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]

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Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta

Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop

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Estimating ACA Health Insurance Costs for Early Retirement: Subsidies, MAGI, and Plan Choices

Elliot and Josh discuss healthcare as a major early-retirement cost and review a BiggerPockets Money episode featuring free tools for estimating ACA premiums. They compare the BiggerPockets calculator with healthcare.gov, noting discrepancies but agreeing both help illustrate key variables such as zip code, household size, ages, and modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), especially around the 400% federal poverty level subsidy cliff. Josh explains how to use healthcare.gov’s “Browse Plans & Costs” and shares that for a two-person household at $84,000 MAGI he sees about $700/month in subsidies and a $381/month bronze plan. They then run Elliot’s family-of-five example on healthcare.gov, exploring income inputs, a Medicaid-eligibility warning at $100,000, and a $1,011/month subsidy at $120,000 that yields a $505/month bronze plan versus a $949/month silver plan. They discuss tradeoffs between premiums and out-of-pocket costs, how premiums rise with age, and using these estimates for budgeting tools like ProjectionLab.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

00:51 Homework and Bloopers

01:20 BiggerPockets Tools Overview

03:17 Key Variables and Zip Codes

04:19 Healthcare Gov Walkthrough

06:15 Subsidy Cliff Strategy

08:29 Elliot Runs Numbers Live

13:18 Bronze vs Silver Tradeoffs

14:56 Aging Costs and Family Changes

15:45 Comparing Employer Plans

17:09 Projection Lab and BP Calculator

20:23 Wrap Up and Takeaways

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

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

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Books mentioned in this episode:

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

Episode 50 Recap: Revisiting Our Biggest FIRE Decisions, Community, and Plans

Josh and Elliot celebrate reaching 50 podcast episodes and recap prior discussions to see what changed. Josh’s high-mileage Chevy Colorado is still running and he plans a long road trip. Elliot revisits his housing case study and currently chooses to “do nothing” and stay put. Josh updates that his wife Lori remains full-time because part-time would lose benefits; they have “concepts of a plan” for a future withdrawal strategy involving possible 72(t), rental cash flow, cash/brokerage drawdowns, and Roth conversions, with a note to cover mechanics later. They discuss increased involvement in the FIRE community, including presentations and travel opportunities, and potential FOMO. Josh shares health and accountability updates (primary care completed, colonoscopy scheduled, dentist still pending). Elliot confirms canceling plans to move to France, staying off most social media, but using Amazon again. Josh decides against an early 401(k) withdrawal for home projects after high quotes and highlights listener feedback. They consider adding guests (including Lori) and recording in person, note the podcast loses money, and thank listeners for support.

00:00 Episode 50 Milestone

00:21 Why Recap Now

03:00 Car Series Update

04:53 Elliot Housing Decision

06:05 Josh Withdrawal Strategy

10:54 Listener Feedback Shoutouts

13:02 Can Elliot Retire Soon

14:19 Side Hustles Reality Check

17:51 Leaving FIRE Community

27:34 Health Accountability Goals

29:58 France Move Undo

30:41 Social Media and Amazon

36:59 401k Withdrawal Debate

41:07 Favorite Episodes and Regrets

43:07 Laurie Episode and Guests

44:13 Next 50 Episodes Plans

46:37 Podcast Money Talk

48:43 Final Thanks 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

The Hardest Part of Early Retirement: Mental Health, Rumination, and Finding HappinessJosh and Elliot discuss common challenges of early retirement—shifting from saving to spending, boredom, healthcare uncertainty (ACA subsidies and planning), loss of identity and guilt when saying you’re retired, social isolation, and fear of running out of money (Monte Carlo simulations, one-more-year syndrome, expense lumpiness, and flexibility). Fourteen months into early retirement, Josh says most of these weren’t major issues for him, but his biggest struggle has been mental health and happiness: after an initial honeymoon, stress from helping with a newborn granddaughter in the ICU, sleep disruption, recurring funks, irritability, and rumination over trivial and family/tenant issues. He describes using reframing, reducing complaining, reading self-help and mental-health books, drafting an “It’s a Wonderful Life” personal policy statement, and focusing on controlling what he can; Elliot shares returning to therapy and the idea that money only solves money problems.00:00 Early Retirement Struggles01:10 Saver To Spender Shift02:58 Boredom And Purpose06:05 Planning The Tuesday Life10:18 Healthcare And ACA Fears13:16 Identity And Guilt21:31 Isolation And Community24:48 Running Out Of Money34:15 Mental Health Reality Check42:01 Tools To Stop Rumination45:10 Therapy And Taking Control57:33 Closing Thoughts

