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Today’s episode melts our heart. Emotionally and financially.
Justin from Saving Sherpa comes from humble beginnings in Mississippi, and has an incredible story to share with us.
Today he is a member of the Air Force saving up to 70% of his take-home pay (um impressive much?), and also has an active charitable mission sponsoring children through Ciudad de Angeles. So when we “changing lives” is part of his mission, we don’t just mean through his blog (though that certainly applies as well!)
We chat about:
- The striking similarities between getting physically and financially fit
- How military folks can price-shop cities and why that matters for reaching FI (or at least saving money)
- FOOD. How to eat well on a budget. Like seriously.
Justin’s story is awesome. Enjoy the show, and drop us a line in the Facebook group with your comments!
Show notes and links from today’s episode
- Justin’s blog: Saving Sherpa
- Eliminating the Excuse – his post with healthy, cheap eating tips
- My Fitness Pal – Excellent and free app for tracking caloric intake, and more.
- BodPod!
- ahrn.com
- US Military Pay Calc – If you’re in the military, this is a handy tool to compare cities/pay!
- Smile.amazon.com
- Ciudad de Angeles – Amazing organization. Justin uses this for his sponsored child!
- How To Vacation In Mexico For $750
Key takeaways from our chat with Justin from Saving Sherpa
1 – The “numbers” argument for getting physically and financially fit.
There are obvious similarities between losing weight, exercising, taking control of your physical well-being…as well as getting financially fit.
Aside from building habits, discipline, etc…Justing brought up another excellent point when it comes to helping people with their fitness/finances.
Show him the numbers.
Too many people are fearful of sharing the details of their fnancial situation to those trying to help them. Family, friend, or financial planner. The same can be said for fitness. We all tend to make excuses like “I’m to XYZ.” “My genetics are bad,” etc.
However, these excuses and fears are often NOT backed up by data. Do you track your spending? Do you track your calorie intake? Do you track anything?
Both finances AND fitness are a numbers game, and if you don’t know the numbers, you don’t know the actual situation behind your problem. Very smart, Justin.
2 – Eat cheap, but please eat healthy
It is possible to eat well (healthy) and on a budget.
For one thing, cook your own food. If you’re thinking “I’m a terrible cook” or “I don’t like cooking, like, at all…” Well, do it anyways. You will get better with experience (i.e. cook more and you’ll get better at it), AND you’ll likely enjoy it more. We tend to enjoy doing things we’re already good at.
Justin straight-up shared some of his go-to grocery items on the podcast:
- eggs
- toast
- brussel sprouts
- chicken breast
- zucchini
- sweet potatos
- greens
Cheap proteins. Cheap vegetables. Avoid over-processed food if you can.
3 – Prioritize money based on the things that matter.
Obviously, the first actionable step for taking this advice is to sit down and define what’s important to you.
Chances are, it will be long-term things, people, experiences, etc.
So many things we spend money on are, for lack of a better term, fleeting. Here today, money spent, gone tomorrow. (Expensive food and drink definitely falls into this category, as well as smaller gadgets and fads that you likely won’t remember 10 years from now…or maybe even 10 months from now).
It’s totally ok to spend money on things that bring you joy or solve your problems. That’s not what frugality, budgeting, etc, are about.
However, you first need to sort out what brings you lasting joy and memories, and prioritize money based on that.
Don’t miss the once in a lifetime opportunities to see your favorite bands, or go skydiving, and ride the vintage Vietnam Huey at the airshow. Forget the money for those. You’ll hopefully remember those the rest of your life.
4 – Start saving yesterday.
The best time to start aggressively was win you were 18 years old. The 2nd best time to start is today.
This is essentially compounding interest 101…the key ingredients of which are time and money.
The more time, the more returns, the more money. The sooner you can start saving for FI, FIRE, or retirement in general, the better!
It doesn’t matter if you’re 49 or 19. Start now 🙂
Here are pictures from Justin’s latest trip to the orphanage, Ciudad de Angeles.
Questions? Like or dislike? Leave us a comment!
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