9 to FI - Financial Independence Conversations

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

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⁠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

⁠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

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

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

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