Deepen Your Financial-Emotional Intelligence: Understand What Money Really Means to You

OMG...Did we just reach Coast FI?!

OMG. We think we may have reached Coast FI. In this episode, we revisit the Coast FI calculator from The Fioneers and compare where we are now versus just 8 months ago when we believed we were still 1–5 years away from this milestone. After double checking the formulas (twice 😅), we realized something wild: depending on the assumptions, we may already be there.  We break down: • What Coast FI actually means (and why it’s different from traditional FIRE) • Strategies we used that accelerated our timeline • How small changes in assumptions (retirement age, average rate of return) make a huge difference in the Coast FI threshold number • How maxing pre-tax retirement accounts before brokerage accounts reshaped our approach • The emotional whiplash of realizing “we made it”… and not fully trusting it We also talk honestly about: • Our “One more year” syndrome • Fear around market swings and job transitions • Why financial milestones don’t magically erase anxiety • How our recent financial calamities shaped our preference for safety and cash reserves This episode became less about spreadsheets and more about the emotional threshold; noticing our disbelief and skepticism while still allowing ourselves to imagine a different life, one with more spaciousness, family time, health, creativity, and less hustle. Plus, Rascal shares excitement about attending the Slow FI Retreat hosted by The Fioneers — at what feels like the exact right moment in our journey. 🔗 Coast FI Calculator by The Fioneers:  https://thefioneers.com/coast-fi-calculator [https://thefioneers.com/coast-fi-calculator] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465768/fan_mail/new] Check out our Resource Doc:  * https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing] And our IG account @tryingforfi

Deepen Your Financial-Emotional Intelligence: Understand What Money Really Means to You

**Activity guide sheet in our Resource Doc! [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing]** This week, we’re bringing a new lens to the podcast: financial therapy. Rascal puts on their therapist hat to help us explore hidden emotional relationships to money — especially in partnerships. Using a framework called Internal Family Systems (or “parts work”), we explore how different aspects of ourselves show up during financial decisions — from fear and shame to protection and power. These “parts” influence how we budget, spend, save, and show up in our financial relationships. We talk about:  • Why money decisions in couples can feel so personal — and what’s actually going on underneath  • How to identify your own “money parts” and recognize your partner’s (without blame or shame)  • A simple practice to begin noticing and naming your emotional patterns around money  • How this work supports your FIRE journey — especially during moments like reaching Coast FI or hitting big setbacks Whether you’re in a relationship or not, this episode will help you reflect more deeply on what money means to you — stability, freedom, care, obligation, control, connection — and how those meanings may shift over time. This is not financial advice. It is emotional insight that can help you build deeper intimacy, greater self-awareness, and more clarity on your path toward financial independence. Teaser: We also hint at a future episode on using EMDR for money beliefs and FI-related emotional blocks. #financialtherapy #moneyandemotions #internalfamilysystems #moneyintimacy #firewithkids #coastfi #financialindependence #emotionalwealth #moneyanxiety #financialintimacy #partswork #moneyhealing #fiemotions Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465768/fan_mail/new] Check out our Resource Doc:  * https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing] And our IG account @tryingforfi

Stronger Together: How 4 Financial Calamities Deepened Our Financial Intimacy on the Way to Coast Fi

In this episode, we reflect on four major financial “calamities” that hit our family between 2022 and now — and how those moments shaped our growth, resilience, and intimacy as financial partners. While none of these events left us without food or housing, they were significant outflows relative to what we were earning and saving — emotional, destabilizing, and deeply instructive. We share stories and insights from:  • 2022: The birth of our youngest, with zero paid leave and unequal income  • 2023: Purchasing a second home and the financial power dynamics it exposed  • 2024: Major water damage and temporary relocation (“our house broke,” said the toddler)  • 2025: An expensive legal process — and the emotional cost of drawing down our emergency fund Through each “blip,” we explore:  • The evolution of our financial intimacy and shared decision-making  • How we transitioned from separate money to a one-pot model  • What it’s like to max out your credit cards and still believe in your plan • Why emergency funds are non-negotiable (even when you hate tapping them) • The inner work Rascal did to manage money anxiety, and how Fetch gained financial voice This isn’t a step-by-step guide. It’s a real-time, real-life glimpse into what wealth-building looks like when life throws curveballs—and why we still believe in financial independence as a path to deeper connection, even when the journey gets messy. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465768/fan_mail/new] Check out our Resource Doc:  * https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing] And our IG account @tryingforfi

Slower Meals, More Field Trips: Coast FI Dreams from the Daily Grind

What would your life look like if you hit Coast FI tomorrow? In this light, personal episode, we let ourselves dream a little—and reflect on how our day-to-day lives might shift if we no longer had to save for the future. We revisit the definition of Coast FI: that moment when your retirement savings are set, and future contributions aren’t necessary. You still work to cover today’s expenses, but now you can choose to earn less, work fewer hours, or be more intentional with your time. We explore:  • How Coast FI would reshape our family rhythms and weekday routines  • Why things like cabbage slaw, early preschool pickups, and field trips matter so much  • How we’d invest more time into food, fitness, relationships, nature, and rest  • The tension between dreaming of FIRE and recognizing the joys that Coast FI could bring much sooner This isn’t about luxury travel or early retirement—it’s about presence, connection, and savoring the ordinary joys that often get squeezed out by second jobs and side hustles. If you’ve ever wondered what all this money work is for, this episode will help you reconnect with the quiet, meaningful parts of life that Coast FI can open up. #coastfi #financialindependence #firewithkids #financialfreedom #whatisweath #slowliving #familywealth #parentingandmoney #lateFIstarters #financialmindset #dailyjoys #coastfilife Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465768/fan_mail/new] Check out our Resource Doc:  * https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing] And our IG account @tryingforfi

We Used ChatGPT to Analyze 47 Retirement Funds—Here’s What We Found

In this episode, we pick up where we left off on our Coast FI path—and dive into the real-life, real-time process of choosing 403(b) (or 401(k)) funds that match our values, fees, and family cash flow. We talk about:  • Why we decided to prioritize Fetch’s 403(b) over Rascal’s SEP (for now)  • How we used ChatGPT to analyze 47 different fund options from scratch • What we learned about expense ratios, ESG investing, and Fidelity vs. non-Fidelity funds • Why our paycheck flow is temporarily upside down — and how that’s reshaping our money habits • The psychological challenge of shifting control, roles, and comfort zones around who’s “managing” what This is a deep and practical episode for anyone who: * Wants to DIY their 403(b) or 401(k) investments * Is navigating self-employment + W2 income trade-offs * Is learning to balance values-based investing with expense ratio realities * Is late to FIRE but trying to build systems that work for your real life Plus: we tease an upcoming episode that will question whether ESG funds are truly aligned — or just shiny distractions with high fees. Stay tuned. #403b #401k #firemovement #coastfi #esginvesting #expensetratio #diyinvesting #chatgptandmoney #retirementsavings #valuesbasedinvesting #financialindependence #familyfinances #financialdecisions Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2465768/fan_mail/new] Check out our Resource Doc:  * https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_j7CHmbRZsZgWC-SWLIQcunmJdpkEDUsdfhWA1FW04s/edit?usp=sharing] And our IG account @tryingforfi