9 to FI - Financial Independence Conversations

Elliot and Josh
  • 4.8 (8)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

9 to FI is a Financial Independence podcast hosted by Elliot and Josh from St. Louis. Together, we share honest commentary on our journey to FI—covering wins, challenges, and lessons learned along the way. With real conversations and practical insights, we aim to help others navigate the same path, taking Financial Independence from dream to reality.

  1. 1d ago

    Safari AI Syndrome | 9 to FI 060

    Tanzania Safari Highlights, Passive Income on Autopilot, and AI Disruption TalkJosh and Elliot discuss Josh’s recent first international trip: a two-week Tanzania safari organized by Kristen Knapp’s FI Friends Travel and “Safari Lauri,” which exceeded expectations and felt more like an adventure than a vacation. Josh shares a favorite memory of deciding via paper-rock-scissors with Swahili-speaking guides to take an optional afternoon safari that led to hearing week-old lion cubs and seeing their mother, and notes they saw the African Big Five plus many other animals, ate lamb, and learned basic Swahili. He reflects on limited internet, receiving rent and other income streams while away, and how language exposure in Frankfurt revived his old German and renewed interest in language learning. They then pivot to AI’s impact, including claims of open-source reverse engineering of Adobe and Microsoft Office and PS5 jailbreaking, and discuss work uncertainty. Elliot covers returning from physical therapy, difficulty forming a workout habit, and “one more year syndrome,” weighing FI timing and a future inflation-adjusted gift for his children amid job dissatisfaction, bad boss, and commute.00:00 Jet Lag Catch Up00:55 Safari Trip Setup03:10 Paper Rock Safari06:29 Lion Cubs Moment08:20 Food And Big Five13:36 Passive Income Autopilot16:34 Swahili And German19:52 AI Disruption Talk31:35 Workout Habit Building35:51 One More Year Debate46:44 Wrap Up And Feedback Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

  2. Oct 5

    Does Time Slow Down in Retirement? (plus One More Year Decision) | 9 to FI 059

    Does Time Slow Down After You Retire? (Plus: One More Year Decisions & FI Doubts)Josh and Elliot open by talking about Josh’s upcoming first international trip to Tanzania and a geography-trivia Instagram account. Josh shares that since retiring 17 months ago after a 25-year corporate career, time feels like it has slowed down. They discuss Josh’s informal “research” on time dilation, novelty, loss of external time markers, and keeping a steep learning curve through new projects. The conversation shifts to Elliot’s uncertain FI timeline: his job has worsened, he’s aiming to reach a bonus/RSU milestone, and he’s debating working longer to fund inflation-adjusted monetary gifts for his three kids, estimating he’s about 93% FI and wrestling with emotional versus mathematical readiness.00:00 Safari Travel Banter01:21 Geography Trivia Detour03:03 Retirement Time Slowdown06:49 Time Dilation Explained15:29 Keeping Novelty Alive23:15 Learning Curve and Drums25:21 One More Year Decision28:59 FI Math and Family Gifts38:27 Trusting the Portfolio48:11 Wrap Up and Safari Warnings Spotify: Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

  3. Sep 21

    Credit Card Hacking Mistakes and Delaying Early Retirement | 9 to FI 058

    Credit Card Hacking Mistakes, Annual Fee Cleanup, and Early Retirement Doubts Josh introduces a conversation with Elliot focused on credit card hacking and, later, Elliot’s thoughts about possibly extending his early retirement timeline. They discuss a St. Louis heat wave, their current FIRE stages (Elliot nearing retirement; Josh 1.5 years into early retirement after leaving work in April 2025), and listener feedback on fear of boredom. Josh shares a cautionary tale from years of chasing sign-up bonuses and referrals, accumulating a large stack of cards, failing to close unused accounts, and wasting an estimated $1,500–$2,000 per year in annual fees; they discuss tracking tools, closing cards, and temporary credit-score impacts. Elliot describes disliking his job, weighing an extra year to meet family goals, and interviewing internally to change his situation. They also cover post-retirement guilt, Elliot’s improving foot recovery while coaching soccer, and the growth of the St. Louis ChooseFI community activities. 00:00 Episode Setup 01:11 Heat Wave Catch Up 02:26 Where We Are Now 04:29 Boredom Before Retirement 07:09 Credit Card Hacking Pitfalls 12:13 Tracking Cards and Fees 15:00 The Stack of Cards 19:25 Elliot Weighs One More Year 24:46 Life After Retiring Feelings 33:00 Getting Active Again 35:20 ChooseFI Community Hikes 37:34 Thanks and Wrap Up Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

