Mr. Clipping Chains, Author at CLIPPING CHAINS

December 28, 2021December 28, 2021

2021: A Year of Accelerated Change (and Top Posts)

I’ve thought a lot this year about the pace of change. We know from the study of ancient civilizations that multiple generations could pass with only the most modest and trivial changes in tools and methods for survival. You might have a lived a life shockingly similar to your great-great-grandfather, swinging a very similar hammer.

Yet as 2021 comes to a close, I can attest that my grandfather looks upon the world with dumbfounded astonishment, unable to clear his full voicemail inbox on his now ancient flip phone that, only a little over a decade ago, felt like the dawn of a new era.

December 20, 2021December 19, 2021

EP 18: Kenzie King: Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

Today on episode 18 I want to welcome Kenzie King. If you listened to last week’s interview with Michael Langer you will recognize Kenzie as Michael’s girlfriend. Kenzie and Michael walked away from lucrative engineering careers in Houston, Texas and moved into a van. Only months later, seemingly on a whim, they smashed the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking over 2,600 miles across California, Oregon, and Washington.

I promise that this is not a retelling of last week’s story. Kenzie has a very unique perspective on their journey. And regardless of your thoughts on the backpacking or thru-hiking, Kenzie shares a number of insightful opinions on the evolving dynamics of workplace culture, relationships in trying environments, and levels of financial or emotional security necessary to make bold and truly lasting changes in our lives. Hang on all the way to the end for some of the best moments of this conversation.

December 13, 2021December 19, 2021

EP 17: Michael Langer: Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail

Today on episode 17 I want to give a very warm welcome to my guest Michael Langer, who along with his girlfriend Kenzie, walked away from lucrative engineering careers in Houston, Texas and moved into a van. Only months later, seemingly on a whim, they smashed the Pacific Crest Trail, hiking over 2,600 miles across California, Oregon, and Washington.

Today we will hear Michael’s perspective on this wild and unexpected journey, but it doesn’t end there. Next week stay tuned for an interview with Kenzie King, who shares her own unique perspective and motivations for their abrupt shift in lifestyle. After all, it takes a special couple to trade a solid paycheck for a heavy pack and mosquitos for five months.

December 6, 2021December 5, 2021

EP 16: (Part 1) The Boring Guide to Successful Investing

This week on episode 16 I want to revisit a two-part series on the nuts and bolts of our very simple investing strategy. I wrote these posts early in the history of this website, back in late 2018. We felt an investing strategy needed to be simple and lasting, so you might be surprised to learn how boring it all seems. But in this case, boring is good.

And like a simple investing strategy should be, it really hasn’t changed much. However, once we achieved financial independence and left our traditional jobs, we have made some minor changes to our plan. And I’ll share those changes with you today.

November 29, 2021November 28, 2021

EP 15: Craig Faulhaber: Near-Death Experiences and Early Retirement

My guest this week is climber, math professor, and real-deal van lifer, Craig Faulhaber. On September 19, 2021 Craig was involved in a very serious climbing accident. This is the sort of accident that can end a life at worst, and dramatically alter its course at best. But, as you will hear in this conversation, Craig has an amazing sense of optimism in the face of very difficult life events.

To add to my shock at his accident, I was surprised to learn that Craig was on the cusp of retiring early just before his accident. Please enjoy this special conversation where we discuss the delicate nature of life, unconventional living, home ownership, relationships and marriage, and even the ethics of investing. Plus so much more!

November 22, 2021November 28, 2021

2021 Exciting Year-End Financial and Tax Checklist

2021 Year-End Financial and Tax Checklist

Wow, another year almost in the books! As we wind down 2021, now is the time to make sure we are on track with our financial goals. Remember how we started with Your 2021 Guide to Actually Saving Real Money? Let’s examine a few crucial steps with this year-end financial and tax checklist.

November 15, 2021December 12, 2021

EP 13: Mike Doyle: Remote Work and the Climbing Life

Now seems as good a time as any to welcome back climber and software engineer Mike Doyle. Mike appeared on Clipping Chains for a written interview in February of 2020. At the time, I was curious as to how he managed to climb at an elite level while juggling a very demanding remote job. Mike was still managing to travel to multiple places a year for months at a time, taking his full-time+ job along with him.

After the arrival of the pandemic and surge in remote work, Mike’s original interview feels so much more relevant. In the intervening time, my wife and I have also experienced living and working while traveling, so my thoughts on this lifestyle have evolved dramatically. With all this in mind, the timing feels right to have Mike on for a deeper dive on the realities of the remote work lifestyle.

November 8, 2021November 9, 2021

Wealth Inequality: Can We Solve This?

Believe it or not, most Americans are in better financial shape as a result of the pandemic. America has a cash glut. Is this the moment to shift the tides of wealth inequality?

Both the Trump and Biden administrations have pumped trillions of dollars into the economy via stimulus packages. Home values are exploding, a windfall for existing homeowners. The stock market has been absolutely crushing it, inflating the net worth of investors and widening the wealth inequality gap between investors and non-investors. Plus, with pandemic restrictions, we’ve simply been spending less.

Those that are home owners, stock market investors, and beneficiaries of the 2020 and 2021 stimulus checks have seen their income and net worth rise dramatically since 2019.

Who’da thunk it? And where do we go from here?

November 1, 2021October 31, 2021

EP 12: Paige Claassen: “This Was a Big One for Me”

I’m happy to announce that today’s guest is pro climber and all-around genuine person, Paige Claassen. Paige is one of the top sport climbers in America and the world, having sent multiple 5.14+ routes, including her latest send of Dreamcatcher, a 5.14d in Squamish, British Columbia.

Pro climbers are paid in large part to climb, at least for a portion of their life. But Paige does so much more than climb. She’s worked insane hours at a packhouse in Namibia harvesting grapes, she founded and promoted nonprofit projects across the globe, and she’s heavily involved in making a more equitable world.

That said, despite all these achievements, Paige admittedly struggles at times with issues we all face: self-disappointment, a hesitation to celebrate victories, and a feeling that the anticipation of the thing is greater than the thing. Paige is learning to recognize wins and take compliments, with simple refrains, like, “this is a big one for me.” Her thoughts here gave me a lot of room for self-reflection.

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021

Shades of Grey: How to Enjoy Life and Have Money

So many of us in the outdoor world choose a life and career path guided by a seemingly unavoidable fork in the road. Do we choose a safe path, paved with a steady paycheck and a retirement plan? Or do we cobble together whatever it takes to make it work, focusing on experience and patching the inevitable cracks as we go? Today we examine the completely accessible and exciting grey area between these two black and white choices. We can have money and still enjoy life.