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August 6, 2025 30 mins
What if everything you thought about personal finance was upside down? Forget the tired “save more, spend less” mantra — this podcast flips the script and reveals how financial independence is not about delayed gratification, but about unlocking true freedom and choice. Dive deep into a revolutionary philosophy that shows you how every dollar, every minute, and every decision is a trade-off — because you can afford anything, just not everything.

We break down the real secret to wealth: first-principles thinking. Imagine your financial life as a tree — your core values and life philosophy are the roots and trunk, grounding you. From there, your strategies and tactics branch out, growing stronger and more intentional. Learn the three essential steps to financial independence: grow the gap between income and expenses, invest that gap wisely (aiming for 20%+ savings), and repeat consistently. This isn’t a quick fix; it’s a lifelong journey to build resilience and intentionality in a volatile world.

If you’re ready to stop chasing money and start chasing freedom, this podcast is your new financial compass. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned investor, this fresh take on personal finance will challenge everything you thought you knew — and empower you to live life on your terms.

Tune in, transform your mindset, and take control of your financial future today. Hit subscribe and share this with anyone ready to break free from the paycheck-to-paycheck grind!


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/life-hacks-diy-more-transform-your-everyday-with-simple-tricks-and-diy-magic--5995484/support.
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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, imagine for a moment you could truly afford anything
you wanted.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
It sounds amazing, right, the dream.

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Yeah, the kind of freedom we all sort of crave
unlimited possibilities right there. But here's the catch, and it's subtle, but.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Well it's huge. You can't afford everything.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Ah, that distinction.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Yeah, it's such a.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
Tiny shift in words. Isn't it anything to everything?

Speaker 3 (00:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (00:24):
But it represents this massive gap in reality because you know,
every single choice we make, like from the huge life
decisions down to the tiny little daily habits, it comes
with a trade off always, And this isn't just about
money in the bank. It's about well, life itself.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
That tension you just laid out, that little difference between
anything and everything, It really snaps things into focus, doesn't
It swushes us towards deeper thinking. Right, Suddenly money isn't
just you know, cash for stuff. It becomes this this
prompt almost an invitation to really look hard at our priorities,
what we actually value deep down totally.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
It's like recalibrating your internal GPS. And that's exactly what
we're trying to do in this deep dive today. We're
going on a journey really exploring this powerful way of
thinking about managing our most valuable resources, the ones that
really matter. Yeah, we're going to unpack how getting a
handle on our financial choices, you know, the dollars and

(01:24):
sense decisions can actually ripple outwards and transform how we
manage everything else, our time, our energy, our focus, our
attention exactly, our attention ultimately our whole lives. So our
goal for you listening right now is to pull out
these core principles that can lead you, not just as
smarter money moves, but honestly to a life that feels
more intentional, more joyful, more fulfilling.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
It really is about cutting through all the noise, isn't it,
stripping away the surface stuff and getting down to the
absolute core of what makes us tick, what drives our decisions.
And I think what you'll find as we go through
this is that the rules for managing money they aren't
so from life. They're deeply woven into the principles for
managing life itself, like two.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
Sides of the same coin. Exactly. That's a great way
to put it.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
So let's really dive into that first big idea, the
one we kicked off with. You can afford anything but
not everything. This isn't just some catchy phrase, is it.
It's like a fundamental law of navigating life.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
A reality check.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, and when you really connect that to the big picture,
it shines a light on this basic truth. Every single
choice involves saying no to something else. Right, when you
consciously say yes to this one thing, you are, by
definition saying no to maybe thousands of other possibilities. It's
not a punishment, it's just well, it's the nature of choice.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
It is.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
And the source material we're digging into today really makes
this concrete with some great examples, like, think about it.
You might really value travel seeing the world, okay, Or
maybe you're a foodie you love amazing meals, or maybe
having a beautiful home is your top priority, And yeah,
you absolutely we can have any one of those, maybe
even two if you really focused. The problem where we

(03:04):
get tripped up is when we expect this like endless
series of ans. I want the amazing travel and the
Michelin Star dinners every night and the huge house of
the fancy car and the latest.

Speaker 4 (03:14):
Gadgets, and right right, that list just keeps growing, it does,
and chasing that everything, Yeah, that's what leads to feeling
stretched thin, or getting into financial trouble, or just feeling dissatisfied.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Which really begs the question why do we fall into
that trap so often? It feels almost instinctive, sometimes doesn't it.
Maybe it's advertising, maybe social media would be but it
just crashes head on into this basic trade off reality.
The source is really clear. You just can't have an
endless series of ants. And that's not meant to be
a downer, No, it's actually freeing in a way. It

(03:48):
forces you to pause, think and really prioritize what actually
brings you deep satisfaction, what lines up with who you
really are.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
And this is where it gets really interesting, because this
trade off thing, it's not just about money. It maps
directly onto all the other limited resources.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
In our lives.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Oh completely take time, for example, we all get twenty
four hours. That's the deal, no more, no less. So
if you decide to really commit to a big project
like I don't know, writing a book or learning guitar, okay,
that automatically means less time for other hobbies, maybe less
time hanging out with friends, maybe even less sleep.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Sometimes definitely less sleep sometimes.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Right, every hour you invest in activity a is an
hour you cannot invest in activity b It's basic math
for your life seconds exactly.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
Or think about focus, mental energy. That stuff is finite too,
maybe even more so these days with all the distractions.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Gotti got it.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
If you pour a ton of brain power into mastering,
say some complex new software for work, yeah, that same
cognitive juice just isn't available, not at the same level anyway.
If or learning a new language, or having those really deep,
emotionally taxing conversations, or starting a new creative project, our
daily mental bandwidth it runs out, and where we point

(05:03):
it matters a lot.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
An attention itself, especially now with phones buzzing constantly notifications everywhere.
Attention feels like the ultimate trade off.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
It really does.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Where you choose to put your focus, even for five minutes,
that's an active decision. Are you scrolling endlessly just consuming
stuff passively?

Speaker 3 (05:21):
Uh huh?

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Or are you really digging into a challenging article or
are you fully present with the person right in front
of you. Choosing one means actively not choosing the others.
The cost of misplaced attention is huge, and this.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
Leads to what the source calls the ultimate reality check,
and it's powerful life is the ultimate limited resource. Oh yeah,
that's the biggest trade off there is, the one you
can't undo. Every moment we spend on one thing is
a moment gone forever for anything else. That perspective really
lifts this whole conversation way beyond just balancing a budget,

(05:57):
doesn't it.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
It absolutely does.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
It makes it about consciously to designing your life before
well before you run out of moments.

Speaker 1 (06:03):
So, okay, what does this actually mean for us? For
you listening on a practical level, connection is super clear
in the source. When you practice being better at managing
your money, you practice being better at managing your life.
And that's not just a nice metaphor. It's like a
direct skill transfer. Yeah, think about it. The discipline it
takes to track your spending, to make intentional choices about

(06:24):
what you buy based on your values, to delay gratification
for a bigger goal. Yeah, those are the exact same
mental muscles you use when you plan your day around
your priorities, or when you decide which relationships get your
limited time and energy, or which goals you pursue.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
With real focus.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
That's so true, the awareness that money forces on you
when you actually pay attention to it. It spills over
into awareness about how you use all your resources.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
It's absolutely about cultivating that awareness. If you track where
your money goes, you inevitably learn a ton, not just
about spending, but about your underlying values right conscious.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
Or not totally.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
And similarly, if you were to track your time just
for a week, say, you'd probably get some major insights
into what you really prioritize. Maybe see the gap between
what you say matters and where your hours actually go.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
Oh, for sure, that can be eye opening.

Speaker 2 (07:15):
That self awareness. That's the foundation of living intentionally.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
And that's where the real change happens.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
Think about it.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
What specific lessons from managing money, like maybe consistently putting
aside ten percent for savings, could you apply to planning
your week, maybe blocking out specific time for deep work
or for exercise and really protecting that time, or making
sure you actively schedule time for the people who matter
most instead of just hoping it happens.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Yeah, for you listening.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
Take a second, can you think of a recent trade
off you made, maybe one you didn't even really think
about at the time. What did you choose and just
as key, what did you implicitly choose not to do
or not to have. As a result, the more conscious
we get about these everyday choices, the more control we have.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
That moment of honest reflection that's crucial. It takes this
big idea of trade offs and plugs it right into
your actual life, makes it real. It's a call to
wake up and be conscious.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
Okay, so let's switch gears slightly. Let's talk about a
really common mistake people make when they start thinking about
managing resources, especially money. The source points out that people
often jump straight to asking about a product or a tactic.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
Oh this is huge. I see this constantly. People want help,
and the first questions are almost always like should I
use this specific app? Or is now the time to
go all in on crypto? Or what's the best credit
card reward?

