ChooseFI Classic: Financial Independence on an Ordinary Income (Paige & Sam)

Paige started her journey to financial independence at 45 with student loans, negative net worth, and an average income in Los Angeles—yet she'll reach FI by 2025. Sam lives on $12,000 per year in the same expensive city and champions "retiring often" instead of early retirement. Together, they prove that every excuse about FI being impossible is just a limiting belief waiting to be shattered.

Key Topics Discussed

Introduction and Context 00:00:00 Brad provides context for this 2017 episode, explaining how Paige challenged their limiting belief about achieving FI in high cost of living areas.

Paige's FI Discovery 00:05:00 Paige shares how she discovered FI at 44 after getting her first 'real' job, introduced by Sam to Mr. Money Mustache, and started her journey with negative net worth.

Sam's Early FI Journey 00:15:00 Sam discusses how his parents automated investing for him, the importance of starting early, and his approach to 'retiring often' instead of just early retirement.

Living on $12,000/Year in LA 00:25:00 Sam breaks down his extraordinarily low burn rate in Los Angeles, including creative housing solutions, no car payments, and extreme DIY lifestyle.

The Alley Will Provide 00:35:00 Paige and Sam discuss their non-minimalist approach to possessions, finding everything from vacuum cleaners to furniture in alleys and thrift stores.

Housing Arbitrage and The DIY House 00:45:00 Discussion of how they purchased a house with a gas leak for $475k in LA, using Sam's DIY skills to make it work despite traditional financing challenges.

Breaking Down Limiting Beliefs 00:55:00 Paige addresses common excuses for not pursuing FI: late start, student loans, high cost of living, average income, and shows how she's overcoming each.

Path to FI by 2025 01:05:00 Paige outlines her concrete plan to reach FI with less than $500k, leveraging the age 55 rule, catch-up contributions, and eventual Social Security.

Hot Seat Round 01:15:00 Rapid-fire questions covering favorite blogs, articles, life hacks, biggest mistakes, and advice for their younger selves.

Notable Quotes

"The alley will provide." — Paige

"Don't retire early, retire often." — Sam

"The best time to start investing was twenty years ago. The second best time is today." — Sam

"Earning more, but still living on thirty, I feel so much freer. It feels so different." — Paige

"Forgive yourself for not having done it sooner. Because if you get hung up on that, you're just going to get stuck." — Sam

Key Takeaways

• Calculate your own FI number using 25x your annual expenses, then work backwards to determine your timeline
• If you have kids, automate investing for them early—open accounts and make saving the default, not a decision
• Explore creative housing solutions in your area: roommates, house hacking, or arbitraging neighborhoods for lower rent
• Learn one new DIY skill per month using YouTube—start with something currently costing you money (car maintenance, home repairs)
• If you're over 50, maximize catch-up contributions to retirement accounts and research the age 55 rule for your 401(k)
• Track where free resources appear in your community—thrift stores, community boards, bulk trash days, online marketplaces
• Set up automatic transfers to investment accounts to remove decision fatigue and make saving the default

Resources and Links

• ChooseFI Episode 041 (original)
• Mr. Money Mustache Blog
• Mad Fientist Blog
• Jim Collins stock series