Most people who retire early either hate their jobs or plan to pivot to something easier. At 51, associate professor Laura is walking away from a career defining genetic research — and wrestling with who she'll be when the lab coat comes off. Laura shares her experiences balancing the relentless pressure of grant-funded academia with raising two sons, detail ... Show More
Today
614 | Getting Personal with Personal Finance: Oz Chen
Most Americans never truly disconnect from work—even on vacation. After decades of tying your identity, daily rhythm, and sense of worth to a paycheck, stepping away feels less like freedom and more like freefall. Oz Chen spent years financially independent before he could accept ... Show More
1h 3m
Aug 12
612 | What Actually Happened? | Paige's FI Journey, Nine Years Later
Starting with negative net worth at 47 in Los Angeles on $58,000 a year sounds impossible. Yet Paige reached financial independence by 56, retired early, and now lives exactly the life she designed. This isn't theory — this is what happened nine years after her first ChooseFI app ... Show More
54m 36s
Sep 2025
226. “She’s chasing FIRE. I want to enjoy life now.”
Laura (34) and Cameron (38) earn over $200,000 a year and save thousands each month, yet every decision feels like a crisis. Laura, a first-generation Mexican American, grew up in financial chaos and now enforces strict rules, from tracking every purchase in YNAB to keeping Camer ... Show More
1h 35m
Mar 2021
175: Staying Flexible in Early Retirement with A Purple Life
Last time we talked to Purple from A Purple Life, she told us about her plan to retire at the end of 2020. If you haven’t listened to that interview, you can listen to it here to get the full scoop on Purple’s journey from a $5,000 net worth to hundreds of thousands within only a ... Show More
54m 36s
Jun 2024
MONEY DIARIES: She's Got The F.I.R.E
At 28 and after ten years of travel, fun, work and a bunch of health issues today's Money Diarist decided to change careers. She was broke starting over and owned nothing! And now at 38, she's kicked off a 12 year plan to retire at 50! How exactly is she going to achieve this? Tu ... Show More
41m 27s
Apr 2023
400: Mindy and Scott’s Money Stories and Why They WON’T Retire Early
Being able to retire early is a blessing and a curse. When you first start working a job, all you can think of is escaping your everyday responsibilities. The mind-numbing tasks, the early mornings, late nights, horrible bosses—it all adds up. But, you then find the “financial in ... Show More
52m 28s