The Financial Independence Show

We have an extra special gift for you today that requires no wrapping paper. This Holiday special Justin and Cody go at it alone with no guest to discuss their perspectives on materialistic Christmas, a brief recap of 2018 and their goals for 2019. We think you'll really enjoy getting to hear a little more from your hosts this week and see a little more behind the curtain on their personal lives. At the end of the episode, we asked that you start writing out your goals and sharing them with us so we can keep you accountable. You can drop those goals in a voicemail at TheFIshow.com/voicemail or look out for a thread on the facebook page at TheFIshow.com/community. Episode Summary Here's a breakdown of what we cover in this episode. Materialistic Christmas Discussion Justin and Cody discuss how their families viewed Christmas and gift-giving growing up They also discuss how the Financial Independence community has changed their own views on it Justin makes a case for a materialistic Christmas being a positive thing in households where some family members never buy themselves anything absolutely necessary, thus giving them one chance per year to have something simply for enjoyment. They both discuss their most memorable Christmas gift which actually both turned out to be the thin PlayStation 2. It's also very clear though that they both value experiences over these items today Review of 2018 2018 was a packed year for both of the guys Cody started the year off with 5 months in Australia...wow this whole FI lifestyle sure is restrictive Justin kicked the year off with a trip to Iceland and kept the traveling going with 2 trips to Mexico with some scuba diving, three trips to Denver, the Grand Canyon, countless concerts, trip to the Hamptons, Vermont ski trips, and attended a UFC title fight This year is also the year Cody got deep into the FI movement and began Flytofi.com and this podcast Justin spent 5 months in a hotel due to a house fire but came out of it with 2.4 million Hilton points as a concession Cody got a chance to practice his speaking chops down at CampFI south Speaking of CampFI South, that's where Justin and Cody actually first met back in September. Justin then joined Cody as the new co-host of this podcast when T.J. had to step away. So far they've seen 20k downloads but feel like they're just now gaining traction and getting their systems set up to be more efficient with their time Just has also continued his work on his own blog Saving-Sherpa.com where he gives extreme transparency into his expenses and investing The hopes behind this are to try and show people you can still live a really exciting and rewarding life while on this journey He is also proud to still maintain his $60/month grocery bill for the 4th straight year Justin's savings rate is over 75% while paying rent and living in Boston which works out to be about $24k in annual expenses His net worth grew $68k this year even with the rough markets Cody is able to save 85% of his income while living at home. This gap between his income and expenses gives him amazing flexibility! Goals for 2019 Cody is starting the year off with a bang by stepping away from his job and going on a nationwide book tour with Grant from Millennial Money Justin looks to continue his savings rate success and build more upon his blog They are both very passionate about growing the podcast and increasing their reach You can tell they go big on goals when they set the mission for 1 million downloads before the end of 2019 They think they can do so with a mix of fantastic headliners like Paula Pant and stories that had previously never been told like Jimmy the mailman from Arkansas who is already FI at 28 through real estate The guys also want everyone to share their 2019 goals with them and keep everyone accountable Key Takeaways Materialism can have a place.

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a story that's just beginning. This interview with The Incredible Cash Dummy steps through a life quickly changed by having a child in high school and joining the Navy soon after. He then went for years with no financial direction. A recent military move was compounded with his wife getting pregnant again and her losing her job, he had a major light-bulb moment. A little over a year ago he discovered the financial independence space and has become hooked. Tune in to see how he is correcting his path and taking ownership of his finances. Episode Summary Grew up in normal middle class family where they weren’t rich but didn’t have to worry about money Then during his junior year of high school he gets his girlfriend pregnant and had his son at 17 At this point all he knew about finances was trying to avoid impulse purchases He continued living with his parents and graduated high school and working part-time at a steak house The Cash Dummy realized college wasn’t for him so he decided to enlist in the Navy He was clearing $800 per month and paying $155 per month of child support His housing and food was covered through the military and he lived on base so he was able to save His first investing was through the Thrift Savings Plan which is the military’s version of a 401k where he put in 7% of his check monthly Realized he should take his finances more serous  around 2010 when he heard everyone complaining about their stocks and the recession He then noticed he had been investing unknowingly into nothing but the G fund which is government bonds that are basically just a shelter against inflation He mentions being lucky that he worked with other sailors who talked to him about finances and walked him through how all the funds work Gets stationed in Japan and where he receives some extra location pay and benefits from the yen conversion At this point he is more conscious about investing but still not a great saver He mentions how the military culture and surroundings of the base can be troublesome for young enlisted and their finances He talks about the need for military services to make financial training an annual requirement At 20 he started using credit cards which he struggled to use responsibly While he struggled with credit cards he never fell into the fancy car trap He ended up with $10k in credit card debt He got married in 2013 after 8.5 years in the military and was now an E-6 When the finances got combined their total debt was $15k They blew all their extra money on eating out and travel and only saved the 7% TSP He got promoted to E7 and had to move for his next military assignment His wife was pregnant with his third child and she was going to have to quit her job All of this led to his light-bulb moment in 2017 She took unemployment for 9 months His child support has now increased to $900 per month A coworker introduced bigger-pockets to him and showed him the quad chart video from Brandon Turner He dove in hard to bigger-pockets including the forums and podcasts That led him to all the other members of the financial independence space He sat back for a couple months trying to understand everything before he acted It then took a few more months before him and his wife were both on the same page At this point he went from 7% to TSP to 10% He borrowed against his 401k to pay off high interest credit card loans He also took on a second job for a while at $16/hr to pay off loans doing janitorial work There was a fear that all of this would negatively impact their lifestyle but they didn’t notice that at all He tried YNAB but that didn’t stick Instead he went to the Anti-budget which fit much better Now he’s started his own blog, TheCashDummy.com, to help people who found themselves in the same situation and mistakes he did

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a really interesting story full of dynamics different than their own lives. Jamila is a mother and an immigrant and both of those parts of her story helped shaped her unique path to financial independence. She was heavily inspired by the strong women in her life who passed down the qualities of saving and hard work. Jamila also has a natural gravitation towards entrepreneurship. Whether it was previous companies she has attempted, venturing into investment real estate at 22 in New York City, or stepping away from a safe corporate job to pursue Journey to launch, it's clear that she has a passion to be different and take control of her own path. Episode Summary Immigrated to the US at 18 months from Jamaica She had a happy childhood in Brooklyn Her mom had a large emphasis on education and reading She also gained a lot of inspiration from her grandmother Her mom didn’t really pass down investing but she did pass down the importance of saving She talks about the importance of passing down grit and making her kids financially responsible even though they’re growing up in a more privileged upbringing Fresh out of college she made an incredible real estate investment She put down a down payment on a new condo build in the DUMBO district of Brooklyn The unit she got was $338k and required a $30k down She lived with her mom for 2 years while the unit was built so she was able to save up the rest of the money she needed to close on the property The unit is now valued closer to $680k She tried starting a couple of small businesses including a magazine company Then she started a standard job that came with a really long commute Having children made her realize how important financial independence is to her She had a little breakdown on the way home stuck in traffic which was her “Ah-ha” moment After having three children she decided to step away from the standard workforce and go full-time entrepreneur through Journey To Launch She started Journey to Launch as a way to keep herself accountable Her recommendation for entrepreneurs is to just start because she learned so much from her early business failures For her early retirement doesn’t mean not working just not making it through the corporate world She is married and her husband still works which provides healthcare and the flexibility for her to build up her business Her plan is to really focus on Journey To Launch and if it doesn’t work out after two years she would be willing to go back into her corporate work She also thinks you should focus on increasing income and looking at your career to see if it’s better to avoid side hustles and spend that time to make promotions and bonuses or if side hustles are the better option Drake’s plan “God’s Plan” was the answer to the wildcard question but you’ll have to just listen to understand why! Key Takeaways Learn from, improve on. We are often surrounded by people who influence us whether we know it or not. Some may be more obvious like parents but it may be a more obscure co-worker. It's important to always learn from them but then try to take it one step further and evolve their idea. Learn from them, but improve on their ideas. Strengthen your "Side-Hustle Muscle". Jamila hasn't had every entrepreneurship venture succeed and she hasn't had everyone fail, but she has refined her skills with each attempt. It's like any skill or muscle, it needs practice and work. Find something low risk and just start practicing your side hustle muscle and see what you need to work on for success. Keep your motivation front and center. Jamila had that breakdown on the way home as she was stuck in traffic because it was keeping her from her kids. Too often we get stuck in a daze of the grind. We forget why we're doing it, what we're missing, or what we'd rather be doing. Don't obsess on the future so hard that you don'...

In today’s episode, Cody and Justin bring you a true the king of efficiency. A real estate junkie, Craig works over at Bigger Pockets and currently lives in Denver. From getting paid to go to college to renting out his car, Craig finds ways to squeeze money out of every aspect of life. Then you can add on the fact that he’s in his mid 20’s and you have a really inspiring story. Craig may not head up a popular blog or podcast but I can promise you, he has some amazing insight. In this episode, you’ll get to hear his entry into real estate including some extreme house hacking. Oh, and did I mention he spends ~$500 per month on everything? It really highlights how removing auto and home expenses leaves you with an extremely tiny budget Episode Summary Started hustling in elementary school by selling his lunch to other kids Chose his college based on an internship program that let him graduate w/ a $20k nest-egg Gets a wake-up call when his boss interrupts his weekend at Big Sur 2 years after graduating he buys his first property, a duplex in Denver His first property was  $380k and 1.5 miles from his work He put down a down-payment of $17k The duplex was cash-flowing $800 per month and he lived there rent free He lived in a tiny section of one floor while Air BnB'ing out the rest With a place so close to work, he was able to also rent out his car on Turo On Turo, he was pocketing ~$30 per day...until a renter totaled the car Turo handled the insurance without a hitch One year after buying the duplex he buys his second property In the new property, he rents the rooms out individually while still living rent free With no rent and no car expense he's able to spend $500-$600 per month At 25 he is prepping himself to be set up to travel and someday start a family He uses credit cards with setting up his new properties to travel hack his trips Currently loves his job at Bigger Pockets He actually got into real estate due to the confidence he found from  Bigger Pockets He chooses his properties based on location in relation to parks and bike paths Key Takeaways House hacking is one of the most efficient and effective ways to hit FI. If you can rent out half of a duplex (or the whole thing or if you're on Craig's level) you can eliminate your housing expense and actually make money to live! Housing is typically 33% of the average American budget. "Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later". Craig understands that his youth gives him an advantage and allows him to kickstart his FI journey. He can take wisdom from his elders and implement all of the strategies that they wished they had used. FU Money is one of the most powerful levers. Since Craig was able to live intentionally, amass a comfortable monthly cash flow and increase his net worth, he unlocked options in his life. He now can focus on the things he truly cares about and "peace out" from his job if he stops feeling fulfilled! Call to Action Examine your life, determine what is excess, and cut what's not necessary! Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] TheFIshow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Links from the Episode Turo (Get $25 off your first ride!) Airbnb (Get $40 off your first stay!) Rich Dad Poor Dad Travel Hacking Lifeonaire Book   Contact Craig: BiggerPockets LinkedIn Facebook   Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

Today we have a bonus episode recorded LIVE at FinCon with Jimmy and Jenny from Living Life Loving Us. Cody was fortunate enough to meet this amazing power couple at FinCon and immediately knew that he needed to get them on the podcast. Since discovering financial independence, this couple has been able to increase their savings rate tremendously, maximize their income, and design a life of purpose and meaning. They also share some awesome tips about how to get your spouse on board with your financial plans! Episode Summary When they met, Jimmy was optimizing his time and Jenny was working 16-hour shifts. Jimmy works as a firefighter and Jenny works as a nurse. Jenny hacked travel nursing by living 52 miles outside of the 50-mile radius requirement. Incurred $100K in debt from infertility treatment and paid it off as fast as possible. Found Dave Ramsey, then Choose FI, then a bunch of other blogs. Jenny thought they were “done” when all the debt was paid off … she was wrong. Jimmy tried going minimalist/frugal psycho and get rid of everything – but Jenny wasn’t having it. Then, he made her write down her top ten 10 values and that made her realize that money didn’t make them happy! After car payment was gone, Jenny had her “lightbulb” moment and now wanted to pursue FI by cutting expenses. Started at negative net worth and soon achieved a 50%+ savings rate. Recently downsized their house! Jimmy got certifications to increase his overall pay. Went from $40K to $75K annual salary in just 6 and ½ years. Cut your expenses wisely, NOT your lifestyle. Jenny started making 60K per year and now has the ability to earn 120K. However, she chooses to only work 7 months of the year and still out-earns that original 60K! Jenny leveraged her existing nursing skills to acquire additional PRN jobs in the nursing fields – she also does furniture flipping on the side during her 5 months off! Jimmy works two 24-hour shifts per week, and uses his free days to hang out with his daughter and work on the blog. They have friends that make the same amount of money, have the same jobs, live in the same area… but they’re not intentional with their spending! It’s all about focusing on what you actually value. Striving toward a mutual goal makes life easier and reduces arguments. “Fighting is inevitable. It’s the way you fight that’s important.” – Jimmy Both trying to challenge themselves in every aspect of life: physically, financially, emotionally, etc. Both value fitness and have competed in obstacle course races. Healthy eating is also extremely important to them. Traveling with a baby is great (once you get to your destination), but the journey itself isn’t so fun… They’ve already designed a life that they both love so the next five years might look eerily similar! Their total spend is between $50K and $60K per year, but they could get below $40K if travel was eliminated … might go down with newly discovered travel hacking. “You can’t live on a diet; you need to adjust your eating habits permanently. Same thing with your money” – Jenny Jenny’s parents were entrepreneurs but never had any money during her early years. After her parents achieved success, they started to give Jenny everything she wanted and the “I can have anything” mindset started to set in. One great thing she learned from them though was the power of hard work. Jimmy, on the other hand, barely spent any money to Jenny’s astonishment. The first year they met he had spent $5,000 for the entire previous year. Jimmy’s family never spoke about money, but his dad retired at 50 as a firefighter and had lots of free time. Jimmy has a pension to bolster his FI journey through his job as a firefighter. The longer he works, the more it grows, but he has the option to leave whenever he wants. Both have had health scares in the past. If Jimmy leaves his job, Jenny might get a year-round job for the health...

In today's episode, Cody and Justin bring you a true expert of the gig economy and side hustles. The great Kevin from Financial Panther. If you’re unfamiliar with the gig economy or side hustles, think Uber, Wag, or Air BnB. Kevin has used all of these new apps to bring in $1-3k per month on a very consistent basis. Oh and don’t forget he does this while also being a lawyer. While a lot of lawyers might think it is beneath them to deliver food to college kids, Kevin sees it as a powerful tool to expedite his path to financial independence. The other important part of this interview is how Kevin explains the ways to do these side hustles without stretching yourself too thin. We try to always stress the importance of enjoying this financial independence journey and not just rushing through it. He stresses finding ways to incorporate these side hustles into activities that you’d be doing anyway. Own a dog? How much harder is it at that point to watch a second one for a night? Workout? Why not jump on a real bike for a delivery instead of a stationary one? These are examples of some nuggets we got from today’s show. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Episode Summary Kevin’s parents paid for his college and he didn’t even consider the financial implications of his college choice or major Graduated in 2009 in the thick of the great recession when there were no jobs available Took LSAT and decided on law school to follow up on his history/economics undergrad. Received a 50% scholarship for law school but still came out with $87k in student debt Continues living like a student after landing a lawyer gig to pay off debt as fast as possible Discovers the Financial Independence movement 1 year into debt payoff Was inspired by financial samurai, Mr. Money Mustache, and Dave Ramsey Paid off his $87k in loans in just 2.5 years while working at a big high-paying law firm Started side hustling in 2015 while still earning big lawyer money Some side hustles include Uber eats, Wag, Rover, Bird, Air BnB, and Lime He changes to a government job that came with a 50% pay cut and a little extra flexibility Takes another pay cut to work for a non-profit that came with a great deal of flexibility He talks about incorporating gig economy jobs into his normal day routine For him, side hustles that involve driving his car came with the least return on investment Kevin makes somewhere between $1-3k per month on side hustles He even makes money on dumpster finds He equates the gig economy as a pseudo emergency fund Has ambitions to step away from working to blog full time Kevin makes a great comparison that $10k in side hustles is equivalent to $250k in investments for those that follow the 4% rule Key Takeaways Your income isn’t everything. Kevin shows that by not taking one but two pay-cuts to add in flexibility. It means he's not only happier but also has more time to pursue outside passions that could very well become more and more profitable.  