Choosefi | Financial Independence Podcast For The Stealth Wealth Community

100 | Brad and Jonathan look back at the ChooseFI’s growth during the past 100 episodes and hit the highlights of financial independence for new community members and recap their own financial independence journeys.   Jonathan considers himself a reluctant frugalist, but the idea of not having to work won him over. Brad and his wife were natural savers, but chose to move from Long Island, NY, so that they could save more and work toward financial independence. If you want to take back your years and have the option to stop working before your 60s, you’re going to have to live differently and make different choices. The key to long term freedom is saving money. The benefits of pursuing financial independence are felt long before reaching FI. Jonathan put himself in a position to leave his pharmacy job when it stopped working for him and his family. A huge quantity of life’s stresses can go away if you’ve got some money in the bank. What you earn minus what you spend = the gap. The goal of the ChooseFI communi

099R | Brad and Jonathan review Monday’s episode about generous giving and resource stewardship, then catch up on voicemails and updates from the community about dental school, fall activity ideas, and the recent dip in the stock market.     Jonathan recaps his recent family vacation and travel to FI Chautauqua Greece. Chautauqua was most importantly about community. Jonathan saved nearly $1,200 on a bill for his son’s broken leg just by asking for an adjusted cash-pay price. The Playing with FIRE Kickstarter event far surpassed expectations. More than 1,000 supports More than $100k Review from Monday’s episode with Michael Peterson. Michael continues to work because he wants to be able to give. Geoarbitrage might not always be what we think; moving to ‘less expensive’ countries also usually involves a big lifestyle change. Considering oneself to be a steward of resources, not just an accumulator of money, puts members of the FI community in a unique position to be generous and consider their impact on w

099 | Michael Peterson, owner of a bacon-themed concession stand in California, talks about downsizing his family expenses, spending 8 months of the year managing a non-profit in El Salvador, and why generous giving is important to him. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/099   ——————-   Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 

098R | An exciting conversation with Jared about his path to FI as a traveling physical therapist and his current 5-month trip abroad, as well as a voicemail about healthcare planning and a review of Monday’s episode. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/098R

098 | Samantha Keith, author of The Debtist blog, explains what it means to have more than half a million dollars of student debt, and how she plans to pay it off in less than 10 years. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/098

097R | A conversation with Larry Hagner from The Good Dad Project updating Brad on the recent financial changes he’s made in pursuit of more financial independence and his family’s budgeting strategies, as well as highlight’s from Monday’s episode from The White Coat Investor. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/097R

097 | Dr. James Dahle, founder of The White Coat Investor, talks about getting his start as a doctor and a blogger, setting up inheritance funds for his children, thinking through his investing strategies, and the motivation that keeps him working on the White Coat Investor. For more information, visit the show notes at https://choosefi.com/097

096R | An in-depth conversation with JL Collins about a recent controversial interview given by Suze Orman, and clarification of what concepts are truly at the heart of the financial independence movement.   Frugal wins of the week from Brad & Jonathan: garbage pickup and cell phone batteries. What questions did Dominick Q, from Monday’s episode, ask that were most impactful for Jonathan? Jonathan explains how he uses a planner at night to set himself up for success the next day. What three things does he want to accomplish tomorrow? Shutting off notifications on his phone allows Brad to step away from him phone more effectively. One of Dominick’s strategies for breaking the tie to various technology is a ‘digital detox’. Leaving his phone at home during a family walk each morning helps Jonathan give quality, undivided attention to his family. JL Collins, a.k.a., the Godfather of FI, talks about two recent interviews on the “Afford Anything” podcast with Suze Orman (personal finance expert and former

096 | Dominick Quartuccio defines life ‘drift’, advises Brad & Jonathan on how to take inventory of their habits, and evaluates the role technology plays in helping or hindering progress toward our goals. For more information, visit the show notes at https://choosefi.com/096

095R | Brad and Jonathan get an update about the “Playing with FIRE” documentary, they recap FinCon 2018, and review feedback from the community about Monday’s episode with the Military Dollar. For more information on this episode, visit the show notes at choosefi.com/095r  ——————-   Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 

095 | The author of the Military Dollar joins Brad and Jonathan to discuss the various ways that service members can optimize their finances and choose financial independence, including retirement plans, financial planning, health care benefits and the GI Bill.   Working in the military can set someone up to retire after 20 years with a pension and the ability to pursue whatever interests them. Why do many young members of the military actually have financial problems? Has Military Dollar ever seen any specific education for new servicemen? How could a young person change his/her mindset to make more frugal choices and pursue FI? Why did Military Dollar decide to pursue financial independence? How did she get started? What was MD’s savings rate early on? How has MD set herself up to potentially retire by 41? What was the moment that changed MD’s mindset and approach toward finances? How do most military members approach debt? What does the optimized path to FI look like in 2018. What’s the difference between

094R | The logistics of estimating and paying taxes as an entrepreneur, Brad’s frugal win of the week, and emails from the ChooseFI community. Brad and Jonathan are at FinCon in Orlando, Fl. Brad describes his family’s frugal win of the week at Old Navy. Review of the tax implications of winning a non-cash prize. How do some entrepreneurs put themselves in a position to fail because of taxes? Case study: how to make estimated tax payments as a new entrepreneur. Brad wants to pay the least amount of money in taxes, but ensure that he definitely pays the minimum amount to avoid incurring penalties. Knowing due dates and technicalities is important. It’s key to have money set aside in case you do owe more at the end of the year. What is the safe harbor provision? If you have blended W2 and non-W2 incomes, you do have to estimate based on previous pay stubs. Why would someone owe payroll tax? Brad uses a different bank account to reserve money he thinks he’ll need for taxes, and uses an eftps.gov account to

094 | Mr. and Mrs. Waffles on Wednesday (WoW) talk about winning on a TV game show, starting their own business, learning the tax code to maximize 401K contributions, and volunteering internationally. How did Ray win on the Price is Right, and what did he win? What were the tax implications of his winning? How was Ray’s experience at the IRS building in Los Angeles? Why did Jonathan receive a tax penalty last year, and how did he respond? How did Mr. and Mrs. Waffles on Wednesday decide to start a blog, and how did they decide on a name? Why do we have to just live for weekends? How did Ray win-over Mrs. WoW to financial independence? What decisions did Mr. & Mrs. WoW make after they chose to pursue financial independence? How did the pursuit of FI change their careers? What type of business did Mrs. WoW open, and how did she keep her overhead costs down and ultimately increase her income? What is a Solo 401K and why did Mr. WoW choose that option? What is the advantage of a Solo 401K for owner and spous

093R | Brad, Jonathan and Joe Saul-Sehy, from Stacking Benjamins, talk about what is rewarding to your soul, give feedback to a ChooseFI community member who’s considering selling his business, and recap Harry, the Ride Share Guy’s strategies for become the center of a niche.   Hurricane Florence’s path didn’t go near Brad and Jonathan, but there were tornadoes. FU money is better than FI money. Meet up in Florida during the week of FinCon 2018. How did Harry (from Monday’s episode) become the go-to guy for ride-share drivers? What strategies would help someone become the go-to person in a particular niche? How can you solve a problem that you, and other people, have? Find people who like and trust you. How is retail changing in 2018? How did Harry pursue unusual opportunities to make extra money? Could the “destination filter” as an Uber or Lyft driver and the potential to deduct you commute drop someone into a lower tax bracket? How did Joe from Stacking Benjamins become a financial advisor? What did the p

093 | Harry Campbell, The Rideshare Guy, talks about what it takes to be a successful Lyft and Uber driver, the strategies he used to start his blog, and how he transitioned from aerospace engineering to full-time blogging. For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/093   ——————-   Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 

092R | Plans for ChooseFI to support education, the value of a life resume, travel rewards tips for active duty military, and hurricane preparation.  For more information, visit the show notes at https://ChooseFI.com/092R

092 | CarLotz co-founder Will Boland talks about making the leap from investment banking to entrepreneurship, the challenges and benefits of leading a growing company, and what it means to build a life resume. How did Will become an entrepreneur? What was the inspiration for CarLotz? What experience during his work in investment banking gave Will the motivation to become an owner/manager? Will is 2nd generation FI. What did his journey look like? How did Will present and convince his family that it was a good idea to pursue entrepreneurship instead of continuing with his well-paying job? Did Will accumulate significant student loans while completing his undergraduate degree and master’s? What is a life resume, and does Will keep track of his? What role have mentors played in Will’s career? Will has been very open and honest with mentors and co-workers about his specific goals. How does he create an environment at CarLotz to encourage the same from his employees? Why didn’t Will’s mentor want to see his busin

091R | An overview of how to own a house with an IRA, Jonathan attempts to optimize his recipes and shopping list, a list of the top 5 ChooseFI episodes and a travel rewards win. ——————-   Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 

091 | Rich Carey, officer in the U.S. Air Force, talks about learning to live frugally, buying his first townhouse, and building his real estate empire from one to 20 houses in Montgomery, AL. ——————-   Thank you for being a part of the ChooseFI community! 

090R | Brad gets back from vacation, Jonathan talks about bringing vegetarianism into his diet, and voicemails from the community highlighting CLEP tests and a 401k win. Brad is back from a month-long vacation in the U.K. Is this Brad’s first experience with “slow travel”? Where will Brad’s family go next? If you can optimize small things, they add up. Brad joined a ChooseFI meet up in London, with Barney from The Escape Artist and Ken from The Humble Penny. Is there a more efficient way to be active than slaving away on the treadmill? Are your health and exercise habits actually adding value to your life? Brad thinks maybe he’ll try a vegan diet for a short time, as was recommended on Monday’s episode. How has Jonathan incorporated additional spices into his family’s meals? “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” – Michael Pollan How much money could Jonathan save if his family went vegetarian? What is intermittent fasting? Email from Alex, confirming the advantage and benefits of veganism. Does veganism ha