September 17, 2019

1500 Days to Freedom LIVE at FinCon | Carl & Mindy Jensen

34 minutes

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Carl and Mindy Jensen from 1500 Days.

This power couple is a staple in the financial independence space.

We had a blast recording live at FinCon and can’t wait for you to hear.

Discover the origin of the 1500 day blog, the dinosaurs, and why Carl will never be a plumber

Listen and read below to get all the wisdom from Carl and Mindy.

Episode Summary

Carl discovered FIRE after having a bad day at work at age 37

He ended up setting a goal of retiring in 1500 days

He met his goal at age 43

Mindy and Carl write over at 1500 days

Mindy is also a co-host of the Bigger Pockets Money Podcast

They live next to Mr. Money Mustache in Colorado

After becoming friends they went in together in a co-working space

We start unwrapping Carl and Mindy’s upbringing

Carl’s parents weren’t very good with money

He also was the first in his family to go to college

Carl became a work-a-holic and a money hoarder

He would wake up with nightmares about money and getting fired

Mindy actually is the one who still works though

She loves her job, which has nothing to do with her education

Mindy and Carl had their kids before they discovered FIRE

They were three and five years old

Both kids are still in school

With that, Mindy doesn’t miss valuable family time by working

We then discuss how the kids perceive them as retired parents

Mindy recalls growing up spending all Saturday going to garage sales

She said her parents had money but didn’t let the kids know

Carl recalls picking individual stocks when he first started working

He doesn’t recommend this approach now but got lucky with it

Mindy didn’t utilize the stock market until she got married

But she did start investing in real estate right away

Her first place was a $50k condo

She sold it a little later for $75k

We go back to hearing how Carl started his blog 1500 days

It was based on the days left he had to work after discovering FIRE

The blog was a way to keep him accountable

Currently, they invest in real estate including a Maine trailer park

They also do index funds, solo 401ks, and a syndicate deal

They still do live in flips and are about to start a new one

We then discuss the things they do for fun

Carl’s favorite thing about retirement is the uncertainty

The next big project they have is starting a brewery

Mindy discusses not moving around even with no job holding them down

Then we dial into the final three questions

Trust us you won’t want to miss these

Hint… Carl gets sprayed with feces

Key Takeaways

You may not change: Carl was addicted to working and staying busy. Just because he doesn’t have to work, doesn’t mean it changes that natural instinct to look for the next project.

You may work for fun: Most people get nervous about retiring early out of fear. In reality, most people still end up making money in retirement. Just look at Mindy who’s killing it at Bigger Pockets

Have fun people: Our favorite thing about Carl and Mindy is just how much fun they have with life. Don’t stress yourself out. Enjoy the ride.

Call to Action

The call to action this week is in honor of our guests… DRINK A BEER!

Non-Alcoholic is just fine 🙂

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!

Join our Facebook Group

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Contact Carl and Mindy:

Via their 1500 Days

Listen to Mindy at Bigger Pockets Money

Follow them on Twitter

In our Facebook group!

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By Cody Berman and Justin Taylor

4.8

296296 ratings