#557: Imagine saving nearly your entire paycheck while your rental properties cover your bills. That's exactly where real estate investor Andrew finds himself — and yet he's at a crossroads.  At FinCon, a personal finance conference, former financial advisor Joe Saul-Sehy and I sit down with Andrew and another attendee who bring their money dilemmas live on stage. Andrew's question seems simple at first: should he sell his index funds to pay off his rental mortgages? But the real story runs deeper.  He feels called to entrepreneurship and wants to quit his corporate job to pursue it full-time. He could achieve minimal financial independence (lean-FIRE) if he pays off the properties, but that might limit his options. Next, Chris, a Gen X dad, opens up about his Gen Z kids' gloomy money outlook. His 22 and 24-year-old children, especially his daughter, believe their generation "will never retire." They see high inflation, expensive housing, and low wages as insurmountable obstacles. This sparks a deeper conversation about generational perspectives. We note that similar fears existed 15 years ago when millennials entered the workforce during the Great Recession. Joe shares how he helped his own kids develop healthier money mindsets by introducing them to financial voices they could relate to, like Broke Millennial author Erin Lowry. The discussion evolves into how today's young people actually have more opportunities than previous generations — they can work remotely, start online businesses with minimal capital, and create multiple income streams through platforms that didn't exist before. Chris's daughter, for instance, sometimes makes $35/hour driving for DoorDash during peak times. We wrap up by talking about the importance of focusing on what you can control and finding purpose beyond just retirement planning. As Andrew points out, it might be worse to spend the best years of your life doing work you don't care about than to face uncertainty in retirement. The key is taking action on the things within your control while building toward long-term security. Throughout the conversation, both guests share personal stories that illuminate their situations - from Andrew's experience at an oil refinery that pushed him toward entrepreneurship to Chris's daughter storing cash for taxes from her DoorDash earnings, showing she's more financially aware than she might think. Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. 1:50 Andrew asks about index funds vs real estate allocation 4:04 Could Andrew reach lean-FIRE by paying off rentals? 5:00 Joe suggests keeping investments flexible vs mortgage payoff 8:05 Debate over HELOC vs index fund liquidity 10:10 Andrew's bigger dreams beyond real estate investing 17:40 Choosing between W2 security and entrepreneurial freedom 19:20 Andrew saves nearly entire salary while rentals cover bills 24:20 Chris worried about Gen Z kids' financial pessimism 28:40 How Joe helped his kids find relatable money role models 33:40 Millennials faced similar fears post-Great Recession 37:20 Today's expanded opportunities vs previous generations 43:20 Andrew's wake-up call at oil refinery job 49:20 Chris's daughter earning $35/hour on DoorDash 52:00 Finding meaning beyond retirement numbers For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode557 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#555: Brandon Ganch (known online as MadFientist) joins us from Scotland to share how his life has transformed since retiring in 2016 at age 34. “I thought retirement was an age, not a function,” he said. “And when I realized it was just a math function, it changed my entire life.” Eight years into retirement, Brandon talks about how his spending and lifestyle have evolved. While his investment portfolio has grown "exponentially," he's had to push himself to spend more money. He and his wife have doubled their spending in the last three years, yet still haven't reached the 4 percent withdrawal rate that's common in early retirement. Having two young kids (a two-year-old son and one-month-old daughter) has changed their spending patterns. Restaurant bills and craft beer costs have dropped significantly, while they've invested in a house — their third, but the first one Brandon says he actually enjoys owning since he's no longer "hyper-frugal." Brandon shares his few regrets from his journey to financial independence, mainly missing friends' bachelor parties in his twenties because he didn't want to pay for two transatlantic flights in one month. The book "Die with Zero" has shifted his perspective on spending, making him realize there are "seasons in life" for certain experiences. Brandon suggests trying to live your "post-FI life" before actually reaching financial independence. By traveling for three months straight, he learned that constant travel wasn't actually what he wanted. He emphasizes that financial independence isn't just about early retirement — it's about having choices and power in your career. You can find Brandon at madfientist.com or listen to his music at madfientist.com/album. A Sampling of MadFientist Articles: Retirement withdrawal strategies: https://www.madfientist.com/discretionary-withdrawal-strategy/ Baseline portfolio vs. optimized portfolio: https://www.madfientist.com/guinea-pig-experiment/ FI spreadsheets: https://www.madfientist.com/financial-independence-spreadsheet/ FI laboratory: https://www.madfientist.com/resources/ How to use an HSA as a Super IRA: https://www.madfientist.com/ultimate-retirement-account/ How to Stack Tax Benefits: https://www.madfientist.com/stack-tax-benefits/ And of course, his passion project in retirement — the album: https://www.madfientist.com/album/ Timestamps: Note: Timestamps will vary on individual listening devices based on dynamic advertising run times. The provided timestamps are approximate and may be several minutes off due to changing ad lengths. 0:00 - Paula opens with a Guy Fawkes Day reference and historical background 2:06 - Brandon Ganch (MadFientist) introduces himself as having retired in 2016 at age 34 4:09 - Brandon explains how HR discovering his Scotland location led to his early retirement 7:01 - Discusses the "power of quitting" and how having FI helped him negotiate better work terms 11:26 - Explains how spending habits changed post-retirement, especially around house ownership 13:37 - Talks about having kids and how that decreased spending on travel, restaurants and beer 19:27 - Shares his only regrets about the FIRE journey, including missing friends' bachelor parties 26:58 - Discusses the "Die with Zero" book and its impact on his financial philosophy 33:32 - Explains why optimization and hyper-frugality are no longer priorities in his life 40:06 - Updates on his music passion project and performing live with his brother 44:21 - Advises people to start living their post-FI life before reaching financial independence 48:36 - Explains why FI might not be for everyone but financial security matters for all 51:28 - Shares thoughts on AI's impact on software development jobs and being glad he's already FI For more information, visit the show notes at https://affordanything.com/episode555 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices