Optimal Finance Daily - Financial Independence and Money Advice

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits shares lessons from a car-free life. Episode 526: Lessons from a Car-Free Life by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits (Debt Reduction & Financial Freedom). Leo Babauta created Zen Habits, which is about finding simplicity and mindfulness in the daily chaos of our lives. It’s about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what’s important, create something amazing, find happiness. Th...

The Mad Fientist shares how you can find happiness through subtraction. Episode 525: Happiness Through Subtraction by The Mad Fientist (Minimalist Finances & Financial Freedom). The Mad Fientist analyzes the tax code and looks at personal finance through the lens of early financial independence to develop strategies and tactics to help you retire even earlier. Most personal finance advice is geare...

Cait Flanders takes a different approach to the typical question of what you'd do if you won the lottery. Episode 524: What Would You Buy If You Had $50? $500? $5000? by Cait Flanders (Shopping Ban & Saving Money). Cait Flanders started her site to document her debt repayment journey. After paying it off, she adopted a minimalist lifestyle, tossed 75% of her stuff, and is currently doing a two-yea...

Chris Reining shares the ultimate method to reverse lifestyle inflation and regain control of your money. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 523: Here is the Ultimate Method to Reverse Lifestyle Inflation and Regain Control of Your Money - Part 2 by Chris Reining. Chris Reining is a thirty-something guy who provides resources to help manage your money and career to become financially free. His own path...

Chris Reining shares the ultimate method to reverse lifestyle inflation and regain control of your money. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 522: Here is the Ultimate Method to Reverse Lifestyle Inflation and Regain Control of Your Money - Part 1 by Chris Reining. Chris Reining is a thirty-something guy who provides resources to help manage your money and career to become financially free. His own path...

Matt with I Will Teach You To Be Rich shares how to make the most of your bonus. Episode 521: Making the Most of Your Bonus by Matt with I Will Teach You to be Rich (Pay Down Debt & Emergency Fund). Ramit wants to use money to say YES. He knew there was a better way to live a rich life—if we could use psychology to focus on what actually works. Not just for personal finance, but all aspects of lif...

Emily Guy Birken with PT Money relates The Matrix to consumerism. Episode 520: There is No Spoon: Opting Out of the Consumerism Matrix by Emily Guy Birken with PT Money (Minimalism). PTMoney.com is about helping you make extra money, save more money, and spend your money wisely--all in an effort to help you fix your finances so you can build the life you want. It was started by Philip Taylor, a CP...

J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly shares how to lend money to family and friends. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 519: The Right Way (And the Wrong Way) to Lend Money to Family and Friends - Part 2 by J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly (Retire). J.D. Roth has been reading and writing about personal finance for a decade. Today he’s financially independent, but ten years ago, his money life was a disaster, with o...

J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly shares how to lend money to family and friends. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 518: The Right Way (And the Wrong Way) to Lend Money to Family and Friends - Part 1 by J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly (Debt Free). J.D. Roth has been reading and writing about personal finance for a decade. Today he’s financially independent, but ten years ago, his money life was a disaster, wit...

Inspired by FreeMoneyFinance, J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy shares his take on the 10 things Americans waste their money on. Episode 517: 10 Things Americans Waste Time On by J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy (Tips for Living Frugally - American Consumerism). J. Money is a 6’1, hyperactive, rock a ‘hawk who loves drinking beer, blaring hip-hop, talking about money, and now playing with his two adorable...

Jeriann Watkins with Money Mini Blog shares how debt-shaming can prevent debt relief. Episode 516: How Debt-Shaming Can Prevent Debt Relief by Jeriann Watkins with Money Mini Blog (Getting Out of Debt). Kalen Bruce is the founder of MoneyMiniBlog. His story is simple… he and his wife were $24,000 in debt and became a student of finances to get out. They are now debt-free and building wealth. Kalen...

Mr. Money Mustache answers a reader's question about a more difficult life. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 515: Reader Case Study: Yeah But How About a Difficult Life - Part 2 by Mr. Money Mustache (How to Cut Back Regular Expenses). Mr. Money Mustache is a thirty-something retiree who now writes about how we can all live a frugal, yet awesome, life of leisure. He and his wife studied engineering an...