  4. Sep 14

    Spending on Convenience, Rental Deadlines, and a New Weekly Planning System | 9 to FI 057

    Spending on Convenience, Rental Deadlines, and a New Weekly Planning System Josh and Elliott catch up after a short break and note that releasing episodes every other week has coincided with a spike in views, listens, and listener feedback. They revisit their “spending on convenience” challenge: Elliott tried Aldi curbside grocery pickup and found it saved weekend time, while Josh sought quotes to outsource drywall and painting on a vacant rental but declined after receiving a nearly $7,000 estimate and deciding the money was better reserved for repairs he can’t do himself. Josh shares reframing the frustration of house projects, dropping self-imposed rental deadlines, and creating a “rental real estate investor policy” with notes per property to guide decisions when vacancies occur. He also explains restructuring his weekly planner by moving non-urgent tasks into categorized electronic lists reviewed monthly, reducing stress and perceived busyness. Elliott discusses current life stress, a failing water heater, and getting a new puppy, which led to canceling an October trip. 00:00 Catch Up and Feedback 01:54 Convenience Spending Check In 02:34 Grocery Pickup Experiment 03:27 Rental Rehab Quote Shock 07:33 Time vs Money Mindset 09:58 Rental Deadlines and Policy 13:54 Weekly Planner Overhaul 21:44 Feeling Less Busy Lately 23:51 Elliotts New Puppy Update 26:18 Wrap Up and Thanks Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

  5. Aug 31

    Fear of BOREDOM and losing the "big shovel" - approaching Early Retirement | 9 to FI 056

    Elliot’s Pre-Retirement Fears: Boredom, the Big Shovel, and Trusting the FI Math Josh and Elliot decide to continue the podcast after receiving encouraging listener feedback and invite more comments via email and Spotify. They focus on Elliot’s approaching planned exit from his W-2 job after March 1, 2027, timed to a mid-February bonus and RSUs vesting March 1, while noting he may pivot if circumstances change. Elliot describes an “existential” unease about early retirement, mainly fear of boredom and fear of giving up a lucrative “big shovel,” especially with three elementary-aged kids and future education costs. They discuss how FI “only solves money problems,” the mindset challenge of trusting the math versus analysis paralysis, and how surrounding influences can amplify worries. Elliot feels excitement and terror about owning his time but believes he could earn money again if needed, likely outside corporate work. They agree to revisit additional fears and later discuss drawdown strategy. 00:00 Welcome and Feedback 01:19 Elliot Retirement Setup 03:12 Target Date and Work Factors 06:08 Josh Retirement Lessons 07:32 Elliot Fears Boredom 09:45 Doubt and FI Mindset 12:16 Thought Experiment Without FI 16:42 Social Circle and Life Stage 20:38 Fear of Unknown Time 23:57 Contingency Plans and Barista FI 27:52 Mindset Shift After FI 29:05 Wrap Up and Next Episode Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

  6. Aug 17

    The Beginning Of The End? | 9 to FI 055

    Where Do We Go From Here? Rethinking the Podcast Cadence Josh and Elliot open by discussing 311 announcing a St. Louis show at The Factory in Chesterfield on November 11 (recorded August 11) and then shift to the future of their podcast after missing their first Monday release in a year. They compare it to pointless corporate reporting that no one noticed when stopped, noting they’ve received no listener complaints. They enjoy the conversations but find weekly editing, scheduling, and generating fresh topics increasingly taxing in a saturated personal finance/FI podcast space. They consider reducing frequency (possibly every other week), trying guests, solo episodes, or including their spouses, and they ask listeners for feedback and topic ideas, noting they average about 400 listens per episode. They also touch on Elliot being 6–7 months from retirement, Josh’s positive retirement experience, Elliot’s foot recovery and PT, and Josh’s colonoscopy with a benign polyp and a 7–10 year follow-up recommendation. 00:00 311 Show Excitement 01:34 Podcast Cadence Reality Check 02:09 Corporate Report Déjà Vu 06:09 Pros Cons of Continuing 08:45 Finding Fresh Topics 11:45 New Formats and Guests 13:19 Listeners Feedback Matters 17:16 Retirement Fears and Wins 20:34 Injuries Recovery Updates 21:41 Colonoscopy PSA 26:05 Wrap Up and Next Steps Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

