Fire Drill

Do you like passive income? And food? And free Disneyland tickets? Today, Randa from The Bewitchin' Kitchen drop by to chat about how her food blog provides her all three of those! Randa is a work-at-home mom who started a food blog on a whim in 2009 (to almost no audience by the way), and has since grown her blog income to between $6k and $12k a month. In addition to cash, she also lands free or discounted food, kitchen/home products, and even Disneyland tickets. Yes actually. Also, she makes mouth-watering food photos. We dig into... finding the time to make blogging work how blogs (specifically food blogs) actually make revenues Randa's dream life with passive income and frequent travel partnering with companies for free products (as opposed to cash sponsorships) It's incredible how much Randa actually produces every single week given her lifestyle. Enjoy this episode! Also, grab the shownotes and takeaways here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire028

Today, we dive into the incredible benefits of side-hustles, and specifically how even tiny amounts of side income can make extraordinary dents in saving for FIRE! But you already know this. You've probably heard of a 1,000,001 crazy side hustles ideas. Well, Kevin from Financial Panther joins us on the show today to remind of us of the doability of side hustles. If doability is even a word. Generating an extra $100-1,000 a month doesn't have to eat up a ton of time, energy, and capital. Kevin, Gwen, and J also chat about: Kevin's journey (a lawyer decending the ladder) Paying off 87k in debt in 2.5 years Dog sitting on rover as a side hustle and other low-hanging side-hustle fruits. Why Kevin wants to obtain every college degree...just for the fun of it. Kevin is an outstanding blogger, an inspirational side-hustler, and an overall impressive, nice guy! Enjoy! Today's show notes and takeaways: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire027

Today's guest brings a happy philosophy to REI and pursuing financial independence.  Cubert from Abandoned Cubicle has been in the same place many of us have...stuck in a great job, with great coworkers and decent work...but itching to get out. He was literally Googling phrases like "I gotta get outta here." Today, he joins us to talk about the pursuit: his personal path to FI, including rental properties his stoic philosophy for managing rental tenants (this is good) Pro Tip: "Know when enough is enough." are all BMW drivers' assholes? the last supper of FIRE Bloggers (exactly what it sounds like) We're huge fans of Cubert's take on the state of FIRE blogging and education, as well as his advice for saving to FI. Enjoy! For show notes and takeaways, head here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire026

Would you spend $300,000 a month to travel the world luxuriously? "Uh I'm not Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerburg?" Today's guest is here to tell you that you don't have to be. Ariana from Points Chaser has gone one step beyond travel hacking. She is a teacher and blogger of luxury travel hacking, and specializes in "manufactured spending." Hence her ability to spend over $300k in a single month and fly to Hawaii and Australia in first-class...as a freelance writer. No billions required. We chat about... The 2 steps a beginner should take regrading luxury travel hacking Gift Card Churning (what is it? How how how how how??) Why flexibility is king (even for non-FIRE folks) Why she wants to write a best-selling novel (similar to Money Penny) and how J is potentially weird :) Ariana is amazing. Enjoy the show! Want summaries in text form? Links mentioned? Head here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire025

Cryptocurrency investing. Let's talk about it. This particular subject can be crazy overwhelming and complicated, but today's guest just so happens to be smart enough to help us out!  Chris from Debt Free Geek is an internet security expert by day, as well as a fellow financial independence seeker with a great debt story and an equally impressive understanding of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. So let's talk crypto. (Also, we chat about Chris's $18,000 car "flip," which he used to pay down an additional $11k on his mortgage.) Chris is a brilliant and nice guy, so we hope you learn a thing or two! For show notes and takeaways, head here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire024

Ever wanted to retire early to work on your passion projects? 31 years. That's the age FIREcracker and The Wanderer from Millennial Revolution retired from the rat-race to travel the world and live/work on their own terms. If that wasn't impressive ENOUGH, they've also discovered numerous passion projects to spend their time on, including apps for a local non-profit, writing childrens' books, as well as their blog (which has reached over 2 million people). On this episode, we chat about... their journey from stressed software engineers living in an expensive city, to financially independent world-travelers. the importance of finding fellow FIRE friends what do you DO in early retirement? Real estate investing difficulties and opportunities The 3 paths to FI For show notes and takeaways, head here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire023

Shownotes and key takeaways here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire022 Today we welcome Anita from The Power of Thrift, who effectively retired at age 33 after 5 years of working/saving. Woah. Step back. Anita's story is actually that crazy. She was a lawyer for only 5 years (1 to pay off student loans, 4 to save) before she had enough passive-ish income to retire, travel, housesit her way across the country, and write her own book. She shares with us... why she started her own publishing company, how she stayed in Denver for 5 months...for about $200(!) her "operation" attitude (you'll just have to listen) She's an incredible example of the power of saving, and also the joys/perks of early retirement. Enjoy the episode, join our private Facebook community, and show some love to Travis at Student Loan Planner (today's sponsor, yay!)