Mr. Money Mustache answers a reader's question about a more difficult life. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 514: Reader Case Study: Yeah But How About a Difficult Life - Part 1 by Mr. Money Mustache (Making Ends Meet on One Income). Mr. Money Mustache is a thirty-something retiree who now writes about how we can all live a frugal, yet awesome, life of leisure. He and his wife studied engineering and...

Guest author Lyndon with Financial Samurai shares his take on Sam's post about him. Episode 513: Wealth is an Illusion of Happiness by Lyndon with Financial Samurai (Making a Six Figure Income Doesn't Make You Happy). Sam Dogen's net worth took a beating in 2009 as the world was falling apart. He thought it would be a good idea to start a personal finance site to help himself and others make sense...

Sam of Financial Samurai shares his opinion about a real life friend's curse of making too much money and not pursuing his dreams. Episode 512: The Curse of Making Too Much Money and Not Pursuing Your Dreams by Sam of Financial Samurai (Financial Freedom). Sam Dogen's net worth took a beating in 2009 as the world was falling apart. He thought it would be a good idea to start a personal finance sit...

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents shares her take on minimalism. Episode 511: The Less You Own the Less That Owns You by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents (Minimalism & Money). Michelle Schroeder-Gardner created Making Sense of Cents in order to help improve her own finances. With diligence, she was able to pay off $38,000 in student debt in 7 months, kept track...

Anthony Ongaro of Break the Twitch with Cait Flanders shares his adventures in experientialism. Episode 510: Adventures in Experientialism: Why I Gave Up Buying Things to Travel by Anthony Ongaro with Cait Flanders (Traveling). Cait Flanders started her site to document her debt repayment journey. After paying it off, she adopted a minimalist lifestyle, tossed 75% of her stuff, and is currently do...

Why do we tend to default to spending money to fix bad habits? Kristin Wong shares a better approach. Episode 509: You Can't Buy Your Way to Better Habits by Kristin Wong (Save Thousands & Financial Happiness). Kristin Wong is a freelance writer and journalist who writes for Lifehacker, Mentalfloss, and New York Magazine. She frequently covers travel, personal finance, and human behavior. Kristin...

Chris Reining shares the basics of getting to $1 million from $100. Episode 508: Start with $100 by Chris Reining (Investment fundamentals & How to Retire Early). Chris Reining is a thirty-something guy who provides resources to help manage your money and career to become financially free. His own path to financial freedom has had ups and downs, which is what he writes about on his site. He's been...

Steve Pavlina shares how you can make a financial turnaround. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 507: Making a Financial Turnaround - Part 2 by Steve Pavlina (Hack your Finances & Financial Independence). Steve Pavlina is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development bloggers on the Internet, with his work attracting more than 100 million visits to his website, StevePavlina.com. H...

Steve Pavlina shares how you can make a financial turnaround. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 506: Making a Financial Turnaround - Part 1 by Steve Pavlina (Investing Success & Early Retirement). Steve Pavlina is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development bloggers on the Internet, with his work attracting more than 100 million visits to his website, StevePavlina.com. He has w...

Tony Tran with I Will Teach You To Be Rich shares what the all weather portfolio is and why it became popular. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 505: All Weather Portfolio: 5 Questions (And Answers) About the Mix - 2 (Portfolio Investing & Gold). Ramit wants to use money to say YES. He knew there was a better way to live a rich life—if we could use psychology to focus on what actually works. Not just f...

Tony Tran with I Will Teach You To Be Rich shares what the all weather portfolio is and why it became popular. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 504: All Weather Portfolio: 5 Questions (And Answers) About the Mix - Part 1 by Tony Tran with I Will Teach You to be Rich. Ramit wants to use money to say YES. He knew there was a better way to live a rich life—if we could use psychology to focus on what actu...

Philip Taylor of PT Money shares what happened when he and his family stopped spending money for a whole week. Episode 503: What Happened When We Stopped Spending Money for a Whole Week by Philip Taylor of PT Money (Spending Challenge). PTMoney.com is about helping you make extra money, save more money, and spend your money wisely--all in an effort to help you fix your finances so you can build th...

The Mad Fientist shares what he calls the hierarchy of financial needs. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 502: Hierarchy of Financial Needs (and the Meaning of Life) - Part 2 by The Mad Fientist (Like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs). The Mad Fientist analyzes the tax code and looks at personal finance through the lens of early financial independence to develop strategies and tactics to help you retire eve...