How do you go from $18,000 in debt to nearly $1 million in just six years? On the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench sit down with Kate to unpack the money decisions that completely changed her financial trajectory. She shares how she tackled debt, curbed sneaky spending, built an emergency fund, grew her income through career moves, and began consistently investing in low-cost index funds. 

More importantly, Kate explains how aligning her spending with what she actually values helped her build wealth without feeling like she was constantly depriving herself. If you're working toward financial independence, paying off debt, or simply trying to build better money habits, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can put to work.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

Connect with Kate:

• Website: https://www.derekateonfire.com/
• Email: [email protected]

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

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Lifestyle inflation can quietly derail your path to financial independence, but does spending more as your income and life change have to be a bad thing? Scott Trench and Evan Lawler break down how spending changes through different stages of life, what the data says about future expenses like housing and childcare, and how to build a realistic financial independence or Coast FI plan. They also explore the FI community’s shift away from extreme frugality and how to use data, flexibility, and better spending expectations to build wealth without sacrificing your quality of life.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Check out the Budget Calculator from this episode: https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/budget/
• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

Connect with Evan Lawler:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_financialfoundation/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_FinancialFoundation

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

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In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench sit down with Eli Breece from Dividendology to unpack dividend growth investing and how it compares to traditional index fund investing. They discuss sequence of returns risk, dividend sustainability, free cash flow, valuation, bear markets, and how to evaluate dividend growth stocks. 

Eli also explains why he believes dividend investing can be a powerful approach to building long-term wealth and creating retirement income, while Mindy and Scott bring their own skepticism to the strategy.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

Connect with Eli Breece:

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/dividendology

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

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In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench explore how you can use AI to make better financial decisions and move closer to financial independence. They share practical ways to ask better questions, give AI the right context, stress test your financial plan, and even develop an investment thesis. Plus, they talk about where AI can help and why you still need to double-check its work.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

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In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Evan Lawler take a closer look at Coast FIRE and what it really means to stop aggressively saving for retirement while still working toward financial independence. They talk through what could go wrong, from market downturns and rising expenses to lifestyle creep and unexpected changes in your life or career. They also discuss how much flexibility Coast FIRE can give you, how to build in a little margin, and what to think about when deciding whether Coast FIRE or traditional FIRE makes sense for you.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

Connect with Evan Lawler:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_financialfoundation/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_FinancialFoundation

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench sit down with Professor Aswath Damodaran, one of the world’s leading experts on valuation and a professor of finance at NYU Stern School of Business, to unpack whether the massive excitement around AI is justified by the numbers. They explore the billions being invested in AI infrastructure, how much revenue AI companies would need to justify today’s valuations, the risks of overinvestment and an AI bubble, and how investors should think about mega-cap tech stocks in an AI-driven market. 

Aswath also breaks down the potential impact of AI on employment and the broader economy, why storytelling can distort investment decisions, and why diversification and sound valuation principles matter more than ever.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two years ago, Alex Preziosi came to the BiggerPockets Money Podcast with one big question: should she quit her W-2 job and go all-in on real estate? Fast forward to today, and she's left behind her brutal commute, grown her real estate business, added another rental property, gotten married, and built a net worth of more than $1 million, all before 35! 

But here's the twist: Alex is now just $50,000 away from Coast FI and wondering if she can finally take her foot off the gas. Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench catch up with Alex to talk about quitting your job before financial independence, building wealth with real estate, Coast FI, entrepreneurship, and whether $1 million is really enough when kids and a growing family could be in the future.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: https://www.biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

Connect with Alex Preziosi:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerseygirlfinance/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrapreziosi/
• Alex’s Previous Episodes: 395 and 589

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

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In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast, Scott Trench is joined by Alex Smereczniak of Franzy to break down  how to buy a franchise, what franchises actually cost, who is best suited for franchise ownership, and how to evaluate the risks and rewards of buying a franchise business. They also explore real-world franchise success stories, passive income potential, and how franchising can fit into a broader financial independence strategy.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Franzy. BiggerPockets Money may receive compensation if you choose to work with Franzy. As always, do your own research and evaluate whether a franchise opportunity is right for your financial situation and goals.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Interested in Learning More About Buying a Franchise? Check out: https://www.biggerpocketsmoney.com/franzy
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

Connect with Alex Smereczniak:

• https://www.instagram.com/alexfromfranzy/?hl=en

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Ashley Kehr and Tim Delaney share their very different experiences owning and operating liquor stores, from starting a business during COVID to buying an existing store and dealing with the realities of employees, cash flow, inventory, suppliers, and day-to-day management. They break down what it takes to build a profitable liquor store, how to source rare bourbon and whiskey, why standard operating procedures are critical, and the costly lessons that can come from poor financial oversight and business management. 

Whether you’re interested in buying a small business, starting a liquor store, entrepreneurship, retail business, or building passive income, Ashley and Tim offer practical lessons on turning a small retail business into a more scalable and profitable operation.

To go beyond the podcast:

Connect with Ashley Kehr: 

Connect with Tim Delaney:

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

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In this episode, Ashley Kehr and Tim Delaney share their very different experiences owning and operating liquor stores, from starting a business during COVID to buying an existing store and dealing with the realities of employees, cash flow, inventory, suppliers, and day-to-day management. They break down what it takes to build a profitable liquor store, how to source rare bourbon and whiskey, why standard operating procedures are critical, and the costly lessons that can come from poor financial oversight and business management. 

Whether you’re interested in buying a small business, starting a liquor store, entrepreneurship, retail business, or building passive income, Ashley and Tim offer practical lessons on turning a small retail business into a more scalable and profitable operation.

To go beyond the podcast:

• Interested in a Flat Fee Financial Planner? Go to https://biggerpocketsmoney.com/fipro/
• Get 50% Off Your First Year of Monarch by using code ‘Pockets’: https://www.monarch.com/pockets

Connect with Ashley Kehr: 

• Social: https://www.instagram.com/wealthfromrentals/
• Website: https://www.ashleykehr.com/
• Real Estate Rookie: https://www.youtube.com/c/RealEstateRookie

Connect with Tim Delaney:

• Business Buying for Financial Independence: https://open.spotify.com/show/2kBagDg0jmHwOmPJggAnGH?si=525c0e8e64dd4136

We believe financial independence is attainable for anyone no matter when or where you’re starting. Let’s get your financial house in order!

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