Episode 143

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Published on:

19th Jun 2024

Work Optionality: A Different Way to Imagine at FIRE | E143 Rachael Camp

Work optionality is the idea that you work because you want to, not because you have to. As you’re listening to this in your 20s, this concept might seem like a pipe dream. That’s truly fair. Most of us don’t have this luxury. We are building wealth, along with just paying our bills, and it takes income to do that.

But this idea might not be as far away as you think. Regardless of your timeline, as your wealth grows even before you hit financial independence, I think you should be itching closer to a life designed by you, not your employer or clients.


This might include changing your hours, taking more time off work, participating in mini-retirements, pivoting careers, or starting a business.


This is an idea that Rachael Camp, Founder of Camp Wealth, is routinely discussing both online and with her clients. And I asked her to come on the podcast to do the same. Rachael is a financial planner who helps young professionals maximize their money for financial freedom. She has also redesigned her life over the last few years and she told me it feels way more aligned.


In this episode, we break down the nuance between traditional FIRE and work optionality. Rachael shares steps you can take to start progressing towards a work-optional life and she shares questions to ask yourself to uncover what that life would truly look like. Also at the end of the episode, I ask Rachael to break down some of her most popular tweets from the last month.


This is a really fun, wide-ranging conversation and you can probably tell, I had a lot of blast getting to know Rachael.


So if you’re ready to do the same, let’s get into it. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the former Hoosier turned Denverites…Rachael Camp.


Key Takeaways:

  • The difference between traditional FIRE and work optionality
  • Important questions to ask yourself to get closer to your ideal life
  • Rules to help you spend more
  • Why you should take more risks in your 20s
  • How to make a plan for your money


More of Rachael:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CampWealth/videos

Website: https://www.rachaelcampwealth.com/


More of The Struggle is Real:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

Show artwork for FI Minded - Financial Independence Without the Extremes

About the Podcast

FI Minded - Financial Independence Without the Extremes
Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Pursuing financial freedom, a work-optional lifestyle, or early retirement often leads to the same questions: “one more year,” “do I have enough?” “what does life actually look like after this?”

FI Minded helps you think like someone who’s already financially independent so you can make smarter decisions about how you work, spend, and live.

From Coast FI and Slow FI to lifestyle design, career transitions, healthcare, and self-employment, each episode explores the real decisions behind building a flexible, work-optional life…without burnout, over-optimization, or missing out along the way.

We cover:
* Smarter ways to reach financial independence (without burnout)
* Designing a flexible, work-optional lifestyle
* Coast FI, Slow FI, and enjoying your time along the way
* What life actually looks like after FI (and how to prepare for it)
* The tradeoffs behind big money decisions

Make progress toward financial independence while actually living your life.

Some of our past guests include Carl Jensen (1500 Days), Jeremy Schneider (Personal Finance Club), Nick Loper (Side Hustle Show), Andrew Giancola (The Personal Finance Podcast), Jordan Grumet (Earn & Invest), Rachael Camp (Work Optional), Jillian Johnsrud (Retire Often), Sean Mullaney (FI Tax Guy), Jill Sirianni (Frugal Friends), Jackie Cummings-Koski (Catching Up to FI), Joel Larsgaard (How to Money), Cody Garrett (Measure Twice), Jesse Cramer (Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors), Jess (The Fioneers), Chris Hutchins (All The Hacks), Diania Merriam (EconoMe), Andy Hill (Marriage Kids Money), Fritz Gilbert (Retirement Manifesto), and and others helping you rethink how to approach financial independence.
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