Afford Anything | Make Smart Money Choices

The Art of Trusting Your Most Dangerous Ideas, with Ash Ambirge, The Middle Finger Project

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#242: Ash Ambirge grew up in a trailer park in Pennsylvania. She never met her father. Her disabled mother, who raised her on government assistance, p...

Ask Paula: Should I Raid My Retirement Savings to Pay for School?

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#241: Anton wants to accelerate his flight training so he can get hired within two to three months, rather than two to three years. He has to raid his...

10 Questions to Master Successful Investing, with David Stein

07 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#240: Are you investing, speculating, or gambling? What are the three drivers of asset performance? Are you aware of who’s getting a cut from your i...

Ask Paula: Should I Put My Student Loans in Forbearance? Should I Buy a Vacation Rental? and More

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#239: Lo is in a good spot with her career, but she’s struggling with a ton of student loan debt, and consequently, credit card debt. What should sh...

How to Stop Making So Many Money Mistakes, with Jeff Kreisler

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#238: “If I had more willpower, I’d achieve my financial goals.” “I’m doomed to fail with money.” “I’m horrible for not keeping to a b...

Ask Paula and Joe -- Should I BUY a Business, Instead of Starting One?

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#237: Katie wants to know how to purchase a business that’s already cash-flow positive. What indicators can she look for? Rob will retire from the m...

How We Saved $1 Million and Retired at 31 and 32, with Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#236: Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung achieved financial independence four years ago at age 31 and 32. They saved $1 million and live on $40,000 per year ...

Ask Paula: Sooo … I Quit My Job. What Type of Business Should I Start?

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#235: Anna has made the leap to self-employment … but what’s next? She lives in the Bay Area and she’s trying to choose between five business id...

26 Easy Moves to Improve Your Finances in 2020

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#234: We review 26 quick, easy actions that improve your financial life, plus 10 new added bonus ideas that came directly from our community. We issue...

Ask Paula: How Can I Retire in 12 Years?

31 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#233: Deepak is considering downsizing his family’s home, but wants to know if the savings are worth the transaction costs he’ll have to pay. Anon...

How to Avoid College Debt, with Anthony ONeal

27 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#232: Anthony ONeal is the bestselling author of Debt-Free Degree, a book that teaches parents how to help their children graduate from college withou...

Ask Paula: How Can I Get My Spouse Interested in Frugality?

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#231: Avie needs to decide between two options: paying off a rental property, or funding a retirement account. Which should she choose? Lisa wants to...

How to Develop Emotional Agility, with Dr. Susan David

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#230: Dr. Susan David, a psychologist on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, joins us to talk about emotional agility. Dr. David has researched em...

Ask Paula: Help! My Mom or Dad Took Out a Credit Card in My Name. Am I On the Hook?

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#229: Normally, we’re a once-a-week podcast, with episodes airing every Monday. But on the first Friday of every month, we have a First Friday bonus...

What I Learned from Losing $170 Million, with Noah Kagan

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#228: In November 2005, when Noah Kagan was 24, he was hired as Employee #30 at Facebook. His stock options would have been worth $170 million if he’...

Ask Paula: How Can I Get the Most from My Mini-Retirement?

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#227: Lien is taking a year off of work to live the van life with her husband. She wants to know how she can make the most of this sabbatical to figur...

How to Make Time for Things That Matter, with John Zeratsky

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#226: Feeling time-crunched? Today’s episode is for you. Today’s episode features productivity expert John Zeratsky, who shares specific, action-...

Ask Paula: How to Invest for the Next Five Years

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#225: Lauren is 26 and earns $48,000 per year after taxes. She saves $12,000 annually in retirement accounts, and an additional $18,000 per year for ...

The Science of Rapid Learning, with Scott Young, author of Ultralearning

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#224: Scott Young, author of Wall Street Journal best-selling book Ultralearning, talks about the 9 principles of Ultralearning, which can help you le...

Ask Paula: Should I Choose This or That? How to Weigh the Tradeoffs

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#223: Elizabeth is curious to know: what does a good net worth breakdown look like? Is it appropriate to have a lot of your net worth tied up in real ...

