Since discovering financial independence, I have focused on wealth-building: choosing the right accounts, investing wisely, and cutting expenses to save more. But now that I’m approaching my FIRE number, a new question has emerged—what happens after I reach financial independence?

On one hand, there’s the technical side: What’s the best way to withdraw from my nest egg? This is something I hadn’t given much thought to until now.

But beyond the finances, the bigger question is: What changes in life? Will I still scrutinize every expense? Do I worry about major market news? And most importantly, how do I want to spend my time?

I need some guidance, and I’m guessing you do too, so I asked Jeremy Schneider to come to demystify life after reaching financial independence. Jeremy Schneider is the creator of the popular Instagram account, Personal Finance Club. He’s also the co-founder of Nectarine, a marketplace for advice-only financial advisors.

Before launching Personal Finance Club and Nectarine, Jeremy built and sold a technology company for $5 million, achieving financial independence. This sum of cash catapulted him into financial independence. He had to answer the important questions quickly and in this episode, he shares what he learned from that experience.

Whether you’re nearing your FIRE number or simply curious about what life looks like after financial independence, this episode is for you.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with the man trying to bring light on the financial advising industry…Jeremy Schneider.

Key Takeaways:

• A simple draw-down strategy for post-FI
• Finding purpose when work becomes optional
• Making peace with your life-long frugal habits
• What’s broken about the financial advising industry

More of Jeremy:

Get Financial Help: www.hellonectarine.com

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Connect with Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinleepeters/

Why save and invest? It’s a rhetorical question, but let’s think it through.

When you save and invest, you’re sharing financial resources with your future self. This means your future self won’t have to worry about earning money. With that financial freedom, you gain time—the time you would’ve spent working. And with more time, you have more freedom to choose how to you spend your time.

You might ask yourself, "What do I want to do with my time?" Maybe it’s traveling, exercising, or catching up on sleep. But then what? That question often leads to something deeper—finding your purpose.

That’s a topic my friend Jordan Grumet, aka Doc G, knows a lot about. As a hospice doctor and the author of The Purpose Code, Jordan has explored purpose, connection, and identity in depth.

In this episode, he shares insights from his latest book and helps answer the big question: “How do I find my purpose?”—or if it even needs to be found.

If you’ve been reflecting on your purpose, well buckle up, this episode is for you.

Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation with the hospice doctor and author of the newly minted book, The Purpose, Code..Jordan Grumet.

Key Takeaways:

• How collections can bring you joy
• Little P purpose vs big P purpose
• The importance of the climb
• The 3 levers to create a more purpose-filled job
• How to create your purpose instead of find it
• Using a life review to identify what’s important to you
• Prioritizing community and connection

More of Jordan:

Order Jordan’s book, The Purpose Code at https://jordangrumet.com/books/.

Listen to Earn & Invest at https://www.earnandinvest.com/.

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Connect with Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinleepeters/

Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? With a little bit of creative frugality, I think it is possible to live below your means and buy the things that bring you joy.

What do I mean by creative frugality? It is a two-part process. Number 1, identify the things you value and stop spending money on the things you don’t. That is what today’s guest calls value-based spending. Number 2, get creative with the rest of your spending.

Let me give you an example. I have a friend that loves to try new restaurants but she hates spending money on dining out. So what did she do? She started an Instagram page where she reviews new restaurants that opened up in Austin. She reaches out to restaurants she wants to try and many of them invite her in and comp her meal. Sure it takes a little hustle but you know what that friend told me? She loves creating this content for her Instagram and she is enjoying getting to know the people who make up the restaurant scene in Austin.

I’m not advocating you do this for every one of your spending categories. I’m just saying, think outside the box and experiment a little.

This is exactly what Jill Sirianni did. While she was working to pay off $60,000 of debt on a social worker's salary, Jill knew she had to get creative. Housing cost is nearly unavoidable for everyone but Jill stepped back and asked “How could I spend less on housing but still have a home I love?”

She found an opportunity to house-sit in a friend’s log cabin while they did some extended traveling. After that, Jill did two different stints living in an RV. She saved a ton of money, and similar to my friend, she actually enjoyed it.

Now that her debt is paid off and Jill is financially well off, she bought a home in St. Petersburg FL but Jill told me she still cherishes the years she lived in the RV with her husband and it really made an impact on how she lives today.

Nowadays, Jill is doing some cool stuff co-hosting the Frugal Friends Podcast and authoring the soon-to-be-released book, Buy What You Love Without Going Broke.

It was a blast talking to Jill. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the licensed clinical social, gardener, and lover of the simple things…Jill Sirianni.

Key Takeaways:

• How to identify what you want
• Values-based spending
• Frugality vs scarcity mindset
• Limitations lead to creative problem-solving
• How to give during the holidays without breaking the bank
• Affordable housing alternatives
• The benefits of frugality outside of saving money

More of Jill:

Frugal Friends Podcast: https://www.frugalfriendspodcast.com/episodes/

Buy What You Love Without Going Broke: https://www.frugalfriendspodcast.com/pre-order-buy-what-you-love-without-going-broke/

More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Connect with Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinleepeters/