Welcome to FIRE Yourself First!

This podcast is all about saving money, spending with intention and creating new income streams so that you can be financially free!

FIRE stands for Financial Independence Retire Early - learning about this movement was a total game changer for me and now I'm thrilled to bring my experience with it to YOU!

Stay tuned for new episodes where we'll explore different strategies for:

- saving money

- spending with intention

- and creating new income streams using what you ALREADY have, do and know

Financial Freedom isn't easy, but it is SIMPLE.

Check out www.wendyverwey.com for more tools and resources between episodes!

In this episode, we'll discuss the concept of your true hourly wage and why it's important to know.

We'll also provide some tips on how to calculate your true hourly wage and use it to make better financial decisions.

What Is Your True Hourly Wage?

• Your true hourly wage is the amount of money you earn per hour after you subtract all of your work-related expenses, such as transportation, clothing, and meals.

• Many people only consider their hourly wage or salary when calculating their earnings, but this can be misleading.
• By factoring in your work-related expenses, you can get a more accurate picture of your true earnings and how much your time is really worth.

Why Does Your True Hourly Wage Matter?

• Knowing your true hourly wage can help you make better financial decisions, such as whether to take on extra work or overtime.
• It can also help you determine whether certain expenses, such as eating out or buying a new outfit for work, are really worth the cost.
• By understanding the true value of your time, you can prioritize your spending and focus on what really matters to you.

How to Calculate Your True Hourly Wage

• To calculate your true hourly wage, start by adding up all of your work-related expenses for a given period, such as a week or a month.
• Next, subtract this amount from your total earnings for that period to get your true earnings.
• Finally, divide your true earnings by the number of hours you worked during that period to get your true hourly wage.
• Download the True Hourly Wage Calculator to simplify this part!

Tips for Using Your True Hourly Wage to Make Better Financial Decisions

• Once you know your true hourly wage, you can use it to prioritize your spending and focus on what really matters to you.
• Consider using your true hourly wage to set financial goals, such as saving for a vacation or paying off debt.
• You can also use it to determine whether certain expenses are really worth the cost, such as eating out or buying a new outfit for work.

As always, if you've got questions or comments on anything covered in the podcast, reach out at thrive@wendyverwey.com

The Law of Attraction is a philosophy that positive or negative thoughts, brings positive or negative experiences into a person’s life.

It's the idea that ‘if you think you can - you’re right’. ‘If you think you can’t - you’re right’.

Today's FIRE Yourself First episode talks about the Law of Attraction and how it can play out in creating income. But, it all starts with defining what you want your life to FEEL like.

If you don't start with what you want, you're choosing to accept what is given.

Using my Airbnb rental suite as an example, you'll learn what I did to create a space for my guests that fits their needs and also my life, and how you can structure your own income streams to fit into what you want out of life, vs just adding more work and responsibility to it.

If you're ready to get clear on what YOU want in YOUR life, head to www.wendyverwey.com and download the Clarity Tool to help you define it.

And if you want to start your own Airbnb rental income, I'd love it if you used my referral code!

As always, if you've got questions or comments on anything covered in the podcast, reach out at thrive@wendyverwey.com!

Today we're talking about belief. Belief that you can have the time and money freedom that you crave.

Even if it hasn't happened yet.

Even if you don't know what it looks like.

Today's episode was inspired by this poem, by Jessie Belle Rittenhouse:

"I bargained with Life for a penny,

And Life would pay no more,

However I begged at evening

When I counted my scanty store;

For Life is just an employer,

He gives you what you ask,

But once you have set the wages,

Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial's hire,

Only to learn, dismayed,

That any wage I had asked of Life,

Life would have paid.

Money is simply energy. The energy you out out is what you get back!

In the episode, I mention Amy Cuddy's TED Talk about Power Poses - have you ever tried this?

Have you made yourself a promise to achieve what you set out to? What's the worst that could happen?

For more on my FI journey, check out my blog at www.wendyverwey.com

So, what do you do?

That’s a tough question to answer when you retire early!

This episode explores the idea of a Portfolio Career - not being tied down by one role or label.  

I hope it helps you look at what’s important in YOUR life and how to create income from that space, vs making decisions solely on the dollars…

Let me know what you think!

And for tools & ideas to create your own portfolio career, head over to my website www.wendyverwey.com

Everyone loves a good origin story!

Today's episode covers where the title FIRE Yourself First even comes from and how the principles of FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) can apply to everyone, regardless if early retirement is the goal.

It's all about FREEDOM my friends!

Just in time for 4.20, learn all about how Kate Knepper moved from corporate burnout, and missing out on her kids lives to taking back control of her life and health with the help of cannabis.

Kate has said goodbye to the corporate world and now educates people on the 'power of the plant' while she lives a life of fulfillment.

To find out more about Kate and her products, check out her social channels and her website - where you might even score some sweet deals ;)

https://www.instagram.com/kate.c.knepper/

http://www.livehemppily.com/

And if you’re curious about the Clarity Tool I mentioned - to figure out what you want your life to FEEL like, head to www.wendyverwey.com

Do you know where your money is going?

It really doesn't matter how much you make, if you're not using what you have in ways that align with what you want.

In this episode, I share the simple way I track my own spending to make sure I always know where my money is going - I inspect what I expect...

You can grab my Income and Spending Notebook here, or just grab a small journal from the dollar store.  There are lots of apps to help with this exercise, but I find this the simplest way to do keep on top of things.

If you need help and templates to get you started, check out my Intro to Financial Freedom Course or reach out and let's chat about your situation!

As always, if you've got questions or comments on anything covered in the podcast, reach out at thrive@wendyverwey.com, on IG @iamwendyverwey or www.wendyverwey.com