Mile High FI Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Retirement Readiness & Car Ownership - Mailbag with Mark Trautman | MHFI 313 Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Doug and Mark Trautman (Mark’s Money Mind) answer questions from the listener mailbag. They discuss how to prepare for retirement, building social connections beyond work, psychological shifts of leaving a career, strategies for “manufacturing” a retirement paycheck, how to navigate the changing landscape of car ownership (buying vs. leasing), and the mindset shift of decumulation & spending.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Curious to know exactly what products Doug uses? Check out his Amazon lists below. *Affiliate links below, so if you buy something or spend money, we might earn a commission. That helps the show and doesn’t cost you anything extra. Thank you!

Want to order MHFI stickers/temporary tattoos or create your own custom stickers? Of course you do! We ALL do! Order them here using our affiliate link so that we might earn a commission: https://www.stickermule.com/dougcunnington

Links

Mark Trautman/Mark’s Money Mind
Mark’s Money Mind Episode 063, “Taxes, Travel, and Market Turbulence”
CampFI
Mr. Money Mustache on MHFI episode 309
Kevin Sebesta on MHFI episode 302
Morgan Housel, “Psychology of Money”
- Kindle
- Hardcover
- Paperback
- Audiobook
ChooseFI Ep 022, “The True Cost Of Car Ownership”
MHFI Facebook group
Doug’s site
Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

**Disclaimer: The podcast is for informational purposes. Maybe entertainment but we won’t even make such a claim. You shouldn’t take the info as financial, legal, or tax advice. We aren’t certified financial planners or advisors. We’re not qualified for much. So get advice from professionals.**

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

0:56 Recent travels

5:53 Question – Preparing to retire

11:13 Social connections, hobbies, & identity

18:50 Retirement paycheck strategy

23:35 Question – Leasing vs. buying cars

29:16 Longevity & when leasing makes sense

34:17 Question – Decumulation & spending

40:47 Calculating downside risk & seeking advice

49:24 Soundcheck – Casa Bonita

Retired at 46! An Update on 2 Years of Early Retirement - Elizabeth | MHFI 312 Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

Doug chats with his wife Elizabeth about her 2-year anniversary in early retirement. Elizabeth describes why she loves not working, challenges with balancing routine vs. flexibility, and how reduced stress has improved relationships and communication. Doug & Elizabeth also discuss budgeting with a financial advisor, differences in “fun fund” spending, the impact of market returns on retirement confidence, perceived social pressure within the FI community to retire, and not necessarily retiring “to something”.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links

Elizabeth on MHFI episode 281
Leckerlee Cookies
Earn & Invest, “What’s the Point of FIRE?”
The FI Collective
Bill Perkins, “Die With Zero”
- Kindle
- Hardcover
- Paperback
- Audiobook
“Survive the 9 to 5” podcast
“The Doug Show” podcast
MHFI Facebook group
Doug’s site
Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

2:08 Leaving a full-time career

8:07 Part-time work experiment

18:36 Retirement surprises

23:03 Finding a routine

29:46 Relationship improvements

36:28 Pressure to retire

43:31 Spending & budgeting

50:30 Influence of the stock market

55:24 Retirement tips & readiness

1:00:05 What do you do?

1:08:10 Soundcheck – Caffeine cutback

Oversaving Debate & Retiring to Something... Or Not - Kristen Knapp - Kristen Knapp | MHFI 311 Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

Doug and Kristen Knapp (FI Friends Travel) dive into a listener-submitted topic from Dell regarding the potential benefits of oversaving. Doug & Kristen discuss the pros & cons of oversaving, the necessity of having a plan for “retiring to something” after work, and explore the psychological shifts that occur when you no longer need a paycheck. They also tackle common traps in the FI community such as “One More Year Syndrome”, golden handcuffs, and identity issues tied to a career.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links

FI Friends Travel
ChooseFI local groups
EconoMe Conference
CampFI
Mark Trautman/Mark’s Money Mind
Kevin Sebesta on MHFI episode 302
Morgan Housel, “The Art of Spending Money”
- Kindle
- Hardcover
- Paperback
- Audiobook
Bill Perkins, “Die With Zero”
- Kindle
- Hardcover
- Paperback
- Audiobook
MHFI Facebook group
Doug’s site
Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

4:17 Dell’s voicemail

9:20 Pros of oversaving

17:14 Legacy vs. Die With Zero

20:59 Cons of oversaving

27:55 Golden handcuffs & “enough”

34:36 Retiring to something… or not

40:16 Identity struggles & FI

49:43 Staying busy vs. intentional boredom

56:50 Early retirement pitfalls

1:01:16 Only boring people are bored

1:05:47 The nuances of FI

1:12:02 Longest soundcheck ever

Best Part of Die with Zero + Support the Pod [bonus] Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

Please support the show if you like it! I play highlights about Die With Zero, specifically about Time Bucketing.

You can donate via Buy Me a Coffee. You get extra content and know that you’re making the show possible.

Mile High FI is listed as one of the TOP Podcast on Careers in Apple Podcasts!

Spotify is 28% of the audience, so that’s grown in 2025 and higher than I said in this episode.

If you extrapolate the Spotify year end review data to the total downloads, here is what you get…

Mile High FI is a:

Top 5 podcast for about 5,000 people!
#1 podcast for about 740 people!

I don’t have ads anymore so I want to cover production costs. Most of the costs are related to software and tools and hosting. Many other podcasts have sucky ads every 15 minutes. I don’t want to do that.

Producer Chris volunteers to edit and produce the show. We’re not trying to get rich doing the show, but it takes a lot of time, effort, and planning.

You can also check out the affiliate offers here, which are products that I recommend. Mile High FI usually gets a small percentage, say 1% to 15%, depending on the arrangement. It helps, but direct donations are the best.

Mr. Money Mustache Addresses Fears of Retiring Early | MHFI 310 Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Doug chats with Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) about various fears that some people have about early retirement. They explore why some people may be reluctant to retire, despite being financially ready, and specifically how fear of boredom can hold people back. They discuss “One More Year Syndrome” and the irrational fear of running out of money despite what the math says.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links

Pete Adeney/Mr. Money Mustache
Pete on MHFI episode 308
Morgan Housel, “Is the F.I.R.E. Movement Dead?”
The Donegans
The FI Collective
MHFI Facebook group
Doug’s site
Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

1:51 One More Year Syndrome

5:50 Scared of boredom

10:18 Building social skills

17:22 Boring people are bored

22:03 FI Collective

25:51 Soundcheck – New house

Mr. Money Mustache's Issues With The FIRE Movement | MHFI 309 Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

Doug chats with Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) about evolving perspectives within the FIRE movement. Moving beyond external critiques, they dive into a confessional-style discussion about genuine problems within the community – from the pitfalls of ultra-frugality, over-saving, over-optimizing, and “One More Year Syndrome” to the identity crisis retirees face. They explore why FIRE isn’t a “gospel” but instead a set of ideas that should be modified in real-time based on what actually works for each individual.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

1:16 MMM persona & early FIRE ideas

8:50 Ultra-frugality

18:00 Over-saving & One More Year Syndrome

24:23 Over-optimizing in the FIRE community

29:30 DoorDash spectrum

34:24 Paying for convenience

42:21 Balancing the future & the present

48:09 MMM’s retirement spending strategies

53:49 Retiring to something meaningful

1:02:18 Soundcheck – Casa Bonita

Mr. Money Mustache Wonders... "Is the FIRE Movement Dead?" | MHFI 308 Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Doug chats with Pete Adeney, Mr. Money Mustache, about whether the FIRE Movement is dead, in response to a variety of online commentary claiming this statement as fact. Doug & Pete review and critique multiple perspectives, including notable names like Dave Ramsey and Morgan Housel while also addressing misconceptions, highlighting the value of Financial Independence, and acknowledge the movement’s evolution.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

6:11 Jared Dillian, “The FIRE Movement”

23:16 Jarrad Morrow, “The FIRE Movement Won’t Work Like It Used To”

25:52 Dave Ramsey, “Why the F.I.R.E. Movement Isn’t Sustainable”

32:01 Ramit Sethi, “The Problem with the “FIRE” Movement”

38:06 Brian Farrell, “What Happened To The FIRE Movement?”

43:07 Morgan Housel, “Is the F.I.R.E. Movement Dead?”

50:40 Gregory Galant, “Mark Cuban on the FIRE Movement”

58:12 Soundcheck – Winter trips

Is Retirement Overrated? [rebroadcast] | MHFI 307 Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

Doug chats with Carl about finding purpose in life. They discuss the benefits of preparing for retirement by building a rich life outside of work, taking sabbaticals, and conducting small experiments to explore new hobbies and interests. They also talk about the importance of community, the idea of redefining success, achieving flow state, and finding meaningful ways to spend one’s time while maintaining good mental and physical health.

Note: This is a rebroadcast of MHFI episode 268

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links

Carl Jensen/1500 Days to Freedom
1500 Days to Freedom, “Introducing The FI Collective”
“How to Money” episode 1091, “The Art of Spending w/ Morgan Housel”
CampFI
EconoMe Conference
MHFI Facebook group
Doug’s site
Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

5:34 What FIRE life looks like

13:35 Is retirement overrated?

22:09 Relationship with work

28:24 Seeking validation

34:58 Challenging the corporate ladder

40:31 Setting up for a successful retirement

46:57 Redefining success & finding flow

54:41 Leveraging community & taking action

Is The FIRE Community Completely Wrong About Financial Advisors? | MHFI 306 Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Doug and Producer Chris chat about a very controversial topic in the FIRE community – working with a financial advisor. They explore the reasons someone might or might not want to work with an advisor, discussing common pitfalls like high fees & hidden motivations, while emphasizing the benefits of getting an outside perspective & professional guidance, especially in areas like decumulation and complex financial situations.

Did this episode motivate you to seek professional financial help? If so, check out our friends at Nectarine, where you ONLY pay for investing & planning advice. Advisors don’t manage your money, sell products, or earn commissions. *Affiliate link below, so if you do work with Nectarine, we might earn a commission. https://milehighfi.com/nectarine

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links

Jeremy Schneider on MHFI episode 122
Jeremy Schneider on MHFI episode 243
MHFI Facebook group
Doug’s site
Check out Producer Chris’s blog: Epic Financial Journey

—

Join the Mile High FI Club – It’s the email list!

Get MHFi Merch – It helps support the show. Get t-shirts & more

Brought To You By:

The Doug Show, aka Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles

Email the show: doug@milehighfi.com

0:00 Introduction

4:35 Insurance agents

9:24 The problem with fees

15:21 The downsides of DIY

19:57 Identifying blindspots

27:58 Dealing with complex situations

33:20 Actually working with an advisor

38:23 The importance of professional help

43:20 Mindset & spending in retirement

50:03 Soundcheck – Kitchen gadgets

Mr. Money Mustache Explores Pop Culture Through the Lens of FIRE | MHFI 305 Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

Doug chats with Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) and Rusty about prominent themes related to Financial Independence found in popular movies & TV shows. They delve into iconic films such as “The Matrix”, “Office Space”, and “Fight Club”, extracting key FIRE principles such as anti-consumerism, the quest for personal freedom, and breaking away from traditional corporate paths.

Do you like the podcast and want to support the show? Follow the link to find out how: https://milehighfi.com/support/

Links