Today on episode 25 let’s give a hot stew welcome to climber and all-around curious guy, Erich Purpur. Erich works in the university system in Virginia, finding time in the margins to climb up to V10 and 5.13c. Recently, Erich is beginning to envision a potential life of financial independence.
But achieving financial independence may only be the beginning of the next journey.
Erich originally caught my attention because of his insightful line of questioning. He had a few investing questions to be sure, but what captivated me was his deeper questions about “why.”
Why do we bother to save this much money?
How do we come to common ground on money mindsets between our families, friends, and romantic partners?
Why do men and women feel differently on the concept of early retirement?
After all, most of us now know that simply building wealth is far from a sure path to contentment. While I wouldn’t consider this a reader case study per se, a conversation with Erich felt like a representative sample of many of the broader themes of this lifestyle choice.
And on that note, this certainly was a conversation. While I’m accustomed to sitting back and asking all the questions, Erich turned this one around on me. In the end, this felt like a fun fireside chat. I really enjoyed the informal nature of this one.
Topics Discussed with Erich Purpur
- Motivations for the pursuit of financial independence
- Shifting a natural tendency towards saving to a plan of investing
- Addressing different money mindsets in romantic relationships
- The beauty of “paying yourself first”
- Early retirement mindset differences between men and women
- The dilemma between early retirement and part-time, or passion-based work
- The incredible value of being a simple person
- How to live our best life without full financial independence (it’s a spectrum!)
- The FIRE movement as SCANDALOUS!
Get in Touch with Erich Purpur
Other Financial Independence Blogs Mentioned
Other recommended resources here
Previous Episodes Mentioned
EP 5: Diana Crabtree Green: Pay Yourself First
Related Clipping Chains Posts
Six Important Reasons Not to Retire Early
Contentment: The Greenest Grass of Them All
BREAKING: I (Sort Of) Quit My Job
The Fallacy of Happiness and Meaningful Work
Tracking Your Spending: The Ultimate Task
Help! My Significant Other is Terrible With Money!
Automation: The Dirty Little Secret to Spending Less
Value Spending: How to Really Save Money
The Simple Systems to Kicking Monetary Ass
Five Ways to Recession-Proof Your Life
Seven Lessons From Two Years of Financial Freedom
Shades of Grey: How to Enjoy Life and Have Money
Why Trying to Quit My Job (Sort of) Made It Better
A list of all posts can be found here.
Books
A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (William B. Irvine)
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