Can you retire early from a normal income? How do you buy back your time?

Lauren & Steven Keys of Trip of a Lifestyle share what inspired them to retire at age 29, how they did it on average incomes, why they don’t track their monthly expenses & the concept of buying back your time. They also share the practical way they stay motivated in the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement. 

This episode originally aired February 6, 2023. Stay till the end for an update on what they are doing now!

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 243: WHAT’S THE POINT OF FINANCIAL FREEDOM (REMASTERED)

Guests: 

https://www.tripofalifestyle.com/ 

https://crambetter.com/ 

https://www.tiktok.com/@tripofalifestyle

https://www.instagram.com/tripofalifestyle/

Host:  

https://www.meredithforreal.com/  

https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ 

[email protected]

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal 

 https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert 

Sponsors: 

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ 

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/ 

02:15 — Life without lifestyle creep

04:00 — Buying time instead of stuff

05:10 — The road trip that changed everything

10:45 — What “retired” really means

15:35 — Do people regret working less?

16:45 — The number you actually need

18:05 — The 4% rule explained

21:00 — Living with less, choosing more

22:30 — Is early retirement all sacrifice?

25:30 — Buying decades of your life back

30:00 — Tracking progress without obsessing

31:45 — The Hawaii six-month experiment

34:00 — Practicing retirement early

38:00 — Cost per unit time

48:30 — Van life math

54:00 — Why net worth tells the story

56:00 — Avoiding money shame spirals

62:00 — The “sweep away” method

70:00 — When partners aren’t aligned

72:00 — Visualizing progress like a fundraiser

86:00 — Free tools that change lives

88:00 — Where to find their roadmap

90:00 — Life after early retirement

92:00 — Four years later: what changed

104:00 — Entrepreneurship without desperation

118:00 — Seeing the world as business owners

120:00 — Automation as the next chapter

122:00 — Choosing presence over escape

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