There’s money everywhere. He found money in the trash! Just actually just furnished most of his home from free craigslist items that he could have sold if he wanted too. Kevin does it all though. Deliver food, walk dogs, rent rooms, and more. The beautiful thing is that you don't have to do much of the legwork. The jobs are waiting for you, so what are you waiting for? You might be closer to retirement than you think. Our favorite insight with this interview was the idea that $10k in side hustles is equal to $250k in investments if you're following the 4% rule. That means you could be a lot closer to at least taking some time off if not actually retiring by picking up some side gigs! Call to Action Analyze your daily routine and find something you can do to make that $5k per year! That’s only $13.70 per day Side Hustles Mentioned Uber Lyft Rover Wag Bird Lime Airbnb UberEats

In today's episode, Cody and Justin bring you an interview that is guaranteed to be a new one for you. This is the story of Jimmy Ridenhour who, unlike most of our guests, has no blog, book, podcast or ever been on a podcast. That doesn't mean his story isn't remarkable. Jimmy's story starts out with a very tragic start that involves murder and family turmoil but he amazingly finds his way to success and has an unmatched amount of positive vibes when you meet him in person. After that tragic start, Jimmy landed on his feet literally as a mailman at age 18. While most people his age were racking up college debt, he was bringing in upwards of $80k a year while he put in 70+ hour weeks. This allowed him to purchase his first home for $125k and have it paid off at age 23. Now he's 27 with five properties and already has an income stream that would allow him to be financially independent if he wanted. This is a can't-miss episode! Episode Summary Jimmy was born in the outskirts of NYC Migrates to Arkansas around 3 years old His father gets murdered while going to sell his car Life becomes chaos as his mother struggles with depression and substance abuse Splits time between his mom & grandparents until 12 then moves to grandparents full time He started learning work ethic and business from the new family he was living with From age 12 to 16 he saved $5k from small-town jobs He decides to follow in his Aunt’s footsteps in working at the Post Office to hopefully have her normal life vs his chaotic one He creates a postal profile at age 16 in hopes of one day becoming a postman Then his grandmother passed away and his grandfather developed Alzheimer’s At 18 he’s eligible to take the postal exam & scores high enough to get hired right away He starts working 70+ hours a week At age 20 he buys his first house for $125k which he paid off at 23 through high savings rates and house hacking via a roommate Saving $80k in those three years while making a range of $50-80k per year He talks about shaking the scarcity mentality but also keeping his very low budget lifestyle He’s currently making 55k per year His boss sold him his second house for $50k and which he puts $13k in for fixes Gets deeper into BiggerPockets and starts crushing podcasts while delivering mail for work Finds his 3rd home through a family member for $30k and knocked out all the fixes himself Finds his 4th home for $40k which appraised for $65k that only needed a quick paint job He discovers Paul Thompson from Ready Investor One and got involved in his first Wholesale purchase for $47k, invested $20k, sold it three months later and profited $18k even though he contracted out 90% of the work He highly recommends doing all the work yourself in the beginning so you can negotiate better with contractors and protect yourself from getting taken advantage of. His plan is to end up with 12 rental properties total His expenses are currently so low (~$1300/mo) that he’s already financially independent with the 5 houses he has He’s currently cash flowing over $2k per month through his rentals at age 27 Recommends using Mr. Landlords how to find a good tenant scoresheet when filtering out tenants He manages all but one property and is now experimenting with the one property manager to hopefully someday step away and allow all his properties to be managed His #1 tip is to just get started because you’ll learn so much from the first house And trust me you won’t want to miss this week’s wildcard question about the most insane date Jimmy has ever been on! Key Takeaways Your past can't define you. Jimmy had an incredibly rough start and is still somehow so far ahead of almost anyone I know. This financial independence journey isn't reserved for kids with parents who taught them the value of money at a young age or who paid for their college.

In today's episode, Cody and Justin interview one of the real originators in the personal finance space, J.D. Roth from Get Rich Slowly. Join them as they dive into J.D.'s financial backstory and learn how he took his own journey to conquer finances and turned it into a successful business. He gives us full transparency and shows that it hasn't always been easy or profitable. When J.D. first started he was publishing articles daily...as bloggers ourselves that seems outrageous. We chronicle his financial journey and what it looks like to build up a digital business, sell it, and reacquire it all over again. You won't want to miss this one. Episode Summary Started posting on the internet in the early 90's Began writing to document his journey in gaining a healthy relationship with money 2005 he writes an article titled "Get Rich Slowly" which really took off This article became a successful blog and he was able to quit his job Becomes devoted Dave Ramsey follower and works his way out of debt in 2007 Recommends an emergency fund in an alternative bank with no ATM card for those that struggle as he did Get Rich Slowly grows to getting 1M+ page views The stress of the site, however, becomes too much so he sells it in 2009 for a large yet undisclosed amount of money He stays on to help run the site until 2012 2015 he returns to the blogging arena with his new site "Money Boss" In 2017 he decided to reacquire Get Rich Slowly Get Rich Slowly is currently losing thousands per month but he is developing plans to make it profitable without compromising his personal ethics Key Takeaways Overnight success is an illusion. We see so many of these stories on podcasts like ours were someone makes a really nice living just by typing out some thoughts on a page. In reality, it's not that simple and it doesn't happen that fast. J.D. has been running a blog for 20 years and has probably spent more time working on the blog than I want to work in my entire life. Don't get frustrated when you're not earning profit right away, no one does. Personal happiness over profit. J.D. found himself in a dilemma that most people probably wouldn't find sympathy but that is still a real issue a lot of us have or will face. He was making really good money but his personal life wasn't following the same success. The pressure he put on himself to make the blog a success was too much. What is all the money worth if it takes away your happiness? As you do get off the ground and turn profitable, don't neglect the happiness around you that is so much more valuable. Authenticity is the best attribute. Looking to grow your audience? Let them see you. The real you, not the you that is always happy and makes every correct investment choice. Let them see you at your worst and your best. Invite them into your life and they will come away with a much stronger connection and loyalty to you and your brand. Call to Action Sit down and think about what you want your life or business to look like. What are you willing and not willing to do to succeed? What do you want to be known for? What value do you want to give other? Answer these questions early and commit to them. They will be much harder to make a priority if you wait until profits start coming in and turning away from your values can quickly cause the profits to evaporate too. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] thefishow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Links from the Episode The Article that started it all - "Get Rich Slowly" Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps Contact J.D. Roth: Get Rich Slowly

In today's episode, Cody and Justin interview Michelle Schroeder-Gardner from Making Sense of Cents. Join them as they dive into Michelle's financial backstory and learn how she took her issues with student loan debt and turned it into a passion that ultimately became super profitable. While Michelle did retire from her job at 24 and is now living it up sailing around the world, she is still grinding away on her blog and saving a ton of money. This really shows you that no matter how much money you have, your core values remain the same. Michelle is also trying to help other aspiring bloggers follow in her footsteps through her affiliate marketing course. We hope you enjoy some time getting a behind the scenes look at one of the biggest success stories in financial independence who remains extremely humble and true to her beliefs. Episode Summary Michelle started blogging in 2011 anonymously simply as a hobby Was living paycheck to paycheck and paying off student loans Spent 30-40 hours a week while also working 50 hours at her full-time job In 2013 she quit her job after reaching consistent earnings of $5k-10k per month On top of blogging she was also staff writing and managing accounts for other blogs A year later she quits all work but her blog and her income triples Remains very frugal to date while earning $1.5M annually from the blog Spent some time living in an RV Currently can be found traveling the world by boat Key Takeaways There's no substitute for hard work. Michelle was working an additional full-time jobs worth of hours just on her blog. Remember that she wasn't making anything in the early days. She talks about the first 6 months and how many people quit. Build a solid plan and stick to it. Find the hustle you love. This goes hand in hand with the first takeaway. You will burn out and fail if you aren't truly passionate about this additional work. We can all tell when an employee hates there job through their performance. Imagine how bad your performance will be if you're not enjoying it