Mile High FI Podcast

Doug chats with his wife Elizabeth about her 2-year anniversary in early retirement.  Elizabeth describes why she loves not working, challenges with balancing routine vs. flexibility, and how reduced stress has improved relationships and communication.  Doug & Elizabeth also discuss budgeting with a financial advisor, differences in “fun fund” spending, the impact of market returns on retirement confidence, perceived social pressure within the FI community to retire, and not necessarily retiring “to something”. Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/ Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you! Guitar Accessories Hiking & Outdoor Essentials for Sleep Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington Links Elizabeth on MHFI episode 281 Leckerlee Cookies Earn & Invest, “What’s the Point of FIRE?” The FI Collective Bill Perkins, “Die With Zero” Kindle Hardcover Paperback Audiobook “Survive the 9 to 5” podcast “The Doug Show” podcast MHFI Facebook group Doug’s site Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey — Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list! Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more **Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.** Brought To You By: The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com 0:00 Introduction 2:08 Leaving a full-time career 8:07 Part-time work experiment 18:36 Retirement surprises 23:03 Finding a routine 29:46 Relationship improvements 36:28 Pressure to retire 43:31 Spending & budgeting 50:30 Influence of the stock market 55:24 Retirement tips & readiness 1:00:05 What do you do? 1:08:10 Soundcheck – Caffeine cutback

Doug and Kristen Knapp (FI Friends Travel) dive into a listener-submitted topic from Dell regarding the potential benefits of oversaving.  Doug & Kristen discuss the pros & cons of oversaving, the necessity of having a plan for “retiring to something” after work, and explore the psychological shifts that occur when you no longer need a paycheck.  They also tackle common traps in the FI community such as “One More Year Syndrome”, golden handcuffs, and identity issues tied to a career. Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/ Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you! Guitar Accessories Hiking & Outdoor Essentials for Sleep Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington Links FI Friends Travel ChooseFI local groups EconoMe Conference CampFI Mark Trautman/Mark’s Money Mind Kevin Sebesta on MHFI episode 302 Morgan Housel, “The Art of Spending Money” Kindle Hardcover Paperback Audiobook Bill Perkins, “Die With Zero” Kindle Hardcover Paperback Audiobook MHFI Facebook group Doug’s site Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey — Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list! Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more **Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.** Brought To You By: The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com 0:00 Introduction 4:17 Dell’s voicemail 9:20 Pros of oversaving 17:14 Legacy vs. Die With Zero 20:59 Cons of oversaving 27:55 Golden handcuffs & “enough” 34:36 Retiring to something… or not 40:16 Identity struggles & FI 49:43 Staying busy vs. intentional boredom 56:50 Early retirement pitfalls 1:01:16 Only boring people are bored 1:05:47 The nuances of FI 1:12:02 Longest soundcheck ever

Please support the show if you like it! I play highlights about Die With Zero, specifically about Time Bucketing. You can donate via Buy Me a Coffee. You get extra content and know that you’re making the show possible. Mile High FI is listed as one of the TOP Podcast on Careers in Apple Podcasts! Spotify is 28% of the audience, so that’s grown in 2025 and higher than I said in this episode. If you extrapolate the Spotify year end review data to the total downloads, here is what you get… Mile High FI is a: Top 5 podcast for about 5,000 people! #1 podcast for about 740 people! I don’t have ads anymore so I want to cover production costs. Most of the costs are related to software and tools and hosting. Many other podcasts have sucky ads every 15 minutes. I don’t want to do that. Producer Chris volunteers to edit and produce the show. We’re not trying to get rich doing the show, but it takes a lot of time, effort, and planning. You can also check out the affiliate offers here, which are products that I recommend. Mile High FI usually gets a small percentage, say 1% to 15%, depending on the arrangement. It helps, but direct donations are the best.

Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache), personal finance blogger and early-retirement advocate, tackles why people delay retiring despite being ready. He explores “One More Year Syndrome,” fear of running out of money, and worries about boredom. Practical takes on building social life, improving social skills, and finding meaningful projects after leaving work are discussed.

Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache), a frugality-focused personal finance blogger and early retirement advocate, reflects on problems inside the FIRE movement. He discusses pitfalls of ultra-frugality, over-saving, and over-optimizing. Short takes cover housing choices, convenience spending, avoiding deprivation, and how to balance enjoying today with planning for the future.

Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache), personal finance blogger who popularized frugal FIRE living, joins to debate whether FIRE is dead. They dissect online critiques, unpack misconceptions about frugality and retirement, and explore how FIRE evolved. Conversations cover critics like Dave Ramsey and Morgan Housel, housing and inflation challenges, and stories of freedom-fueled creativity.

They debate whether early retirement is overrated and when quitting work makes sense. They explore testing retirement with sabbaticals and small experiments. They emphasize building hobbies, routines, community, and health before leaving work. They discuss autonomy, avoiding overidentifying with a job, and seeking flow to find purpose in life.

A lively debate about whether to work with a financial advisor, weighing fee traps and conflicts of interest. Personal advisor histories and when DIY index investing suffices are discussed. They highlight how outside perspectives help with decumulation, complex workplace choices, and confidence to spend. Practical engagement options like hourly planning and fiduciary reviews are covered.

Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache), an early-retiree and frugality blogger who retired in his 30s, connects pop culture to FIRE themes. He dissects The Matrix, Office Space, Fight Club and more. Conversations touch on anti-consumerism, escaping corporate grind, minimalism as strength, and choosing freedom over comfort.

They trade food origin stories and memorable cultural meals. Gourmet hiking sandwiches and layered chili techniques get kitchen nerdy attention. Conversation covers leftovers, batch cooking, and reducing waste. They explore cooking as a mindful, flow-inducing practice that builds community. Practical gear picks and tips for improvising with limited ingredients round out the chat.