiness Example of Justin’s transparent posts and how he spends $60 a month on groceries Cody’s 5-Month Adventure in Australia Travel Hacking for Beginners The Un-Budget Financial Freedom Book Tour   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a story that’s just beginning. This interview with The Incredible Cash Dummy steps through a life quickly changed by having a child in high school and joining the Navy soon after. He then went for years with no financial direction. A recent military move was compounded with his wife getting pregnant again and her losing her job, he had a major light-bulb moment. A little over a year ago he discovered the financial independence space and has become hooked. Tune in to see how he is correcting his path and taking ownership of his finances. Episode Summary Grew up in normal middle class family where they weren’t rich but didn’t have to worry about money Then during his junior year of high school he gets his girlfriend pregnant and had his son at 17 At this point all he knew about finances was trying to avoid impulse purchases He continued living with his parents and graduated high school and working part-time at a steak house The Cash Dummy realized college wasn’t for him so he decided to enlist in the Navy He was clearing $800 per month and paying $155 per month of child support His housing and food was covered through the military and he lived on base so he was able to save His first investing was through the Thrift Savings Plan which is the military’s version of a 401k where he put in 7% of his check monthly Realized he should take his finances more serous  around 2010 when he heard everyone complaining about their stocks and the recession He then noticed he had been investing unknowingly into nothing but the G fund which is government bonds that are basically just a shelter against inflation He mentions being lucky that he worked with other sailors who talked to him about finances and walked him through how all the funds work Gets stationed in Japan and where he receives some extra location pay and benefits from the yen conversion At this point he is more conscious about investing but still not a great saver He mentions how the military culture and surroundings of the base can be troublesome for young enlisted and their finances He talks about the need for military services to make financial training an annual requirement At 20 he started using credit cards which he struggled to use responsibly While he struggled with credit cards he never fell into the fancy car trap He ended up with $10k in credit card debt He got married in 2013 after 8.5 years in the military and was now an E-6 When the finances got combined their total debt was $15k They blew all their extra money on eating out and travel and only saved the 7% TSP He got promoted to E7 and had to move for his next military assignment His wife was pregnant with his third child and she was going to have to quit her job All of this led to his light-bulb moment in 2017 She took unemployment for 9 months His child support has now increased to $900 per month A coworker introduced bigger-pockets to him and showed him the quad chart video from Brandon Turner He dove in hard to bigger-pockets including the forums and podcasts That led him to all the other members of the financial independence space He sat back for a couple months trying to understand everything before he acted It then took a few more months before him and his wife were both on the same page At this point he went from 7% to TSP to 10% He borrowed against his 401k to pay off high interest credit card loans He also took on a second job for a while at $16/hr to pay off loans doing janitorial work There was a fear that all of this would negatively impact their lifestyle but they didn’t notice that at all He tried YNAB but that didn’t stick Instead he went to the Anti-budget which fit much better Now he’s started his own blog, TheCashDummy.com, to help people who found themselves in the same situation and mistakes he did His number one tip is education, there are so many resources so go find someone who has a path that fits yours You’ll also want to listen in to hear his accounts of his first FinCon experience where he met all his financial heroes Key Takeaways Surprise! You never know what is going to happen in life and it could be a massive financial change. Don’t simply plan for what your plan is, plan for what happens when that plan gets flipped upside down. Kids, divorce, sickness, job sector changes, these can all be devastating if you’re not prepared. Today is better than tomorrow. It can be intimidating reading about young people who have it figured out. It might sometimes feel like there’s no point but the reality is that you can make massive changes in such a short period of time. There’s nothing you can do about the time past but you can take control of your future. Check your pride. The Cash Dummy explains how he picked up side jobs as a janitor to help pay off debt. That’s commitment. It can be easy to turn down opportunities that seem beneath us but when it helps you get to your goal, nothing is off limits. Call to Action Part 1: If you’re a military member reading this prior to Jan 1, 2019, take a serious look at the new Blended Retirement System. Many dismiss it without giving it a serious look. It can be a great option if you put in the work. Part 2: Continuously educate yourself and find that person who has made it from a starting point similar to your own. 