Mile High FI Podcast

Doug and Carl answer questions from the mailbag. Intro: Doug & Carl discuss their weddings and advice for others Questions answered: Carl: How big is Doug’s Emergency Fund? Mike: What is Carl going to do with his Tesla Stock? Tahir: Plans to buy a house outright, works part-time as a college professor, with tutoring as a side-hustle on the way to CoastFI.  Is this a good plan or should there b...

Doug and Carl talk about fitness per request of listener Rakesh.  Topics include fitness updates/observations, goals, and tips. Intro: Poor phone etiquette Workout routines & fasting Doug’s busy summer - more eating, less exercise Eating on the road Working out while traveling Carl’s lack of rest and hearing scare Growing old Blood-work - high cholesterol & blood pressure Doug’s goals - lo...

Doug and Carl talk to Frances and Peter about their finances. Topics include Coast FI, real estate investing, emergency funds, and civet coffee (google it, we dare you!). Intro: A crazy purchase. Team Asparagus. Coast FI Should they invest in more real estate? The great “paying off the house” debate rages on Were they too Frugal? Challenges Frances and Peter’s numbers The Ideal Life Recommendation...

Doug, Carl and special guest Mindy talk about Carl’s $12,000 concert weekend. Was it worth it? Would he do it again? What is his next Big Thing? Intro: Doug has an addiction. A Melanzana addiction. How Carl came to buy a private show and what Mindy thought about it Concert weekend Regrets? What stressed Carl out Soundcheck: Did Mindy like the Webb Brothers or Duran Duran more? Listener Question: I...

Doug, Carl and special guest Mindy discuss listener questions submitted on the Mile High FI Facebook group. They talk about mortgages, what Carl would have done differently, frugality, and living in an expensive city. Intro: Are you on Team Pumpkin Spice? The debate exposes divisions within the Mile High FI team. Should you wait to buy a house? Carl didn’t do FIRE correctly. Frugality: Cell phone...

Doug and Carl review 4 listener case studies. Listener #1 loved his 38 year career. Listener #2 is only 27, but is ready to hang up the keyboard. Listener #3 wants advice on how to leave his job. Listener #4 makes the case for going part-time. Intro: Doug talks about his Never Nude Ken doll. Carl talks about what his Ken doll would look like. Steve LOVED his career and makes the case for work. Rya...

Doug and Carl talk about spending big on experiences including Carl’s Taylor Swift show. When is big spending appropriate? When is it not? Is it OK to experiment with spending? Intro: Doug cooks in Atlanta while Carl coughs in Longmont Why Carl went to the Taylor Swift show How much Carl paid for the ticket (hint: > $999) Why being an old dude at a Taylor Swift show is strange What Doug spends...

Doug and Amberly talk all about credit, from tips for higher credit scores to tackling common myths via a game of True/False.  Doug also discusses his own experience with foreclosure and how his credit was impacted. Doug’s distrust of banks/large institutions.  Amberly’s view of the credit system as a necessary evil. Explanation of credit scores & ranges. Tips for a higher credit score: Become...

Doug and Carl talk to Stephen Baughier about a couple different topics - CampFI and cohousing.  Plus, new show sponsor - PeeRidica! CampFI: Origins, evolution, challenges, changes on the horizon, what attendees should expect, and tips for newcomers Cohousing: “An efficient neighborhood that builds community”, cohousing basics, Stephen’s specific project (EAGLE Cohousing) in Warner Robins, Georgia...

Doug and Carl answer a potpourri of audience questions at CampFI Rocky Mountain with help from meteorologist Kristen Knapp and frequent guest co-host/friend of the show Dusti Young. What is the biggest lifestyle or other changes that happen between $2.5 million, $5 million, $10 million invested, if any, assuming that you’re relatively frugal but love to travel? How do you move from a low-cost of l...

Doug and Dusti chat about a potpourri of topics. Credit card points - which cards Doug & Dusti each have, hoarding points Reflections on Carl & Mindy’s experience on Ramit Sethi’s podcast Cognitive biases - loss aversion, sunk cost, maximization (optimizing) vs. satisficing Having a hard time saying NO Come support the show at Buy Me A Coffee.   If you're like Doug & Dusti, we bet you'...

Doug and Carl answer mailbag questions in this Taylor Swift-infused episode from Leadville, CO.  Carl also announces the new Mile High FI Facebook group. Does it ever get any easier to ride the market swings mentally? How would you reallocate your investments if there were no tax implications? What did Doug’s (and Carl’s) parents do right? Do you wish you had taken a gap year or had a little more...

Brandon, the Mad Fientist, has changed his view on FIRE and spending over the years. This is a rebroadcast of the interview from early 2022, and there is a new introduction in the first few minutes. Bradon has been on a bunch of podcasts in the last few months, and he's embracing spending. So you might have heard Brandon on Choose FI, Bigger Pockets Money, or his own podcast talking to Ramit Sethi...

Doug and Carl answer a potpourri of audience questions at CampFI Rocky Mountain with help from Becky Heptig (Catching up to FI) and Mark Trautman (Mark’s Money Mind). Best place to invest money in today’s environment? Best budget travel places? How to find your niche in the podcast world? What is a failure you experienced? What caused dinosaurs to become extinct? At what point in a relationship do...

Doug and Amberly chat about key tenants of Financial Independence, shifts in the community over the years, and how each of them have “failed” in different FI-related areas (along with some successes).  Amberly also shares details of an upcoming FI cruise! Change in FI philosophy from a focus on saving to spending & living a fulfilling life. Doug & Amberly’s FI failures: credit card points/...

Doug and Carl talk to Chris Hutchins about life hacks, optimization, and key takeaways/changes driven by the book “Die with Zero”.  Chris also discusses his podcast “All the Hacks” and his plans to further evolve the brand. Chris’s passion for digging deep into content that interests him Taking “All the Hacks” from not only a podcast, but to a platform that builds community through a membership pr...

Inspired by the book Die With Zero, Doug and Dusti discuss buckets lists & time buckets and provide personal examples/goals from their own lives. Definition of bucket lists and time buckets Doug & Dusti’s backgrounds, life expectations, goals, and personal time buckets by decade. Bucket planning - with a partner vs. alone, need for flexibility Is supporting Mile High FI on your bucket list...

Doug and Carl talk about a case study submitted by New Jersey Steve! It turns out that Steve is doing really well, but could still use some gentle nudges. Steve’s money situation (he’s doing really well!) Should Steve take the new job? Identity and purpose after leaving work Leaving money on the table Do you love Mile High FI? Support us over at Buy Me A Coffee . It’s the right thing to do. Don’t...

Carl was harassed by a YouTube troll. Now, he wants to know how to deal with insults. Doug is immune from criticism, so Carl asked him about his stoic ways. Carl tells the story of the troll Does Doug consider himself to be stoic? You don’t matter The traffic situation that makes Doug mad Do you love Mile High FI? I hope so because we love you. We really do. Show us your love by supporting us: Buy...

Doug and Carl talk about Craig’s money situation. 4% Rule. Yet again. Craig is KILLING it. He REALLY needs to quit. Navigating the ACA. What to do with yourself in retirement. Do you want to support Mile High FI? Yes? Great, that's what we were hoping to hear! Come on over to Buy Me A Coffee . Links Die With Zero Arik Peterson Health insurance: Carl and Mindy used this free service to find an ACA...

Living in a van down by the river used to be for the destitute. Now, all of the cool kids are doing it. Doug and Carl talk about van life with Teri Slater, a Longmont local and friend. Teri is a financial expert with a remarkable story. She got out of 200K in debt, having some very difficult conversations along the way with a spendy partner. Now, she’s building a van to begin the next journey of h...

Carl and Mindy were on Ramit Sethi’s podcast. Why? How? When? Doug gets answers. Why do this? What was the experience like? Stop using the word “optimization!” Surprising advice Changes Do you think that Mile High FI is a great listen? Well then, support us! It’s quick and easy over at Buy Me A Coffee .   Links I Will Teach You To Be Rich Episode 108: “We achieved FIRE with $4.3M. Why can’t we enj...

Doug and his co-host Amberly chat with Chen-Chen Huo, co-founder of a banking startup called Nexus. Chen-Chen has a very interesting path as an entrepreneur, working first in the mac & cheese business before moving into fintech.  Nexus has some cool, disruptive ideas, such as providing users the ability to invest their full balance to earn market returns, with the idea that your bank account s...

Doug and Carl talk to Kyle Landis-Marinello about the (mostly financial) mistakes each of them have made. Kyle recounts an interview gone bad and learning about personal finance/financial independence late in life Carl’s scarcity mindset, not spending enough, not taking much time off, and selling Apple stock to fund a real estate purchase Doug describes a house purchase and subsequent foreclosure...

Doug and Carl talk about the shift from saving to spending in retirement. In part 4, they review listener feedback. Shane talks about how he spent 50% more than planned; and loved it! Darren and Jolene talk about the difficulty in spending Anonymous suggests bond ladders as a way to cover retirement spending Mark talks about the Fun Bucket Do you love Mile High FI? Support us over at Buy Me a Coff...