We're calling it The Tuesday Project

Financial Independence doesn't buy a better vacation. It buys a better Tuesday.

I've been working on something that Erin and I have started calling ‘The Tuesday Project.’

It began with what seemed like a simple question:

In our perfect FI life, where would we actually want to spend an ordinary Tuesday?

Not vacation.

Not a bucket list trip.

Just...Tuesday.

Where would we wake up? Walk for coffee? Go to the gym? Buy groceries? Meet friends? Read outside? Take an evening walk?

It turns out that's a much harder question than asking where you want to retire.

For decades, we've been conditioned to optimize for the occasional spectacular experience—a week in Hawaii or a trip to Europe. But our lives aren't lived on vacation. They're lived on Tuesdays.

The more we work through this project, the more I realize that Financial Independence was never really about quitting work. It's about creating the freedom to design those ordinary days.

And here's the part I love most:

We're treating this like an experiment.

Maybe we think we want a mountain town, only to discover we miss walkability. Maybe we think we need a big city until we realize we'd rather hear birds than traffic. Maybe we'll spend a month somewhere and decide, "Nope, this isn't it."

That's not failure.

That's data.

Somewhere along the way, society convinced us that changing our minds means we made a mistake. I think the opposite is true. If you're gathering new information and updating your beliefs, you're doing exactly what thoughtful people should do.

Financial Independence isn't about finding the perfect life on your first attempt.

It's about buying enough freedom to iterate.

To test ideas.

To run experiments.

To discover that the version of success you imagined at 30 might be different from the one you'll love at 50.

The goal isn't a better vacation.

It's a better Tuesday.

If You've Been Thinking About Travel Rewards, This Is a Great Place to Start

If you've been thinking about getting started with travel rewards, this is one of the best opportunities we've seen in quite some time.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® card now features a 100,000-point welcome bonus after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months. The card has a $95 annual fee.

Beyond the bonus, there are two other changes I think are worth knowing about.

First, the annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit has doubled from $50 to $100, making an already excellent travel card even more valuable for many people.

Second, and this is the change that points enthusiasts are paying close attention to: new applicants now receive a 4:3 transfer ratio to Hyatt rather than the previous 1:1 ratio. Existing cardholders fall under a grandfather window for this benefit, so this change primarily affects those applying now.

This change is a bit disappointing, but I don't think it's a reason to avoid the card. Hyatt is still a fantastic transfer partner, even at a 4:3 transfer ratio, and many of my other favorite transfer options remain unchanged, including United, Southwest, and British Airways (which, somewhat counterintuitively, is one of the best ways to book American Airlines flights here in the U.S.).

As always, whether this card makes sense depends on your travel goals and your ability to responsibly meet the spending requirement. But if you've been looking for an easy way to begin building Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, this is one of the strongest welcome offers we've seen on this card.

You can check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card and my updated Top Ten Recommended Cards list on the ChooseFI website (this card took back the #1 spot with this update!).

Don't Hang Out With the Joneses

We've all heard the phrase, "Keeping up with the Joneses."

While listening to Diania Merriam on the Fit Rich Life podcast, she offered what may be the simplest solution to keeping up with the Joneses:

"The easiest way to not get wrapped up in keeping up with the Joneses is to not hang out with the Joneses."

It hits so hard because we know it to be true.

Our spending habits are heavily influenced by the people around us. If your friends are constantly upgrading cars, kitchens, and vacations, those choices begin to feel normal. Not because you need them—but because humans are wired to compare.

The opposite is true as well.

Spend time with people who value experiences over possessions, freedom over status, and time over things, and suddenly those values become normal too.

That's one of the greatest gifts of the ChooseFI community.

Instead of asking, "What car do you drive?" we ask, "How many years of freedom did that decision buy you?"

The people around you shape your default choices.

Choose them wisely.

ChooseFI Updates

ChooseFI Local Group Events: Take 30 seconds and sign up for your local group. Then sit back and get email notifications of the ChooseFI Local events in your area. This is a complete game changer and you'll never miss knowing about an event again.

Podcast Discussion: Join in and give us your thoughts on the podcast. Here's the link to Episode 603 where Brian Feroldi joins me to discuss the structural reasons why the stock market always bounces back.  This was a fascinating one!

Book Club: Ginger just told me the new book club book pick is Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money by Ken Honda.  She’s recording this episode with Jillian Johnsrud next month, so now is your chance to grab the book from your library and I’ll provide more details in future newsletters on how to submit your questions and comments. 

Travel Rewards Credit Cards: I keep my Top Ten Recommended Travel Rewards Cards page constantly updated, so it should always be your first source for your next travel rewards card. There’s a new number one card this week (see above), so check it out!

(Note: 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.)

ChooseFI Community Taking Action This Week