Any regrets from your FIRE journey? | 9 to FI 035 | 9 to FI Podcast

Do Josh and Elliot Regret Chasing Financial Independence? ACA Health Insurance Costs, FI Sacrifices, and Lessons LearnedDo Josh and Elliot have regrets from chasing financial independence? Before discussing regrets, Josh shares what he learned about ACA health insurance and premium tax credits after listening to ChooseFI episode 588 with Cody Garrett: premiums rise with age (potentially 7–8% yearly), and healthcare costs are often obscured by employer coverage. He tests estimates on healthcare.gov: at ages 49/48 with $84,000 MAGI, a bronze plan is $1,080/month with a $700 credit (~$380 out of pocket), while at age 62 the premium rises nearly $800 with a larger $1,656 credit, and without subsidies could approach $2,000/month ($24,000/year). They then reflect on FI regrets: early “fast and furious” scrimping, being cheap vs frugal (thermostat battles, delaying home improvements), saying no to experiences like concerts, overdoing side hustles and rehabs at the expense of time with grandparents and kids, pushing a spouse toward retirement, and staying too cautious in careers.00:00 Welcome and Setup00:34 ACA Premiums Surprise03:52 Running Healthcare Estimates06:47 Planning for Subsidy Cliffs08:42 Switching to Regrets08:58 Early FI Mindset10:45 Josh Story and Thermostat15:01 Home Upgrades and Cheapness22:06 Time Tradeoffs with Family34:29 Saying No to Experiences36:09 Pushing Spouse and Career39:17 Closing Thoughts on Regret40:17 Wrap Up and GoodbyeSpotify:Do you have feedback or suggestions? We want to hear from you!Contact Elliot: [email protected] Josh: [email protected] of these products help the show. Thanks for your support!Mint Mobile - We both use ⁠Mint Mobile⁠ and save a ton on our phone plan: ⁠https://fbuy.me/vgAmz⁠⁠Empower⁠ is Josh’s choice for Net Worth and BudgetingWanna create a podcast? We use ⁠Descript⁠Looking for a new credit card?  We’re big fans of ⁠Chase⁠⁠Buy Us a Coffee⁠ - One time donation or monthly, it’s up to youWant to save money on gas? Try ⁠Upside!⁠Books mentioned in this episode: Tax Planning To And Through Early Retirement: https://amzn.to/4bstLmNCome find us and subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@9toFI