Step 9: Simplify to Avoid Lifestyle Creep

Andy describes strategies to resist consumerism, align couple priorities, and choose contentment over perpetual upgrades.

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#646: What if you didn’t have to choose between grinding full-time until retirement or quitting work altogether?

By 40, Andy Hill and his wife had built a $500,000 portfolio and paid off their home. Instead of racing toward early retirement, they chose a third way: scaling back to part-time work, becoming equal partners in parenting, and reclaiming their time.

In this episode, recorded live at FinCon, Andy shares his 10-step framework for building a “Coast FIRE” lifestyle — where your investments can coast toward retirement while you focus on living today.

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The Middle Path Beyond FIRE

Most of us think of retirement as a cliff: one day you’re working, the next day you’re not. Andy challenges that binary. He and his wife structured their careers to work 20–25 hours per week each, creating a rhythm that gave them more time with their children, each other, and their health.

He breaks down the mindset shifts and tactical steps — from eliminating debt and protecting your family with insurance to stockpiling FU money and designing a three-day workweek. Along the way, he explains how Coast FIRE frees you from mandatory retirement contributions and opens doors to a flexible, meaningful life.

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Key Takeaways:

Balance beats extremes. Neither full-time grind nor full-time stay-at-home felt right; designing a flexible, part-time work life created the equilibrium their family needed.

Cash buffers change behavior. A 3–6 month emergency fund reduces stress and scarcity thinking, making it easier to parent calmly and make better money decisions.

Choose time over trappings. Fancy upgrades aren’t worth trading away presence; prioritizing family time beats lifestyle escalation.

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