Optimal Finance Daily - Financial Independence and Money Advice

Joshua Becker shares a minimalist view of holiday shopping & gifts this time of year. Episode 201: Holiday Shopping. We Can Do Better by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist (Saving Money). 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...

Joshua Fields Millburn of The Minimalists shares his perspective of finances in the world of minimalism. Episode 200: A Minimalist's Thoughts on Money by Joshua Fields Millburn of The Minimalists (Financial Freedom). Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus write about living a meaningful life with less stuff for 4 million readers. As featured on: ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, TODAY, NPR, TIME, Forbes, The A...

Sam of Financial Samurai shares some wealth statistics and encourages you to check your retirement wealth number. Episode 199: What's Your Retirement Wealth Number by Sam Dogen of FinancialSamurai.com (Plus a Free Easy Retirement Calculator). 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 hims...

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits shares his tips for teaching kids about money. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 198: 10 Lessons to Teach Your Kids About Money - Part 2 by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits (Family Investing). 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 so...

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits shares his tips for teaching kids about money. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 197: 10 Lessons to Teach Your Kids About Money - Part 1 by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits (Teaching Children About Finances). 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 impo...

Joshua Becker shares some advice for not only Cyber Monday, but every day of the year. Episode 196: Don't Buy Stuff You Don't Need by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist (Consumerism & Shopping). 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. Thei...

J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy shares what we really should be allowed to buy on Black Friday. Episode 195: The Offical List of Allowed Purchases This Black Friday by J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy (Saving Money). 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 mon...

Mr. Money Mustache shares his opinion about Black Friday and the holiday shopping season. Episode 194: Happy Thanksgiving - And Buy Nothing Day (And Month?) by Mr. Money Mustache (Black Friday). 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 in Canada, then wo...

A guest blogger on Ramit's I Will Teach You to be Rich discusses financial decision-making. Episode 193: What is the Best Way to Make More Money from I Will Teach You to be Rich (Online Businesses). Instead of saying “no” to spending on everything, 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...

Money Mini Blog's Kalen Bruce shares his perspective on credit cards vs. cash. Episode 192: The Case for Cash vs. The Case for Credit Cards by Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog (Fix Money Problems). 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 shares...

Courtney Carver of Be More With Less shares tips to survive Black Friday and holiday spending. Episode 191: No Credit Cards No Matter What by Courtney Carver of Be More With Less (Debt & Budgeting). After decades of debt, discontent, and trying to do it all and have it all, a scary MS diagnosis stopped Courtney Carver in her tracks. She had to slow down, prioritize her health, and figure out what...

Sam of Financial Samurai has a controversial take on the Roth IRA. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 190: Disadvantages of the ROTH IRA: Not All is What It Seems - Part 2 by Sam Dogen of Financial Samurai (Investing). 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 c...

Sam of Financial Samurai has a controversial take on the Roth IRA. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 189: Disadvantages of the ROTH IRA: Not All is What It Seems - Part 1 by Sam Dogen of Financial Samurai (401k). 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....

Joshua Becker shares how to avoid overspending this holiday season. Episode 188: 7 Ways to Avoid Overspending this Holiday Season by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist (Saving Money). 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...

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits shares exactly how to get financial peace of mind. Episode 187: Financial Zen: How to Get Financial Peace of Mind by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits (Happiness with Money). 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 amazin...

Courtney Carver of Be More With Less shares ideas on saving for the holiday season. Episode 186: How to Start Saving for the Holidays by Courtney Carver of Be More With Less (Overspending & Debt). After decades of debt, discontent, and trying to do it all and have it all, a scary MS diagnosis stopped Courtney Carver in her tracks. She had to slow down, prioritize her health, and figure out what wa...

Steve Pavlina shares how to move from scarcity to abundance. This is Part 3 of 3. Episode 185: How to Tip from Scarcity to Abundance - Part 3 by Steve Pavlina (Financial Happiness). 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 written mor...

Steve Pavlina shares how to move from scarcity to abundance. This is Part 2 of 3. Episode 184: How to Tip from Scarcity to Abundance - Part 2 by Steve Pavlina (Money Basics for Young Adults). 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...

Steve Pavlina shares how to move from scarcity to abundance. This is Part 1 of 3. Episode 183: How to Tip from Scarcity to Abundance - Part 1 by Steve Pavlina (How to Manage your Money). 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 writte...

Mr. Money Mustache reviews Dave Ramsey's book and philosophy. Episode 182: Mr. Money Mustache vs. Dave Ramsey (Financial Independence Retire Early & Debt). 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 in Canada, then worked in standard tech-industry cubicle...

J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy shares a reader's comment that he found to be both funny and full of wisdom. Episode 181: Dream As If You'll Live Forever, Live As If You'll Die Today by J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy (Financial Planning). 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 tracke...

Ramit Sethi questions one of America's biggest real estate assumptions. Episode 180: Why Do We Assume That Higher House Prices = Good by Ramit Sethi (Mortgage Debt & Real Estate Investing). Instead of saying “no” to spending on everything, 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...

Money Mini Blog's Kalen Bruce shares what insurance inflation is and how to stop it. Episode 179: Insurance Inflation: Why You Need to Pay Attention by Kalen Bruce of Money Mini Blog (Car Insurance & 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. K...

Sam of Financial Samurai looks at early retirement from another angle. This is Part 2 of 2. Episode 178: The Dark Side of Early Retirement - Part 2 by Sam Dogen of Financial Samurai (FIRE). 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. After all, he had...

Sam of Financial Samurai looks at early retirement from another angle. This is Part 1 of 2. Episode 177: The Dark Side of Early Retirement - Part 1 by Sam Dogen 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 site to help himself and others make sense of chaos. Afte...