Speaker 3 (08:37):
Right? Very specific tools.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
Exactly, And look, those things matter eventually, tactics and products
have their place, But the problem is asking those questions first.
It's starting way too far down the decision making chain.

Speaker 1 (08:49):
Yeah, it's like trying to find your way out of
a huge forest by just staring at individual leaves.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
Now, uh, good analogy.

Speaker 1 (08:57):
You might find a really pretty leaf, admire its pattern,
but you have zero clue where you are, which way
to go, what the actual landscape looks like. You're just
wanting a loss. It's inefficient, frustrating, and you probably won't
get where you want to go. And that's exactly why
first principle's thinking is so critical here.

Speaker 2 (09:16):
First principles thinking. Yeah. The Source defines it brilliantly as
stripping away everything and really getting to the root of something.
It's this powerful way of thinking. Engineers use it a
lot that forces you to look past the surface symptoms,
the easy answers. It makes you ask, what are the
fundamental truths here, what's undeniably real? And how do we

(09:37):
build up from that?

Speaker 1 (09:38):
And to make this easier to grasp, the Source gives
this this fantastic analogy, the Tree of financial Wisdom.

Speaker 2 (09:46):
Love this analogy.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
It takes this potentially complex idea and makes it really visual,
really simple. We show this clear logical builds from the
ground up. It's a great framework for managing resources intentionally.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Let's break that tree down then, starting right at the bottom,
the part you don't even see but holds everything up.
The Source says, the roots of that tree are your values.
It's that question of what matters most the roots.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah, invisible underground, but absolutely essential. A tree can't stand tall,
can't weather storms, definitely can't produce fruit without strong roots,
And it's exactly the same with our values. If you
haven't done the work to figure out what truly matters
to you, like at your core, then any smart financial
move you make, any tactic, might actually take you further

(10:29):
away from a life you genuinely enjoy. You could end
it with a lot of money but feel completely empty
because your actions weren't aligned with your true norm.

Speaker 2 (10:38):
Which forces us to ask why are values the absolute
starting point? Why can't we skip that step? Good question,
because they define your why, there's the filter everything else
should flow from them. For instance, if you deeply value
say freedom and autonomy, okay, then your financial choices will
probably lean towards building passive income, avoiding debt like the

(11:01):
plague because debt limits freedom are right.

Speaker 3 (11:03):
Makes sense.

Speaker 2 (11:03):
But if you value community and connection above all else,
maybe you prioritize spending on experiences with loved ones, or
investing in a home where people feel welcome, or giving
back locally. Your values shape your motivation.

Speaker 1 (11:16):
It's amazing how much simpler complex decisions become when you
know your values is.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Oh, totally simplifies things.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
It can just wipe out whole categories of wants that
don't actually line up. If you truly value experiences over stuff.
Suddenly that super expensive new gadget or designer bag just
loses its power.

Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, the appeal vanishes.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
Not even a hard choice anymore because it doesn't fit.
That clarity saves you money, sure, but also mental energy,
maybe even guilty.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
So from those strong roots, the source says, grows the
trunk of the tree, which is your philosophy of life,
the type of life that you want to lead. And
from that philosophy your specific concrete objectives or your goals
start to take shape. This is where the abstract gets tangible.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
The trunk is like the bridge, right. It connects the
deep down values to the actual things you want to achieve.
It helps you articulate not just what you want, like
I want a house, but why yes?

Speaker 2 (12:11):
But why is key?

Speaker 1 (12:12):
What kind of life does that house support? If your
philosophy is about connection and community, maybe your goal isn't
a giant mansion, but a smaller place with a great
kitchen and space for people to gather.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
Right, maybe a big front porch instead of a high
wall exactly.

Speaker 3 (12:26):
The why shapes the.

Speaker 2 (12:27):
What, and that trunk gives you stability and direction. It
ensures your goals aren't just random whims you know, things
you saw on Instagram, but purposeful steps towards the life
you actually want. It helps you nail down not just
what you want, but why it matters so much, which,
let's be honest, is crucial for sticking with things when

(12:47):
they get tough.

