9 to FI - Financial Independence Conversations

Recession-Proof Retirement Planning: Building Spending Flexibility and GuardrailsJosh and Elliot discuss fears about retiring near a market downturn, referencing an April 2025 tariff-driven 20% drop and how quickly it recovered, then review typical recovery times for downturns. Josh shares a one-page “Recession-Proof Retirement Planning” document built from 2026 spending data categorized as discretionary, variable, and fixed. They emphasize flexible spending over strict reliance on the 4% rule, cite Mad Fientist and guardrails approaches, note Bill Bengen’s view that inflation can be a bigger long-term risk than crashes, and outline practical cutbacks and tactics in housing, transportation, dining out, and entertainment to maintain quality of life during recessions.00:00 Crash Prediction Tease01:02 Pop Quiz for Elliot03:10 How Long Crashes Last04:27 Retiring Into Volatility09:03 Beyond the 4% Rule13:48 Building Spending Buckets22:57 Walking through the Plan26:58 Housing Cost Levers32:03 Transportation and Food Cuts35:25 Mindset Guardrails Wrap40:35 Final Thoughts and Goodbye

Tanzania Safari Highlights, Passive Income on Autopilot, and AI Disruption TalkJosh and Elliot discuss Josh’s recent first international trip: a two-week Tanzania safari organized by Kristen Knapp’s FI Friends Travel and “Safari Lauri,” which exceeded expectations and felt more like an adventure than a vacation. Josh shares a favorite memory of deciding via paper-rock-scissors with Swahili-speaking guides to take an optional afternoon safari that led to hearing week-old lion cubs and seeing their mother, and notes they saw the African Big Five plus many other animals, ate lamb, and learned basic Swahili. He reflects on limited internet, receiving rent and other income streams while away, and how language exposure in Frankfurt revived his old German and renewed interest in language learning. They then pivot to AI’s impact, including claims of open-source reverse engineering of Adobe and Microsoft Office and PS5 jailbreaking, and discuss work uncertainty. Elliot covers returning from physical therapy, difficulty forming a workout habit, and “one more year syndrome,” weighing FI timing and a future inflation-adjusted gift for his children amid job dissatisfaction, bad boss, and commute.00:00 Jet Lag Catch Up00:55 Safari Trip Setup03:10 Paper Rock Safari06:29 Lion Cubs Moment08:20 Food And Big Five13:36 Passive Income Autopilot16:34 Swahili And German19:52 AI Disruption Talk31:35 Workout Habit Building35:51 One More Year Debate46:44 Wrap Up And Feedback

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Does Time Slow Down After You Retire? (Plus: One More Year Decisions & FI Doubts)Josh and Elliot open by talking about Josh’s upcoming first international trip to Tanzania and a geography-trivia Instagram account. Josh shares that since retiring 17 months ago after a 25-year corporate career, time feels like it has slowed down. They discuss Josh’s informal “research” on time dilation, novelty, loss of external time markers, and keeping a steep learning curve through new projects. The conversation shifts to Elliot’s uncertain FI timeline: his job has worsened, he’s aiming to reach a bonus/RSU milestone, and he’s debating working longer to fund inflation-adjusted monetary gifts for his three kids, estimating he’s about 93% FI and wrestling with emotional versus mathematical readiness.00:00 Safari Travel Banter01:21 Geography Trivia Detour03:03 Retirement Time Slowdown06:49 Time Dilation Explained15:29 Keeping Novelty Alive23:15 Learning Curve and Drums25:21 One More Year Decision28:59 FI Math and Family Gifts38:27 Trusting the Portfolio48:11 Wrap Up and Safari Warnings

Spotify:

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Credit Card Hacking Mistakes, Annual Fee Cleanup, and Early Retirement Doubts

Josh introduces a conversation with Elliot focused on credit card hacking and, later, Elliot’s thoughts about possibly extending his early retirement timeline. They discuss a St. Louis heat wave, their current FIRE stages (Elliot nearing retirement; Josh 1.5 years into early retirement after leaving work in April 2025), and listener feedback on fear of boredom. Josh shares a cautionary tale from years of chasing sign-up bonuses and referrals, accumulating a large stack of cards, failing to close unused accounts, and wasting an estimated $1,500–$2,000 per year in annual fees; they discuss tracking tools, closing cards, and temporary credit-score impacts. Elliot describes disliking his job, weighing an extra year to meet family goals, and interviewing internally to change his situation. They also cover post-retirement guilt, Elliot’s improving foot recovery while coaching soccer, and the growth of the St. Louis ChooseFI community activities.

