Doug and Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) answer questions from the listener mailbag. They discuss the benefits & timing of claiming Social Security and address criticism of prior comments about video games. Pete also provides an update on recent lifestyle changes, including insight into his personal spending & annual expenses.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

• Guitar Accessories
• Hiking & Outdoor
• Essentials for Sleep

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

• Pete Adeney/Mr. Money Mustache
• The FI Collective
• Mr. Money Mustache, “The Ultimate Life Coach”
• Mr. Money Mustache, “The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Social Security”
• Best Interest blog, “When the ‘Shockingly Simple Math’ is…Shockingly Wrong”
• Jesse Cramer on MHFI episode 236
• MMM on Tim Ferriss (2017)
• Mr. Money Mustache, “Retired Man Tries to Spend More Money, Mostly Fails”
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

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**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

2:56 Question – MMM lifestyle changes

8:54 Question – Video games

15:52 Question – Social Security

21:54 Claiming benefits vs. taxes & tradeoffs

29:42 Question – MMM annual expenses

35:37 The FI Collective

38:55 Soundcheck – Humidity

Doug chats with Carla & Robert about life after their 2019 sabbatical – including observations, lessons learned, and how they currently handle a “working when it’s optional” lifestyle. They discuss how to deal with boredom vs. the need to be productive, the importance of community, health/fitness motivation, the joys of discovering new hobbies, opportunity costs of continued work, and how to use sabbaticals as a test run for early retirement.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

• Guitar Accessories
• Hiking & Outdoor
• Essentials for Sleep

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

• Pennies and Popcorn YouTube
• Carla & Robert on MHFI episode 012
• Kevin Sebesta on MHFI episode 302
• Rebecca Herbst on MHFI episode 301
• James & Rachel fitness challenge
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

4:02 Taking a sabbatical

12:47 Observations from not working

18:22 Battling boredom

22:57 The need to be productive

27:36 Lean FI & spending

32:34 Opportunity costs of working

37:49 The value of sabbaticals

43:45 Fitness & health routines

48:05 Fitness challenge

58:40 Spending with intention

1:05:47 Soundcheck – Pennies and Popcorn

Doug chats with Amberly Grant (FinTalks) about how their views & mindsets around frugality have evolved and share recent spending decisions, especially around travel and “quality of life” purchases. They discuss the changing psychology of spending as income grows and the practical value of “removing negatives” from life.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

• Guitar Accessories
• Hiking & Outdoor
• Essentials for Sleep

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

• Amberly Grant
• EconoMe Conference
• Nuuly (subscription clothing rental)
• Rusty on MHFI episode 317
• EconoMe Conference, “Carl Jensen: FI-Landia Is A Lie. What I Learned on My Journey to FIRE”
• CampFI
• EconoMe Conference, “James Lowery: How to Become a Lazy Landlord”
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

1:13 Frugal roots & changing perspectives

7:06 Evolving spending habits

14:41 Delayed gratification purchases

20:12 Renting clothes & subscriptions

27:42 Fitness gear & gym memberships

36:11 Irrationality & sunk cost

41:02 Finally buying a new couch

50:00 Recent value purchases

55:55 Travel & subscription audit

1:00:03 FinTalks

1:04:24 Soundcheck – EconoMe presentation

1:11:23 Preparation for giving a speech

1:16:59 Observations & tips

Doug continues his conversation with Rusty about how to optimize the final year before (early) retirement. They discuss using debt responsibly, leveraging home equity & securities-backed lines of credit to maintain cash flow, navigating the complexities of post-retirement healthcare, and managing emotional & practical withdrawal strategies.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

• Guitar Accessories
• Hiking & Outdoor
• Essentials for Sleep

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

• Email Rusty: rustyfromco@gmail.com
• Rusty on MHFI episode 270
• Fit Rich Life episode 99
• Elizabeth on MHFI episode 312
• Fritz Gilbert on MFHI episode 315
• Kevin Sebesta on MHFI episode 302
• Mark Trautman on MHFI episode 313
• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

2:32 Mortgages, refinancing, HELOCs

9:18 Securities-backed line of credit

18:38 Healthcare after leaving work

24:23 ACA subsidy cliff

32:05 Withdrawal stress & strategies

40:03 Bucket strategy & a retirement paycheck 48:08 Donating to charity

55:06 Funding a 529 & legacy giving

1:02:45 Soundcheck – Beer

Doug chats with Rusty about how to optimize the final year before (early) retirement, emphasizing the critical distinction between “one more year syndrome” vs. a calculated final year and how working a little longer can lower withdrawal rates & reduce sequence-of-returns worry. They compare quitting to being fired or laid off and highlight some potential benefits such as severance, possible unemployment, and employer healthcare continuation. Rusty also shares some personal negotiation tactics when leaving a job.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

• Guitar Accessories
• Hiking & Outdoor
• Essentials for Sleep

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

• Email Rusty: rustyfromco@gmail.com
• EconoMe Conference
• Sarah Jaffe, “Work Won’t Love You Back”
  • Kindle
  • Hardcover
  • Paperback
  • Audiobook
• “Harlan County, U.S.A.” Movie
• Rusty on MHFI episode 304
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

2:37 Working one more year

9:19 Stock market risk & flexibility

15:13 Quiet Quitting playbook

23:28 Quitting vs. getting fired or laid off

30:41 Real-world cautionary tales

35:38 Tips for quitting & identity issues

43:02 New baby update!

51:51 Tales of a jacked math major

59:52 Soundcheck – Food

Doug and co-host Kristen Knapp chat with Fritz Gilbert (The Retirement Manifesto) at the EconoMe Conference about various drawdown strategies and spending in early retirement. Fritz describes how he personally implements a “bucket strategy” approach to withdrawing money by setting up a monthly “paycheck”, how decumulation differs from accumulation, and explains sequence-of-returns, inflation, & longevity risks. The group also discusses annual financial reviews, dynamic spending guardrails, viability of DIY investors, and intentional living.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

• Guitar Accessories
• Hiking & Outdoor
• Essentials for Sleep

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

• The Retirement Manifesto
  • Blog
  • “Our Retirement Investment Drawdown Strategy”
  • “Revisiting Our Drawdown Strategy After 3 Years of Retirement”
  • “Do You Really Need a Trust? And Other Estate Planning Questions Retirees Ask Most”
  • “How To Build A Bond Ladder”
• Freedom for Fido
  • Website
  • Facebook
• Fritz Gilbert, “Keys to a Successful Retirement”
  • Kindle
  • Paperback
  • Spiral-bound
• FI Friends Travel
• Big ERN/Early Retirement Now
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To...

Doug chats with Mark Trautman (Mark’s Money Mind) about the relevance of The 4% Rule in modern retirement planning. They explore whether it remains a solid “north star” for those in the accumulation phase or if it has become an outdated guideline that potentially hinders retirees from living their best lives. Mark also shares his personal transition from a high-saver to a strategic retiree focused on decumulation & creating memory dividends.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

• Guitar Accessories
• Hiking & Outdoor
• Essentials for Sleep

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

• Mark Trautman/Mark’s Money Mind
• David Chilton, “The Wealthy Barber”
  • Paperback
• William Bengen, “A Richer Retirement”
  • Kindle
  • Hardcover
  • Audiobook
  • Audio CD
• Retirement and IRA Show
• Bill Perkins, “Die With Zero”
  • Kindle
  • Hardcover
  • Paperback
  • Audiobook
• Big ERN on MHFI episode 280
• Aubrey Williams, “Everyone Adjusts! Use Historical Analysis Risk-Based Guardrails to Reach FI Sooner!”
• ProjectionLab
• MHFI Facebook group
• Doug’s site
• Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Support the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, PanCan, for the PurpleStride.

Donate here

PurpleStride is an inspiring event for anyone who has been affected by pancreatic cancer. We are raising funds to ensure vital research continues and free resources are made available to all who need them.

We’ll be at the Dallas event (PurpleStride) DFW. If the this episode is up, then donations are still open. Thank you.