  7. Aug 3

    Spending On Convenience | 9 to FI 054

    Convenience Spending Experiments: Lawn Care, Cleaning, Food, and Outsourcing for FI Josh and Elliot discuss “convenience spending” and how it fits into financial independence, comparing DIY habits with paying for services that save time or improve life. Josh shares success with professional lawn fertilization but struggles to outsource more, while Elliot happily pays for lawn mowing and considers home cleaning despite kids quickly undoing results. They cover other convenience spends and trade-offs, including haircuts, eating out, breweries/entertainment as community-building, and hiring a tax preparer for speed and confidence, especially with real estate. Josh describes negative experiences with contractors and quick-lube car maintenance, fueling his reluctance to outsource property management and repairs. They consider testing meal prep kits, grocery pickup/delivery, and house siding washing, and tie the topic to shifting from accumulation to drawdown and “Die With Zero” ideas. They agree to test outsourcing—Josh for real estate help, Elliot for house cleaning or grocery services—and revisit results in a month. 00:00 Convenience Spending Setup 01:39 Lawn Fertilizing Win 03:17 Paying for Lawn Mowing 06:10 Cleaning and Time Value 10:51 Haircuts DIY vs Pro 13:27 Eating Out as Convenience 16:00 Breweries and Community 18:24 Hiring a Tax Preparer 21:37 Real Estate Help Needed 24:44 Meal Kits and Groceries 29:48 House Washing Experiment 31:31 When Convenience Goes Wrong 34:43 Mindset Shift and Drawdown 40:10 Pick One Experiment 41:35 Wrap Up and Next Steps Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

  8. Jul 27

    Exploring New Perspectives at Camp FI | 9 to FI 053

    Camp FI Rocky Mountain Week 1.5 Takeaways: Community, Drawdown Strategies, and Life After FI Elliot and Josh recap their trip to Camp FI Rocky Mountain Week 1.5, comparing travel routes and sharing takeaways. Josh prepared by researching communication strategies to manage introversion and anxiety in groups, practiced meeting people, and noted how uniquely receptive the FI community is versus everyday life. They discuss the camp’s retiree-leaning vibe, insights from “veterans” on drawdown strategies and sequence-of-returns risk (including skipping COLA increases), and the challenge of giving themselves permission to spend after strong market returns and added income streams. Key themes include community as “chosen family,” physical and mental health, and sessions emphasizing emotional wellbeing and therapy. They mention mixed reactions to a crypto session, credit-card maintenance, using a fee-only advisor/CFP, 72(t) strategies, camp activities like hiking and pickleball, and Josh’s 4,000+ mile post-camp road trip and reflections on a personal “wonderful life” policy statement. 00:00 Saturday Morning Kickoff 00:27 Getting to Camp FI 01:48 Introvert Prep and Social Energy 06:37 Week 1.5 Vibe and Veteran Wisdom 09:57 Drawdown Strategies and Spending 15:43 Community and Friendship Building 23:51 Camp Highlights Pickleball and More 25:40 Rehab and Youth Sports Madness 31:53 Content Takeaways Therapy Focus 37:58 Finance Action Items CFP Cards 72t 44:10 Cons Sleep and Not Enough Time 49:02 Personality Types and Social Circles 53:20 Post Camp Road Trip Recap 57:49 Wonderful Life Statement and Wrap Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you! Contact Elliot: Elliot@ninetofipod.com Contact Josh: Josh@ninetofipod.com Josh’s other podcast: Stuck In Beta Josh’s YouTube channel: How To Fix It Workshop Any of these products help the show. Thanks for your support! Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to you We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠ ⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and Budgeting Wanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠ Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠ ⁠Want to save money on gas, groceries and dining out? Try ⁠Upside!⁠ Books mentioned in this episode: Come find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI

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4.8
out of 5
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About

9 to FI is a Financial Independence podcast hosted by Elliot and Josh from St. Louis. Together, we share honest commentary on our journey to FI—covering wins, challenges, and lessons learned along the way. With real conversations and practical insights, we aim to help others navigate the same path, taking Financial Independence from dream to reality.

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