Speaker 1 (12:48):
Absolutely so, Once that philosophy and those specific goals are clear,
really clear, then you move out to the branches of
the tree. These are your strategies, the source says. Now
that you know your full you know your goals, now
you can come up with strategies for how to obtain
those goals. Strategy is the plan, the roadmap.

Speaker 2 (13:08):
Yeah, strategy isn't just winging it. It's a thought out plan.
It's the how that flows directly from your why. If
your goal is, say, extensive world travel, and your philosophy
values minimalism and deep cultural immersion, then your strategy might
involve saving like crazy, maybe selling off a bunch of stuff,
and then figuring out how to live cheaply abroad, maybe
house sitting or finding local work. It gives your efforts direction,

(13:31):
stops you wasting time and energy.

Speaker 1 (13:33):
And finally, finally, once you have that solid strategy mapped out,
then we get to the leaves. Those leaves are the
tactics and the products.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
Finally, the leaves, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:44):
These are the specific tools, the budgeting apps, the investment types,
the savings methods, the credit cards. They're the concrete actions
you take every day or week, the practical.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
Stuff which brings us right back to that warning from
the source. If you're starting with the question about tactic
or product, you've got a leaf in your hand, but
you don't have that root system built yet.

Speaker 1 (14:03):
Such a crucial point.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
This is the core mistake so many people make. Without
that solid foundation, values, philosophy, goals, all your financial activity,
really any big life activity, just becomes random, aimless. You
get blown around by every new trend, every slick marketing campaign,
whatever your neighbor's doing. Instead of following your own internal compass,
you're just a leaf in the wind.

Speaker 1 (14:26):
It's like buying the most expensive high tech GPS system
you can find right, all the features, but then you
forget to actually type in where you want to go.

Speaker 2 (14:34):
Huh, exactly, pointless.

Speaker 1 (14:36):
It's the best GPS, but it's useless without a destination.
So for you listening, take a real moment here, honestly,
think about your own life, especially around money or time.
Have you been grabbing it leaves chasing the next tactic
or product without really tending to.

Speaker 3 (14:51):
Your roots first? What does that look like for you?

Speaker 2 (14:54):
It's so easy to jump straight into doing something. We
want quick fixes, but real progress, lasting change that almost
always starts with pausing, defining your purpose first. That clarity
changes absolutely everything.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
Okay, so we've established that knowing your values, building from
first principles, that's absolutely fundamental for navigating life today. But
let's be real for a sec A lot of traditional
personal finance advice it can feel like a total drag,
can't it?

Speaker 2 (15:19):
Oh? Yeah, dreary is a good word for it.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
The Source has a really sharp critique of this.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
It notes that personal finance often gets framed as just
delayed gratifications that you can have more money when you're
seventy five years.

Speaker 2 (15:31):
Old, And you have to ask, why does that framing
almost always fail to light a fire under people?

Speaker 3 (15:36):
Right?

Speaker 2 (15:36):
Because it feels so far away, It feels restrictive, there's
no immediate emotional payoff. It's just really hard to get
excited about something decades down the road, especially if it
means saying no to everything fun right now. Our brains
just aren't wired for that exactly.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
It's a tough sell when the reward seems abstract and
distant and the present just feels like constant denial. But
this is where the source offers this brilliant, really appealing reframe.
Thinking about the goal not just as more money later,
but is financial independence FI FI and the powers in
how this shift highlights it. Managing your money well leads

(16:14):
directly to this incredible flourishing of freedom, of opportunity, of choice.
It changes the whole vibe from scarcity and sacrifice to
abundance and possibility.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
That is the vision that grabs people. It's not just
about hitting some number in an account or even being
rich like we normally think of it. It's about unlocking
a completely different way to live. It's about getting to
a place where your most valuable resources, your time, your energy,
your creativity are actually yours to control, to direct how

(16:46):
you want, not just how you have to because of
a paycheck. That's incredibly liberating.

Speaker 1 (16:51):
So let's define FI clearly because it gets misunderstood a lot.
People think it means being a billionaire or something totally out.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Of reachsh a good idea.

Speaker 1 (16:59):
The core definition from the source is simple but really powerful.
FI is the point at which your potential passive income,
money that comes to you when you're sleeping, typically through investments,
is enough to cover your basic bills.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
Okay, let's break that down. Passive income that's money you
get without trading your time directly for it, like rent
from a property, dividends from stocks, interest from bonds, money
that keeps coming even if you're not actively working.

