Mile High FI Podcast

We need your questions. So ask questions, plus you get the first mention of asparagus on MHFI. It was episode 9. It’s ridiculous.

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Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
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Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

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**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug chats with his brother-in-law Sam about a variety of topics focusing on travel, food, and money.  Sam discusses travel hacking using credit card rewards, budgeting for trips using a family “fun/frivolous” fund, and an upcoming trip to Iceland.  The pair also deep-dive into food & cooking to explore the meticulous art of dialing-in the perfect backyard pizza and morning espresso.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

0:51 Professional Scientist

6:58 Travel rewards

15:47 Iceland eclipse planning

24:46 Budgeting & household finances

31:33 Longmont pizza crawl

36:08 Pizza stone vs. pizza steel

43:43 Kamado grilling

53:19 Avid coffee enthusiast

1:00:49 Roasting beans & dialing-in espresso shots

1:11:27 Soundcheck – Reading

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug and Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) answer questions from the listener mailbag.  They discuss costs of raising a large family on the path to FIRE, contrast the real-world math & culture of living in Canada vs the United States, map out high net worth investing strategies for seven-figure portfolios, and dive deep into the psychology of holding cash.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

2:37 Question – FIRE planning with kids

9:17 Front-loading savings & investing

13:05 Question – Thoughts on Canada

18:45 Question – Pre-tax vs. post-tax investing

25:54 Question – Cash bucket

29:58 Fear vs. logic

34:27 Question – Testosterone Replacement Therapy

37:33 Question – Heating a hot tub

44:05 Soundcheck – Summer trips

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug continues his conversation with Jennifer about reaching Financial Independence and subsequently retiring in about two years while living in a high cost-of-living area.  Jennifer shares the details of a car accident that served as a life-changing catalyst, her transition into early retirement, and specific technical strategies like utilizing a 72(t) that allowed her to accelerate her timeline.  Jennifer also shares specific FI-related resources that helped with her journey.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

1:24 Car accident & wake-up call

7:10 Identity & work optionality

11:43 Passive income

16:17 Exploring a 72(t)

20:35 Barista FI ideas

27:52 Dealing with unstructured time

34:05 Housing & investing lessons

41:06 Follow-up: Hitting FI in two years

45:59 Follow-up: FI resources

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug chats with Jennifer about reaching Financial Independence and subsequently retiring in about two years while living in a high cost-of-living area.  She shares how she discovered FI while dealing with burnout from a big-tech/creative career.  Jennifer also discusses accelerating her FI journey by overcoming lifestyle creep, tackling the “Big 3 expenses” (housing, transportation, food), paying off a car aggressively, cooking at home, cutting discretionary spending, and addressing credit card debt.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

2:23 Discovering FI & recognizing burnout

9:15 Evolving views on travel

16:31 Tackling the Big 3 (expenses)

21:31 Tracking expenses

25:53 Spending

30:44 Navigating finances as a couple 

35:41 Soundcheck – Food

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug and Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) answer questions from the listener mailbag.  They discuss the benefits & timing of claiming Social Security and address criticism of prior comments about video games.  Pete also provides an update on recent lifestyle changes, including insight into his personal spending & annual expenses.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

2:56 Question – MMM lifestyle changes

8:54 Question – Video games

15:52 Question – Social Security

21:54 Claiming benefits vs. taxes & tradeoffs

29:42 Question – MMM annual expenses

35:37 The FI Collective

38:55 Soundcheck – Humidity

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug chats with Carla & Robert about life after their 2019 sabbatical – including observations, lessons learned, and how they currently handle a “working when it’s optional” lifestyle.  They discuss how to deal with boredom vs. the need to be productive, the importance of community, health/fitness motivation, the joys of discovering new hobbies, opportunity costs of continued work, and how to use sabbaticals as a test run for early retirement.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

4:02 Taking a sabbatical

12:47 Observations from not working

18:22 Battling boredom

22:57 The need to be productive

27:36 Lean FI & spending

32:34 Opportunity costs of working

37:49 The value of sabbaticals

43:45 Fitness & health routines

48:05 Fitness challenge

58:40 Spending with intention

1:05:47 Soundcheck – Pennies and Popcorn

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug chats with Amberly Grant (FinTalks) about how their views & mindsets around frugality have evolved and share recent spending decisions, especially around travel and “quality of life” purchases.  They discuss the changing psychology of spending as income grows and the practical value of “removing negatives” from life.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

1:13 Frugal roots & changing perspectives

7:06 Evolving spending habits

14:41 Delayed gratification purchases

20:12 Renting clothes & subscriptions

27:42 Fitness gear & gym memberships

36:11 Irrationality & sunk cost 

41:02 Finally buying a new couch

50:00 Recent value purchases

55:55 Travel & subscription audit

1:00:03 FinTalks

1:04:24 Soundcheck – EconoMe presentation

1:11:23 Preparation for giving a speech

1:16:59 Observations & tips

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug continues his conversation with Rusty about how to optimize the final year before (early) retirement.  They discuss using debt responsibly, leveraging home equity & securities-backed lines of credit to maintain cash flow, navigating the complexities of post-retirement healthcare, and managing emotional & practical withdrawal strategies.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

2:32 Mortgages, refinancing, HELOCs

9:18 Securities-backed line of credit

18:38 Healthcare after leaving work

24:23 ACA subsidy cliff

32:05 Withdrawal stress & strategies

40:03 Bucket strategy & a retirement paycheck

55:06 Funding a 529 & legacy giving

1:02:45 Soundcheck – Beer

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Doug chats with Rusty about how to optimize the final year before (early) retirement, emphasizing the critical distinction between “one more year syndrome” vs. a calculated final year and how working a little longer can lower withdrawal rates & reduce sequence-of-returns worry.  They compare quitting to being fired or laid off and highlight some potential benefits such as severance, possible unemployment, and employer healthcare continuation.  Rusty also shares some personal negotiation tactics when leaving a job.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses?  Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers?  Of course you do!  We ALL do!  Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: [email protected]

0:00 Introduction

2:37 Working one more year

9:19 Stock market risk & flexibility

15:13 Quiet Quitting playbook

23:28 Quitting vs. getting fired or laid off

30:41 Real-world cautionary tales

35:38 Tips for quitting & identity issues

43:02 New baby update!

51:51 Tales of a jacked math major

59:52 Soundcheck – Food

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show?  Follow the links to find out how:
https://buymeacoffee.com/milehighfi

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

[email protected]

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won't even make such a claim. You shouldn't take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren't certified financial planners or advisors. We're not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**