Shownotes and takeaway summaries can be found here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire021 Today's guest has one of the most impressive FIRE resumes we've ever seen. $55k in debt to start. Paid. Moved to Europe Traveled to 27 countries Has 6 kids (4 of which are adopted!) Bought first house with cash. Multiple rental properties. Successfully mastered mini-retirements. Runs a super substantial FIRE blog Honestly, this list could be even longer, but you get the point. Jillian from Montana Money Adventures has an amazing story, and was an incredible guest on the podcast. Enjoy! (and would you mind leaving us an honest rating/review on iTunes? You can do that here.) We love you.

Show notes and takeaways! They're awesome, and found here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire020 Today's guest is incredibly impressive on multiple fronts. He's pursuing FIRE partly to own a gym one day. He's dabbled in loads of side hustles. He's trained FBI agents, SWAT teams, Michigan athletics, and even Mad Fientist. Doug from Monumental Strength drops by to lift our FIRE spirits in a strong way. /endpuns He's a sincerely nice guy, and on this episode we chat about... If you could only do one, which would be better: exercising or eating healthy? Doug's side hustle ideas! Is sitting the new smoking? Why back muscle training is where it's at (and how to look sexy when we're all old and stuff) Enjoy this episode, and say hey in the Facebook group? :) :)

Today's show notes and takeaways can be found here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire019 Today's delightful guest is a bay-area resident and former employee at Google. Which he left. To start his own lifestyle business. *swoon Wyatt Moss (Wyatt Moss LLC) now runs a digital marketing agency where he manages Facebook/Google ads, etc for a number of clients. This episode is short and sweet, and packs in some serious wisdom when it comes to leaving a secure (and prosperous) 9-5 job for full-time entrepreneurship. And, ya know, he ultimate dream is pretty much FIRE, so we chat about that too :) Enjoy our conversation with Wyatt!

Show notes? Check. Takeaways? Check. Grab em here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire018 Today's guest used to be the perfect opposite of an ideal financially independent lifestyle. $400k negative net worth, living paycheck to paycheck (despite being a high-income earner), etc. You already know the rest of the story. Robert from Frugal Vagabond (and The Earth Awaits) turned his life around, discovering the FIRE lifestyle, working and saving hard, gradually investing in 6 rental properties, and building an amazing app for lifestyle travelers. He's amazing, and he's got a baby on the way as well! In this episode we chat... Best places to live after early retirement (abroad anyone?) Why you should (not) pursue real estate investing Digging out of a huge debt hole Practical thoughts on avoiding stress on your FI path. Enjoy the chat, and drop us a comment!

For full takeaways and show notes, head here: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire017 Today on the podcast we are going deep on financial independence and retirement perks. Deeper than usual. Our guest is Doug Nordman from The Military Guide, a former Navy nuclear submariner (um cool!) who has long since been "retired" and financially independent. FIRE status = pro This episode is a bit longer than usual, but we go deep on some tactical FIRE concepts, ideas, and lessons, including: The very, very, very first step towards FI (it's not saving) Some well-known and lesser-known benefits for a career in the military. 50% savings rate anyone? How travel is actually cheaper during retirement. FIRE can be a touchy subject at your day job. Great tips for REI (including common pitfalls for purchasing a property) How Gwen almost joined a sorority (lol) That last one isn't very tactical, but still. Doug (Nord) is an amazing guy! Enjoy the episode, and drop us a comment with your thoughts! (or hollar at us in the Facebook group)

Today's episode is a special one. Like, seriously special. Not only do we get to sit down with Erik from The Mastermind Within, who is a multi-business entrepreneur, house-hacker, consultant, and financial blogger... But we also get to see who Gwen is dating. **gasps** (Here's a hint: IT'S ERIK.) Today we dive into... Who is Gwen dating?? Who is Erik dating?? (hint hint hint: EACH OTHER.) How Erik first got into FIRE How Erik "house-hacked" his college rental situation Personal development through daily discipline Enjoy! Show notes and links from today's episode Erik's site - The Mastermind Within Financial Samurai - one key influence on Erik's personal finance path The Millionaire Fastlane - Fantastic crossover business // finance book. Focused on wealth through entrepreneurship The Miracle Morning - Wake up and get self-development out of the way ASAP. The Slight Edge - Daily discipline = success Kombucha Tea - Fermented and delicious :) Gwen's comment on Erik's blog (see below) so smooth ;) Key takeaways from our chat with Erik from The Mastermind Within 1 - Couples that spreadsheet together, stay together. Ok, so this isn't a super huge clutch takeaway, but it is funny ;-) Actually, this is important. Staying on the same page financially is a key component to any healthy relationship. Money can be a huge stressor, and managing money across two human beings can multiply that stress, if you aren't careful. Spreadsheet together. Budgets are sexy ;-) 2 - Erik's "Jump in and see what happens" attitude. Impulsive tendencies. Both Erik and Gwen have a fairly aggressive attitude towards pursuing things they want. Both in relationships, real estate deals, etc Within a week of saying he wanted to buy a house, Erik was under contract for a house. Less than 2 years later, he's super thankful. Though risk should definitely be considered always, good fortune generally favors those who can pursue their dreams aggressively while maintaining A+ risk management. (Zeona, another podcast guest, exemplified the same traits in her AirBnB business) (The above sentence is likely from a fortune cookie somewhere, yes?) Allow yourself to get excited about things. What's the worst that could happen? Could you reverse that worse thing should it actually happen? What's the potential upside? Go do things. Live and learn. #fortunecookie 3 - Forget money. Entrepreneurship is fun, and will teach you a ton. Starting a business sounds like a thrilling idea for many, but often gets UBER overwhelming, time-consuming, and ultimately not profitable...turning people off. Erik brings up an important though: Starting a business can be fun. Hard and scary? Most definitely. High chance of failure for each venture? Probably. You'll get a taste of marketing, sales, pricing, finance, content, branding, 1,453 other thing? Yes. You will. Win or lose, money or no money, you will absolutely learn something valuable. 4 - Discipline is crucial to self-development and "success" (whatever that means to you) "It's the positive things you do every day that make the big difference." - Erik This reminded us of an old dieting adage: The best diet is the one you'll stick to. Erik mentioned a number of key books (see shownotes above) that has demonstrated daily discipline as a key ingredient to the personal success pie. Which is a real thing, as corny as it sounds. Whatever your personal goals are,

