FI Minded: Bridging Pre FI Discipline and Post FI Freedom in Financial Independence

As I got closer to financial independence, I realized something strange: I had more financial freedom than ever, but I still wasn’t using my time any differently.It forced me to ask a bigger question: if the goal of FI is freedom with your time, why was I still waiting to start living that way?In this solo episode, I share why Fridays might be the best place to begin practicing financial independence before you reach your FI number. After years of working full-time while also running my business, I started experimenting with taking Fridays off, and eventually Mondays too, and discovered that freedom is something you can practice in small doses.You’ll learn why Fridays are the perfect low-risk “tiny quit,” how reclaiming just one day can help you escape the weekend crunch, and why experimenting with flexibility now can build confidence in your FI plan long before you hit your number.Key Takeaways:Why financial independence is a skill, not just a numberHow taking Fridays off can help you practice freedom before reaching FIWhy Fridays are the lowest-risk day to experiment with flexibility at workHow reclaiming your time can prevent burnout and create more life balanceSimple ways to ask your employer for Fridays off or more flexibilityWhy small “tiny quits” can help you build confidence and design your ideal lifeOther Episodes You’ll Love:The Hardest Skill in FI: Knowing When to Stop | E190 Joel LarsgaardHow to Create a 3-Day Workweek (Before You Reach FI) | E187 Andy HillWhat’s on Your FI Bucket List? | E186Connect With JustinEmail me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.Support FI MindedWant to hear more? Follow FI Minded on your favorite podcast player.Like this episode? Share it with a friend pursuing financial independence.Love the show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

For years, I assumed Roth contributions were the smarter move. Pay the taxes now, enjoy tax-free growth later, and never worry about future tax hikes. It felt simple and responsible. But during my highest-earning years, that mindset was quietly slowing down my progress toward financial independence.Financial planner and tax expert Cody Garrett explains why Traditional contributions often outperform Roth for people pursuing FI. The key insight: during retirement, it’s not your income that drives taxes, it’s your spending. That shift changes everything about how tax planning should work for early retirees and those working toward financial independence.In this conversation, we break down the three major reasons Traditional contributions often win, why retirees benefit from a surprisingly friendly tax code, and how locking yourself into Roth contributions too early can limit your future flexibility. You’ll also learn how strategic tax planning can help you reach your FI number faster and create more options once you stop working.Key Takeaways:Lower today’s tax bill during peak earning yearsOptimize tax brackets and avoid costly phase-outsRetirement taxes depend on spending, not incomePreserve flexibility to convert to Roth laterAvoid overpaying taxes during high-income yearsUse Traditional savings to accelerate your FI timelineTake advantage of the retiree-friendly tax codeOther Episodes You’ll Love:50/30/20 Budget: Does This Popular Guideline Actually Work for FI Seekers? | E1843 Hidden Traps That Make FIRE Feel Empty | E182 Jordan GrumetOptimal Tax Strategies for Your Early Retirement | E180 Cody Garrett & Sean MullaneyGuest Summary:Cody Garrett is a financial planner, tax specialist, and the founder of Measure Twice Financial. A former professional musician turned financial advisor, Cody specializes in tax planning strategies for people pursuing financial independence and early retirement. His work focuses on helping high earners optimize tax strategies during their working years while creating flexible withdrawal strategies for retirement.Book: Tax Planning To and Through Early RetirementWebsiteConnect With JustinEmail me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.Support FI MindedWant to hear more? Follow FI Minded on your favorite podcast player.Like this episode? Share it with a friend pursuing financial independence.Love the show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

