Trying for FI

Is it possible to take a meaningful family vacation without blowing your FIRE goals? In this episode, we share how we spent a week in La Paz, Mexico as a family of five — for under $5,000 — and how the trip deepened our evolving definition of wealth.

We cover:
 • How we planned and budgeted (including credit card hacks and DIY adventure gear)
 • What we prioritized to increase time wealth and ease
• Sticky money moments — when we said “no” to overpriced fried food and “yes” to rubber ducky chaos
• What we wouldn't change (like getting ice cream every day 🍦)
• Why we believe travel can be part of our wealth goals rather than derail them

For us, this wasn’t just a vacation. It was a way to live our values — choosing connection, simplicity, and joyful memories now, not just in some future retirement.

We also share a few stories that surprised us, what helped the kids reflect on value, and how we enjoyed the experience again all together after landing back at home.

If you’ve been wondering whether travel, family and FIRE can coexist, this episode will inspire you to reconsider how you define wealth, and how to craft a trip that nourishes your family now.

#firewithkids #familybudgettravel #redefiningwealth #financialindependence #firemovement #budgetfriendlytravel #meaningfulvacation #parentingandmoney #timewealth #latestartersfi

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• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

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This episode, Rascal went on a financial date — but not with Fetch. With AI. 😏

In this playful and surprisingly insightful episode, we explore what happened when one of us fed our real-life budget tracker to ChatGPT and asked it to analyze our finances.

You’ll hear:
 • Why we decided to test AI as a financial thought partner
 • What budget "secrets" Rascal spilled to the robot
 • How AI did with spending cuts (spoiler: don’t touch our ice cream 🍦)
 • How helpful it was for retirement forecasting, savings goals, and ETF research
 • Where AI miscalculated — and why human oversight still matters

We also talk about the real-world emotional experience of using AI in a deeply personal way — especially as elder millennials who remember a pre-internet childhood.

If you’ve ever wondered whether a robot can help you FIRE faster, want a laugh, or are just curious about how tech could support your money mindset, this episode is for you.

Bonus mentions: Rascal shares other AI tools out there (like CLEO and YNAB) and whether they'd go on a second financial date with AI again. Fetch is only slightly jealous.

#AIandmoney #budgetingwithAI #financialindependence #chatgptbudgeting #techandfinance #firemovement #personalfinancepodcast #eldermillennialmoney #AIadvisor 

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

What is wealth — really? Is it just a number, or something you can practice right now?

In this episode, we explore how our definition of wealth is expanding to mean more than our Financial Independence #goals. We talk about moving beyond the spreadsheet into the present moment, where wealth includes time, health, joy, connection, and purpose, now — not just money in the bank for later.

You’ll hear:
 • Why many in the FIRE community struggle to enjoy spending — even after “making it”
 • How our money tracking habits unintentionally reinforced a scarcity mindset
 • Real-life stories of how asking the question "what is wealth" changed our choices — from airport salads to bereavement therapy
 • Book and podcast recs that inspired our mindset shift (including Staci Haines, Elizabeth Husserl, Sahil Bloom, and Jordan Grumet) 
 

This episode isn’t about abandoning financial goals. It’s about not deferring joy until some theoretical finish line. If you’ve ever felt torn between saving and savoring, this conversation is for you.

Bonus: we also tease an upcoming tool we’re developing to help track joy, satisfaction and time.

#whatisweath #financialmindset #firemovement #financialindependencewithkids #enoughness #presentwealth #mindfulmoney #moneyandmeaning #wealthbeyondmoney #lateFIstarter

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

This is a quick update to one of our favorite parenting-money mashups: the video game investing rule we introduced in a previous episode.

Here’s the deal: when our kids want to spend their own money on video games or in-game purchases, they now also invest 50% of that amount into their custodial account — saving toward a future goal like buying a car.

In this update, we share:
 • How the rule is actually landing with our kids (surprisingly well!)
 • What we’ve noticed about their new spending behavior and decision-making
 • Why our kids now want index funds over Nintendo stock 😄
 • How we used a snowball to explain compound interest in the wild
 • Why we as parents feel better about digital spending now

Plus, we now track their net worth — and yes, it’s already making an impression on them.

The big takeaway? This isn’t just a clever rule. It’s turning into a way for our kids to build early investing habits, reflect on value, and even spark their own financial curiosity.

#financialliteracy #kidinvesting #videogamespending #parentingandmoney #custodialaccounts #compoundinterest #firemovement #raisingmoneywise #gamifiedbudgeting #familyfinance

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

In this episode, we introduce one of our favorite new FIRE practices: the quarterly wealth talk — a simple but powerful way to reflect, plan, and feel more connected as budget partners.

Here’s what we cover:
 • What a quarterly money talk actually is (and why we love it)
 • A sample agenda you can use to review your finances and reflect on what wealth really means
• What surprised us during our own quarterly review — from underestimated savings to unexpected feelings of abundance
• How this conversation helped us celebrate wins, plan ahead, and feel more like a team
• Tips to prep better next time so your chat takes 45 mins, not 3 hours 😉

This episode is a follow-up to our Spending Tracker episode — if you haven’t listened to that one yet, it’s a great place to start.

Whether you're tracking your money daily or just starting out, this practice can help you:
 • Spot patterns in spending and saving
 • Connect emotionally with your goals
 • Redefine wealth beyond just numbers

Bonus: we include a free agenda template in the episode resources to guide your own quarterly conversation.

#quarterlymoneytalk #financialintimacy #budgetingwithpartners #firemovement #wealthreflection #moneyandmindset #financialcheckin #spendingtracker #moneytalks #financialindependence

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

Ready for a serious nerd alert? Want your marriage / partnership to feel more like a financial team? In this episode, we break down our 3-month experiment using a shared daily budget tracker — and how it radically shifted not just our finances, but our relationship too. You may want to download the "Trying for Fi Budgeting Template" in our resources document and follow along!

We talk about:

•  How tracking our income and expenses daily improved our marriage 
• The budgeting spreadsheet we adapted (inspired by Mindy Jensen from BiggerPockets Money) 
• How we customized it to reflect real family life: self-employment, estimated taxes, kid expenses, Bay Area living, and even line items for coffee and ice cream 🍦
• What surprised us — like realizing we under-spend on date nights and always have at least one large unexpected expense 

You’ll also hear how this tool helped us:

•  Make decisions as a team
• Understand where our money goes (childcare and mortgage: 44%!)
• Track our savings rate and estimate our “FI number”
• Feel less alone on the financial journey

If you want to feel more in charge of your finances, want to be on the same money page with your partner, or practice tracking expenses without overwhelm, this episode gives you real-life insight into how daily financial visibility can build intimacy and clarity.

Plus, we share tips for actually sticking with it — especially if you’re neurodivergent, busy, or not naturally spreadsheet-inclined.

#budgettracking #financialintimacy #firemovement #sharedfinances #couplesandmoney #networthtracking #dailybudget #financialindependencewithkids #moneyandmarriage #adhdfriendlybudgeting

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

Ever thought about giving your kid a business loan? We did!

On our journey to financial independence, we want our kids to build confidence and real-world money skills early. So when our daughter pitched a plan for a slime business to sell to classmates, we decided to back it — with a $40 private loan from the family’s own “Homegrown Lending Department.”

In this episode, we cover:
 • How we set up a simple loan contract with clear terms
 • The social boundaries our kid navigated selling to peers
 • How she's learning to track income, costs, and profit
 • Why we believe kids' financial literacy is worth the mess and small risks

If you’re a parent dreaming of financially savvy kids — or just curious how to spark entrepreneurial thinking at home — this episode will make you smile and maybe inspire your own kitchen table startup.

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

Are you a busy parent trying to save money without spending hours researching hacks? Same here. In this quick episode, we share 5 simple, budget-friendly tips that help us cut costs in everyday life — from using Amazon and Google smarter, to scoring secondhand finds on Craigslist, to easy DIY swaps.

Bonus: these money-saving tips are also better for the environment, making them wins for your wallet and the planet.

Whether you're juggling kids, work, or just need a few practical frugal tips that actually fit into real life, this one's for you.

#frugalliving #moneysavingtips #budgethacks #ecofriendlyliving #firemovement #financialindependence #familybudgeting

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

Thinking about investing in a duplex or multifamily home? Wondering how to split utilities fairly between tenants (or future you)?

In this episode, we share the story of how our well-meaning, flat-rate utility plan went sideways — and what we wish we’d known before setting it up. If you're a first-time landlord, house hacker, or just curious about the nitty-gritty of shared utilities, this one’s for you.

Laugh with us (or at us), and walk away with clear takeaways for setting expectations, communicating with tenants, and protecting your own sanity and bottom line.

#multifamilyinvesting #duplexliving #househacking #landlordlife #realestatefail #utilitysplit #rentalpropertytips #financialindependence

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi

Got some extra cash after filling your emergency fund and maxing out retirement accounts? Wondering whether to put it into real estate or the stock market?

In this episode, we break down one of the biggest FIRE questions: Where should your surplus money go if you want to reach financial independence faster?

We walk through our thought process, compare all-in stock vs. real estate approaches, and talk honestly about what fits our current capacity and cash flow. If you're navigating similar questions about investing for the future, this one’s for you.

Whether you're team stocks, team real estate, or somewhere in between—tune in and consider what’s right for your own journey.

#financialindependence #investingstrategy #extracash #realestatevsstocks #firemovement #stockmarketinvesting #realestateinvesting #fiwithkids

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Check out our Resource Doc: 

• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing

And our IG account @tryingforfi