Join me today as I debunk several myths about buying a home and reflect on the pros and cons of renting vs. buying. I also go through when the math actually supports buying over renting, and issue a PSA for anyone's parent's out there who's kids are buying a house soon (spoiler alert: be gentle, please!). For media, I highlight Paula Pant's Afford Anything and Poirot by Agatha Christie:

Money with Katie's Rent vs. Buy Article: https://moneywithkatie.com/when-the-math-supports-buying-your-primary-residence-instead-of-renting/

Afford Anything: https://affordanything.com/episode-4-beginner-guide-real-estate-investing/

Poirot: https://youtu.be/8rDSNChX5lo?si=ydYHm1ivr4ANCi31

Join me today to learn a bit about some intentional life planning I have been thinking about recently in the fields of career, family, and places (in the US) to live!

Media:

FIRE Takes: https://open.spotify.com/show/03U4qFWm1QTTqtLCqhojct?si=6f82526ac2ab4958

Delicious in Dungeon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5JEoD7keVo

This is a quick episode about my biggest lessons learned and progress 4 years into my FIRE journey. Tune in to hear what I have learned! For media this week, I highlighted First Gen Money on Youtube and Karate Kid (the original movie).

First Gen Money - 4 Yrs of FIRE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK5XiOm_Zl4

Karate Kid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_8Rw16uscg

Had a bit of a crazy week this week, so in lieu of a regular episode, enjoy this backlog episode I recorded a few months back about food, diet, & more. I follow a gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free diet and am a big fan of foods from all over the world. Listen along to learn about my favorite foods from childhood to now, and evolution in my diet/thoughts about food throughout the years.

TW: mentions eating disorders/disordered eating

Empty Bowl: https://open.spotify.com/show/4JSUlpwVHRtdEJN2aic0tN?si=f8da32ac725641fd

The Reframe - Is FIRE Ethical?: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4J8OzBe2hXAiY4W2EGoIXs?si=Tjps2epxSsykCoUTon2KVg

Join me this week to review my 2025 annual spend and what was expected vs. what was surprising. You'll learn how I categorize my expenses, how this year's spend compares to previous years, and how I am thinking through my future expenses and how those translate to future Phase 3 jobs or FIRE timelines.

Engaging Data FIRE Calculator: https://engaging-data.com/fire-calculator/

Katie's Travel Tricks Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Xkg0lcv8MStwi2ZJcp8xC?si=UMmS4kEqSnCE1EBCWoftFQ

Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTQ1oCVR74o

Join me and Green this week for a wide-ranging conversation about holiday break topics - from food gifts and white elephants to our upcoming move and moving tips, de-cluttering desires, and more. For media this week, we discussed Gala Studio and other shows Green likes to watch on Sunday mornings, as well as a video we watched recently on expats living in Europe for cost of living reasons.

Gala Studio: https://www.youtube.com/@galastudio9

Join me this week for a high-level reflection on 2025, and what I'm looking forward to in 2026. I had a good year with ups and downs, but overall, there are so many things to be grateful for. And I am looking forward to changes coming in 2026!

Culture Study Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0IamzExQzBpjDhTMwrb1OO?si=ISA9Cf9VRMWpr3-kZLD5qg

Paula Pant's Afford Anything: https://open.spotify.com/episode/08qwZ5GBdEVetZrgeic8Tc?si=NYbftqkCSEmdvHH-5HTK-A

In this week's From Paychecks to Purpose episode, I reflected on 2025 Goals that I set at the beginning of the year. Tune in to hear how I did with the goals below:

1. Explore CoastFI Jobs!

2. Prioritize Relaxation

3. Thoughtful Buying

4. Find Adventure

5. Experiment with +/-

Media:

Rosie Maio (has the best summer vacations with her family in Italy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIioLuSU7q8&pp=ygUKcm9zaWUgbWFpbw%3D%3D

The Daily Churn: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yXfd4lyejcDiSDsTKNHCB?si=4zzvb-pgRoGeIVitQwVYxg

This week, I discuss holiday traditions, decorations, gifts, and more! Specifically, I discuss an Apple TV I got as an service award from my company and my first impressions of it, my holiday decorations and why I am getting a bigger tree this year, holiday traditions I want to build in my adult life, and my Black Friday purchases (or lack thereof). For media I highlight the Sound of Music (one of my family's favorite movies) and Liz Gets Loaded's recent episode on hyperfixation.

Sound of Music: https://youtu.be/aMMgcAqOYbI?si=Nrudrhca62JfGS2C

Liz Gets Loaded Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/39IkeJAFqMdXKbXaxYPF5i?si=qDlrlLf2QjWubCicvqIq-g

Hello all! In this week's episode I talk about how I planned my wedding and kept things affordable while still doing everything we wanted to do. I also highlight the Cottage Fairy, one of my favorite simple living creators, as well as a podcast episode covering Katie Gatti Tassin (of Money with Katie fame) and her career journey.

My Substack Article (has more details): https://open.substack.com/pub/frompaycheckstopurpose/p/how-i-planned-the-perfect-4k-wedding?r=41xya5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

The Cottage Fairy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IO3rAurptA&pp=ygURdGhlIGNvdHRhZ2UgZmFpcnk%3D

Katie's Career Journey Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/49xqU6CzTNdjzFNgGJVMSp?si=lyTsHZN7TzmicKOK7ud-Hg