Episode 171

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Published on:

18th Jun 2025

You’re Great at Saving. Here’s How to Get Great at Giving (FI Style) | E171 Spencer Reese

The Financial Independence community is great at saving and investing — but what about giving?

In this episode, I talk with Spencer Reese from Military Money Manual about how to make generosity part of your FI plan without derailing your financial goals. We explore how charitable giving can reduce your taxes, align with your values, and help you overcome money scarcity by building an abundance mindset.

Whether you’re early in your FI journey or already financially independent, this conversation will help you give with purpose — and make a real difference along the way.

Key Takeaways:

  • How to get more comfortable donating your money
  • Ways to balance your FI goals while supporting causes you care about
  • How charitable tax deductions actually work
  • What a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is and why it might be right for you
  • The easiest DAF platform for first-time donors
  • Why donating appreciated stock can be a powerful giving strategy
  • How to find ethical, effective nonprofits to support
  • Tips for deciding how much to give (and when)
  • Whether it’s better to donate now or wait until you’ve reached FI

More of Spencer:

Check out Military Money Manual Podcast: https://militarymoneymanual.com/podcast/


More of FI Minded:

Email Justin at Justin@FIMinded.com

Connect with Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinleepeters/

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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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