580 | 2026 Goals: Why This Year Everything Changes

ChooseFI | Financial Independence Podcast

Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett | Choose FI Media, Inc

Careers, Business, Investing

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 5 January 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Slashing $100 from your monthly budget shrinks your FI target by $30,000. Brad and Jonathan explore how small financial wins compound into life-changing freedom, and why 2026 marks a shift toward deeper community connection. The hosts kick off the year by introducing a new community app designed to help listeners share goals, celebrate frugal victories, and learn from each other's financial experiments. They walk through the math behind financial independence numbers, the power of incremental gains, and why frugality isn't about sacrifice—it's about clarity on what you truly value. Key Topics & Timestamps: Introduction (00:00:00) Welcome to 2026 and the new community focus. 2026 Goals (00:00:51) Brad and Jonathan reflect on changes in their lives and the FI community. Frugal Wins of The Week (00:20:31) Tips for celebrating small financial victories. Understanding Your Financial Independence Number (00:25:38) How to calculate your FI number based on annual expenses. Community Engagement and Tools (00:30:12) Introduction of the new community app and its features. Closing Remarks (00:58:17) A call to action for listeners to get involved and share their journeys. Actionable Takeaways: Conduct a net worth statement for 2025 (00:36:54). Join the community app to connect with fellow FI enthusiasts (00:49:35). Participate in an expense audit to gain insights into your spending habits (00:56:20). Key Insights: Community Development: A supportive network is essential for financial growth (00:08:06). Frugality Defined: Frugality is about valuing what truly matters, not deprivation (00:40:47). Impact of Budgeting: Cutting just $100 from your budget can reduce your FI target by $30,000 (00:42:10). Quotes: "While everything changes, some truths remain constant." (00:12:16) "Building a thriving ecosystem for financial independence together." (00:14:13) "True frugality means valuing what truly matters to you." (00:40:47) Related Resources: How to make LMNT's electrolyte drink mix at home (00:21:26) ▶ Listen Next: Ep. 581 — Are Roth Conversions Necessary? | Essential Listening

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Choose a Phi. Today on the show, we're starting off 2026 with a bang and saying this year everything changes.
0:08.3	And that shows up in a lot of ways, both for the podcast and for each and every one of us in the Phi community.
0:13.6	And it starts today. We've always called this the ultimate crowdsource personal finance show.
0:18.9	And we redouble our efforts starting today.
0:21.7	This is your call to action to become part of the community and more critically for you to take
0:26.7	action to make your life better in every way. We're going to provide the motivation and accountability,
0:32.0	and we're all in this together. We're moving forward stronger as a community where you can share
0:36.7	and then we can amplify
0:38.3	everything you're doing in your own life to succeed. From small life hacks to celebrating your
0:44.1	frugal wins and then sharing them with the community for us all to learn from. We have the technology
0:49.7	in place to make this happen and to make this even more fun. I'm happy to bring back my co-founder of Choose a Phi,
0:56.3	Jonathan Mandanza, to help me not only with this episode,
0:59.5	but many to come in 2026.
1:01.6	This is going to be a lot of fun,
1:03.6	and no matter where you are on your path to Fi,
1:06.2	you're going to want to be here each and every week.
1:08.9	And with that, welcome to choose that FI.
1:19.0	Before we get started, I keep this podcast entirely ad-free for two reasons. First, this is a
1:24.5	five podcast and I don't want to promote products that I don't want you to buy in the first place.
1:28.9	And second, I really like the clean listening experience of a show where you don't have to fast forward ads.
1:34.4	To keep it ad free, all I ask of you as a listener is the next time you open a travel rewards credit card, go to choosefi.com slash cards.
1:42.7	And with that, onto the show. All right, Jonathan, how are you doing, buddy? Are you going to come at me? How are you doing, buddy? I say, how are you doing, buddy? Come on. It's been my show for three years. I get to do what I want. Well, you know, I'm doing quite well, Brad.
	...

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