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In today’s episode, Cody and Justin are joined by Carl and Mindy Jensen from 1500 Days.
This power couple is a staple in the financial independence space.
We had a blast recording live at FinCon and can’t wait for you to hear.
Discover the origin of the 1500 day blog, the dinosaurs, and why Carl will never be a plumber
Listen and read below to get all the wisdom from Carl and Mindy.
Episode Summary
- Carl discovered FIRE after having a bad day at work at age 37
- He ended up setting a goal of retiring in 1500 days
- He met his goal at age 43
- Mindy and Carl write over at 1500 days
- Mindy is also a co-host of the Bigger Pockets Money Podcast
- They live next to Mr. Money Mustache in Colorado
- After becoming friends they went in together in a co-working space
- We start unwrapping Carl and Mindy’s upbringing
- Carl’s parents weren’t very good with money
- He also was the first in his family to go to college
- Carl became a work-a-holic and a money hoarder
- He would wake up with nightmares about money and getting fired
- Mindy actually is the one who still works though
- She loves her job, which has nothing to do with her education
- Mindy and Carl had their kids before they discovered FIRE
- They were three and five years old
- Both kids are still in school
- With that, Mindy doesn’t miss valuable family time by working
- We then discuss how the kids perceive them as retired parents
- Mindy recalls growing up spending all Saturday going to garage sales
- She said her parents had money but didn’t let the kids know
- Carl recalls picking individual stocks when he first started working
- He doesn’t recommend this approach now but got lucky with it
- Mindy didn’t utilize the stock market until she got married
- But she did start investing in real estate right away
- Her first place was a $50k condo
- She sold it a little later for $75k
- We go back to hearing how Carl started his blog 1500 days
- It was based on the days left he had to work after discovering FIRE
- The blog was a way to keep him accountable
- Currently, they invest in real estate including a Maine trailer park
- They also do index funds, solo 401ks, and a syndicate deal
- They still do live in flips and are about to start a new one
- We then discuss the things they do for fun
- Carl’s favorite thing about retirement is the uncertainty
- The next big project they have is starting a brewery
- Mindy discusses not moving around even with no job holding them down
- Then we dial into the final three questions
- Trust us you won’t want to miss these
- Hint… Carl gets sprayed with fecesÂ
Key Takeaways
- You may not change:Â Carl was addicted to working and staying busy. Just because he doesn’t have to work, doesn’t mean it changes that natural instinct to look for the next project.
- You may work for fun: Most people get nervous about retiring early out of fear. In reality, most people still end up making money in retirement. Just look at Mindy who’s killing it at Bigger Pockets
- Have fun people: Our favorite thing about Carl and Mindy is just how much fun they have with life. Don’t stress yourself out. Enjoy the ride.
Call to Action
The call to action this week is in honor of our guests… DRINK A BEER!
  Non-Alcoholic is just fine 🙂
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Contact Carl and Mindy:
Via their 1500 Days
Listen to Mindy at Bigger Pockets Money
Follow them on Twitter
In our Facebook group!
Learn More About Your Hosts:
Fly to FI (Cody’s Blog)
Saving-Sherpa (Justin’s blog)
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