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

College Planning, 529 Tradeoffs, and Flexible Ways to Support KidsElliot and Josh chat about summer heat, an upcoming Colorado trip for Camp FI, and how long emails get ignored, then segue into college expenses and planning. Elliot references an Inside Out Money episode contrasting underfunding vs. heavy 529 saving (including a $600,000 example) and discusses 529 flexibility alongside concerns about over-saving and restrictions. Josh explains why his family avoided 529s, noting his children took varied paths (one degree, two partial, one no college), and describes focusing on controllable cost reducers like Missouri’s A+ scholarship (two years community college tuition) and earning credits in high school, plus covering books/fees and encouraging tuition reimbursement jobs. They debate ROI of expensive schools, the value of the “college experience,” alternative careers, and ideas for gifting money with guardrails or paying loans later to create “skin in the game,” acknowledging uncertainty about timing and kids’ choices.00:00 Summer Heat Banter00:54 Camp FI and Manitou Incline01:52 TLDR and Email Overload03:29 College Planning Kickoff04:19 529 Plans and Flexibility10:02 Scholarships and Community College12:56 Debt, ROI, and College Value21:35 Rethinking the Traditional Path28:14 Kids Finding Their Own Way37:53 Gifting Money and Skin in Game45:26 Wrapping Up and Next Time

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

Net Worth vs. Investable (Liquid) Assets: What Really Funds Financial IndependenceJosh and Elliot discuss the difference between net worth and investable assets (liquid net worth) and why confusing them can mislead financial independence planning. Net worth is assets minus liabilities and can include a primary residence, cars, and real estate equity, but those assets may not be easily tapped to fund living expenses without selling. Investable assets—such as a 401(k), Roth IRA, and brokerage accounts—are the liquid holdings typically used for withdrawal-rate calculations like the “$1M for $40k at 4%” baseline. They explore how real estate adds complexity because equity doesn’t translate predictably into cash flow due to rents, appreciation, vacancies, repairs, and capital expenditures, and they emphasize the importance of decumulation mechanics, withdrawal strategy, and understanding where retirement income will actually come from.00:00 Net Worth Basics02:03 Defining Investable Assets03:06 Liquid Net Worth Explained05:36 The Million Dollar Myth06:52 Real Estate Equity Limits09:10 Returns and Leverage Tradeoffs11:28 Real Estate Cash Flow Reality15:29 Baseline FI and Projections21:51 Decumulation and Drawdown Plan26:46 Wrap Up and Take Action

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!

Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://my.mintmobile.com/refer/aEWp5rL

⁠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

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

Want to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

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

Finding Your "Why" for Financial Independence: Security, Time, Health, and Giving BackJosh and Elliot open with a humorous aside about “newspapers,” then discuss a Choose FI podcast episode featuring Allen Hansen and Kristen Knapp that raised the question of why people pursue financial independence beyond the math. They share how early experiences shaped their motivations: Josh describes childhood money trauma, being teased for Walmart clothes, and later bankruptcy, foreclosure, and divorce, leading him to seek financial security and better money habits; Elliot recalls private-school comparisons with wealthier peers and wanting to ensure he had enough. Their “why” evolves to autonomy and buying time, being more present for kids (including the value of FU money), improving physical and mental health by escaping sedentary screen-based work, and helping others through volunteering and sharing lessons. They emphasize planning what FI life will look like, expecting change, and using intentional, flexible time-bucketing.00:00 Cold Open Banter02:10 Why Pursue FI04:05 Money Trauma Origins10:19 Autonomy And Time12:09 A Perfect Retired Day14:28 Parenting And FU Money16:47 Health Wellness Benefits22:06 Giving Back And Service29:16 Retire To Something36:07 Planning Time And Change40:30 Wrap Up And Farewell

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!

Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://my.mintmobile.com/refer/aEWp5rL

⁠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

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

Want to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

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

Asset Allocation vs. Asset Location: Building Flexibility and Tax EfficiencyElliot and Josh discuss the concepts of asset allocation and asset location, noting that financial terminology can be unclear and that fee-only fiduciary advice may be useful, while the AUM model is discouraged. They review common asset types (stocks, bonds, cash equivalents/treasuries, real estate, alternatives like gold, derivatives, crypto, and collectibles) and why cash can be a depreciating asset due to inflation, though it can serve as an emergency fund. They explain allocation as the mix of assets based on time horizon and risk (more stocks when younger, de-risking toward bonds/cash/fixed income nearer retirement), sharing their aggressive allocations and Josh’s real-estate-heavy net worth. They define location as placing assets across taxable, tax-deferred, Roth “tax-free,” and HSA accounts, highlighting tax impacts (e.g., bonds in tax-advantaged accounts), ACA subsidy cliffs, and withdrawal flexibility, and they reflect on the complexity of decumulation strategies such as Roth conversions and 72(t).00:00 Welcome and Setup02:15 Why Finance Feels Vague05:09 Asset Types Overview07:45 Cash as an Asset11:06 Allocation Basics and Risk14:09 Their Current Allocations17:33 Fixed Income Explained20:57 Asset Location Accounts25:41 Tax Efficient Placement34:41 Decumulation Mindset Shift38:41 Wrap Up and Farewell

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!

Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://my.mintmobile.com/refer/aEWp5rL

⁠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

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

Want to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

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

Is Financial Independence Still Repeatable? Talking “Beating the System,” Time, and Modern OptionsJosh asks Elliott about co-presenting an FI 201 session, which Elliott says went well with positive feedback and a turnout in the mid-60s to 70s, and they discuss continuing educational events to complement the group’s social focus. Josh then shares a comment from his 25-year-old son Caleb after Josh’s one-year “quitiversary,” saying Josh “beat the system” and implying retirement is getting harder, prompting a discussion about generational doom-and-gloom versus broader historical data. Elliott argues time is a 25-year-old’s advantage and that FI remains achievable by creating a savings gap and investing rather than holding cash, while Josh notes past high mortgage rates and today’s broader lifestyle options enabled by the internet and gig work. They discuss Caleb’s low-cost van-travel lifestyle, investing for long horizons, ignoring market-prediction headlines, and avoiding speculation like crypto or gambling.

00:00 FI 201 Recap

02:31 Quitiversary Reflection

05:44 Is FI Still Possible

08:32 Boomers Rates And Housing

10:07 Caleb Van Life Economics

14:14 Alternative Paths To Work

20:45 Spending Less Superpower

25:38 Markets Headlines Noise

30:06 Wrap Up Advice

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!

Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://my.mintmobile.com/refer/aEWp5rL

⁠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

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

Want to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode:

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

Previewing FI 201: Investing, Risk, Accounts, and SpeculationJosh and Elliot discuss Elliot’s upcoming FI 201 presentation for their local Choose FI group, co-presented with Alan Hansen, after their well-attended FI 101 session drew about 75 people and was later shared within the Choose FI community. Elliot outlines FI 201 topics including saving vs investing vs speculating, investment risk and risk tolerance, market-history return graphs and whether to panic during downturns, types of accounts (tax-deferred, Roth/after-tax, HSA), asset types, asset allocation and asset location, and sharing real examples of their households’ asset distribution (taxable, tax-deferred, cash, equities, 529s) plus mistakes and resources. Taxes are being moved to a separate future class, and they mention the book “Tax Planning To and Through Early Retirement.” They also note covering crypto, gambling, options/futures, and hard assets, and discuss compounding and long-term comparisons among inflation, T-bills, and the S&P 500.00:00 Welcome And Setup00:04 Why FI 201 Now01:34 FI 101 Recap Impact03:39 FI 201 Agenda Overview07:07 Asset Location Questions09:51 Future Classes And Taxes11:57 Terminology And Nomenclature15:09 AI Slides Experiment18:00 Speculation Crypto And Gambling22:20 Young Investors Day Trading26:25 Net Worth Milestones27:51 Compounding And Returns Demo29:06 Wrap Up And GoodbyeDo 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!

Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://my.mintmobile.com/refer/aEWp5rL

⁠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

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

Want to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠

Books mentioned in this episode: Tax Planning To And Through Early Retirement - https://amzn.to/4396bro

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