Speaker 3 (17:23):
Right, your money's working.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
For you exactly and crucially basic bills. This isn't about
funding a rock star lifestyle. It's about covering the essentials housing, food, utilities, transport,
basic health care.

Speaker 3 (17:38):
That distinction is key, it really.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
Is, because it shows FI isn't necessarily about being mega rich.
It's about fundamental freedom from needing to trade your irreplaceable
time just to cover your basic needs.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
And why does that specific point matter so much? Because,
as the Source says, when you hit that point, endless
options open up for you. That's the game changer, the transformation.
Once you achieve FI, you suddenly have real autonomy, You
can consciously choose what you actually want to do. The
sourceless some powerful examples. Yeah, you could happily stay in
your current profession if you love it, just knowing you

(18:12):
don't have to are. Or you could make a midlife
career change to follow a passion or all out that
terror of financial ruin, or maybe become a full time parent,
or travel the world indefinitely. The possibilities really do become endless,
just shaped by your own desires.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
And freedom isn't just about what you can do, is it.
It's maybe even more about what you stop having to do. Likewise,
like constantly stressing about how are you're going to keep
the lights on or are you going to keep the potstocked?
That background hum of financial anxiety that so many people
live with, it just fades away.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
Oh that's huge.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
It is, that shift from scarcity thinking to security and possibility.
It frees up so much mental and emotional energy. It's
profoundly liberating and.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
Really importantly, the pursuit of FI it's for everyone. The
Source makes a good point that the first steps will
look different depending on where you start a college kid
versus someone mid career. Sure, but the goal the principles,
the benefits through universal It's about empowering yourself, taking control,
designing your life, no matter your starting line. So for
you listening, imagine for a minute, really let yourself dream

(19:18):
if that constant financial pressure was just gone, what specific
endless option would mean the most to you? What would
you do, or maybe what would you happily stop doing?

Speaker 2 (19:27):
That kind of visualization is such a powerful motivator, isn't it.
It makes FA personal. It turns it from just a
number into a real, desirable future you can start building
right now. It gives the whole process purpose.

Speaker 3 (19:39):
Okay, so the big question, how do we actually do it?
How do we get to FI?

Speaker 1 (19:44):
It can sound overwhelming, maybe impossible at first, Yeah, but
the source boils it down with amazing clarity to just
three steps, elegant, simple but incredibly effective. Grow the gap,
Invest the gap. Repeat.

Speaker 2 (19:59):
Just three steps sounds easy.

Speaker 1 (20:01):
Well simple, maybe not easy, but this simplicity is powerful.
It focuses your effort, gives you a clear path. So
let's unpack step one. Grow the gap. Okay, that means
exactly what it says. Your main goal is to deliberately
increase the gap between what you earned and what you spend.
That's your surplus, your breathing room.

Speaker 2 (20:19):
And fundamentally, there are only two ways to do that right,
or usually some mix of both. What are they You
either earn more or you spend less. The source gives
good examples of which lever to pull depending on where
you are. Like, if you're just starting out first job
out of college, making twenty one thousand dollars a year,
then your main focus has got to be increase your income.

Speaker 1 (20:36):
Makes sense at that level. Cutting spending can only do
so much right, you'll hit bone pretty quickly.

Speaker 2 (20:41):
Exactly. So for that person, it's all about skills, investing
in yourself, climbing the career ladder, maybe finding side hustles.
It's about increasing your earning power first, investing in your
human capital.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
Oh okay, but what about the other side. What if
you're already making big dollars but you have a spending problem.
Lifestyle creep has gotcha.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
H Yes, very common scenario for that person, the low
hanging fruit. The quickest win is to tackle the spending.

Speaker 3 (21:10):
Just cut back.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
Well, yes, but crucially, the source adds, it's about addressing
the root psychological issues that are leading to that spending problem.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
Back to the roots.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
Again, exactly back to the tree. Why are you spending?
Is it keeping up with the jones? Is emotional spending
stress relief? Understanding the why behind the spending is way
more effective long term than just trying to root force cuts.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
That's such an important point. Our spending often isn't random,
is it. It's tied to deeper stuff.

Speaker 2 (21:39):
So often we're trying to fill a void, meet social expectations,
numb ourselves. Connecting spending back to your actual values makes
trimming the fat feel less like deprivation and more like alignment,
like empowerment.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
So for you listening, quick gut check right now today,
which path offers.

