How to Save 50% of Your Income Without Sacrificing Your Lifestyle
What if we told you that your path to financial independence isn't about picking the perfect stocks, timing the market, or earning a massive salary? In this revealing episode of BiggerPockets Money, hosts Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench cut through all the noise to focus on what actually matters: your savings rate. This isn't just theoretical advice—Mindy and Scott get personal, sharing their own savings journeys, including the costly mistakes they made and the pivotal breakthroughs that transformed their financial lives.
This episode completely reframes the conversation around saving money. Instead of extreme penny-pinching that breeds resentment, Mindy and Scott explore "creative frugality"—intelligent strategies that help you save significantly more without feeling deprived. From small incremental changes that compound into thousands of dollars annually to innovative approaches for slashing major expenses, you'll walk away with immediately actionable tactics that prove financial independence isn't about sacrifice—it's about smart optimization.
This Episode Covers:
Why your savings rate matters more than your investment returns or salary
Mindy and Scott's personal savings rate journeys and biggest mistakes
Lifestyle optimization strategies that boost savings without reducing happiness
The psychology behind sustainable high savings rates
Creative approaches to cutting your three biggest expenses
Why starting a side business accelerates your FIRE timeline
Investment strategies that support aggressive savers
How to increase your savings rate at different career stages
Common savings rate mistakes that derail FIRE progress
How small changes compound into life-changing financial results
And SO much more!
00:00 How to Supercharge Your Savings Rate
01:14 Mindy and Scott’s Savings Rate
03:40 Strategies for High Savings Rates
11:50 Creative Ways to Reduce Expenses
20:02 Increasing Income
26:06 We want to hear from you!
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Mr. Money Mustache’s Simple Secret to Retiring Early in Your 30s
Pete Adeney, aka Mr. Money Mustache, joins BiggerPockets Money hosts Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench to break down the shockingly simple math behind early retirement. The man who started the FIRE movement and retired at 30 reveals why most people are overcomplicating financial independence—and why your savings rate is literally the only number that determines when you can quit your job.
Pete doesn't just share theory—he walks through the real strategies, investment decisions, and mindset shifts that allowed him to achieve financial freedom in his thirties. Whether you're new to FIRE or looking to optimize your current approach, this episode cuts through the noise to deliver the foundational principles that actually work.
This Episode Covers:
The one metric that determines your entire FIRE timeline
Why saving 50% gets you to FI in just 17 years (and the math behind it)
How Pete retired at 30 and what his portfolio looked like
The psychology of frugality and why it's actually liberating
Pete's current thoughts on real estate investing for FIRE
His take on Bitcoin and alternative assets in a FIRE portfolio
Common FIRE mistakes that derail people's progress
Why your income level matters less than you think
Practical strategies for increasing your savings rate immediately
The mindset shifts that make extreme saving sustainable
And SO much more!00:00 The Basics of Early Retirement
01:02 The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement
01:21 Understanding Your Savings Rate
05:41 Pre-Tax Savings and 401k Considerations
11:06 The 4% Safe Withdrawal Rate
13:09 Seven Levels of Safety in Early Retirement
28:44 The $50,000 Earner
31:51 Raising Kids on a Budget
35:17 Health Insurance in Early Retirement
41:39 Real Estate as a Retirement Strategy
46:41 Bitcoin and Speculative Investments
51:19 Connect with Mr. Money Mustache
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How to Make Your FIRE Portfolio Even MORE Passive (Finance Friday)
Today on the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, we're diving into an incredible success story. Meet Beau, a retired military professional who built a massive real estate empire and achieved financial independence in his thirties. But here's the twist: even with a winning formula, Beau wants his investments to work even HARDER while he works even LESS.
In this Finance Friday episode, Beau opens up his entire financial playbook with hosts Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench. We're talking rental properties generating serious cash flow, private lending deals that most investors don't even know exist, and tax strategies so advanced they'll make your accountant jealous. This isn't your typical "I bought a duplex" story—this is next-level wealth building.
If you're serious about real estate investing and want to see what's possible with the right strategy and execution, this episode is packed with actionable insights.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Beau's complete real estate portfolio breakdown and current cash flow numbers
Advanced private lending strategies that generate consistent returns
Tax optimization techniques for real estate heavy portfolios
How to transition from active to passive real estate investing
Strategic property sale timing and 1031 exchange considerations
The pros and cons of private money lending versus traditional investments
Portfolio diversification strategies for real estate investors
How military discipline translated into investment success
Specific steps to make your real estate investments more hands-off
Risk management strategies for high-net-worth real estate portfolios
And SO much more!
00:00 Beau’s FIRE Journey
02:43 Beau’s FI Number
04:52 Exploring Passive Income Options
09:53 Private Lending and Real Estate Portfolio Analysis
19:17 Evaluating Property Performance and Future Plans
28:54 Exploring Arbitrage in Real Estate Lending
33:32 Amortization and Long-Term Financial Planning
36:34 Balancing Private Lending and Real Estate Investments
44:32 Tax Strategies and Portfolio Diversification
54:51 Connect with Beau!
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Mindy Tracks Her Net Worth Live w/ Monarch Money
Ever wondered how financial experts ACTUALLY manage their own money? Mindy Jensen opens her real financial accounts LIVE on this episode!
In this groundbreaking BiggerPockets Money podcast episode, hosts Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench deliver unprecedented financial transparency. Mindy tracks her personal net worth and finances in real-time using Monarch Money, giving you an authentic behind-the-scenes look at how a financial expert truly manages her money.
This Episode Covers:
Live demonstration of actual account connections
Mindy's real spending patterns and financial habits
Advanced Monarch Money features most people miss
How to automate your entire financial tracking system
Why regular financial reviews change everything
Exclusive listener discount for Monarch Money (Get 50% off your 1st Year with the Promo Code POCKETS)
Whether you're drowning in financial chaos or ready to level up your money management game, this episode shows you exactly how to centralize and streamline your finances like a true professional.
00:39 Why We Love Monarch Money
01:50 Tracking Your Net Worth
06:29 Setting Up Your Monarch Money Account
16:39 Budgeting How To
22:06 Tracking Spending
25:05 Total Net Worth
27:48 Setting Up Monarch Money
35:11 Sign up for Monarch Money Today!
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The Secret to Retiring Early AND Spending More Money
Retire earlier. Spend more. Live better. For most people, these sound like mutually exclusive goals—you can pick one, maybe two, but certainly not all three. Financial planner Aubrey Williams is here to prove that conventional wisdom wrong.
Joining BiggerPockets Money hosts Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench, Aubrey introduces his revolutionary guardrails strategy that completely flips traditional retirement advice on its head. Instead of the rigid, fear-based approach that dominates most retirement planning, Aubrey's method shows you exactly how to create flexible spending rules that respond to real market conditions.
This isn't just another investment strategy—it's a complete mindset shift. Aubrey walks through the psychological barriers that keep retirees from actually enjoying their money, then provides the practical tools and historical evidence you need to overcome them. Get ready for a masterclass in turning retirement anxiety into genuine retirement confidence, backed by decades of market data and real-world application.
00:00 Rethinking Early Retirement
01:24 Adjusting Spending in Retirement
02:30 Myths of Financial Independence
04:48 Tools for Decumulation
11:18 Guardrails for Safe Withdrawal
24:23 The Risks of Underspending
29:15 Introducing Risk-Based Guardrails
29:27 Building a Sample Portfolio
30:16 Adjusting Spending Based on Portfolio Performance
32:07 Historical Analysis and Guardrails
54:41 Connect with Aubrey!
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For those who have money… or want more of it!
Join Mindy Jensen and Scott Trench (from BiggerPocketsMoney.com) weekly for the BiggerPockets Money Podcast. Each week, financial experts Mindy and Scott interview unique and powerful thought leaders about how to earn more, keep more, spend smarter, and grow wealth.