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 Links from the Episode TheCashDummy.com Brandon Turner’s Real Estate Quad Chart Military Guide Blended Retirement System Info   Contact Cash Dummy: Facebook Twitter: @TheCashDummy   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a really interesting story full of dynamics different than their own lives. Jamila is a mother and an immigrant and both of those parts of her story helped shaped her unique path to financial independence. She was heavily inspired by the strong women in her life who passed down the qualities of saving and hard work. Jamila also has a natural gravitation towards entrepreneurship. Whether it was previous companies she has attempted, venturing into investment real estate at 22 in New York City, or stepping away from a safe corporate job to pursue Journey to launch, it’s clear that she has a passion to be different and take control of her own path. Episode Summary Immigrated to the US at 18 months from Jamaica She had a happy childhood in Brooklyn Her mom had a large emphasis on education and reading She also gained a lot of inspiration from her grandmother Her mom didn’t really pass down investing but she did pass down the importance of saving She talks about the importance of passing down grit and making her kids financially responsible even though they’re growing up in a more privileged upbringing Fresh out of college she made an incredible real estate investment She put down a down payment on a new condo build in the DUMBO district of Brooklyn The unit she got was $338k and required a $30k down She lived with her mom for 2 years while the unit was built so she was able to save up the rest of the money she needed to close on the property The unit is now valued closer to $680k She tried starting a couple of small businesses including a magazine company Then she started a standard job that came with a really long commute Having children made her realize how important financial independence is to her She had a little breakdown on the way home stuck in traffic which was her “Ah-ha” moment After having three children she decided to step away from the standard workforce and go full-time entrepreneur through Journey To Launch She started Journey to Launch as a way to keep herself accountable Her recommendation for entrepreneurs is to just start because she learned so much from her early business failures For her early retirement doesn’t mean not working just not making it through the corporate world She is married and her husband still works which provides healthcare and the flexibility for her to build up her business Her plan is to really focus on Journey To Launch and if it doesn’t work out after two years she would be willing to go back into her corporate work She also thinks you should focus on increasing income and looking at your career to see if it’s better to avoid side hustles and spend that time to make promotions and bonuses or if side hustles are the better option Drake’s plan “God’s Plan” was the answer to the wildcard question but you’ll have to just listen to understand why! Key Takeaways Learn from, improve on. We are often surrounded by people who influence us whether we know it or not. Some may be more obvious like parents but it may be a more obscure co-worker. It’s important to always learn from them but then try to take it one step further and evolve their idea. Learn from them, but improve on their ideas. Strengthen your “Side-Hustle Muscle”. Jamila hasn’t had every entrepreneurship venture succeed and she hasn’t had everyone fail, but she has refined her skills with each attempt. It’s like any skill or muscle, it needs practice and work. Find something low risk and just start practicing your side hustle muscle and see what you need to work on for success. Keep your motivation front and center. Jamila had that breakdown on the way home as she was stuck in traffic because it was keeping her from her kids. Too often we get stuck in a daze of the grind. We forget why we’re doing it, what we’re missing, or what we’d rather be doing. Don’t obsess on the future so hard that you don’t enjoy the journey, but always have a motivation to help point your efforts. Call to Action Take account of those people and places that your corporate job is keeping from you and keep that motivation front and center! 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 Links from the Episode Journey to Launch Still curious about DUMBO?   Contact Jamila: Facebook Instagram: @JourneytoLaunch Twitter: @JourneytoLaunch   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a true the king of efficiency. A real estate junkie, Craig works over at Bigger Pockets and currently lives in Denver. From getting paid to go to college to renting out his car, Craig finds ways to squeeze money out of every aspect of life. Then you can add on the fact that he’s in his mid 20’s and you have a really inspiring story. Craig may not head up a popular blog or podcast but I can promise you, he has some amazing insight. In this episode, you’ll get to hear his entry into real estate including some extreme house hacking. Oh, and did I mention he spends ~$500 per month on everything? It really highlights how removing auto and home expenses leaves you with an extremely tiny budget Episode Summary Started hustling in elementary school by selling his lunch to other kids Chose his college based on an internship program that let him graduate w/ a $20k nest-egg Gets a wake-up call when his boss interrupts his weekend at Big Sur 2 years after graduating he buys his first property, a duplex in Denver His first property was  $380k and 1.5 miles from his work He put down a down-payment of $17k The duplex was cash-flowing $800 per month and he lived there rent free He lived in a tiny section of one floor while Air BnB’ing out the rest With a place so close to work, he was able to also rent out his car on Turo On Turo, he was pocketing ~$30 per day…until a renter totaled the car Turo handled the insurance without a hitch One year after buying the duplex he buys his second property In the new property, he rents the rooms out individually while still living rent free With no rent and no car expense he’s able to spend $500-$600 per month At 25 he is prepping himself to be set up to travel and someday start a family He uses credit cards with setting up his new properties to travel hack his trips Currently loves his job at Bigger Pockets He actually got into real estate due to the confidence he found from  Bigger Pockets He chooses his properties based on location in relation to parks and bike paths Key Takeaways House hacking is one of the most efficient and effective ways to hit FI. If you can rent out half of a duplex (or the whole thing or if you’re on Craig’s level) you can eliminate your housing expense and actually make money to live! Housing is typically 33% of the average American budget. “Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later“. Craig understands that his youth gives him an advantage and allows him to kickstart his FI journey. He can take wisdom from his elders and implement all of the strategies that they wished they had used. FU Money is one of the most powerful levers. Since Craig was able to live intentionally, amass a comfortable monthly cash flow and increase his net worth, he unlocked options in his life. He now can focus on the things he truly cares about and “peace out” from his job if he stops feeling fulfilled! Call to Action Examine your life, determine what is excess, and cut what’s not necessary! 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 Links from the Episode Turo (Get $25 off your first ride!) Airbnb (Get $40 off your first stay!) Rich Dad Poor Dad Travel Hacking Lifeonaire Book   Contact Craig: BiggerPockets LinkedIn Facebook   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today we have a bonus episode recorded LIVE at FinCon with Jimmy and Jenny from Living Life Loving Us. Cody was fortunate enough to meet this amazing power couple at FinCon and immediately knew that he needed to get them on the podcast. Since discovering financial independence, this couple has been able to increase their savings rate tremendously, maximize their income, and design a life of purpose and meaning. They also share some awesome tips about how to get your spouse on board with your financial plans! Episode Summary When they met, Jimmy was optimizing his time and Jenny was working 16-hour shifts. Jimmy works as a firefighter and Jenny works as a nurse. Jenny hacked travel nursing by living 52 miles outside of the 50-mile radius requirement. Incurred $100K in debt from infertility treatment and paid it off as fast as possible. Found Dave Ramsey, then Choose FI, then a bunch of other blogs. Jenny thought they were “done” when all the debt was paid off … she was wrong. Jimmy tried going minimalist/frugal psycho and get rid of everything – but Jenny wasn’t having it. Then, he made her write down her top ten 10 values and that made her realize that money didn’t make them happy! After car payment was gone, Jenny had her “lightbulb” moment and now wanted to pursue FI by cutting expenses. Started at negative net worth and soon achieved a 50%+ savings rate. Recently downsized their house! Jimmy got certifications to increase his overall pay. Went from $40K to $75K annual salary in just 6 and ½ years. Cut your expenses wisely, NOT your lifestyle. Jenny started making 60K per year and now has the ability to earn 120K. However, she chooses to only work 7 months of the year and still out-earns that original 60K! Jenny leveraged her existing nursing skills to acquire additional PRN jobs in the nursing fields – she also does furniture flipping on the side during her 5 months off! Jimmy works two 24-hour shifts per week, and uses his free days to hang out with his daughter and work on the blog. They have friends that make the same amount of money, have the same jobs, live in the same area… but they’re not intentional with their spending! It’s all about focusing on what you actually value. Striving toward a mutual goal makes life easier and reduces arguments. “Fighting is inevitable. It’s the way you fight that’s important.” – Jimmy Both trying to challenge themselves in every aspect of life: physically, financially, emotionally, etc. Both value fitness and have competed in obstacle course races. Healthy eating is also extremely important to them. Traveling with a baby is great (once you get to your destination), but the journey itself isn’t so fun… They’ve already designed a life that they both love so the next five years might look eerily similar! Their total spend is between $50K and $60K per year, but they could get below $40K if travel was eliminated … might go down with newly discovered travel hacking. “You can’t live on a diet; you need to adjust your eating habits permanently. Same thing with your money” – Jenny Jenny’s parents were entrepreneurs but never had any money during her early years. After her parents achieved success, they started to give Jenny everything she wanted and the “I can have anything” mindset started to set in. One great thing she learned from them though was the power of hard work. Jimmy, on the other hand, barely spent any money to Jenny’s