Speaker 3 (21:58):
The most potential for you?

Speaker 1 (22:00):
Is it focusing on earning more or is it getting
real about your spending and cutting things that don't truly
serve your values? Or maybe it's attacking both at once.

Speaker 2 (22:09):
Once you start making progress on growing that gap, step
two is critical. Invest the gap. This is where your
money starts doing the heavy lifting for you, and the.

Speaker 1 (22:16):
Source suggests a clear target here, aim to save and
invest at least twenty percent of their income. Twenty percent Okay,
it's really important to understand what save and invest means
here it's broader than just stocks, right.

Speaker 2 (22:27):
The source clarifies that this twenty percent includes several things. First,
making additional payments scores the debt above and beyond the
minimum requires.

Speaker 1 (22:35):
So paying down high interest debt counts absolutely.

Speaker 2 (22:38):
Paying off credit cards or personal loans. That's a guaranteed
return the interest you don't pay, huge investment in your
future freedom.

Speaker 3 (22:45):
Okay, what else?

Speaker 2 (22:46):
It also includes your core retirement savings, things like four
to oh one k or iras and investments in an
investment account like a regular brokerage for stocks, bonds, funds,
and super important, building up your emergency fund. The safety
exactly that three six months of expenses in cash. That's
what lets you handle surprises, job loss, medical bill without

(23:07):
wrecking everything or going into debt. It's your financial shock absorber.

Speaker 1 (23:11):
Now, that twenty percent that can sound like a massive
hurdle if you're nowhere near.

Speaker 3 (23:16):
It right now.

Speaker 2 (23:16):
For sure, it can feel impossible.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
But the source has this brilliant practical tip for getting there.
Gradually increase your savings rate by one percent and do
that every month or two.

Speaker 2 (23:26):
Ah the one percent solution.

Speaker 1 (23:27):
Love this genius, right, Instead of being paralyzed by the
big number. You just make these tiny, almost invisible steps.
You barely feel one percent, but it adds up massively
over time.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
It makes it achievable, sustainable. It acknowledges that building strong
financial habits, like any real change, happens step by step,
not in one giant leap like the source says. It
will take a few years, but you will over time
get to that twenty percent. Tark. It's about patience and consistency,
not perfection. Small, steady step win the race.

Speaker 1 (24:01):
Okay, so we've grown the gap, we're investing the gap. Yeah,
what's three step?

Speaker 2 (24:04):
Three repeat repeat? Sounds simple, deceptively simple, but it highlights
the crucial point. This is a lifetime practice, h not
a quick fix, definitely not. This isn't a fad diet
for your finances you do for six months. It's not
something you achieve once and then forget about. It's ongoing, continuous, exactly.
This is not a quick hit or something that's going
to happen overnight. True financial well being, true mastery of

(24:27):
your resources. It requires consistent effort, adaptability. Money management happens
for life.

Speaker 1 (24:33):
Because life changes, right, Your income changes, goals change, the
world changes.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
Precisely your circumstances evolve, the economy shifts, maybe your values
even subtly change over time. Your practices have to adapt too.
It's a living, breathing process.

Speaker 1 (24:48):
It's about building those deep habits that support your vision,
tweaking them is needed, and always making conscious choices aligned
with your values, consistency, patience, keeping that long view.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
They're essential, Which brings us to something really important, something
that often causes a lot of anxiety when we talk
about long term plans. Volatility, the feeling that the world
is just constantly unstable.

Speaker 1 (25:12):
Yeah, it definitely feels that way sometimes, like these are
uniquely crazy times.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
Understandable feeling, but the source offers this fantastic historical perspective
that really helps put it in context. How so it
basically challenges that idea head on. It reminds us pretty
bluntly that there has never been a point in history
when the world has not been volatile. Wow, oh, think
about it. One hundred years ago there was a massive
global pandemic that Spanish flu killed millions, and World War

(25:37):
One was raging, not exactly calm and stable, and that
was just the start of the century. A decade later,
the Great Depression, global economic meltdown, then World War II,
the most destructive war ever, and after that, event after
event after event, Cold War, energy crises, market crashes.

Speaker 3 (25:56):
Okay, okay, point taken.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
This isn't to downplay today's problems at all, but it
normalizes uncertainty. It shows us that upheaval, volatility, big scary events,
they're not new. They're kind of the norm for human history.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
That's actually kind of comforting in a.

