Optimal Finance Daily - Financial Independence and Money Advice

Cait Flanders shares how she budgets with very irregular self-employed income. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 451: How I Budget with (Very Irregular) Self-Employed Income - Part 1 by Cait Flanders (How to Keep a Budget as a Freelancer). 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 curre...

Paula Pant of Afford Anything shares her debate about paying cash for a car. Episode 450: Should You Pay Cash for a Car by Paula Pant - Afford Anything (Debt & Investing Success). Paula Pant is the founder of the award-winning website AffordAnything.com and a writer and speaker specializing in money, business, and real estate investing. She is a real estate investor, as the owner of seven rental p...

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents shares pros and cons of paying off your house early. Episode 449: Should I Pay Off My House Early - Pros and Cons by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents (Mortgage). 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...

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits shares 6 steps to have healthy finances in your relationship. Episode 448: 6 Key Steps to Healthy Finances in Your Relationship by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. 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 h...

The Mad Fientist goes under the microscope with his own finances. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 447: Under the Microscope: The Mad Fientist - Part 2 by The Mad Fientist of The Financial Independence Podcast (Case Study). 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 earl...

The Mad Fientist goes under the microscope with his own finances. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 446: Under the Microscope: The Mad Fientist - Part 1 by The Mad Fientist (Reach Financial Independence & Early Retirement). 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 earli...

Sam of Financial Samurai shares his opinion on credit cards and using them the right way. Episode 445: Are Credit Cards Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction by Sam of Financial Samurai (The Right Way to Use Credit Cards). 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...

Emily Guy Birken with PT Money shares how to help your teenager begin to build credit responsibly. Episode 444: How to Help Your Teenager Begin to Build Credit Responsibly by Emily Guy Birken with PT Money (Family and Credit Cards). 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 li...

J.D. Roth of Money Boss shares a real-world example of spending & withdrawals during early retirement. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 443: Spending and Withdrawals During Early Retirement: A Real-World Example - Part 2 by J.D. Roth of Money Boss (Learning). 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 lif...

J.D. Roth of Money Boss shares a real-world example of spending & withdrawals during early retirement. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 442: Spending and Withdrawals During Early Retirement: A Real-World Example - Part 1 by J.D. Roth of Money Boss (Investing). 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 li...

Guest author Natalie Sisson on Becoming Minimalist shares her own story of minimalism. Episode 441: Choosing Freedom by Natalie Sisson with Becoming Minimalist (Financial Independence). Joshua Becker and his family decided to live with fewer possessions after a conversation with his neighbor in 2008. As a result, they found a better way to live, centered on more important pursuits. Their story has...

Chris Reining shares how to save $1000 in just 3 days. Episode 440: Challenge: Save $1,000 in Just 3 Days by Chris Reining (Saving Money & Budgeting). 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 featured in...

Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich shares why some millionaires hide their riches from family and friends. Episode 439: Stealth Wealth: Why This Millionaire Hides His Riches by Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You to be Rich (Stealth Wealth). 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 ju...

Benjamin Davis with Budgets Are Sexy shares what he learned from interviewing 19 millionaires. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 438: What I Learned from Interviewing 19 Millionaires - Part 2 by Benjamin Davis with Budgets Are Sexy (Millionaire Interviews). 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 b...

Benjamin Davis with Budgets Are Sexy shares what he learned from interviewing 19 millionaires. Episode 437: What I Learned from Interviewing 19 Millionaires - Part 1 by Benjamin Davis with Budgets Are Sexy (FIRE). 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 baby boys. He tracked his expenses for 3...

Anna W. guest posts on The Wild Wong, looking at consumer greed in the post-recession economy. Episode 436: A Look at Consumer Greed in a Post-Recession Economy by Anna W. & The Wild Wong (Cost of College). 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 laun...

Mr. Money Mustache shares how to chase those electrical demons and cut your power bill by 80%. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 435: Chasing Electrical Demons to Cut Your Power Bill by 80% - Part 2 by Mr. Money Mustache (Saving Money). Mr. Money Mustache is a thirty-something retiree who now write about how we can all live a frugal, yet awesome, life of leisure. He and his wife studied engineering and...

Mr. Money Mustache shares how to chase those electrical demons and cut your power bill by 80%. Episode 434: Chasing Electrical Demons to Cut Your Power Bill by 80% by Mr. Money Mustache (Reduce Power Consumption). 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 computer science...

Jacob Lund Fisker of Early Retirement Extreme shares the evolution of the meaning of money. Episode 433: The Evolution of the Meaning of Money by Jacob Lund Fisker of Early Retirement Extreme (Money Lessons). Jacob Lund Fisker was a nuclear astrophysicist who retired at 33 with what he believes to be enough savings to last the rest of his life — even if he never works again. His "claim to fame" is...

Hear 2 posts from Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog all about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Episode 432: What Is Bitcoin And Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency: A Worthy Addition to Your Portfolio by Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog. 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 buil...

Guest author Chelsea Herman with Cait Flanders shares why she finally decided to do a spending cleanse. Episode 431: Why I Finally Decided To Do a Spending Cleanse by Chelsea Herman with Cait Flanders (Financial Freedom). 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...

Paula Pant of Afford Anything shares one terrible piece of financial advice you should never ever listen to. Episode 430: One Terrible Piece of Financial Advice You Should Never Ever Listen To by Paula Pant of Afford Anything (Money Tips). Paula Pant is the founder of the award-winning website AffordAnything.com and a writer and speaker specializing in money, business, and real estate investing. S...

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents shares why you need to start making a budget. Episode 429: Could Not Having a Budget Destroy Your Finances by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner of Making Sense of Cents (Budgeting). 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 mont...

Philip Taylor of PT Money shares an amazing comprehensive guide to legally eliminate credit card debt for good. Episode 428: 17 Winning Tips & Tricks to Legally Eliminate Credit Card Debt (For Good!) by Philip Taylor of PT Money (Get Out of Debt). 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 c...

Sam of Financial Samurai asks: why are do some people consistently spend more than they earn? Episode 427: Why Do Some People Consistently Spend More Than They Earn by Sam of Financial Samurai (Saving Money). 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 of chaos...