Diania Merriam: How do we become financially independent by the time we are 40 years old?

Welcome to episode #120​ of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast! We have with us today Diania Merriam, the founder of The EconoMe Conference, an event centered around financial independence, also known as the "Ted Talks" of the FIRE movement. She's also the host of the popular podcast Optimal Finance Daily where she narrates articles from the best personal finance blogs on the planet. After getting out of $30k of debt in 11 months, she used her newfound financial freedom to negotiate a remote working arrangement with her employer, take a 2 month sabbatical to walk 500 miles across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago, and launch her own business. Diania saves 60% of her income and is on track to be financially independent by the time she's 40 years old. We find out why Diania chose Montclair State for her undergraduate experience (hint: academics), more about Diania's money story, why she created a conference about financial independence, what is the FIRE movement and why does it get criticism, what is f-you money and why you need it, and why I should care about financial independence if I have no intention of retiring early. We also find out about her favorite dish to cook in her own kitchen! Also mentioned in this podcast is Travis Hornsby's talk at the EconoMe Conference called "Student Loans Never Need to Hold You Back". Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cT33-Y77_w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cT33-Y77_w