Speaker 2 (26:14):
Weird way it can be. And what's really interesting is
the personal connection the source makes. The person sharing their
story actually came to FI because they were scared and
anxious about the volatility in my life and the world.

Speaker 3 (26:24):
So fear was the motivator.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
Not greed exactly. It wasn't about wanting a yacht. It
was a response to feeling vulnerable, anxious about the future,
and that anxiety led to becoming obsessed with saving as
much as I could. Not out of greed, but for security,
for a buffer, a very human reaction totally, and the
result it provided real psychological comfort. It allowed me to
not be so scared of the future. It felt psychologically

(26:48):
comforting to have these savings.

Speaker 1 (26:50):
That really drives home that FI isn't just about the numbers.
It's about peace of mind, emotional resilience.

Speaker 2 (26:56):
It's building your own personal safety net against the inevitable
bump in the road, an investment in calm.

Speaker 1 (27:02):
So, if fear is natural when things feel uncertain, how
do we use it productively instead of letting it paralyze us.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
Well, the source brings it back to a core truth.
Change is the nature of the world, the nature of time.
Fighting that reality exhausting, futile, adapting to it, accepting it.
That's where the power lies.

Speaker 1 (27:22):
Okay, So, if you're looking at everything going on, economics stuff,
global tensions, climate, job worries, whatever, and you feel that
fear rising, the advice from the source is clear and
it's powerful. Embrace it and use that fear as motivation
as fuel, fuel fuel to make wise decisions about how
you spend your money, your.

Speaker 3 (27:40):
Time, your effort.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Ah. So you channel the fear into action, into intentionality exactly.

Speaker 1 (27:46):
It's like alchemy. You take that raw potentially paralyzing emotion
and you forge it into a tool, a tool for
making better choices, for building security or being more deliberate.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
That's a really powerful reframe fear as fuel for smarter living.

Speaker 3 (28:01):
And the outcome.

Speaker 1 (28:03):
That's how you build a life that's more intentional, a
life you're actively designing based on your values, not just
reacting to headlines. And maybe the best part, as the
source says, and there's a lot.

Speaker 3 (28:13):
Of joy in that.

Speaker 2 (28:14):
The joy isn't just reaching the destination, is it. It's
in the.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
Process, right, the joy making conscious choices, living authentically, empowering
yourself against the unknown. So, for you listening, what fear
big or small could you reframe right now? What could
you use as fuel for one intentional decision today?

Speaker 2 (28:31):
That shift in perspective can unlock so much positive action.
It turns roadblocks into launch pads.

Speaker 1 (28:37):
So as we wrap up this deep dive, let's circle
back to the core message we've really explored how tackling
your resources, money, time, energy, attention, with critical thinking and
anchoring every decision in your deep values. That's the path.
That's the path to real freedom, to an intentional life.

(28:57):
And always keep that first principle in mind. You can
afford anything, but not everything.

Speaker 3 (29:03):
Let that guide your.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
Choices, and that tree of financial wisdom analogy, keep that handy.
It's such a useful check. Always ask yourself, am I.
Starting with the roots, or am I just grabbing for
leaves again?

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Yeah, I might chasing tactics before I know my why exactly.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
Values first, then philosophy, then goals, then strategy, then tactics.

Speaker 1 (29:21):
So thinking about that, we really invite you, our listener,
to consider just one small step, something tangible you can
do this week. Maybe it's finding one way to grow
the gap just a little, earn a bit more, spend
a bit less. Or maybe it's blocking out thirty minutes
to really think about your core values what truly matters most.

Speaker 2 (29:39):
Because remember, if life is the ultimate limited resource, then
every single choice, way beyond just money.

Speaker 1 (29:45):
Is an investment, an investment in what.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
An investment in the kind of life you're building, piece
by piece, choice by choice.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
Okay, so here's a final thought to leave you with
something to really mull over.

Speaker 3 (29:55):
After this discussion.

Speaker 1 (29:57):
If every choice really is a trade off, what amazing
possibilities might you be unknowingly trading away when you don't
take the time to define your values, to articulate the
life you truly want.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
And on the flip side, what incredible, joyful, liberating possibilities
might you unlock just by making those choices explicit, by
stepping fully into a life lived with intention,
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