How We Stumbled Across the Financial Independence Community…Accidentally
After Bob and I purchased our house, we started to think more seriously about money and saving. I got curious about listening to podcasts regarding finances, so I took iHeartRadio’s suggestion and found How To Money. Meet Matt and Joel! I immediately subscribed and listened daily.
I liked Joel and Matt quite a bit because they were super dorky but charismatic at the same time. They have a signature little quirk that separates them from other financial podcasters: they enjoy a craft beer during their episode. The beers are sent to them by listeners and friends and at the end of the show, they critique it. The way they describe the flavors is something that I’ve only heard on Chopped regarding food. They really know their beers…and their financial tricks and tips.
The Fire Movement
Joel and Matt introduced me to this community you all know as FI or the FIRE community. The “Financial Independence Retire Early” movement that is rapidly spreading the nation.
During episode 126 they interviewed Brad Barrett from the ChooseFI podcast, about using credit cards to travel using rewards points. Otherwise known as Travel-Hacking. Bob and I had used hotel rewards points to book stays before but didn’t realize it had a specific term and that you could transfer points over to airlines and use them to book flights. I immediately subscribed to the ChooseFI podcast.
Jonathan and Brad interview so many people from all walks of life. Teachers, doctors, young people, older people, people that are already retired early and people that are still on their path. Their podcasts include so many inspirational stories. I had learned so much in only a few months, it wasn’t long before I had Bob listening to all the same shows. He quickly became as pumped as I was.
Endless Podcasts and Blogs Out There!
Together we learned about Mr. Money Mustache and his blog, JL Collins and his blog, Nick Loper and the Side Hustle Show podcast, among many others. We learned about house-hacking and that (oh ya) we were already doing it.
We learned about investing in the stock market and all the different kinds of investment vehicles there are now. CRAZY!! We learned about side jobs and that the FI community calls them side hustles. We’ve learned about the importance of an emergency fund or what others call a savings account, how much to have in that account at one time and when to separate it for other investments. This is especially important for rental property owners since there are so many unforeseeable problems that can come up.
Like now. During this pandemic, stay home, stay safe, stay healthy. We need you all to stay with us.