astonishment. The first year they met he had spent $5,000 for the entire previous year. Jimmy’s family never spoke about money, but his dad retired at 50 as a firefighter and had lots of free time. Jimmy has a pension to bolster his FI journey through his job as a firefighter. The longer he works, the more it grows, but he has the option to leave whenever he wants. Both have had health scares in the past. If Jimmy leaves his job, Jenny might get a year-round job for the healthcare benefits. Key Takeaways Find common ground with your partner or spouse. Jimmy and Jenny both recognize how powerful it is to chase financial independence as a team. They achieved this cooperation by finding common ground and respecting each other’s input. Some people like spreadsheets, some people don’t. Find out what works for your relationship. Life is short. Enjoy each day. Jimmy and Jenny have both had health scares in their 20s and this opened their eyes to how precious life is. Now, they have created a life that they truly love and wake up looking forward to each day. This mindset is so powerful and something we should all adopt! Understand your values. Sometimes, we don’t even know what makes us happy. Often times, it’s not the massive house, flashy cars, or new gadgets — it’s quality time spent with friends and family. Definitely consider doing our Call to Action! Call to Action Make a list of the 10 things that you value most. Understand what truly makes you happy and create a plan to get there. 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 Links from the Episode Jenny’s post on fear ChooseFI Dave Ramsey Camp FI   Contact Jimmy and Jenny: Living Life Loving Us livinglifelovingus [@] gmail.com Twitter: @livnlifelovnus Facebook: facebook.com/living-life-loving-us   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a true expert of the gig economy and side hustles. The great Kevin from Financial Panther. If you’re unfamiliar with the gig economy or side hustles, think Uber, Wag, or Air BnB. Kevin has used all of these new apps to bring in $1-3k per month on a very consistent basis. Oh and don’t forget he does this while also being a lawyer. While a lot of lawyers might think it is beneath them to deliver food to college kids, Kevin sees it as a powerful tool to expedite his path to financial independence. The other important part of this interview is how Kevin explains the ways to do these side hustles without stretching yourself too thin. We try to always stress the importance of enjoying this financial independence journey and not just rushing through it. He stresses finding ways to incorporate these side hustles into activities that you’d be doing anyway. Own a dog? How much harder is it at that point to watch a second one for a night? Workout? Why not jump on a real bike for a delivery instead of a stationary one? These are examples of some nuggets we got from today’s show. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Episode Summary Kevin’s parents paid for his college and he didn’t even consider the financial implications of his college choice or major Graduated in 2009 in the thick of the great recession when there were no jobs available Took LSAT and decided on law school to follow up on his history/economics undergrad. Received a 50% scholarship for law school but still came out with $87k in student debt Continues living like a student after landing a lawyer gig to pay off debt as fast as possible Discovers the Financial Independence movement 1 year into debt payoff Was inspired by financial samurai, Mr. Money Mustache, and Dave Ramsey Paid off his $87k in loans in just 2.5 years while working at a big high-paying law firm Started side hustling in 2015 while still earning big lawyer money Some side hustles include Uber eats, Wag, Rover, Bird, Air BnB, and Lime He changes to a government job that came with a 50% pay cut and a little extra flexibility Takes another pay cut to work for a non-profit that came with a great deal of flexibility He talks about incorporating gig economy jobs into his normal day routine For him, side hustles that involve driving his car came with the least return on investment Kevin makes somewhere between $1-3k per month on side hustles He even makes money on dumpster finds He equates the gig economy as a pseudo emergency fund Has ambitions to step away from working to blog full time Kevin makes a great comparison that $10k in side hustles is equivalent to $250k in investments for those that follow the 4% rule Key Takeaways Your income isn’t everything. Kevin shows that by not taking one but two pay-cuts to add in flexibility. It means he’s not only happier but also has more time to pursue outside passions that could very well become more and more profitable.  There’s money everywhere. He found money in the trash! Just actually just furnished most of his home from free craigslist items that he could have sold if he wanted too. Kevin does it all though. Deliver food, walk dogs, rent rooms, and more. The beautiful thing is that you don’t have to do much of the legwork. The jobs are waiting for you, so what are you waiting for? You might be closer to retirement than you think. Our favorite insight with this interview was the idea that $10k in side hustles is equal to $250k in investments if you’re following the 4% rule. That means you could be a lot closer to at least taking some time off if not actually retiring by picking up some side gigs! Call to Action Analyze your daily routine and find something you can do to make that $5k per year! That’s only $13.70 per day Side Hustles Mentioned Uber Lyft Rover Wag Bird Lime Airbnb UberEats Postmates DoorDash Craigslist eBay FB Marketplace Amazon Flex Job Spotter 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 Links from the Episode Financial Panther Money and Confidence are Interchangeable Financial Samurai   Contact Kevin: kevin [@] financialpanther.com Twitter: @financialpanthe Facebook: facebook.com/financialpanthe   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you an interview that is guaranteed to be a new one for you. This is the story of Jimmy Ridenhour who, unlike most of our guests, has no blog, book, podcast or ever been on a podcast. That doesn’t mean his story isn’t remarkable. Jimmy’s story starts out with a very tragic start that involves murder and family turmoil but he amazingly finds his way to success and has an unmatched amount of positive vibes when you meet him in person. After that tragic start, Jimmy landed on his feet literally as a mailman at age 18. While most people his age were racking up college debt, he was bringing in upwards of $80k a year while he put in 70+ hour weeks. This allowed him to purchase his first home for $125k and have it paid off at age 23. Now he’s 27 with five properties and already has an income stream that would allow him to be financially independent if he wanted. This is a can’t-miss episode! Episode Summary Jimmy was born in the outskirts of NYC Migrates to Arkansas around 3 years old His father gets murdered while going to sell his car Life becomes chaos as his mother struggles with depression and substance abuse Splits time between his mom & grandparents until 12 then moves to grandparents full time He started learning work ethic and business from the new family he was living with From age 12 to 16 he saved $5k from small-town jobs He decides to follow in his Aunt’s footsteps in working at the Post Office to hopefully have her normal life vs his chaotic one He creates a postal profile at age 16 in hopes of one day becoming a postman Then his grandmother passed away and his grandfather developed Alzheimer’s At 18 he’s eligible to take the postal exam & scores high enough to get hired right away He starts working 70+ hours a week At age 20 he buys his first house for $125k which he paid off at 23 through high savings rates and house hacking via a roommate Saving $80k in those three years while making a range of $50-80k per year He talks about shaking the scarcity mentality but also keeping his very low budget lifestyle He’s currently making 55k per year His boss sold him his second house for $50k and which he puts $13k in for fixes Gets deeper into BiggerPockets and starts crushing podcasts while delivering mail for work Finds his 3rd home through a family member for $30k and knocked out all the fixes himself Finds his 4th home for $40k which appraised for $65k that only needed a quick paint job He discovers Paul Thompson from Ready Investor One and got involved in his first Wholesale purchase for $47k, invested $20k, sold it three months later and profited $18k even though he contracted out 90% of the work He highly recommends doing all the work yourself in the beginning so you can negotiate better with contractors and protect yourself from getting taken advantage of. His plan is to end up with 12 rental properties total His expenses are currently so low (~$1300/mo) that he’s already financially independent with the 5 houses he has He’s currently cash flowing over $2k per month through his rentals at age 27 Recommends using Mr. Landlords how to find a good tenant scoresheet when filtering out tenants He manages all but one property and is now experimenting with the one property manager to hopefully someday step away and allow all his properties to be managed His #1 tip is to just get started because you’ll learn so much from the first house And trust me you won’t want to miss this week’s wildcard question about the most insane date Jimmy has ever been on! Key Takeaways Your past can’t define you. Jimmy had an incredibly rough start and is still somehow so far ahead of almost anyone I know. This financial independence journey isn’t reserved for kids with parents who taught them the value of money at a young age or who paid for their college. It doesn’t have to be pursued in a big city with an outrageous economy. You decide if your path is successful, not your past. Just jump in. We hear this tip so often but it can’t be overstated. Just start. Whether that’s index funds or real estate, you just have to get off the couch. The first experience will be profitable even if it doesn’t look like it in your bank account. That’s because you’ll learn so much from it that you’d never get from simply reading about it. There is no one path. Much like the first take away we just want to highlight how non-traditional this story is and how many excuses we hope were eliminated today. More specifically I think the interesting take away here is the value of earning income earlier. Jimmy didn’t do the traditional 4-5 year degree, pay off debt, start getting ahead around 30 model that most do. He started earning serious cash at age 18 and that’s why he’s so far ahead. Don’t box yourself or your kids in when thinking about your path. Call to Action Focus on your happiness because financial independence is not all about the end goal. Take time and enjoy the journey folks!   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 Links from the Episode Mr. Landlords Tenant Application Scott Trench’s book: Set For Life Ready Investor One Contact Jimmy: xoxohomes@gmail.com Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)