or being motivated by money. Less is more. When starting any new venture we try to spread ourselves so thin becoming experts in all facets. She's living proof that removing some distractions and focusing on a specific area pays off. Her profits actually tripled! You are who you are. Yes she is living an awesome life and making a ton of money but she still chooses to save over 90% of her income. She could afford to do so much more but doesn't. She continues to follow the principles that got her to where she is today. When you retire don't fear that you'll completely change and begin wasting money. It's actually more likely that you'll come away spending less than when you were working full time. Call to Action Analyze what you love to do or what you'd love to understand better. Make a list of the top three things. Then begin researching one you are truly passionate about. One that you would work on for free even when sleep deprived. Now take that and start working until you build something worth monetizing. You are much more likely to succeed and will have fun either way. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI Show community! Sign up for our exclusive newsletter Join our Facebook Group Leave us a voicemail Send an email to contact [at] thefishow [dot] com If you like what you hear, please leave a rating/review! The FI show on iTunes The FI show on Android Links from the Episode Michelle's Affiliate Marketing Course Free Facebook Group How to Start a Blog Contact Michelle: Making Sense of Cents  Instagram (You won't want to miss these awesome travel photos) Twitter Learn More About Your Hosts: Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog) Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)

In today's episode, Cody and Justin interview Chad aka Coach Carson from CoachCarson.com. Join them as they dive into Chad's financial backstory and learn how he realized that he couldn't become another member in the rat race and turned to real estate to create an impressive portfolio of rental homes. He now has a huge following of people looking to follow in his footsteps to financial independence through real estate. Chad is down to only devoting 1-2 hours a week to his rental portfolio and instead spends his time traveling, spending time with his wife and kids, and luckily for you, coaching members on how to own the real estate game just like him through his blend of free and premium online courses. You also won't want to miss out on his new book Retire Early With Real Estate. Make sure to listen to the full episode for details on how to win your own free copy! Episode Summary Chad got his first experience with real estate doing the dirty work on his dad's properties at age 11 While attending college and playing football for Clemson he looked for a way to avoid a corporate career His real estate journey starts with just $1k at age 23 Started small to protect his downside Before getting into rentals he would find flip opportunities for other investors Chad talks about leveraging the bigger pockets community to get started Connects with one of his business professors about real estate The professor is still a money lender today Rode out the downturn in 2008 markets by building cash cushion from rental incomes At one point bought up to 50 properties per year When searching for properties, look for properties that others are scared of Chad didn't know how to do any handyman work Leveraged referrals to find quality contractors for your properties Buying properties may not be for everyone but house hacking can be Spent 17 months in Ecuador just living off of rental properties Wrote a book detailing his insights on real estate called Retire Early With Real Estate Now looking for his next opportunity to give back and make the world a better place Key Takeaways Leverage the networks available to you! Chad mentions getting his first real start with investing came from chatting with a college professor from a class he wasn't even enrolled in. Then he mentions the great resource in Bigger Pockets. Basically, you don't have to go into this blind or alone. Be efficient. Don't try to reinvent the wheel. When looking for quality contractors, property managers, or any other service you need, utilize referrals before simply cold calling. When you do get those contractors hired, tag along and try to learn a new skill yourself. Be set up to avoid the downturns. Chad was quickly faced with the worst real estate market turn we may ever see in our lifetime. He survived by pumping all the cash income back into his properties and not wasting it on increasing his lifestyle. Never mistake early success for being bulletproof. Find deals with room to pay for the work. The point of finding all these deals is to create a portfolio of income streams so you can stop working and find financial independence. If find deals that can only make money with you doing the work, then you are just swapping whatever job you have now for a new one. That's not the point so make sure you earn enough to pay someone else for the labor. House hacking comes in flavors.  The biggest expense most Americans have is housing. If you can find a way to have someone else pay your mortgage, you have just made a huge step towards financial independence. This could be having roommates, neighbors in a duplex you own, or even a live-in house flip. Regardless of your situation or your zip code, don't disregard the idea of house hacking. Join the Community We’d love to hear your comments and questions about this week’s episode. Here are some of the best ways to stay in touch and get involved in The FI show...