Marriage Kids and Money: Personal Finance for Families

Mini-Retirements for Families: How to Retire Often When You Have Kids | Jillian Johnsrud


Listen Later

What if you didn’t have to wait until your 60s to experience the freedom of retirement? In this episode, we sit down with Jillian Johnsrud, author of Retire Often and host of the Retire Often Podcast, to explore the life-changing concept of “mini retirements.”

Jillian shares how families can take extended breaks from work — to rest, travel, or explore new goals — without derailing their financial independence journey. We discuss the emotional and financial benefits of pausing your career, how to negotiate time off with your employer, and ways to plan mini retirements with kids.

If you’re feeling burned out or stuck in the grind, this episode will inspire you to design more space, adventure, and joy into your family’s financial plan.

RESOURCES
⁠Sponsors, Deals, and Partners that Support the Show

  • Sponsors, Deals & Partners – See all current offers in one place.

    MKM RESOURCES

    • Own Your Time – Pre-order my first book today!

    • MKM Coaching – Get 1-on-1 support with your family finance journey.

    • Coast FIRE Calculator – Find out when you can slow down or stop investing for retirement.

    • Mortgage Payoff Calculator – See how fast you can become mortgage free.

    • YouTube – Subscribe for free to watch videos of episodes and interviews.

      RECOMMENDED RESOURCES (SPONSORS & AFFILIATES)

      • Monarch Money – Best budget app for families & couples.

      • Empower – Free portfolio tracker.

      • Crew – HYSA banking built for families (Get an extra 0.5% APY with my partner link).

      • Ethos – Affordable term life insurance.

      • Trust & Will – Convenient estate planning made easy.

        GUEST RESOURCES

        • Retire Often (Book) – Learn how to design a life filled with mini retirements.

        • RetireOften.com – Explore Jillian’s podcast, blog, and mini retirement tools.

          Podcast Chapters

          00:00 – Intro
          01:00 – What is a mini retirement and why it’s trending
          02:20 – Why burnout is pushing families toward mini retirements
          03:00 – Is the traditional 40-year career model dead?
          04:30 – Why employers may welcome your mini retirement
          06:00 – How to negotiate a one-month break from work
          08:10 – How to address employer concerns with solutions
          09:30 – Budgeting for a mini retirement
          10:05 – Real-life example: living abroad for the cost of childcare
          11:10 – Emotional recovery and resetting after burnout
          12:45 – Planning affordable breaks earlier in your financial journey
          14:00 – Jillian’s personal mini retirement story
          15:00 – Making the most of parental leave and family bonding time
          16:30 – Negotiating flexible work or part-time transitions
          18:00 – Exit negotiations: how to leave your job on your terms
          20:20 – Creating part-time roles and consulting opportunities
          22:20 – What is a family gap year and how to plan one
          23:40 – Practicing travel and flexibility with kids
          25:30 – The FI dilemma: does taking time off derail your goals?
          27:00 – Why mini retirements can accelerate your financial growth
          28:50 – Mini retirements as wealth-building opportunities
          30:00 – About Jillian’s book Retire Often
          31:00 – Final thoughts and where to learn more


          HOW WE MAKE MONEY + DISCLAIMER

          This show may contain affiliate links or links from our advertisers where we earn a commission, direct payment or products.
          Opinions are the creators alone.
          Information shared on this podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice.
          Marriage Kids and Money (www.marriagekidsandmoney.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


          CREDITS

          Podcast Artwork: Liz Theresa
          Editor: Johnny Sohl
          Podcast Support: Andy Hill

          Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store

          Marriage Kids and Money: Personal Finance for FamiliesBy Andy Hill

          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9
          • 4.9

          4.9

          587 ratings


          More shows like Marriage Kids and Money: Personal Finance for Families

          View all
          Afford Anything by Paula Pant | Cumulus Podcast Network

          Afford Anything

          3,546 Listeners

          Money Guy Show by Brian Preston and Bo Hanson

          Money Guy Show

          3,212 Listeners

          The Stacking Benjamins Show by StackingBenjamins.com | Cumulus Podcast Network

          The Stacking Benjamins Show

          1,987 Listeners

          Your Money, Your Wealth by Joe Anderson, CFP® & Alan Clopine, CPA of Pure Financial Advisors

          Your Money, Your Wealth

          803 Listeners

          ChooseFI by ChooseFI

          ChooseFI

          5,136 Listeners

          Millionaires Unveiled by Jace Mattinson, CPA

          Millionaires Unveiled

          900 Listeners

          BiggerPockets Money Podcast by BiggerPockets

          BiggerPockets Money Podcast

          3,089 Listeners

          Earn & Invest by Jordan Grumet (Doc G)

          Earn & Invest

          436 Listeners

          The Personal Finance Podcast by Andrew Giancola

          The Personal Finance Podcast

          1,407 Listeners

          Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors - The Best Interest by Jesse Cramer

          Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors - The Best Interest

          124 Listeners

          Early Retirement - Financial Freedom (Investing, Tax Planning, Retirement Strategy, Personal Finance) by Ari Taublieb, CFP®, MBA

          Early Retirement - Financial Freedom (Investing, Tax Planning, Retirement Strategy, Personal Finance)

          558 Listeners

          All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life by Chris Hutchins

          All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life

          1,621 Listeners

          Two Sides of FI by Jason and Eric

          Two Sides of FI

          438 Listeners

          Mile High FI Podcast by Doug Cunnington & Carl Jensen

          Mile High FI Podcast

          202 Listeners

          Catching Up to FI by Bill Yount & Jackie Cummings Koski

          Catching Up to FI

          347 Listeners