The #1 Factor That Made Our FIRE Grind Simpler (and Extra Enjoyable!)

Mindy:
Hiya, howdy, howdy my expensive listeners, because it’s doable you’ll or couldn’t know, my husband Carl and I’ve a model new YouTube sequence on the BiggerPockets money YouTube channel known as Life After Fire. And as a very explicit bonus, we’re going to be airing these episodes proper right here on the podcast on Wednesdays. So with out extra ado, let’s get into it. Hey there. My establish is Mindy Jensen.

Carl:
And I’m Carl Jensen,

Mindy:
And that’s the Mindy

Carl:
And Carl

Mindy:
On Life After Fire, the place we talk about what happens after you attain financial independence. Why can we title the current Life After Fire? On account of we’re talking about and chatting with individuals who discover themselves dwelling their biggest lives after reaching financial independence. Carl and I merely returned from the Monetary system conference in Cincinnati. Diana, Miriam has created an superior event for 500 attendees with eight main stage audio system, 4 additional workshops and breakouts in various topics designed to get people chatting with totally different people similar to them with comparable pursuits. It was initially deliberate just for a Saturday and a Sunday, nonetheless it has unfold proper right into a Thursday pre-party Friday, metropolis Hike, foing or fouling, which is like soccer and bowling. I’ve not at all executed that one sooner than. I’ve heard good points, nonetheless it merely, I don’t know. I’m not wonderful at bowling, so I don’t suppose I’d be wonderful at foing or fouling. How is it pronounced? Carl, are you conscious how that’s pronounced?

Carl:
I’ve no clue. I don’t suppose they even know how it’s pronounced. It was invented by, I consider some drunk Ohioans in anyone’s basement, presumably a college dorm. No clue.

Mindy:
I don’t suppose it’s related. It’s merely Ohio though. I consider it has unfold out. Anyway, if I’m saying it flawed, so sorry, electronic message Carl on account of I’m not going to most certainly change that. And Friday night time time is velocity friendship, which I really, really love. There’s a bunch of tables that seat like eight people and in addition you sit there and in addition you introduce your self to eight fully totally different people over the course of, I dunno, quarter-hour or one factor. After which a number of of you rise up and switch and some of you retain and it’s all coordinated. I’m glad I don’t ought to make up these pointers, nonetheless you meet a ton of people. I consider I went to five or 6 fully totally different tables that night time time and I met irrespective of eight situations, 5 or 6 is, I met a ton of assorted people and it’s such a great way to begin out off the event and it ends with an unlimited social gathering at R Geist, monumental tasting room and Beer Yard. Carl, what was your favorite part of the financial system conference?

Carl:
Sooner than I get into that, I’ll state that eight situations 5 is 40 and eight situations six is 48. I consider you merely requested that.

Mindy:
I said I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t say I wanted to know what it was, nonetheless thanks for displaying me up and with the power to do math in your head like that. Carl, for the win,

Carl:
I’ll put outs on multiplication tables after we’re executed.

Mindy:
So Carl’s favorite part of financial system is the nerd half.

Carl:
It’s the skyline. Chilly. I fully adore it. No, it’s actually not that. How prolonged do I’ve to talk?

Mindy:
What do you suggest? How prolonged do it’s a should to talk? Merely inform people what your favorite part of financial system is.

Carl:
No, no. I obtained to tell a little bit of story. I’d converse for two or three minutes proper right here. After I first discovered financial independence, I consider I found the Mr Money Mustache weblog, JD Roth, and I believed I would dip in and out of this. I would merely be taught a bunch of blogs, work out what was flawed with my money, get my money straight up my monetary financial savings cost, after which I would shut my browser tab and I would not at all be taught any of these people as soon as extra or work along with one thing that ever wanted to do with financial independence as soon as extra. After which come what may I obtained roped into going to a Camp Phi. I consider that’s spherical 20 16 20 17. Camp Fire is a weekend gathering with 59 totally different people. On the time, it was fully terrifying. Did you go to that one or was it merely me alone?

