You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
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You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
#646: Picture this: your 11-year-old son comes home from a friend's house and asks why you don't have a basketball court in your basement like his buddy's family.
Instead of just saying "we can't afford it," you explain that having one would mean dad goes back to working 60-hour weeks and traveling constantly.
Your son thinks for a moment and says, "No thanks, I'd rather spend time with you."
Andy Hill found himself having exactly this conversation with his son — and it perfectly captures the philosophy that led him and his wife to redesign their entire approach to work and family life.
By age 40, Andy and his wife Nicole had built a $500,000 investment portfolio and paid off their house completely. But instead of continuing the corporate grind toward traditional retirement, they made a radical choice:
They both switched to part-time work, roughly 20 to 25 hours per week each.
Andy joins us to share a 10-step plan for anyone who wants to also switch to a model in which BOTH parents work part-time.
We discuss the concept of Coast FIRE – the point where you've invested enough that your money will grow to a comfortable retirement without any additional contributions. Think of it as eliminating your biggest monthly "bill" – retirement savings.
Once Andy and his wife hit this milestone, they could afford to earn less and live more.
The conversation covers Andy's 10-step framework for achieving this lifestyle, from dreaming about what you actually want to eliminating debt to building what he calls "FU money" — the cash cushion that gives you confidence to make bold career moves.
Resources mentioned:
Andy Hill's book on Amazon: Own Your Time
Marriage, Kids, and Money Podcast
(4:01) Why the shift(5:35) What their life looks like now
(9:08) Why extremes didn’t work for Andy and Nicole
(14:45) Step 1 Dream and define your ideal life
(18:21) Step 2 Commit to living without high-interest debt
(20:38) Step 3 Protect your family (insurance, estate plan, emergency fund)
(27:04) Step 4 Invest to reach Coast FIRE
(30:29) Step 5 Pay off your home (or optimize if renting
(36:21) Step 6 Stockpile FU money
(47:53) Step 7 Design a three-day workweek
(57:02) Step 8 Plan your intentional four-day weekend
(1:02:39) Step 9 Simplify to avoid lifestyle creep
(1:08:56) Step 10 Teach your kids the path to time freedom
Share this episode with a friend, colleagues, or with your neighbor with the tricked-out basement : https://affordanything.com/episode646
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Afford Anything
You can afford anything, but not everything. We make daily decisions about how to spend money, time, energy, focus and attention – and ultimately, our life.
How do we make smarter decisions? How do we think from first principles?
On the surface, Afford Anything seems like a podcast about money and investing.
But under the hood, this is a show about how to think critically, recognize our behavioral blind spots, and make smarter choices. We’re into the psychology of money, and we love metacognition: thinking about how to think.
In some episodes, we interview world-class experts: professors, researchers, scientists, authors. In other episodes, we answer your questions, talking through decision-making frameworks and mental models.
Want to learn more? Download our free book, Escape, at http://affordanything.com/escape. Hosted by Paula Pant.
