EverydayFI

Thanks for listening to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives of everyday people on the path to financial indpendence so you can use their stories to forge your own path to financial freedom. I'm your host Meghan Combs and I'll be taking a break for the month of June! I'll catch you all back here July 7th with new episodes.

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives of everyday people on the path to financial independence. I’m your host, Meghan Combs, a personal finance junky who loves to dive into people’s journeys. By sharing these stories I’ll show you in real ways how to forge your own path to financial freedom.

In this episode I get to hang with my new friend Suzy while we’re both at CampFI Spain! If you tune in on YouTube you’ll see us chatting in person at my Airbnb...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives of everyday people on the path to financial independence. I’m your host, Meghan Combs, a personal finance junky who loves to dive into people’s journeys. By sharing these stories I’ll show you in real ways how to forge your own path to financial freedom.

It’s been one whole year since I started the show! I launched my first few episodes at the beginning of May 2024 and have been going hard ever since. This episode is all about wh...

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Welcome to the EverydayFI podcast​, the show that explores the lives of everyday people ​o​n the​ path to Financial Independence. ​Hearing these stories ​w​ill teach you in real ways how to forge your own path to financial freedom.

In today’s episode I’m bringing back my buddy Ryan. You may remember him from one of the earlier episodes of EverydayFI and I’m so excited to have him back to talk about his new endeavor: FI Service Corps. Ryan started FI Service Corps as a way to bring the FI comm...

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Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. Welcome to another edition of Mitch & Meg’s Money Musings. Today Mitch and I talk about how to pay for a wedding. It’s so common these days to want to spend extravagantly on getting married, but statistics say that couples who spend copious amounts of money and go into debt often have a harder time in the first year or two of marriage. Why bother when you...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today we’re back with part 2 of Darren and Jolene’s story. Hopefully everyone having fun over in Spain has met them and been lucky enough to enjoy their company! In today’s episode we get to explore Darren and Jolene’s post-FI life, specifically their semi-nomadic lifestyle and all the different types of adventures they go on. Many of these include hiking incredible trails like the Camino in Spain.

Episode...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. This episode is part 1 with my new friends Darren and Jolene, and today we talk a lot about how they used an alternative method to accomplish FIRE in their mid-late 40s, their upbringing and how that shaped the way they look at money today, plus the idea of spending time vs. spending money. Darren and Jolene recount their stories of leaving corporate jobs after long careers and becoming semi-nomadic, traveling half the...

CHECK THE EPISODE OUT ON YOUTUBE IF YOU WANT TO SEE OUR FACES!

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Welcome to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. Welcome to another edition of Mitch & Meg’s Money Musings. Today Mitch and I talk about the latest market dip, which has a lot of people freaked out, understandably so. We discuss our initial feelings about the drastic dip, what some of the public’s reactions were, and our plans to keep our cool and...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today’s episode is part two with my friend Julie. We chat about her journey to financial independence. Post layoff, Julie became passionate about managing her finances and soon delved into the FIRE community, finding inspiration in books like 'A Simple Path to Wealth' and 'Die With Zero'. She shares her experiences of becoming 'barista FIRE', where she balances minimal part-time work planning group travel excursions with her investment income to sustain a...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. In today’s episode I get to chat with Julie, who shares her journey from a conventional lifestyle to a full time nomadic one. We talk about her dissatisfaction with day-to-day life that prompted her to sell all her possessions and travel the world with only a $500K net worth. We also touch on the strategies she took to take this leap, such as refinancing her mortgage and side hustling. Julie emphasizes th...

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This episode includes discussions about infertility, IVF, periods, and other reproductive health topics. Listener discretion is advised. Please take care of yourself and feel free to skip or pause if needed.

Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. In today’s Meghan’s Money Musings episode I’ll be talking about when life happens. I spent the past 9 years building up an HSA account. I took to heart the adage “begin with the end...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Last week I spoke with David and our discussion centered on his mental health struggles in the military. I’m so grateful to him for opening up and sharing his experiences in the hope that it can help someone else. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or struggling with their mental health, please know that support is available. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by di...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today I’m chatting with my friend David Before the episode, I want to let you know that Our conversation touches on sensitive topics, including discussions about suicide and mental health struggles. I understand that these subjects can be challenging, so if this is something that might be difficult for you, please feel free to take a break from the show and return when you’re ready.

If you or some...

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Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. Welcome to another edition of Mitch & Meg’s Money Musings. Today Mitch and I talk about couple’s combining expenses. Whether you’re getting married or just moving in together, it’s smart to start these discussions as early as possible. Mitch and I share what we did and some things to watch out for.

Tune in to hear more!

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the podcast that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community.  We’re back with part 2 of Bill’s story we embarked on last week. In today’s episode we get into Bill’s money origin story, which leads us to talking about financial literacy in general — the good, the bad, and what we can do at home about it. We also dive into Bill’s journey to finding the FI community and his “why of FI” as someone who is a late comer to the movem...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the podcast that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community.  Today on the show I’m chatting with Bill, whose voice you may recognize. This is another FI friend who I talked to for a long time so you’re getting two parts again! In part one we talk about balancing being an ER doctor with podcasting, plus the fallacy that doctors are rich and should show it in their lifestyle. Bill also shares how he accomplished graduating from med school with zero s...

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Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. In today’s Meghan’s Money Musings episode I’ll be talking about turning 38! A big theme is wondering how my younger self would have felt about where I am today. Is it what she expected? Or have things drastically changed? Tune in!

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the podcast that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community.  We're back with part two of Alan's story. In today's episode we discuss why Alan was drawn to the FIRE movement, why finding FI after 40 is different than when you're younger, and the reality of post-FI life. Tune in to hear the second half of Allen’s story!

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the podcast that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. This is part one with my guest Allen, and in today’s episode we discuss his journey to financial independence. Allen talks about transitioning from a tech career to early retirement at age 50, heavily influenced by observing his parents' financial struggles. Our conversation also delves into raising teenagers and Allen's thoughtful approach to allowing his children to work and navigate their own financial decisions. We also talk about the challenges and strategies of...

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Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. Welcome to another edition of Mitch & Meg’s Money Musings. Today Mitch and I talk about that familiar and notorious feeling: imposter syndrome. We talk about it with regards to work and careers, but we also explore how other areas of our lives — including the financial independence movement and having kids — could result in the feeling of being an “imposter.”

Tune in to hear more!

Epi...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the podcast that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today on the show I’m chatting with Stacy, a former special education administrator, about her journey to financial independence. Stacy shares her experiences of leaving her job to spend more time with her 18-month-old son and pursue personal interests, such as financial coaching. We discuss Stacy's recent travels to France, her early money memories, and her decision to achieve Coast FI. Stacy also emphasizes the importance of community and flexibility in th...

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Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. In today’s Meghan’s Money Musings episode I’ll be talking about the New Year’s resolutions I’ve had in the past, the ones that worked, the ones that didn’t, and the ones I have for 2025 and my plan to keep them.

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the podcast that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today on the show I’m chatting with Doug — again! This is part two of our conversation and we get into the meat of things.

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the podcast that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today on the show I’m chatting with Doug, whose voice many of you may recognize. He wrote a book with his daughter on raising FI-minded children and has been on several podcasts talking about it, but today we get to hear his story.

We recorded for so long that you get two episodes with Doug! In the first he gushes over living in Hawaii, gives us military newbies the lo...

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Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. Today I’m welcoming my buddy Mitch, who will be joining me on the Meghan’s Money Musings episodes — these will be dubbed “Mitch & Meg’s Money Musings - cute, right? Gotta love alliteration!

On today’s episode Mitch and Meg chat about career transitions. How did we know it was the right time to make a change? What was the catalyst? Why did we choose the ne...

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today I’ll be chatting with Kathy, who came to FI much later than most people in our community. In this episode you’ll hear Kathy’s harrowing story about being adopted by a middle class family with alcoholic parents and how that affected her money philosophies as an adult. Kathy also shares her biggest desire, which is to help blind and deaf people, and you’ll get to hear her take on what...

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Thanks for listening to the EverydayFI podcast, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people on the path to financial independence. In today’s Meghan’s Money Musings episode I’ll be sharing a journey many of us millennials had to endure: student loans. Let’s dive in!

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. In this episode I get to chat with my friend Monica, who I didn’t realize I’d carpooled with to CampFI in 2022 until the very end of the episode (you all will get to hear that revelation and the laughter that ensued).

Monica talks about her experience growing up in a traditional Italian, immigrant household and balancing the culture of American expectation with her Italian roots. She also divulges her...

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Welcome to the first iteration of Meghan’s Money Musings on the EverydayFI podcast. Today I’ll be talking about my adventures in home buying and homeownership. The good, the bad, and the worst. Tune in to hear my mistakes and the lessons I learned.

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Welcome to EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. In this episode I had the amazing pleasure of chatting with my newfound friend Hayley, an economist and former Peace Corps volunteer. We talk about a LOT in this show, including:

Listen in for a bonus episode where host Meghan is interviewed on the Fire Inside Her podcast with Diane Schroeder!

Episode description:

Tune in to Episode 81 of The Fire Inside Her as host Diane Schroeder and guest Meghan Combs tackle the nuances of the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement. Meghan opens up about leaving her New York City job in art history for coding, navigating situational depression, and ultimately tripling her income. They discuss the importance of aligning expenses with personal values and how small financial decisions can lead to big changes. Meghan’s in...

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I can’t believe it’s already been 6 months since I started the EverydayFI podcast! Time flies way too fast these days. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear all about my thoughts so far about the show, how things started and how they’re going, some behind the scenes material, what’s coming next, AND a request from you, the audience.

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Welcome to another episode of EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of people in the financial independence community. Today on the show I’ll be speaking with an anonymous guest, who will be known as “J”, and the big topic of our conversation is divorce. We dive deep into J’s money story and the parallels in how he rescued his mom financially and then his wife. We also talk about how a mismatched life vision between partners can upend even the most loving relationships. You’ll also find out w...

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Hey there and welcome to another episode of EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives of everyday people in the financial independence community. I’m your host Meghan Combs, and today I’m chatting with Lan, a newish follower of FI. In this episode we dive into Lan’s money story including her journey from teaching to tech and her experience growing up poor. We also dive into the concepts of having immigrant parents and how hard it is to escape the cycle of poverty. And we talk about Lan’s love of...

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This was one of my favorite episodes to record to date because Devon is one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. In his own words:

“[Devon is] a 22-year-old college student on the journey toward financial independence (FI). [He] discovered the liberating power of FI at 21 and saved $25,000 in [his] first year chasing FI. [He’s] passionate about spreading the ethos of financial independence, increasing financial literacy, sharing [his] experiences, and inspiring others to chase their “Freedom by the Day” while enjoying their individual journeys.”

In this e...

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Dive into the heartwarming journey of Carl and Carla on EverydayFI’s latest podcast episode. Discover a candid conversation on how to talk about money with your family and partner, how Carla’s parents’ divorce and 2008 financial disaster influenced her philosophies as an adult, and how Carl hiked the PCT within the first two months of their marriage. You’ll learn a lot about their journey, like how Carla bought a house while only making $8.50/hour, what they think about moving in with a partner, and how to contend with the numerous...

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Thank you for listening to another episode of EverydayFI, the show that explores the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today on the show I your host, Meghan Combs, chats with Yao, a remarkably adaptive young man who is finding his way to financial freedom through real estate investing. We explore Yao’s money origin story (which includes ultimate couponing, a side hustle he picked up in his adult life), his first discovery of FI and real estate investing, and why he thinks being a homeowner is...

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Welcome to another episode of EverydayFI where I, your host Meghan Combs, get to explore the lives and stories of everyday people in the financial independence community. Today on the show I’m chatting with Keith, a former skydiver for 22 years who retired through his real estate investments and now spends most of his time traveling to see all his FI friends. If you’ve ever been to a CampFI you may recognize his voice from the numerous talks he’s given there. Tune in for Keith’s story!

Episode...

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Let me just say two words: Battle Bots. This episode with CJ is chock full of fun, tips and tricks, actionable steps to start a side hustle, deep discussions on having kids, and the ever present “one more year syndrome” that our community (and anyone wanting to retire) tends to slip into. Tune in for a fascinating dive into CJ’s financial independence journey.

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Today’s episode follows the journey of Abhishek, an immigrant from India who fell in love with the United States and all the opportunity it provides for him, including financial independence. This episode is all about designing your extraordinary life around health, volunteering, meditation, and deciding deeply about what truly serves you. We also go into depth about how to become a stock picker, if that’s your jam (as long as the bulk of your portfolio is in broad based index funds of course). Tune in to hear Abhishek’s incred...