Mindy:
I didn’t go until January of 2018 In Florida?

Carl:
Positive. So that one might’ve been me alone inside the thought-about me, a excessive introvert hanging out with 59 strangers, fully terrified me. Nonetheless then I obtained there and I’m like, wow, that’s actually pretty cool. I don’t actually really feel like I’m an introvert spherical these specific subset of people. I actually really feel like we’ve received masses in frequent. You in all probability have money stuff in frequent, you might be inclined to have quite a lot of totally different points in frequent. Plus it’s good merely to have the power to talk about money, which most people AB who people steer away from that. It’s like religion and SEX, you don’t want to talk about these, nonetheless these people would talk about internet worth and their second sentence. So I’m like, that’s pretty cool. So I consider people go to these conferences with the intention of learning about money and presumably 72 Ts how one can get their 401k straight, nonetheless then they arrive out of it with a bunch and that’s what they return for and that’s why we maintain going once more to these points.
My god, we discovered all this in 2012 and proper right here we’re in 2025 and we’re nonetheless going to these. Presumably we’re addicted. So my favorite half once more to your distinctive question is the group. It’s meeting new buddies and seeing these outdated buddies. Various them have flip into our buddies in precise life and some of ’em, I actually really feel like our financial system buddies that we see as soon as we’re Ohio, they haven’t had a possibility to return again out proper right here however to go to us in Colorado and we haven’t had a possibility to see them. However after I did like Mr. Funicular, John in Pittsburgh, I would positively look him up if I went to Pittsburgh and I consider we’re actually going to meet up proper right here in Colorado. The group is my main takeaway. Having pleasant people to have good conversations with and spend my time with and have a bowl of Skyline Chili with too Your favorite.

Mindy:
That’s not my favorite. Please don’t inform lies about me. You merely use that phrase funicular. What’s that?

Carl:
Funicular. It’s a possibility to face up the mountain. It’s a trolley form issue the place there are two of them with an unlimited pulley on excessive. So one goes up, one goes down.

Mindy:
Oh, like an ESUs park.

Carl:
Correctly, that’s a little bit of bit fully totally different. Such a balances each other in the marketplace on rails, so one kind of pulls the other one up.

Mindy:
Oh, that’s okay. Keep in mind as soon as I said that your favorite half was the nerd half? You’re not doing all your self any favors. You’re not proving me flawed proper right here, Mr.

Carl:
Correctly, there’s pleasant in funicular, so I’m acceptable proper right here.

Mindy:
For me, it’s the prospect for due to this fact many people to connect in a single space, which I assume is just like what you may be saying for people who might be new to the PHI group or new to in-person PHI events, it’s kind of awe inspiring to see so many frugal weirdos in a single space, so many money nerds in a single space. Carl, you and I dwell in Longmont, Colorado, which is completely filled with early retirees. You’ll have the ability to’t swing a ineffective cat and by no means hit three of ’em. On the very least early retirees and 5 people all through Longmont. There’s no individual working proper right here the least bit, and I sometimes overlook that not everybody shares on this similar group that we’ve received, which is why you and I converse quite a bit regarding the significance of in-person PHI events. Seeing the audio system on stage is superior, nonetheless at this juncture in our PHI journey, I’m in all probability not there to see the audio system.
I positively watch all the shows on account of I consider they’re really fascinating, nonetheless they’re in all probability not chatting with me personally. Nonetheless, they’re curated by Diana they usually’re such a wealth of information over a broad fluctuate of topics. It isn’t merely eight people getting up there. You will need to contribute to your 401k, you’ll want to contribute to your Roth IRA this 12 months. We had people talking about precise property writing a book for what you’re doing after financial independence. I want to have him on the current actually. He was really pretty good. We had people talking about starting a enterprise. Jess from the pioneers was there talking about Coast Fi and the way in which you possibly can be masses nearer to your FI amount than you suppose you may be. She has a extraordinarily superior calculator that she shared with people to current your self an considered what your coast constructive amount is.
Chances are you’ll already be there, which might be really reassuring for people on this kind of not sure stock market environment that we’re in correct now. The lady who talked regarding the alternative routes to take a position the socially conscious investing, and as soon as I hear that topic I’m like, oh man, that’s merely going to make me actually really feel harmful. And it was not. That’s going to make you feel harmful. It was like, Hey, that’s the kind of stuff that this fund is investing in. Proper right here’s an alternate fund. Proper right here’s a choice to seek for your funds. It was a very fascinating deal with investing and he or she even had effectivity for each of these funds to point you that you just aren’t sacrificing effectivity in order that you’ll have the ability to make investments environmentally or additional socially consciously, which I consider is a extraordinarily giant concern for people inside the fireside group. It’s one issue to be like, oh, I would like to assist all these socially conscious initiatives, nonetheless they pay nothing. And plainly’s not true. There’s a extraordinarily good fund, what was it known as? ESGV,