00:00 Episode Setup

01:11 Heat Wave Catch Up

02:26 Where We Are Now

04:29 Boredom Before Retirement

07:09 Credit Card Hacking Pitfalls

12:13 Tracking Cards and Fees

15:00 The Stack of Cards

19:25 Elliot Weighs One More Year

24:46 Life After Retiring Feelings

33:00 Getting Active Again

35:20 ChooseFI Community Hikes

37:34 Thanks and Wrap Up

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Spending on Convenience, Rental Deadlines, and a New Weekly Planning System

Josh and Elliott catch up after a short break and note that releasing episodes every other week has coincided with a spike in views, listens, and listener feedback. They revisit their “spending on convenience” challenge: Elliott tried Aldi curbside grocery pickup and found it saved weekend time, while Josh sought quotes to outsource drywall and painting on a vacant rental but declined after receiving a nearly $7,000 estimate and deciding the money was better reserved for repairs he can’t do himself. Josh shares reframing the frustration of house projects, dropping self-imposed rental deadlines, and creating a “rental real estate investor policy” with notes per property to guide decisions when vacancies occur. He also explains restructuring his weekly planner by moving non-urgent tasks into categorized electronic lists reviewed monthly, reducing stress and perceived busyness. Elliott discusses current life stress, a failing water heater, and getting a new puppy, which led to canceling an October trip.

00:00 Catch Up and Feedback

01:54 Convenience Spending Check In

02:34 Grocery Pickup Experiment

03:27 Rental Rehab Quote Shock

07:33 Time vs Money Mindset

09:58 Rental Deadlines and Policy

13:54 Weekly Planner Overhaul

21:44 Feeling Less Busy Lately

23:51 Elliotts New Puppy Update

26:18 Wrap Up and Thanks

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Elliot’s Pre-Retirement Fears: Boredom, the Big Shovel, and Trusting the FI Math

Josh and Elliot decide to continue the podcast after receiving encouraging listener feedback and invite more comments via email and Spotify. They focus on Elliot’s approaching planned exit from his W-2 job after March 1, 2027, timed to a mid-February bonus and RSUs vesting March 1, while noting he may pivot if circumstances change. Elliot describes an “existential” unease about early retirement, mainly fear of boredom and fear of giving up a lucrative “big shovel,” especially with three elementary-aged kids and future education costs. They discuss how FI “only solves money problems,” the mindset challenge of trusting the math versus analysis paralysis, and how surrounding influences can amplify worries. Elliot feels excitement and terror about owning his time but believes he could earn money again if needed, likely outside corporate work. They agree to revisit additional fears and later discuss drawdown strategy.

00:00 Welcome and Feedback

01:19 Elliot Retirement Setup

03:12 Target Date and Work Factors

06:08 Josh Retirement Lessons

07:32 Elliot Fears Boredom

09:45 Doubt and FI Mindset

12:16 Thought Experiment Without FI

16:42 Social Circle and Life Stage

20:38 Fear of Unknown Time

23:57 Contingency Plans and Barista FI

27:52 Mindset Shift After FI

29:05 Wrap Up and Next Episode

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Where Do We Go From Here? Rethinking the Podcast Cadence

Josh and Elliot open by discussing 311 announcing a St. Louis show at The Factory in Chesterfield on November 11 (recorded August 11) and then shift to the future of their podcast after missing their first Monday release in a year. They compare it to pointless corporate reporting that no one noticed when stopped, noting they’ve received no listener complaints. They enjoy the conversations but find weekly editing, scheduling, and generating fresh topics increasingly taxing in a saturated personal finance/FI podcast space. They consider reducing frequency (possibly every other week), trying guests, solo episodes, or including their spouses, and they ask listeners for feedback and topic ideas, noting they average about 400 listens per episode. They also touch on Elliot being 6–7 months from retirement, Josh’s positive retirement experience, Elliot’s foot recovery and PT, and Josh’s colonoscopy with a benign polyp and a 7–10 year follow-up recommendation.