The FI community is incredibly good at effort, optimization, and doing hard things for a long time. But somewhere along the way, many of us forget how to stop. Even after gaining more control over our time, we fill it back up with projects, commitments, and expectations, leaving us busy, tired, and quietly stretched thin.Joel Larsgaard shares what it looked like to recognize that “doing it all” was no longer sustainable, even when the work was meaningful. After front-loading years of effort through saving, investing, and building How to Money, Joel began intentionally pulling back: working fewer hours, prioritizing family and health, and even taking a six-week sabbatical. This conversation explores why doing less isn’t laziness, but a necessary evolution after years of striving.You’ll hear how financial independence can be used as a tool for time, not just wealth, along with practical ways to say no, resist constant expansion, and create space without losing ambition. If you’ve reached a point where more effort isn’t improving your life the way it used to, this episode offers a healthier path forward - one built on balance, presence, and intentional choices.Key Takeaways:Doing more eventually stops improving your quality of lifeFinancial independence is a tool to reclaim time, not fill itBurnout can exist even when work is meaningfulSaying no protects energy for what matters mostOver-committing quietly erodes family and personal timeSmall boundaries can create disproportionate freedomDoing less doesn’t kill ambition—it refines itSuccess should feel sustainable, not exhaustingOther Episodes You’ll Love:4 Rules That Will Help You Spend Money Without Stress & Regret | E188How to Create a 3-Day Workweek (Before You Reach FI) | E187 Andy Hill3 Hidden Traps That Make FIRE Feel Empty | E182 Jordan GrumetGuest Summary:Joel Larsgaard is the co-host of How to Money, one of the most popular personal finance podcasts, where he helps listeners build wealth while living well. Through his own FI journey, Joel has shifted from relentless optimization toward a more intentional, balanced life—focusing on family, health, and long-term sustainability without abandoning ambition.Connect With JustinEmail me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.Support FI MindedWant to hear more? Follow FI Minded on your favorite podcast player.Like this episode? Share it with a friend pursuing financial independence.Love the show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Most people enter marriage with optimism and good intentions, but very few understand what actually causes relationships to fall apart over time. After spending 15 years inside divorce courtrooms and watching more than a thousand marriages unravel, today’s guest reached a blunt conclusion that challenges everything we’re taught about marriage and money.Aaron Thomas, divorce lawyer, Harvard Law graduate, and founder of Prenups.com, shares what he learned from seeing marriages fail up close, and how those lessons completely reshaped how he approached his own relationship. Instead of ignoring the risks, Aaron reverse-engineered the most common emotional and financial breakdowns couples face and built systems to prevent them before they ever show up.This conversation explores practical tools couples can use to strengthen trust, reduce money-related conflict, and stay aligned on big goals like financial independence, early retirement, and lifestyle design. You’ll learn how to run a marriage check-in that actually works, why prenups can be healthy (not hostile), and how clear financial agreements can protect both your relationship and your FI journey.Key Takeaways:Identify repeating conflict patterns before they escalateSchedule an annual relationship check-in on your calendarSet a shared spending limit to prevent daily money tensionCreate financial guardrails for helping family and friendsAlign on FI timelines before resentment buildsTalk through risk tolerance differences, not past each otherUse a prenup to clarify values and expectations earlyLearn your state’s default divorce rules before you marryOther Episodes You’ll Love:How to Have End-of-Life Conversations with the People You Love | E185 Tess WaresmithWhen You and Your Partner See Money Differently | E162 Brian PageWhen Your Spouse Makes More Than You | E151 Ed CoambsGuest Summary:Aaron Thomas is a divorce lawyer, Harvard Law graduate, and founder of Prenups.com. After representing hundreds of couples through emotionally and financially costly divorces, Aaron became passionate about helping couples proactively design healthier relationships. His work focuses on clear communication, financial transparency, and practical systems that reduce conflict and support long-term partnerships, especially for high-achieving couples pursuing financial independence.Aaron’s website: https://prenups.com/Connect With JustinEmail me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.Support FI MindedWant to hear more? Follow FI Minded on your favorite podcast player.Like this episode? Share it with a friend pursuing financial independence.Love the show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

If you’re great at saving money but feel anxious, guilty, or uncomfortable spending it, I want to share 4 spending principles that have helped me.Many people pursuing financial independence don’t struggle with discipline. They struggle with permission. We have endless advice on saving and investing, but far less guidance on how to actually enjoy the money we’re working so hard to build.In this episode, I’ll share my personal Spending Playbook: four spending principles I use as a super saver to spend confidently, reduce stress, and still stay on track toward financial independence. These principles are designed to help me enjoy my money without sabotaging my long-term goals.This isn’t about spending more; it’s about spending intentionally, so saving stops feeling like a sacrifice.The 4 Spending Principles Covered1. The Fun FundA simple way to give a portion of your money one clear job: enjoyment — without competing with your investing goals.2. The Oops BudgetA no-questions-asked buffer for unplanned, non-fun expenses so money doesn’t add stress during already stressful moments.3. The “Moments That Matter” ListA short list of life events and experiences where you pre-decide money won’t have an outsized influence on your choice.4. Guilt-Free Spending CategoriesA few high-impact categories where spending creates outsized happiness — and where under-spending isn’t necessarily a win.Key Takeaways:Being good at saving doesn’t automatically make spending easyGuilt around spending is often a permission problem, not a math problemPre-deciding how you’ll spend removes stress in the momentSpending rules can create freedom, not restrictionEnjoying your money is a skill you can practiceIntentional spending supports FI — it doesn’t sabotage itThe goal isn’t to spend more, but to spend with confidenceFinancial independence should make life feel bigger, not smallerOther Episodes You’ll Love:Smart Frugality: The Frugal Mindset That Actually Feels Good | E183 JC RodriguezIs Saving Too Much Holding You Back? | E179 Jesse CramerYou’re Financially Free, But It Doesn’t Feel Like It | E165 Shannah GameConnect With JustinEmail me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.Support FI MindedWant to hear more? Follow FI Minded on your favorite podcast player.Like this episode? Share it with a friend pursuing financial independence.Love the show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.