Seven Ways to Escape the Rat Race - with Michael Robinson

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#222: Michael Robinson and his wife, Ellen, achieved financial independence at age 33. They ‘retired’ (they still enjoy working) three years later...

Ask Paula: How Much of My Company Stock Should I Buy?

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#221: Vanessa is curious about Fidelity and Vanguard. She asks: what are your thoughts on the no-fee Fidelity index funds? What are your opinions on V...

Stillness is the Key, with Ryan Holiday

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#220: In a hectic world, stillness is the key to a calm, enjoyable life. That idea comes from Ryan Holiday, author of Stillness is The Key. Stillnes...

Ask Paula: How Should I Invest $4,000 Per Month for Early Retirement?

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#219: Stella is working toward FIRE and wants to know: how can she create passive income in her retirement years? Is a portfolio with stocks and bonds...

Why We're Irrational with Money - with Kristen Berman

04 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#218: Kristen Berman is co-founder of Irrational Labs, a behavioral product design company, along with Dan Ariely. She has a fascinating job that inv...

Interview on the FI Show: Financial Independence Philosophy and Origin Story | Paula Pant from Afford Anything

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#217: It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sa...

How Much Can I Spend in Retirement? - with Dr. Wade Pfau

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#216: It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sa...

The Seven Stages of Financial Independence, with Joshua Sheats

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#215: We are really digging into the archives with today's episode. This originally aired back in 2016! Besides being another fun and fascinating int...

ChooseFI Interview

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#214: It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sa...

Andrew Hallam (Part Two): The Nine Rules of Wealth You Should Have Learned in School

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#213: It’s September! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September Sa...

Andrew Hallam (Part One): How I Became a Millionaire on a Teacher's Salary

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#212: It’s September!! If you’ve been listening to the show for the past few months, then you know that I’m on what I’ve dubbed my September S...

What’s Your Why? Financial Independence, Debt Freedom and More

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#211: Hey there! I’m writing this from Croatia, where I’m beginning five weeks of travel that I’m calling my September Sabbatical. From now thr...

How to Be an Adult - with Mark Manson

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#210: We live in a fascinating era: huge sections of society are more prosperous, advanced and safe than at any other point in human history, yet depr...

Ask Paula: Are Index Funds Unsafe?

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#209: Anonymous wants to retire early and often. They’re going overseas, where they’ll make their annual salary within six months. Where should th...

How to Talk to Your Parents About Retirement and Beyond -- with Cameron Huddleston

09 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#208: Well, this could get awkward. Your parents and grandparents are aging. (Duh.) You want to have a few important financial conversations with the...

Ask Paula: Should I Take a $30k Paycut for Better Work-Life Balance, or Stick it Out?

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#207: Matt and his fiance earn $7,500 per month combined. They save more than half of their income. He’d like to take a different job that will decr...

When Career Zigzagging is Smarter - with David Epstein

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#206: We live in a society that values career specialization. You’re not a “doctor” -- you’re a pediatrician, an anesthesiologist, an oncolog...

Ask Paula: Am I On-Track for Retirement?

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#205: Is it ever a good idea to use your 401(k) as an emergency fund? What's the best way to break up with your financial advisor so that you can mov...

Upgrade Your Thinking, with Super Thinking authors Gabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#204: You make decisions on a daily basis about your career, family, friendships, health and investments; these choices shape your life. But how much...

Ask Paula: Early Retirement and The Four Percent Rule

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#203: Many people in their 50’s or 60’s warn us about catastrophic or ‘black swan’ events. But what’s the likelihood that this will actually...

Slow Travel is Cheap Travel - with Nomadic Matt

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#202: In 2006, Matt Kepnes worked at a hospital in Boston, and he felt miserable. He dreaded fighting traffic, spending his days under his offices’ ...

Ask Paula: Which House Should I Pay Off First?

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#201: Ross and his wife are both in the Navy. They bought a home while they were stationed in Hawaii. Then the Navy sent them to Virginia, where they ...

What I’ve Learned from Interviewing 500 Millionaires -- with Jaime Masters of Eventual Millionaire

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#200: Nine years ago, I had no idea that personal finance blogs existed. Then, as I was flipping through an issue of Kiplinger magazine, I came acro...

Ask Paula: The Three-Year Reunion with J. Money

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#199: Ashley is paying affordable rent for a home she enjoys, but she feels certain that the real estate market in her local market will stay strong. ...

The Japanese Art of Being a Zen Millionaire, with Ken Honda

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#198: Money flows. When you receive money, you’re in the path of this flow. Money flows from someone else to you, and eventually, it’ll flow fro...

Ask Paula: Traditional IRA vs. Roth IRA -- What Should I Choose?

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#197: Should Bret invest in a Traditional IRA or a Roth IRA? If Amanda gets married, how will her child support be affected? What about her student l...

Starting Over at 40 with Six Kids, with Wendy Mays

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#196: When Wendy Mays was in her early 20’s, she earned $12 an hour working as the office manager of a pest control company. She wanted higher inco...

Ask Paula: I Make $168,000 Per Year and Spend $5,000 Per Year. What’s Next?

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#195: Alex makes $168,000 per year, combined between her full-time job and her side hustle. Her company pays for breakfast, lunch and dinner during th...

The 7 Faces of Fear -- with Ruth Soukup

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#194: Fear shows up in our lives in countless ways. Sometimes, fear takes the form of procrastination. We're afraid of botching something, or we don'...

Ask Paula: I Spent Ten Years in School, and Now I’m Behind on Retirement Savings

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#193: Lori is behind on retirement savings, as a result of being a full-time student for more than a decade. She makes good money and lives frugally, ...

The Latte Factor, with author David Bach

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#192: “Don’t buy lattes.” This classic snippet of personal finance advice isn’t specifically anti-Starbucks. “Lattes” are a metaphor for ...

Ask Paula — Would You Live in an RV to Save Money?

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#191: Should Russell rent a cheap apartment, or should he take out a loan for an RV in order to save money on rent? Carl is working two jobs that eac...

The Next Millionaire Next Door, with Dr. Sarah Stanley Fallaw

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#190: More than 20 years ago, affluence researchers Dr. Thomas Stanley and Dr. William Danko surveyed a vast number of millionaire households in the U...

Ask Paula: How Does My Net Worth Compare to Others My Age?

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#189: Julie, age 27, calculated her expected net worth based on the formula taught in the classic personal finance book The Millionaire Next Door. She...

The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, with Daniel Pink

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#188: In May 1915, a renowned 58-year-old sea captain, Captain William Thomas Turner, made a series of questionable decisions. He was the captain of ...

Ask Paula - The Real Estate Episode

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#187: Sarah needs $36,000 per year in rental income to reach FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). She owns several rentals. When can she comfo...

How Mike and Lauren Retired at 30 with an Average Income of $56,000 / Year

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#186: Mike and Lauren have run a cleaning company, started and sold a biodiesel company, repaired and resold motorcycles, opened a coffeeshop, owned a...

Ask Paula: How Do I Talk to Friends who Ridicule the Idea of FIRE?

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#185: Hello from Austin, Texas! I’m living in an Airbnb here for the next 5 weeks. Listen to the end of today’s episode to find out why … and di...

The Alter Ego Effect, with Todd Herman

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#184: In 2003, Beyonce Knowles-Carter felt shy about performing sultry lyrics and dance routines on stage. She needed a tactic to overcome her nerves ...

Ask Paula: Should I Sell My Rental Property to Pay Off My Student Loans?

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#183: Should a newlywed couple with two cash flowing rental properties sell one to pay off $92,000 of student loan debt? What percentage of your port...

Thirteen Dumb Mistakes Smart People Make with Their Money - with CBS News analyst Jill Schlesinger

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#182: Millions of smart, educated and successful people make dumb mistakes with their money ... and they don't realize it. I'm not talking about obvi...

Ask Paula: How Should I Plan a Mini-Retirement?