Carl:
I don’t suppose that was it, nonetheless it was a Vanguard fund. I do know what you’re talking about. And it had outperformed V-T-S-A-X over a long term, which was pretty surprising to me

Mindy:
Apart from in 2022 when it misplaced barely extra cash than V-T-S-A-X did. V-T-S-A-X was down like 19.2% and this one was down like 20% or one factor. So there wasn’t an unlimited swing each strategy. Nonetheless you’re correct, they did outperform V-T-S-A-X, which I believed was very fascinating. And so there’s merely quite a lot of fully totally different topics that you’d have the ability to talk about. Giant Earn was there to talk regarding the safe withdrawal cost. Bill Benen says it’s 4% over 30 years and enormous earns of mathematician has quite a lot of numbers to assist his state of affairs saying that it’s additional shut to a few.25% on account of your timeline is masses longer. For many who’re an early retiree, quite a few numerous issues to think about at this event, however moreover quite a few downtime. You’ll have the ability to meet people on the Tempo Friendship on Friday and have a extraordinarily good dialog with all of them by all the weekend.
There’s lobby occasions in all the lodges that people are staying at. It’s such a terrific event, nonetheless it’s 500 people. Carl, you didn’t want to go to campfire with 59 people. I can see how some people might be a little bit of concerned about going to an event like Monetary system, which is 500 people, by which case you’ve your campfire, which is masses smaller sometimes. I consider there’s one which’s now as a lot as 150, nonetheless quite a lot of them are 50 people, 60 people, 75 people that you simply’re having an entire weekend with Friday night time time to Monday morning. That’s a extraordinarily good chance for in-person PHI events. Considered one of many points that I consider we take without any consideration, Carl, is the reality that we’ve received so many people we’re in a position to converse with about money.

Carl:
Positive, we most certainly do take that without any consideration on account of we’re surrounded by them.

Mindy:
One different issue that I want to stage out is the Monetary system Conference is 500 people. Diana’s already purchased 350 tickets and that’s all that she has launched so far. There’s nonetheless 150 tickets left. She has not however launched these. In case you want to get on her mailing file, go to financial system conference.com, that’s E-C-O-N-O-M-E conference like Monetary system, not mny financial system conference.com and sign as a lot as get on the mailing file. So when she releases these tickets is definite to advertise out as soon as extra. And easily having all of these people spherical you is so useful to serving to you retain on the financial independence path. Even if you’ve sudden payments, the stock market goes down, you’re feeling reminiscent of you’re not going wherever. These people on this group can share your experiences, share what’s labored for them, and it’s merely all through a extraordinarily good environment to be in.

Carl:
Yeah, it’s good to provide different people you relate to. For many who inform them you went out and bought a 2008 Honda Element, they’re not going to, I consider you’re destitute. They might offer you a extreme 5 because you found a terrific deal on an outdated reliable automotive that’s going to get you the place it’s important go. So yeah, we’re like a little bit of miniature cult I consider.

Mindy:
I don’t suppose we’re so miniature positively a cult, nonetheless it’s a wonderful cult. We don’t make you promote one thing. Expensive listeners, we’re so excited to announce that we now have a BiggerPockets Money e-newsletter. In case you want to subscribe to the e-newsletter, please go to biggerpockets.com/money e-newsletter. Alright, we’ll be correct once more after this.

Carl:
Welcome once more to the current.

Mindy:
Carl. I want to converse a little bit of bit regarding the thought of in-person FY events normally. We’ve already shared how quite a bit we love these events. For us personally, we’ve shared how they’re typically useful to any particular person who’s at any part of your journey on the PHI path, having totally different people who converse your language, who aren’t going to be like, oh, why are you saving your money? You don’t know what’s going to happen. I want to dwell my life now. They’re supportive. They’re encouraging, and if you’ve a question, oh, does anybody understand how you are able to do a 72 T? Oh, I don’t. Nonetheless I do know that Eric Cooper does. I do know that Darren and Jolene have executed them. I do know that there are people there which will ship you to totally different people to have conversations with and even introduce you to totally different people to have conversations with, to get your questions answered. Nonetheless financial system is a considerably huge event. So for the Carls of the world, the introverts of the world who don’t want to converse with 500 people basically, and Carl has a superb time. I’ve to tear him away from people to get him to go to mattress so he can rise up the next morning, correct? Nearly, nearly merely say positive. Say positive expensive. You’re acceptable.

Carl:
Affirmative.

Mindy:
That’s not what I said to say. So there’s a woman named Stephanie who’s from 5 buddies.com, and he or she has created a list of all the PHI events that she is aware of. For many who don’t see your event on there, fully let her know so that she is going to have the ability to substitute her file. Nonetheless her file is found at phi buddies.com/events. That’s fi buddies.com/events, and it’s a fairly full file. I think about it’s an entire file of all the upcoming PHI events in 2025. She’ll shortly be starting her 2026 file, nonetheless we’ve received Fin Converse Scotland Camp, all the Camp phis, camp Mustache, which is a novel sort of event. It’s similar to Camp Phi, nonetheless a little bit of bit fully totally different. Camp Phi Spain. The Monetary system Conference merely wrapped up the Fin Talks cruises. I’ve been on that the ultimate two years. You joined me this 12 months.
Carl Kristen Knapp is starting PHI Journey. She has journeys deliberate open air of the nation, so there’s quite a few alternate options to connect with people proper right here and I hear what you’re saying. Oh, these are good, nonetheless these are touring open air of the nation. These are touring to fully totally different elements of the nation and I can’t afford that correct now. Correctly, don’t concern, you may be in luck. Choose fi.com/native is a hyperlink to all the native Choose PHI groups, and what makes it so excellent is that these are correct near you. In order that they’ve a map the place you’ll have the ability to click on on in your state and it’ll file all, I’m in Colorado, Colorado Springs, south Denver, north Denver, Western Slope. There are lots of native events near you, and when you occur to can’t uncover one near you, you’d start one. Brad is great open to starting additional native events on account of he wishes people to connect. Carl, what’s a neighborhood choose 5 meetup? Like?

Carl:
Ooh, I’m attempting to think about the ultimate one. It was in Los Angeles actually. I consider there was about 15 to twenty people there. They usually meet at a espresso retailer or presumably a room in a library, some kind of small enterprise. Usually a number of of them would possibly want a semi-formal development like within the current day we’re going to talk about X, Y, and Z. Others don’t. You merely sit there and converse to people. Presumably half the people there are returnees and presumably a third to the other half are new of us that drop in and out. Yeah, very informal. People come and maintain for as long as they want, nonetheless it’s but another possibility to fulfill new people domestically. The ultimate one I went to, we went to that after which we went to anyone’s residence and had dinner. So it was superb. I consider it’s a really good possibility to hitch with people.
For many who happen to be in a model new metropolis reminiscent of you’re touring and presumably you don’t know anyone there however or just want the insider scoop on wherever you happen to be at. I on a regular basis ping these groups as soon as I’m there saying, Hey, do you’ve a meetup occurring? Or would anyone like to meet up? And I’ve not at all had not lower than some people not volunteer to, Hey, yeah, let’s meet up or let’s do one factor. So yeah, it’s great good. I extraordinarily recommend that people be part of with their native groups, and I do know they was on Fb. Brad’s shifting that to, they’re shifting that to a platform on Choose Fi. Nonetheless yeah, the native groups are a great way to connect collectively along with your space folks and people not so native.

Mindy:
Positive, we on a regular basis try to hop in if we’ve received some time as soon as we’re touring just because it’s a great way to meet totally different people. Nonetheless I’ve been to the NOCO Pistachios group up inside the, I don’t suppose it’s a Choose Phi one, nonetheless there’s a No Coist group up north of Denver. There’s a So Coist group south of Denver meetup.com is one different great place to look out native events which will be each have a nominal cost to attend or no cost to attend, and I consider most of them don’t have any cost to attend. So signing up and easily checking it out, see what’s occurring. The worst case is that you just get there and there’s each no individual else you want to converse to or no individual displays up, nonetheless it’s not at all been the case as soon as I’m attending an event. I’ve not at all had any particular person like zero people current up. There may presumably be 5 people there. You get solely a additional in-depth intimate dialog with 5 people or there’s 50 people there and yow will uncover people that you just want to converse to regarding the fully totally different topics that curiosity you.

Carl:
The very last item I’ll say on this entire topic is we’ve received such a terrific group proper right here in Longmont and we’re very welcoming, so if y’all want to switch to Longmont or are merely passing by means of, make sure you look us up. We’ve a meetup group for the MMM coworking space, and we’ve received events there nearly weekly. We’ve a potluck, which we’re actually going to tonight. We’re going to see Ryan Brennan, he’s going to be on the HQ and he organizes events the place people come and volunteer of their space folks. I do know this July and Colorado Springs are going to be doing a bunch of path rehabilitation I consider. So he’s passing by means of. So subsequent time you’re in Longmont, stop in and say hey on the hq.

Mindy:
Positive, we would prefer to see you and you might electronic message what’s the HQ electronic message take care of so we’re in a position to organize a meetup sooner than they get proper right here.

Carl:
It’s HQ [email protected] or they might electronic message one in every of us, [email protected] or [email protected].

Mindy:
Carl, I consider that we’ve received lined how quite a bit we love in-person FY events. There are paid FY events, there are free FY events, and when you’re feeling caught in your PHI journey, the next place you’ll want to go is a neighborhood meetup in an effort to hitch with totally different individuals who discover themselves similar to you on the path to financial independence, who converse your language, who can share how they obtained out of a pickle that you just might be in, an similar pickle that you just might be in, or they’ll merely offer you phrases of encouragement. You’ll be able to do it. You go, girl, go sir.

Carl:
Or just pleasant people to share your life with. After you retire, quite a lot of your mates might nonetheless be doing the 9 to five issue and in addition you merely can’t sit at residence watching reruns of I Love Lucy, or whatever the heck reruns are on TV now. It’s worthwhile to have people to go for a hike with or a motorcycle journey or dangle round with. And yeah, I’m going for a hike on Thursday with people from our native group.

Mindy:
Oh, correctly that sounds good. Thanks for letting me know

Carl:
You’re invited too, I consider.

Mindy:
Yeah, I assume so. Now I’m. Alright. For many who like this video, please click on on the thumbs up and don’t overlook to subscribe to this channel for additional films about Life After Fire. That’s Mindy and Carl signing off that wraps up this episode of Life After Fire on the BiggerPockets Money Podcast. He’s Carl Jensen. I’m Mindy Jensen saying, see you caribou.