From Paychecks to Purpose

In this week's episode, I give a brief educational overview on how to file your taxes, from filling out your W-4 form or making quarterly estimated tax payments to W2s, 1099s, and credits vs. deduction. If you have never filed your own taxes before, or you are looking to build confidence in self-filing, this episode is for you! Disclaimer: this episode is for educational and entertainment purp...

In this week's episode I expand on insurances one may get outside of employer benefits (hello, self-employed listeners!), as well as deep dive into some nuances of 401k (or Solo 401k) vs. Roth IRA as savings vehicles. P.S. You got double personal finance media this week - think of it as a special bonus! Topics Covered: ​Long-Term Disability Update ​Health Insurance through ACA ​Car Insurance ​Home...

This week's episode is all about employer benefits, from health insurance to stock options! I go through each benefit listed below, giving a 101 overview of things to pay attention to, as well as a tax overview since it is tax season! Benefits Reviewed: Health Insurance Dental/Vision Insurance Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance Life insurance Disability Insurance (short-term and long-t...

In lieu of a regular episode this week, I am re-running an old deep dive I did on travel hacking. It goes in depth and is a great resource for people looking to save a lot of money on travel. Give it a listen if you haven't already!

In this episode, I discuss a term I coined called "Deep Pursuits". In short, Deep Pursuits are special kinds of of hobbies, activities, or callings that allow us to do one or more of the following: 1. Find purpose 2. Find or foster community (and give back!) 3. Find the flow state 4. Build skills and use creativity (Bonus points if you can do multiple!) I go in-depth to describe examples...

Today in lieu of a regular episode, I am going through an info-graphic I made a while ago on how to save for different goals in a simplified way and explaining it step by step! I also have the info-graphic posted on my Instagram account, so follow it to access the visual! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frompaycheckstopurpose?igsh=bHVrNHVqdDd1cTUx&utm_source=qr

This week I jump on the Instagram trend of reflecting back to 2016. I share some about my finances and a lot about important life lessons I learned that year. Aja Dang - I Regret Buying a House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ii2yBYCzk&feature=youtu.be Brooklyn 99: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icTOP9F17pU

Join me this week to learn all about my goals for the year, from career path exploration to podcasting, piano, local adventure and a Colorado trip! Note: I edited out our family dog's name - so pardon the abrupt jump cuts! ChooseFI Local Adventure List: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3kEPWBZndLrzFxLWNCNUEo?si=S4EPLz_ESvuOniTwU4AgqA Studio Ghibli: https://www.hbomax.com/channel/studio-ghibli...

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 Chri...

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:...

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 Tr...

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 St...

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....

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&amp...

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...

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.co...

In this week's episode, I go through some highlights (and lowlights) from September and October's monthly spend. I also go through some of my favorite things to buy at Costco! P.S. It's Grillo's Pickles - that is how that product is spelled :) For my media segment, I covered the Money with Katie podcast and the Green brothers (Hank and John Green). Katie, Hank, and John are all rol...

I had a busy weekend - so enjoy a backlog episode I recorded a few weeks back instead! In this episode, I discuss the evolution in my thoughts on work over the years, as well as how I am thinking about jobs for different phases of my life. I also highlight guitarist Lau Noah and discuss the podcast Money Feels and The Reframe's recent episode on how we may already be living our dream lives. The Re...

In this week's episode, I discuss my opinions on housing, including a recent fascination with tiny homes. I cover what I love about tiny homes in detail, as well as some cons to look out for if it is a path that interests you. For media, I cover a responsive parenting book by Gwenna Laithland, and recent live FIRE coaching sessions recorded by the EverydayFI podcast. Momma Cusses - A Field Gui...

In this limited series, I talk with people from the FIRE community about their journeys from paychecks to purpose, not only in their careers, but also outside of work (how do they define & live a good life?). In this episode, I talk to Aubrey Williams, who quit his corporate job 5 months ago and now runs his own business as a advice-only, fee-only, fiduciary at all times, hourly financial advi...

In this limited series, I talk with people from the FIRE community about their journeys from paychecks to purpose, not only in their careers, but also outside of work (how do they define & live a good life?). In this episode, I talk to Aubrey Williams, who quit his corporate job 5 months ago and now runs his own business as a advice-only, fee-only, fiduciary at all times, hourly financial advi...

In this episode, I talk about what I got out of CampFI (a weekend event for people interested in FIRE). For this week's media, I discuss The Reframe's latest episode about establishing good work-life boundaries in a high stress corporate job, and Technology Connections, which is a YouTube channel where the hosts deep dives on different technologies - from EVs to dishwashers and tells you w...

In this week's episode, I discuss my history of travel, which I deeply value, from childhood to now. I also discuss lessons learned from my adult trips to Europe, and I discuss booking flights for a trip to Japan and Korea next year! I also highlight new FIRE podcast 9 to FI, a recent episode of Not For Everyone where Caroline Winkler tried a dumb phone to great success, and Somebody Feed Phil, on...