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#181: Imagine that you’re going to take a 6-month to 9-month mini-retirement. How should you plan? What should you do? Sure, you’ll need to have e...

The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business, with Elaine Pofeldt

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#180: Nearly two decades ago, Stacy Berman, a personal trainer, launched a fitness bootcamp in New York City. She called it Stacy’s Bootcamp. She i...

Ask Paula: We Want to Start Househacking in a Duplex. Should We?

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#179: Should a couple in New Orleans sell their single-family home and use the sale proceeds to househack into a duplex? What do you think about turn...

How to Make Work Optional, with Tanja Hester

18 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#178: Tanja Hester retired at age 38. She had a negative net worth until her late 20's, thanks to a combination of student loans, buying expensive co...

Ask Paula: Should I Buy a House or Catch Up on Retirement Savings?

11 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#177: Imagine that your job is extremely well-paying, but you don’t enjoy it. You’d like to switch employers, even though this will probably requ...

Digital Minimalism - with Dr. Cal Newport

04 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#176: Cal Newport created a philosophy called digital minimalism, which is idea of reducing your digital life down to only the most important core ess...

Three Percent is the New Four Percent - with Larry Swedroe, Retirement Planning Expert

01 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#175: Larry Swedroe is one of the most respected investment thinkers and writers of our time. He's published 8 books on investing, including one of ...

Ask Paula: I'm 48 and Retiring Next Year. Should I Buy More Rentals?

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#174: Should a 48-year-old New Yorker who’s retiring next year buy more rental properties? Should a Michigan-based first-time homebuyer use an FHA l...

When a Child of Financial Chaos Stumbles into Adulthood - with Paulette Perhach

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#173: Paulette Perhach is a journalist who has been published in The New York Times, Slate, ELLE, Marie Claire, and Cosmo. But we’re not going to t...

Ask Paula: Should I Buy a Nice Car or Save My Money?

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#172: Should a 25-year-old homeowner with healthy savings and no debt (other than his mortgage) upgrade his car? Should he make this choice if his cur...

The biggest study of everyday millionaires in 25 years - with Chris Hogan

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#171: Chris Hogan surveyed 10,000 millionaires in the United States. Here's what he discovered: - 89 percent of millionaires have a net worth between...

Ask Paula - When Should I NOT Use the One Percent Rule for a Rental Property?

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

#170: When should you NOT use the one percent rule for rental property investing? In today’s episode, I encourage two callers to violate the One Per...

One Tweak a Week in 2019 -- Easy Improvements to Your Financial Life in 2019

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#169: Happy New Years! To kickoff 2019, we've created a free book called One Tweak a Week, outlining 26 easy, actionable ways that you can improve you...

How to Optimize Your Time and Energy -- with Mike Vardy, The Productivityist

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#168: You can do anything, but not everything ... and definitely not everything at the same time. How can you optimize your time and energy? How do y...

Ask Paula: Should I Pay Off Student Loans While in School?

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#167: Angelisa is a college senior with $30,000 in student loans. She has a part-time job, from which she’s saved $2,500. Should she keep saving mon...

Everything I Learned About Money Came from My Grandmother - with Michelle Singletary of the Washington Post

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#166: Michelle Singletary learned everything she knows about money from her grandmother. Well, okay, I shouldn't say "everything" that she knows. Afte...

Ask Paula - Should I Invest in Index Funds or Rental Properties?

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#165: Should Kim, an entrepreneur, invest in index funds or rental properties? Should Nick, an MBA student, househack into a more-expensive home with...

How and Why I Took a Mini-Retirement, with Bob Lotich

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#164: As an entrepreneur, Bob Lotich loves growing and expanding. But after a particularly stressful year, he realized he had burned out. He woke up ...

Ask Paula - The Future of Index Fund Investing

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#163: Does my employer match count against my 401k contribution limits? Should I invest in a Traditional or Roth TSP? Should I invest more aggressiv...

AI and The Future of Jobs - with author Darrell West

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#162: How will artificial intelligence, AI, impact jobs? Former Harvard president and leading economist Larry Summers predicts that one-third of men w...

Ask Paula - How Can I Get My Friends Interested in FIRE?

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#161: Matt is interested in achieving financial independence, and he wants to encourage his friends to pursue the same goal. What podcast episodes pro...

The Paradox of FI -- with Jonathan Mendonsa and Brad Barrett of Choose FI

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#160: When Jonathan Mendonsa was 18, he researched which college degrees lead to the highest income. Pharmacy was near the top of the list of high-pa...

Ask Paula - I Have Three Kids and I'm Hoping for Financial Independence

02 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#159: Should a 36-year-old father of three invest primarily in Traditional or Roth retirement accounts? Should Rose, a grandmother of four, open a Van...

What I Love About the FIRE Movement - with Clark Howard

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#158: Clark Howard loves the FIRE movement. That's because he's one of us. Clark began investing in real estate at age 22, started a travel agency at ...

Ask Paula - Can You Force a Rental Property to Cash Flow?

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#157: We're back with another Ask Paula - Real Estate Edition of the show! In this episode, we cover down payments, cash flow, investing in condo hot...

How to Build Incredible Habits - with James Clear

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#156: James Clear wanted to start flossing, but he never managed to follow through. Despite his best intentions, his dental floss sat unused in a bath...

Ask Paula - How Can I Send My 4 Children to College?

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#155: How can a schoolteacher dad and stay-at-home mom send their four kids to college? Where should a 23-year-old keep the savings that she’s accum...

Suze Orman Says $2 Million is Nothing; You Need $10 Million to Retire Early. Internet Explodes

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#154: Want to retire early? You'll need at least $5 million, more likely $10 million, says famous financial personality Suze Orman. I should know. Sh...

Why I Hate the FIRE Movement, says Suze Orman

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#153: A few weeks ago, Suze Orman's team reached out to me and asked if I'd be interested in chatting with Suze on my podcast. "Um, duh," I replied. ...

How to Make Better Decisions -- with Dr. Brian Portnoy

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#152: Dr. Brian Portnoy is an expert in making decisions. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, he's a Chartered Financial Analyst, and he...

Ask Paula: "I Feel Like I Don't Deserve My Success. What Should I Do?"

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#151: We’re back with another “Ask Paula” episode of the show! As usual, my friend and former financial advisor, Joe Saul-Sehy joins me in answe...

How I Reached Financial Independence through Real Estate - with Chad Carson

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#150: Chad Carson's friends called him a "nerdjock." When former college football linebacker Chad Carson graduated from Clemson University, he decide...

Tell Me About Something That Scared You - from Camp FI

07 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#149: Welcome to the September 2018 First Friday bonus episode! We recorded this episode at Camp FI, which stands for Camp Financial Independence. It...

Ask Paula - Should I Sell My House and Invest the Equity?

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#148: Welcome to a special episode of Ask Paula! Today I’m answering questions about real estate investing, and I’ve brought a special guest on t...

How to Believe Your Time is Abundant -- with Laura Vanderkam

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#147: Which of the following two attitudes describes you? "I'm crunched for time." -- or -- "I have all the time in the world." I'm guessing your an...

Ask Paula - Where Should I Keep My Money if I Want to Retire Early?

20 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#146: My friend and former financial advisor, Joe Saul-Sehy, joins me to answer a multitude of questions on retirement savings and investing, so let's...

How I Paid Off $500,000 in Credit Card Debt, then Launched a Company with $35 Million in Annual Revenue -- with Rand Fishkin, Founder of Moz

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#145: When Rand Fishkin was 25 years old, he carried $500,000 in credit card debt. Less than a decade later, Rand was the Founder and CEO of a compan...

Ask Paula - What Do You Think of Real Estate Crowdfunding?

06 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#144: Today I’m answering your real estate questions! First up, Rich asks: What are your thoughts on real estate crowdfunding versus investing in a...

Life After Financial Independence - with millionaire investor Emma Pattee

03 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

#143: Emma Pattee became a millionaire at age 26. But she hates it when I describe her like that. Here are other ways that Emma would prefer to be kn...