For top takeaways and show notes from today's chat, visit: https://firedrillpodcast.com/fire015/ What if your job allowed you to go fully remote for a year? And what if you and your spouse sold everything you owned, bought a boat, and cruised around the Americas for 5 years while building an online business? Literally the dream life for many FIRE-rs. Today's guest is none other than Melody from Saving to Sail, who has done exactly that. She teaches boaters how to live their dreams and make money while sailing the word. #digitalnomad #life. Melody chats about: How she got into boating, how she prepared, and what sailing life is really like. The surprisingly *uncomplicated* saving method Melody used to create this lifestyle. (goooood motivation) Her online business in freelance writing, web design, and teaching others how to blog. Pirate names (see below) This episode is fantastic for anyone considering replacing a full-time job lifestyle with online business and full-time travel. Enjoy!

AirBnB has reshaped the way our society thinks about travel and rental properties. But the lucrative process of side-hustling AirBnB has looong surpassed it's opportunity, right?? Nope. Our guest today is Zeona McIntyre (https://www.zeonamcintyre.com), an AirBnB expert who has years of experience managing her own (and other peoples!) AirBnB properties...all for the purpose of working towards FI. In fact, she makes well over six-figures and owns five properties across multiple states...just for AirBnB. I'd call that expert-level. We chat... How she got started in the first place, and why AirBnB? How she grew (great entry-level tips for first-timers, and great REI tips in there as well) Managing properties remotely Why you might need to try out a relationship shaman :) She was an absolute delight to speak with. Enjoy! Show notes and links from today's episode Zeona's blog: https://www.zeonamcintyre.com/ Suzi Orman - personal finance author (Zeona first got into personal finance watching Suzi Orman tapes with her mom!) Mr. Money Mustache - yes, we mentioned MMM again :) AirBnB Headspace App - Fantastic meditation app TaskRabbit - cool place to find people online to do....well, random tasks! Key takeaways from our chat with Zeona McIntyre 1 - There is a still a LOT of potential for AirBnB, despite everyone knowing about it AirBnB is mainstream now, but that doesn't mean opportunities are dwindling (see point 1.5 below). One important note: An AirBnB rental is a different animal than long-term REI rentals. One vital tip Zeona gave was this: make sure to look at the long-term math. If AirBnB fails 7 years from now (or your local government lays the crackdown on your property), you need to make sure alternative solutions are available (i.e. does long-term renting make sense for this property? Could you easily re-sell? etc). Also, though more and more landlords are specifically including AirBnb limitations in their leases...the effects of subletting like this is becoming better and better understood. You might honestly just talk to your landlords and make an exception. Most know what AirBnB is about these days. 1.5 - Abundance mindset vs. Scarcity mindset Semi-related. Don't fear competition. Sure. AirBnB listings are increasing, it's true...but so are the people traveling. In addition to AirBnB, the mindset switch to abundance-thinking can literally affect your entire life. Start viewing potential competitors as teammates, and your jealousy and anxiety could very well plummet. There is plenty of life-pie for all of us at the table. :) :) 2 - 90% of the time, a house is not a good investment This could very well turn into a 8,392 word count blog post...but we'll just serve to reinforce the point here. Our culture largely thinks of a house (or property) as an asset, where is probably isn't for most people. Yes, your mortgage payments might be building equity, but this only 1 of 20-50 other factors that should be considered. Repairs and maintenance can cost....a lot. Any new homeowner can relate. Interest expense. Taxes Insurance HOA fees? Owning a home is sweet. Owning a rental or AirBnb property is sweet as well...but proper due diligence, research, and thought should be put into purchasing a piece of property. It's not an asset simply because "you're building equity." 3 - How Zeona furnishes her newly-bought AirBnB properties. While not an "actionable tip" from the episode, Zeona's creativity and resourcefulness are to be admired.