00:00 311 Show Excitement

01:34 Podcast Cadence Reality Check

02:09 Corporate Report Déjà Vu

06:09 Pros Cons of Continuing

08:45 Finding Fresh Topics

11:45 New Formats and Guests

13:19 Listeners Feedback Matters

17:16 Retirement Fears and Wins

20:34 Injuries Recovery Updates

21:41 Colonoscopy PSA

26:05 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Convenience Spending Experiments: Lawn Care, Cleaning, Food, and Outsourcing for FI

Josh and Elliot discuss “convenience spending” and how it fits into financial independence, comparing DIY habits with paying for services that save time or improve life. Josh shares success with professional lawn fertilization but struggles to outsource more, while Elliot happily pays for lawn mowing and considers home cleaning despite kids quickly undoing results. They cover other convenience spends and trade-offs, including haircuts, eating out, breweries/entertainment as community-building, and hiring a tax preparer for speed and confidence, especially with real estate. Josh describes negative experiences with contractors and quick-lube car maintenance, fueling his reluctance to outsource property management and repairs. They consider testing meal prep kits, grocery pickup/delivery, and house siding washing, and tie the topic to shifting from accumulation to drawdown and “Die With Zero” ideas. They agree to test outsourcing—Josh for real estate help, Elliot for house cleaning or grocery services—and revisit results in a month.

00:00 Convenience Spending Setup

01:39 Lawn Fertilizing Win

03:17 Paying for Lawn Mowing

06:10 Cleaning and Time Value

10:51 Haircuts DIY vs Pro

13:27 Eating Out as Convenience

16:00 Breweries and Community

18:24 Hiring a Tax Preparer

21:37 Real Estate Help Needed

24:44 Meal Kits and Groceries

29:48 House Washing Experiment

31:31 When Convenience Goes Wrong

34:43 Mindset Shift and Drawdown

40:10 Pick One Experiment

41:35 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Camp FI Rocky Mountain Week 1.5 Takeaways: Community, Drawdown Strategies, and Life After FI

Elliot and Josh recap their trip to Camp FI Rocky Mountain Week 1.5, comparing travel routes and sharing takeaways. Josh prepared by researching communication strategies to manage introversion and anxiety in groups, practiced meeting people, and noted how uniquely receptive the FI community is versus everyday life. They discuss the camp’s retiree-leaning vibe, insights from “veterans” on drawdown strategies and sequence-of-returns risk (including skipping COLA increases), and the challenge of giving themselves permission to spend after strong market returns and added income streams. Key themes include community as “chosen family,” physical and mental health, and sessions emphasizing emotional wellbeing and therapy. They mention mixed reactions to a crypto session, credit-card maintenance, using a fee-only advisor/CFP, 72(t) strategies, camp activities like hiking and pickleball, and Josh’s 4,000+ mile post-camp road trip and reflections on a personal “wonderful life” policy statement.

00:00 Saturday Morning Kickoff

00:27 Getting to Camp FI

01:48 Introvert Prep and Social Energy

06:37 Week 1.5 Vibe and Veteran Wisdom

09:57 Drawdown Strategies and Spending

15:43 Community and Friendship Building

23:51 Camp Highlights Pickleball and More

25:40 Rehab and Youth Sports Madness

31:53 Content Takeaways Therapy Focus

37:58 Finance Action Items CFP Cards 72t

44:10 Cons Sleep and Not Enough Time

49:02 Personality Types and Social Circles

53:20 Post Camp Road Trip Recap

57:49 Wonderful Life Statement and Wrap

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

Camp FI Road Trip Plans, FI Book Takeaways, and Staying Positive in the Heat

Josh and Elliot record a grab-bag episode before leaving for Camp FI Rocky Mountain 1.5, discussing midweek camps and travel logistics. Josh is extending the trip with a solo road trip to Colorado and on toward Montana near Glacier National Park to visit his son. They discuss Cody Berman’s book Retire by 30, including “cash flow FI” from rental properties and his ideal-day schedule, and Nick Maggiulli’s The Wealth Ladder about how strategies change across net-worth rungs, including starting scalable businesses. Josh mentions his part-time real estate work (~19.5 hours/week). They also touch on Bill Bengen’s “Safe Max” (4.7% vs 4%) and portfolio complexity, then Josh shares efforts to stay positive and active during a St. Louis heat wave.

00:00 Trip Plans And Camp FI

01:46 Road Trip To Montana

03:50 Prepping The Chevy Colorado

05:06 Book Review Retire By 30

12:04 The Wealth Ladder Framework

16:16 Real Estate Work And Time

18:58 Rethinking The Safe Withdrawal Rate

22:58 Staying Positive In The Heat

25:22 Wrap Up And Goodbye

Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!

Contact Elliot: [email protected]

Contact Josh: [email protected]

Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!

Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you

We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠

⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting

Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠

Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠

⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI