Two Halves of Your Financial Life, What Are We Optimizing For?, ChooseFI Shirts

"<div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">The Two Halves of Your Financial Life</strong></h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I came across two thoughtful pieces this week from friends in the FI community that pair really well together\u2014and reinforce something I\u2019ve tried to say for years:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Your financial life has two very different halves.</strong></p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Let\u2019s start with Frank Vasquez.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">In his video "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHJXrkLg-E4" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">The Two Halves of Your Financial Life,</a>" he introduces the idea of the \u201cGolden Coffin.\u201d It\u2019s a psychological trap where people successfully build wealth but never make the transition out of accumulation mode.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Even after they\u2019ve \u201cwon the game,\u201d they can\u2019t bring themselves to spend.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Why?</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Because we fixate on the tiny chance of running out of money while ignoring the certainty that <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">we will run out of time</strong>.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Frank puts it bluntly:</p>\n<blockquote style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; border-left:4px solid #1c7ff2; padding:0 15px; color:#666; line-height:1.5;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">\u201cThey continue to optimize every penny\u2014not because they need the money, but because saving is the only way they know how to interact with the world.\u201d</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">And maybe even more powerfully:</p>\n<blockquote style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; border-left:4px solid #1c7ff2; padding:0 15px; color:#666; line-height:1.5;">\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">\u201cAs long as you\u2019re analyzing spreadsheets and preparing for worst-case scenarios, you never have to sit quietly and ask yourself who you are without your money.\u201d</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">That\u2019s the real shift in the second half of your financial life.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">It\u2019s <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">no longer about optimizing</strong>.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">It\u2019s about satisficing, by choosing what\u2019s \u201cgood enough\u201d financially so you can maximize something far more important: a meaningful life.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Frank outlines four evidence-based ways to spend money more intentionally:</p>\n<ul style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Fund relationships: Bring friends and family together</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Buy experiences: Invest in moments that create flow and memories</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Buy back your time: Outsource what doesn\u2019t matter</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Give while you\u2019re alive: see the impact</li>\n</ul>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">This is the part of FI that doesn\u2019t get talked about enough.</p>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">What Are We Optimizing For?</strong></h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Samantha Pillion just launched her new Substack with a post that immediately grabbed me:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">\u201c<a href="https://samanthapillion.substack.com/p/what-are-we-optimizing-for" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">What Are We Optimizing For</a>?\u201d</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">This is <em style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-style:italic;">the</em> question.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I come back to it constantly and I think you should too. Because if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re optimizing for, you don\u2019t even have a starting point.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Samantha challenges the FI community to confront an uncomfortable truth:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">We\u2019re often more afraid of our spreadsheets than we are of wasting our lives.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Having reached Coast FI herself, she reflects on a noticeable shift in the vibe at FI events.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">To Samantha these gatherings used to be full of people encouraging bold, life-changing decisions.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Now?</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">They increasingly feel like strongholds of \u201cOne More Year Syndrome.\u201d</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">She illustrates this with a story about Roger, a 30-something with $400,000 invested and a 43% savings rate. By almost any reasonable standard, he has an enormous margin of safety.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">And yet, when he asked if he should take a gap year, a room full of FI enthusiasts hesitated to say yes.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Why?</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Because many of us are optimizing for absolute certainty, something that\u2019s nearly impossible to achieve.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">And the cost of that pursuit?</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Years of your life.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Samantha shares an even more sobering story about her friend Sean. After finally giving himself permission to retire and travel, he passed away at just 48, less than two years into his post-FI life.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">It\u2019s a brutal but important reminder:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">We spend so much energy trying not to run out of money when we should be far more concerned about running out of time.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Samantha\u2019s conclusion hits hard:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The math of FI is the easy part.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The real challenge is believing you\u2019re allowed to use the freedom you\u2019ve built.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">So maybe the question isn\u2019t just <em style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-style:italic;">\u201cWhat are we optimizing for?\u201d</em></p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">It\u2019s this:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">If financial independence doesn\u2019t give you permission to actually live, what was it all for?</strong></p>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">ChooseFI T-Shirts Available</strong></h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">We're bringing back ChooseFI t-shirts for a limited time: The store is open through <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Saturday, April 18th</strong>, and shirts will be printed and shipped after it closes.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I've partnered with a great company that handles everything\u2014 they open a temporary store, collect all orders during that time, and only start printing and shipping once a minimum number of shirts have been sold.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">This round includes <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">fun new light blue options</strong> along with both our <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">original and current logos</strong>. I\u2019ve chosen <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">high-quality shirts</strong> and lowered the price to keep it near break-even as I don\u2019t want to profit off of your support.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><a href="https://foreverfierce.com/collections/choose-fi" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">Shop the ChooseFI T-Shirt Store</a> via Forever Fierce.</p>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.markdown-email"><div style="">\n <h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">ChooseFI Updates</strong></h2>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">ChooseFI Local Group Events</strong>: Take 30 seconds and <a href="https://local.choosefi.com/groups?utm_source=fi-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fi-weekly-apr-7-2026&ck_subscriber_id={{ subscriber.id }}" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">sign up for your local group</a>. Then sit back and get email notifications of the local events in your area. This is a complete <strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">game changer</strong> and you'll never miss knowing about an event again.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Podcast Discussion</strong>: Join in and give us your thoughts on the podcast. <a href="https://local.choosefi.com/member/episode/593?utm_source=fi-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fi-weekly-apr-7-2026&ck_subscriber_id={{ subscriber.id }}" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">Here's the link to Episode 593</a> which was the book club episode Ginger and Liz did on \u201cGoodbye, Things.\u201d</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;"><strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Travel Rewards Credit Cards</strong>: I keep my <a href="https://choosefi.com/top-recommended-travel-cards?utm_source=fi-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fi-weekly-apr-7-2026&ck_subscriber_id={{ subscriber.id }}" style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; font-weight:500; color:#1c7ff2; text-decoration:none; border-bottom:3px solid #1c7ff2; padding-bottom:3px; font-style:normal;">Top Ten Recommended Travel Rewards Cards page</a> constantly updated, so it should always be your first source for your next travel rewards card.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">(<strong style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; color:#000; font-weight:bold;">Note:</strong> If you sign up for a credit card using our links, we earn a commission. That support keeps the podcast and newsletter free from ads. Thank you for making that possible.)</p>\n<hr / style="border:0; border-top:1px solid #e6e6e6; margin:24px 0;" />\n<h2 style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:24px; font-weight:600; margin:0 0 16px; color:#000; text-align:center;">ChooseFI Community Taking Action This Week</h2>\n </div>\n \n </div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n

\n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">My 1% better this week (turned out to be a 10,000%) was successful negotiating with my master\u2019s supervisor to reinstate funding after he cut it last month without notice.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Reading the ChooseFI 1% betters a few weeks ago inspired me to state my case for the reasons my master's has extended beyond two years, provide a concrete timeline with deliverables to finishing the thesis, and then negotiate to have my full research stipend reinstated. Building the \u201cnegotiate everything\u201d muscle has allowed me to have the confidence and communication skills to be able to have these difficult conversations and advocate for myself.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Ben\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n \n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Just wanted to share my 1% better. I truly believe in public media and while I haven't donated before, I donated on Giving Tuesday to support PBS. When I donated $60, I got a "passport membership" with full access to their content library with incredible amount of fantastic content like Ken Burns American Revolution, British shows, etc. Best $60 donation I've made!</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Trish\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n \n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">My 1% better has been to add one more pushup each day to my previous day's\nset. I started with 20 pushups in June, and just kept adding 1 more.\nToday I completed 117 pushups. One helpful tidbit, a few weeks ago I\nstarted playing "Eye of the Tiger" while doing the set. The song makes it\neasier to push through the reps.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Mark\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n \n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I had to reach out to share two life-changing updates I've had recently, both fueled by the FI mindset:</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The Family Geo-Arbitrage Win</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">My family and I just welcomed a baby in May, and this milestone unlocked our first big taste of geo-arbitrage! I was hired while pregnant by a company that offers a fantastic 7 months of paid maternity leave, plus 3.5 months of working from home afterward.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">With our NYC lease ending, we saw the perfect opportunity to cut anchor and become nomads. We threw everything into storage and started traveling the moment our little one hit two months old. So far, we\u2019ve enjoyed walking the canals of Amsterdam, spending three weeks with my family in Spain (including a week traveling the South), and we're currently wrapping up two months in Greece, living the local life for free at my partner\u2019s uncle\u2019s house.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Next stop is California for a month with more family and then another month of Airbnb. We\u2019re simply living week-by-week, seeing where the universe takes us.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The $200,000 Net Worth Crossover</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I have an incredible full-circle story to share. Two years ago, I was in the audience for the Afford Anything episode with you in Brooklyn. I distinctly remember asking for advice on reaching my first $100,000 in net worth\u2014a number that felt completely out of reach since my savings at the time were $0.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">I'm thrilled to tell you that my net worth is now over $200,000, split between VTSAX in my Vanguard brokerage and my 401(k). I have absolutely no consumer debt. I achieved this by aggressively funneling cash from several sources:</p>\n<ol style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin:0 0 16px; padding-left:20px;">\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">The sale of an apartment I owned in my home country.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Saving with my former employer's EESP plan which I sold and invested in VTSAX.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Maximizing my 401(k) to get my employer\u2019s full 50% match.</li>\n<li style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; margin-bottom:8px;">Directly investing every quarterly sales bonus and monthly stock award and buying VTSAX.</li>\n</ol>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Delia\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n \n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">This week, I made my life 1% better by reducing unwanted interruptions and mental clutter. I signed up at OptOutPrescreen.com to stop pre-approved credit and insurance offers from arriving in my mailbox, and registered my number at DoNotCall.gov to block telemarketing calls.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">These small steps will save me time, cut down on distractions, and help me stay focused on what actually matters\u2014without the constant background noise of unsolicited calls and junk mail.</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Damian\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div><div data-block="broadcast-blocks.community-spotlight"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%; margin: 16px 0">\n \n <td\n style="\n border-left: 4px solid #3b82f6;\n background-color: #eff6ff;\n border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;\n padding: 20px;\n font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;\n "\n >\n <p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">Hey Brad!</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">My 1% better is that I let my work know I am retiring! I hit my FI number\n(and then some) over the past year or so. I kept holding off thinking that\nthere was a layoff coming that would make the decision for me. Eventually,\nI realized that if I am going to make the leap I need to just do it. So I\ndid! By October I will be retired.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">When I started this journey, it was out of fear that an injury I had was\ngoing to end my career early. That fear transformed over time to\nexcitement when I realized I could both retire early and fight the effects\nof my injury with exercise and being more careful with how I moved around\nin the world. And now here I am, about to be retired at 44!</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">The advice you have provided over the years made it happen. Thanks for\neverything Brad.</p>\n<p style="font-family:-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif; font-size:16px; color:#3d3d3d; font-weight:400; line-height:1.5;">-Alex</p>\n <p style="margin: 12px 0 0; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; color: #1e40af">\n — Alex Loret de Mola\n </p>\n </td>\n </tr>\n </table>\n\n</div>"