Own Your Time: Build a Life You Control w/ Andy Hill #1088

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Own Your Time: Build a Life You Control w/ Andy Hill"

How to Money (iHeartPodcasts), Episode #1088, January 14, 2026
Host: Joel
Guest: Andy Hill, Author of "Own Your Time," founder of "Marriage, Kids and Money" podcast

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Episode Overview

This episode explores what it truly means to "own your time"—building a life that feels balanced, controlled, and purposeful, rather than rushed and reactive. Joel sits down with Andy Hill to discuss actionable strategies for taking more control of your time and finances, practical ways to align money decisions with your values, and the personal journey Andy and his family took from overworked professionals in debt to value-driven solopreneurs with a flexible, intentional lifestyle.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Owning Your Time and Defining “Enough”

• Joel kicks off by highlighting that we all have the same 24 hours, yet some seem to make life more enjoyable and meaningful. The difference, the hosts argue, is intentionality around both money and time.
• Andy says that for him and his wife, their journey toward owning their time began when they wanted to have kids and realized their demanding careers left them with little space for family (04:48).

  “We were in a stuck position saying we want time with each other and our kids, but our careers are kind of taking over. … That was a stuck moment for us in our late 20s.” —Andy (04:48)

• Discovering they had a negative $50,000 net worth, despite good salaries, was a wake-up call that forced them to address their finances head-on (06:15).

2. Getting on the Same Page as a Couple

• Andy describes the challenge of “spirited marital compromise.” His initial focus on numbers and deprivation “turned [his wife] off.” He learned to start with each other’s dreams rather than spreadsheets (08:14).
• Advice for couples: Begin with dreaming together, not numbers. Use exercises like “what would you stop doing if you got a $5 million check tomorrow?” (10:11).

  “Start with dreaming. We used to do this as kids … then we stop dreaming, because we’re so busy just going.” —Andy (10:11)

3. The Basic Habits That Lead to Buying Back Your Time

• Know your numbers: Know both what comes in and where it goes. Most people know what they make, but not where it all goes (12:44).

  “Where’s it going? ... That’s more important than how much you’re making, really.” —Andy (13:15)

• Create margin: The gap between income and expenses is your “power move” for freedom (14:26).
• Cutting expenses with care: Start with easy or nonessential cuts (unused subscriptions, renegotiated insurance). Only address larger items like housing if necessary, and remember you can only cut so much before it affects joy (14:55).
• Increasing income: Don’t just cut—look for ways to earn more (raises, side hustles, selling unused items), balancing both approaches (14:55).

4. Considering “Extreme” or Non-Traditional Moves

• Examples include moving to a lower cost of living area or “right-sizing” a home—not always about downsizing, but fitting your actual needs (17:41, 18:26).
• The importance of questioning the default social script of “bigger is always better.”

5. Dealing with Debt and “The Debt Hatred Method”

• Beyond debt snowball or avalanche: pay off debts that you hate the most first, regardless of interest rate. Emotional relief can be more motivating and effective (19:50).

  “If you owe some money to your brother … and you hate it, it’s like, pay that baby off first!” —Andy (19:50)

6. Education Decisions: Is More Always Better?

• Andy and Joel discuss when advanced degrees do (and don’t) make sense—depends on personal goals and if the degree unquestionably bolsters your earning power. Andy regrets getting an MBA since it didn’t deliver the uptick he hoped for (21:38, 24:03).

7. The Solopreneur Life: How Andy Transitioned

• Andy shares how he used savings intended for real estate (“$100,000 FU Money Fund”) to buy himself a runway for launching his solopreneur business (28:38).

  “My wife said, ‘Why don’t you just use that as a financial runway for this digital solopreneur thing you’ve been doing?’ That was … the best words that ever came out of my wife’s mouth—besides ‘I do.’” —Andy (28:38)

• The three supports needed: Proven concept/side income, financial runway, and family support.
• The importance of being willing to experiment, fail, and even return to your old career if necessary (“It’s not the end of the world to go back.”) (32:00).

8. Working LESS on Purpose

• Over five years, Andy and his wife reduced their workweek from 40-50 hours to 20-25 hours, experimenting with a three-day workweek and four-day weekends (33:13, 35:09).

  "I'm able to pay myself $100,000 by working 20–25 hours a week. That's like the dream life I’ve always wanted.” —Andy (36:36)

• Using trial, error, and “hacking away at the unessential” (Bruce Lee quote) to constantly refine what’s worth your time.

9. Emergency Funds, Experimentation and Resilience

• The 2020 pandemic was an early challenge—Andy lost most of his business revenue. Having both financial buffer and emotional support (from his wife and father) made weathering this possible (37:06).
• A business emergency fund is especially important for entrepreneurs—“waves” of income will come (37:07).

10. Owning Time without Entrepreneurship

• Andy offers advice for people who want more time but don’t want to be business owners:
  • If you’re a good employee, ask for a part-time arrangement (39:55).
  • Seek part-time or flexible positions elsewhere.
  • Consider freelancing for high hourly rates in your existing industry.

11. When Should You Start Using Savings to Buy Your Time Back?

• There's always a tension between “keep piling up the nest egg” versus recognizing when you have “enough” to dial back and enjoy life now.

  “Find out your ‘enough.’ … At what point can you say, ‘That’s good, I think I’ve got enough. Life is for living.’” —Andy (43:23)

12. What Owning Your Time Looks Like in Practice

• Mondays: Focus on family—running with his wife, exercise, prepping for the week, errands—before the kids get home.
• Fridays: Social time—lunch, pickleball, movies with friends (with the “luxury” of empty theaters!).
• Weekends: Left completely unplanned.
• The increased time allows for more “do-it-yourself” home and meal tasks, saving money and improving health (51:08, 51:40).

  “Instead of somebody else making food with a lot of butter and a lot of salt, I’m making the food the way I need to.” —Andy (51:40)

13. Overworking, Guilt, and the Cultural Narrative

• Joel and Andy discuss American “work pride” and how overwork takes a toll on health, family life, and longevity (53:01).

  “If there’s corporations behind [the overwork message]: 60, 70 hours is something to be proud of. Sleep, right? Get three hours a night of sleep. No. … I’d rather work fewer hours … and also be present for my family.” —Andy (53:01)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On intentional dreaming (10:11):

  "We used to do this when we were kids all the time … and then we stop dreaming, because we're so busy just going." —Andy

• On the reality check of net worth (06:15):

  “We were making a lot of money, but we were spending all of it, and we had a negative $50,000 net worth.” —Andy

• On the power of a supportive spouse (28:38):

  “That was like the best words that have ever come out of my wife’s mouth besides ‘I do.’ … She said, ‘You got this.’”

• On cutting expenses vs. increasing income (14:55):

  “You can only cut so far before you or your spouse says, ‘Hey, man, this can't all be about deprivation.’”

• On the “debt hatred method” (19:50):

  “Line up the ones that you hate the most to the ones you hate the least … pay that baby off first!”

• On finding the “sweet spot” for work (36:36):

  "I'm able to pay myself $100,000 by working 20 to 25 hours a week. That's like the dream life I've always wanted."

• On not letting others write your story (top takeaway, 54:48):

  “Make sure somebody else isn’t dictating what’s best for you.” —Joel (Summing up Andy’s message)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:46] Andy's introduction and splurging preferences
• [04:48] Early career and the trigger to change
• [06:15] Net worth reality check
• [08:14] How to get on the same page as a couple
• [12:44] Most crucial habits for buying back time
• [14:55] Reducing expenses vs. deprivation
• [17:41] Extreme measures and “right-sizing”
• [19:50] The “debt hatred method”
• [21:38] The true cost-benefit of advanced degrees
• [28:38] Transition to solopreneurship and the importance of “FU money”
• [33:13] How to engineer a shorter workweek
• [37:06] Early business failures and lessons from the pandemic
• [39:55] Advice for non-entrepreneurs to own their time
• [43:23] When to start buying back your time (“find your enough”)
• [48:54] What Andy’s days look like in practice
• [51:40] How more time leads to saving on convenience
• [53:01] Challenging overwork and guilt

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Tone and Style

The episode is conversational, candid, and reflective. Both Joel and Andy share personal stories and use humor, with a warm, approachable vibe. Advice is empathetic—not prescriptive or judgmental.

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Key Takeaways for Listeners

• Owning your time is available to anyone ready to be intentional about aligning money with personal values and long-term dreams—regardless of starting point.
• Experimentation and small wins (both financial and lifestyle) compound over time.
• The “right” work-life balance is unique—don’t let outside expectations dictate your goals.
• You can start buying back time before “full FI”—through negotiation, part-time arrangements, or flexible work even if you are not entrepreneurial.
• Prioritize dreaming, intentionality, and partnership in both finances and how you structure your days.

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Resources Mentioned

• Andy’s new book: Own Your Time (out January 21, 2026)
• Andy’s podcast: Marriage, Kids and Money

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For more, visit howtomoney.com.

Transcript

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[Podcast Promo Host]

A man with down syndrome tries the impossible. The grand slam in turkey hunting.

[Andy Hill]

4:53 hits. We're legal, shooting light. And he gives us this one last chust.

[Joel]

Ow.

[Andy Hill]

And he pitches off. And when he pitches off, he flies right into the gun barrel. I said to the cameraman, do you have him? He said, shoot him. I said, justin, shoot.

[Podcast Promo Host]

You can download this episode and others from lines and tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joel]

Welcome to how to Money. I'm Joel, and today the topic is owning your time. How to build a life you control with Andy Hill. Okay, so we all get the same 24 hours, but it sure doesn't always feel that way, does it? Why is it that some people seem to have time for hobbies, for meaningful conversations, even that slow cup of coffee, while others are just trying to survive the day on repeat? Today we're breaking down what it really takes to build a life that feels enjoyable, sustainable and manageable, not rushed and reactive. And a big part of that equation. Smart money decisions, right? And intentional choices about how we choose to spend our time. My friend Andy Hill is here to share his wisdom. Andy runs marriage, kids and money. He's the real deal. He's someone who has put in the work and has built a life guided by values, freedom and family. He wrote the new book Own youn Time. So a lot of what we're going to talk about today kind of comes from that book. And everything he's going to share today really does come from personal experience, not theory. So, Andy, thank you so much for joining me today on the pod.

[Andy Hill]

Joel, I'm so glad to be back and thank you for this great introduction. I appreciate it, man.

[Joel]

Of course, man. I'm so excited to dig into this, but first questions first have to be asked. And that is like, what do you like to splurge on?

[Andy Hill]

What do you like to splurge on? That's a great question.

[Joel]

Craft beer equivalent, baby. What is it for you?

[Andy Hill]

For me it is family vacations. You and I were doing a little inside baseball before we talked and we got some cold weather here, man. And I love wasting money on very warm vacations in the wintertime. And I don't compare shop price compare enough. I just like, just book, buy, go, I'm cold, you know, stuff like that.

[Joel]

If I was as cold as you are and had to shovel snow off the driveway as much as you do.

[Andy Hill]

Oh, yeah, it's been a, it's been a nasty winter so far.

[Joel]

I might lean into that too. Are you looking like fancy island getaway or like car trip down to Florida?

[Andy Hill]

Our thing is we like to go to all inclusive family resorts in Cancun. That is our jam. It's like, it's. We try to do five to seven days. You just kind of live on this campus and they've got all the amenities for your kids to feel entertained and have a good time and then you've got your food taken care of and it is warm and it's beautiful. That is our favorite.

[Joel]

That sounds nice. I've never, I've done an all inclusive once. I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little antsy at them, sure, because I'd rather go out and explore most of the time, but to each their own. And I've never done one with kids. How does that usually work out? Pretty well.

[Andy Hill]

It's been great. We've been doing it ever since they were young. And it is, it's changed as they've grown. You know, when they were little kids, they do the play place and they get to play in the kids club. And then they got to a point where like, don't send me that kids club anymore. I'm a preteen and I'm, you know, I'm a teenager. And then they, but they're on this safe campus where they get to walk around and play volleyball with other people and other families and life's good, man. It's a nice way to vacation.

[Joel]

I love it. All right, so talk to me about your 20s when you didn't own your time. What was that period of your life like?

[Andy Hill]

Yeah, man. Well, you know, in our late 20s, that's when my wife and I got together. I'm so glad to have met this wonderful woman in my life. And we didn't own our time really. At the beginning of our relationship, we both had two full time corporate careers working, you know, 50, 60 hours a week. A lot of it would bleed into the weekends, you know, the laptop on the bed, typing emails, dealing with clients on the phone, that type of stuff. And then we started to think about having kids during that time and we said, hey, wouldn't that be great to become parents? And the big realization that came to us is like, well, we want to spend time with these kids, we want to spend time with each other. Because when we started dating, we spent a lot of time with each other. But now these careers are kind of taking over, us trying to climb the corporate ladder and it's not seeming to equate. So we were in a kind of in a stuck position saying, okay, well we want to have the family life where we can, you know, be good spouses to each other and have fun and then also be present parents where we're raising these kids and not just handing them off and how do we do that? And that was a stuck moment for us in our late 20s.

[Joel]

So was it the we're going to have kids, something that's got to change? Was that a big part of it? Was there a certain, like when you started to ask these questions, did you look into net worth and your finances? And you're like, there's just no way we're going to be able to live the life we want to live time wise if we don't change something about our finances.

[Andy Hill]

That was exactly it, man. We said, hey, we're bringing Zoe into the world in the next six months. Like, what do we have to do to prepare the. To make sure she has a great life and that we actually get to spend some time with her. And for my wife, she really did not like her job more so than I didn't like my job. And she's like, wouldn't it be great if I could work part time or eventually like full time stay at home mom, like, how do we do that? And for me, I went into papa bear protection mode. Like, what's the way that I can give my daughter a great life? And for me that was like finances, what can I do to help? Right? Our situation. I remember watching the Susie Orman show around that time and, and she was kept on talking about net worth, net worth over again on the show. It was called how am I doing? It was one of those segments where she'd analyze somebody's financial situation, and she'd give him a letter grade, like between A and F. And I kept on saying to myself at the time, well, I'm sure we'd get an A on the show because combined, we're making, like, $130,000. We're doing really well. You know, we make a lot of money. But she kept on talking about this term, net worth. Net worth. And I'm like, okay, well, I wonder what our net worth is. Went up on the big whiteboard up in our guest room and started writing it down. Assets on one side, liabilities on the other. Quickly found out we were not rich. We were making a lot of money, but we were spending all of it, and we had a negative $50,000 net worth. And so that became a moment for me to be like, okay, well, if I'm gonna give Zoe a great life and try to own more of my time, I better get this money situation. Well, because, of course, I'd like to work less hours and my wife to work less hours, but we don't have the money to show for it, or we don't have the financial strength to make that a possibility. So that became the starting point for. Start improving our situation from that negative net worth situation.

[Joel]

Yeah, and the net worth doesn't lie. Right. It kind of delivers the straight, hard, sobering truth sometimes. You said you changed your focus through, I think you called it in the book, spirited marital compromise. What did the nitty gritty of that.

[Andy Hill]

Look like for anybody who's been married? You know, what those gentle terms mean? For me, it was so clear. I saw the net worth. I saw the debt. I saw the fact that if we invested more and had a higher savings rate that we would be able to get out of this mess. And so when I started to use those terms with her net worth and debt freedom and spending less and increasing our savings rate, her immediate reaction was like, that sounds like deprivation, dude. That does not sound like fun. I'm looking for more fun. I'm not happy. I am pregnant. Currently, I am working at a job that I don't like, and you're talking about doing less fun stuff, so you're gonna have to come back with something better, you know? And so for me, I'm like, what? This was. This was such a perfect idea. I've already worked it out on a map. And if we increase our net worth, then we can have more freedom and what's, you know, what's the problem. And then I thought about it. I'm like, I wasn't speaking in her terms at all. She's pregnant. She hates her job. Speak about the things that you get from this work, man. Think about the payoff. And so when I started to speak to her in those terms of saying, hey, you are pregnant, you're working at a job you don't like, you want to be able to start working part time and eventually full time. Right. Wouldn't that be great? Yes, that would be great. Okay. So once I started to speak in her language, then it was, okay, what do we need to do financially in order to make those changes happen? And so for us, that was getting on the same page for those dreams. Her dream at the time was working less at a job she didn't like. And my dream was, like, quickly follow her after that, eventually, so that I could spend some time with my children and spend more time with her and take care of my health. I have more. More time for fun and less time for work. And so that became our dream goals together.

[Joel]

Can you toss out some ideal, like, conversation starters or maybe questions that can get the ball rolling for a couple who feels stuck? Maybe kind of like where you guys were back then, like, trying to get on the same page, but maybe it feels like you're speaking different languages.

[Andy Hill]

Yeah, I would say don't do it like I did, where I started off talking about the numbers and calculating the net worth and all that stuff. That's just a quick way to turn your spouse off and have them listen. Start with dreaming. You know, we used to do this when we were kids all the time, Joel. We used to sit and say, what am I gonna be when I grow up? Or where am I gonna go? Or, who am I gonna do? Who am I gonna do it with? You know, things like that. And then we get to get into our corporate jobs, and we get married and we have kids, and then we stop dreaming, like, because we're so busy just going. So if you could just take some time personally to sit there for, call it 15 minutes, just to think about what would your ideal work week look like? What would your ideal life look like? And where you see yourself in five to 10 years and have that be a happy, happy moment, what does that life look like for you? You start to write those things down. You have a fun exercise with it. Some people have a difficulty with dreaming, too. They can't. I don't know. You know, I don't know what I want. Okay, let's think about it in the opposite way. Let's say you go to your mailbox and There is a $5 million check in there and it's made out to you. And you don't have to worry about taxes or if this being an illegal crypto scheme, it's like it's really your money, right? And it goes to your account. What is the first thing that you stop doing immediately? Because you have the financial security. That can be fun. Right? So it's exercises like these that you can do personally. Then you start to write those things down. Then you get excited about moving forward because you have those dreams written down. You have that why written down. After you've done it, ask your spouse to do the same thing. Say, hey, play this game with me. Let's dream together. Let's have some fun. Where do you want to go in your life? What do you want to do? Yeah, you don't like your job, that's cool. What would you want to be doing with your time? Would you want to own your own business? Would you want to spend more time with the kids? Or does being a stay at home parent sound like just as bad as having a toxic corporate job? You know, like, talk to me about that dream with me. And then you do that exercise. Do it over dinner, do it over coffee, do it over something fun so it's not just like grinding through the numbers. And then once you learn each other's goals, then you figure out how you can make those family goals together and move towards them together as a team. Because this stuff is so difficult and it takes a long time to do. You're going to need a partner there with you the entire time, not only encouraging you, but helping you along and then you doing the same thing to them.

[Joel]

What are the habits would you say that most directly lead to helping people buy their time back?

[Andy Hill]

Yeah, I would say a good understanding of where the money is coming in and where it's going is a great place to start. So once you.

[Joel]

It sounds so basic.

[Andy Hill]

It is basic as hell. Absolutely.

[Joel]

But when you ask the average person, like where their money is going or how much is your mortgage or how much money do you spend every month on subscriptions, they look at you and they might hesitate to guess. They might try to guess. But then the truth is so many people don't really know.

[Andy Hill]

Absolutely. The first thing they do know is how much they make. Right. Everybody's very prideful of that. I know how much I make. You know how much you make. It's like a nice ego thing. Where it's like, I made that, you know, but where's it going? Well, I'm not really sure, you know, like, that's more important than how much you're making, really. Because you could make a million dollars. You spend a million dollars, you don't know where it goes. There's no margin there to buy back your time and move in the direction that you want to go. So the goal with that is to understand how much is coming in and where it's going, looking at where it's going, and then having some intentionality with it. Do I want to be spending on these things that I am? Does this move us in the direction of those goals and dreams that we have together, sweetheart? Does that help us to do that? And if it doesn't, find ways to reduce or eliminate those types of things. And then with that margin in between your income and your expenses, that's your power move. That gap between your income and your expenses, that's your power to start building wealth for your family so that you can buy back your time. So finding out what that in and out is and then how much margin you have, that can really be your major power move to start.

[Joel]

I think so often people are worried that they start this process and they're going to enter into this phase of austerity, right? And they're like, yeah, I want to accomplish those things, but I don't want to cut out all joy in the process, right? So. So how do we reduce our expenses and so that we can get closer to achieving those goals that we have for ourselves, where that money is the power to help us get there without feeling like we're constantly depriving ourselves?

[Andy Hill]

It's a great question, and it can be a slippery slope because if you cut your expenses too much, then you're really cutting out the joy in your life. So you got to just start with the things that are obvious and on the surface, start with the little things, like what subscriptions do I have right now that I'm not even using? Oh, okay. That's an easy cut. What are my insurance plans that I have? Have I been with the same provider for, like, three years, and maybe they'd be consistently jacking up the price on my home and insurance and my auto insurance. Maybe I should renegotiate and get a better deal and maybe save 1000 bucks by bundling things together. Little things like that are quick power moves that you can do probably in an afternoon that might save you thousands of dollars immediately. And that's like, in an Afternoon. And then you can say some of the bigger things. Okay, what are we spending on housing? Transportation. Food. That is really kind of eating into our budget. Did we buy a house that maybe we expected to have a family of six or a family of four and we've only had child? Like, is this house holding us back from owning more of our time and being able to spend more of it? Some people, that can be a very big decision. Transportation, what are we spending on our cars? How much are we spending? Is this something that we can bring back a little bit in order to own more of our time? Food, Same thing. A lot of discussions around this can happen, but to your point, you can only cut so far before you or your spouse says, hey, man, this can't all be about deprivation. This can't all be about cutting, cutting. What else can we do? And the other thing to think about is, like, what can I do to increase my income during this time period so that it doesn't always have to be cut, cut, cut? And so looking at where you're making money already and saying, okay, am I due for a raise? Do I deserve a raise? Is there ways that I can make more money during this time frame? You know, whether that be bonuses, commissions, referrals, other ways to look at earning income in order to bring more money? And something that my wife and I like to do, like, probably once a quarter is just walk around our house and see things that we don't use anymore and put them up on Facebook, Marketplace or Craigslist, and then grab like a couple hundred bucks or five hundred bucks just from selling stuff that's laying around the house. We just did that yesterday. We sold. What do we sell? A shuffleboard that we've had sitting at our house. We haven't used it in, like, a year. It was cool. It was a cool idea a couple years ago, but somebody else wanted to give it a home for a couple hundred bucks. And we're like, okay, that's $200 that we can use for our goals or just to have fun this weekend, maybe pay a babysitter to support us to spend more time together. So I think it's just being intentional about the money, looking at it and saying, what can I do to make some changes that help me move in that general direction?

[Joel]

And some people are willing to go more extreme than others. And so much of that depends on how quickly you want to reach that goal and what your goal is. So I remember hearing from a listener recently who moved locations. They went to a cheaper cost of Living, they were able to sell their home that had appreciated in value and buy that home with cash in this cheaper place to live. And so now they own their time in a way that if they had stuck it out in a more expensive city, they wouldn't have. And that's not for everybody, but you should at least put that stuff on the list and it should at least be a topic of discussion. I think you might say, no, we're like living 10 minutes from family. We have this great community here. We're not going to leave that. It's not worth reaching our goal sooner. But do you think maybe some of those more extreme measures should at least be like fodder for discussion?

[Andy Hill]

I think they should be part of the discussion. And they don't always have to be so extreme too. I spoke to a woman on my podcast named Sandra and she said that she didn't downsize. She right sized. So she had a big yard, never used the yard, but always took care of it, pulling weeds, cutting it, you know, just so much time spent taking care of a yard that she's not even using. And she said, well, what if I just got the same size house but just less of a yard? And she's so happy that she's not spending so much time out there anymore, she's able to actually enjoy more of her life. And so it's like big. Those might seem like big decisions, but they could be big changes. We don't always have to do the script of what's told us to us. You know, have the big, big house, big yard, you know, great, whatever, whatever, big cars, things like that, decide what's best for you and then again, make sure you're having those discussions with a partner and ensuring it's assuring it's a fit.

[Joel]

You're not a fan of debt? I'm not either, for the most part. But like the how much you're paying every single month towards the credit card company or whatever, that can influence your ability, right, to own your time. The more money you owe to other people, the more income you have to be making in order to try to pay that down, that debt more quickly. And you, in your book, you talk about the debt hatred method. Hadn't heard of this before. You want to talk to me about that? Yeah.

[Andy Hill]

You know, you maybe heard of the Dead snowball or Dead Avalanche. These are just different methodologies to say, okay, I've lined up my debts, you know, I understand how much I owe and what the interest rates are on those debts. The debt hatred Method, which I think is pretty funny, is like line up the ones that you hate the most to the ones you hate the least and you know, let the interest rates be aside. Let's say you owe some money to your brother and you really don't, you know, you don't pay a lot of interest on it, but man, you pay a lot of emotional problems on that debt and you hate it. It's like, well, pay that baby off first. Or let's say you borrowed some money to go to your school and you owe those student loans and you never use that degree and it just makes you mad that you even got the student loans because you still own them. It's like, pay that baby off as fast as possible too, because that emotional relief that you get from those things being out of your life and you never have to think about them again could be the best momentum that you have on your debt free journey.

[Joel]

You briefly mentioned in the book too, getting your MBA and the time, the money that it costs to go back to school and get that degree. So much of that depends on the individual degree and the individual person. Because my wife just went back to school, got a graduate degree, she's using it and loving it. She's so thrilled to be in the career that she's in. But clearly, especially in today's day and age, the decision whether or not to go to college at all, the decision whether or not to get an advanced degree with how valuable it might or might not be and how costly it might be, how should people think about the value of additional schooling and how that can either maybe accelerate their ability to own their time or hamper it?

[Andy Hill]

Yeah, I think that's a great question. And as a parent, I'm thinking about that so much as we're trying to build up our 529 accounts to pay for our kids to go to school. And it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time they go. And I'm constantly questioning, well, should I just build this up in an account and just hand it to them and just say good luck and build your own business and make that work because you're going to have a big step ahead with hundreds of thousands of dollars to do this. And then I say, well, you know what? At 18 or 19 or 20, if somebody handed me a couple hundred thousand dollars, man, I would have taken that to Vegas and partied, you know, because my prefrontal cortex is not quite developed yet. So I think the idea of undergraduate for at least my children, I think is going to Be a fine idea. Maybe less because of the education piece, which is funny to say, but more for the ability to stick through something for four years, that's pretty darn hard. And the networking aspect that you get out of making connections throughout that process. And then hopefully, if you continue to make those connections and you show that you have the ability to see through things that will lead to a career that will give you a better life in the future. And with that career, that's the real strength that you can to grow that gap. Like we talked about earlier, increasing the income, make your dreams come true through your own hard work and your income growth. As far as advanced degrees go, like you said, I think if there is a proven way to show that that advanced degree will increase your income or in an area that you feel you're passionate towards working on for the next five to 10 years, go for it. I think what I did wrong by going for my MBA was I just sort of had this idea in my brain, well, I'm not making a lot of money now. I think I was making like $30,000 a year or something like that. And I said to myself, well, people who have MBAs, they make more money and that will help me to make that money. So I just went into it kind of blindly. I think I was at 24 or something like that saying, okay, I'm good at seeing through things and finishing them. I've got that part. Let's see if this advanced degree helps me. And it was about five and a half years of night school. Man, it was a long time. Talk about not owning your time. I was going to work all day and going to school all night.

[Joel]

That sounds awesome.

[Andy Hill]

And it was just a lot. And I do not think that MBA helped me out a lick. I really don't. I think it was nice because I learned some interesting information. But in the era of man, artificial intelligence, and the ability for me to get a Harvard MBA class via ChatGPT, if I really wanted one, I don't know if it fits up to the value of the time and the money I spent towards it. So I would say if it aligns with your goal and where you're going, and if can support your ability to earn more in the career you're in. But in my marketing, communication, advertising world that I was in, it did not equate to more dollars or more prestige in the future.

[Joel]

Okay, that's good to know.

[Andy Hill]

All right.

[Joel]

I want to talk more about the solopreneur life that you've established, how that's allowed you to build a life that you want and that you have more control over. We'll get to some questions along those lines with Andy Hill right after this.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

Run a business and not thinking about Podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the one podcaster, iheart's twice as large as the next two combined, so whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Call 844-844 iHeart to get started. That's 844-844 iHeart lines and tines with.

[Podcast Promo Host]

Spencer Graves on the iHeartradio app is a podcast designed for hunters and fishermen to enjoy success.

[Spencer Graves]

I like the idea of like, hey, put me on a big deer. You know, hey, there's a big deer out here. He's doing this. Be looking for this deer. But I also love doing it on my own. I love going out there and saying, running my cameras. I love patterning the deer. I like showing up at the right time, checking the wind, knowing what stand.

[Andy Hill]

I need to be in.

[Spencer Graves]

And then whenever it all comes together and it happens, that's the most satisfying thing ever. So when you do it on your own, it's like, I then can hang my hat. But if I had somebody say, hey, pull up on these dots and catch them right here and you're going to win. And then when I go in, it's like, yeah, it's cool. I won the tournament. The ultimate goal is done. But it's like, dude, I But when you find them and you make them bite, that's the puzzle.

[Joel]

I love it.

[Podcast Promo Host]

Listen to Lines and Tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey everyone, it's Ed Helms and I'm.

[Andy Hill]

Kal Penn and we are the hosts of Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Podcast Promo Host]

This week on the podcast I am talking to film and TV critic, radio and podcast host and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. What moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you or just stood out the most?

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands. You have the crowd sounds like all around you is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones.

[Podcast Promo Host]

Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Joel]

Art. We're back still talking with Andy Hill, talking about owning your time, which I think when it comes down to it, that's what people really want. And ultimately that is the best thing that money can provide. And so do people find that as they especially kicking off a new new year here. What are your goals and what are your goals with money? And is it just to amass tons of it or is it to be able to, like, utilize it in a way that helps you to live the life you really want to live? And Andy, one of those big things for you, I think that you realized one of the goals was to be able to work for yourself and how that was going to give you the lifestyle that you wanted and allow you to control more of your time by not having to answer emails from an annoying boss. Right. Or having to go in to a physical location when you didn't want to. How did you prepare to pull that rip cord to work for yourself?

[Andy Hill]

Yeah, it was a couple of things. It was both mentally and financially. So mentally it was saying, okay, I know that I've tried this corporate route. I've been doing it for 10, 15 years, and I just don't see that it works for me. Like, I remember at one point I had my last job. I had built up a team. I had grown the business in such a way where I was able to hire three team members and they were very proud of all the work that I was doing. I felt very good about it. And then just one day, management changed. They, you know, I had a new boss and the boss said, you're not working on that team anymore. You're working on this, you're over here, you're doing that. And I just remember feeling like, man, I'm not in control of my life at all. And then when I go home, I've got a four year old and a two year old and I know I'm not control of that either. So I'm like, I need to have something outside of my job and busy parenting that I just feel like I do own. And I remember getting into podcasting at that time, Joel. Or it's just like, this is a fun medium where I like listening to it. I feel like it's a good outlet. Maybe I can contribute in some way by interviewing smart people and sharing our story. And it was a Hobby for me at the time. And I just said, well, what can I do to grow this? I'm having such a good time, figured out how to make a little bit of money from it, and then eventually got to a point where I was like, maybe this could be a thing. And our financial freedom idea at the time, through some people I was interviewing, like yourself, was real estate. I said, well, why don't we just save up some money and we'll do this rental property, real estate type thing. I know a lot of people are doing it well, and they can kind of, you know, manage their time and feel like they have some sort of ownership. My wife and I started to look at some houses after saving some money, and we both decided, you know what? We're not really into this. This isn't something that we want to do. Real estate's not for us. And that kind of put me back into the spot of being like, well, man, that's not it. What is it then? And my wife said to me, hey, man, we've saved up this money. You wanted to buy your first rental property with, you know, no mortgage, so you saved up $100,000. Why don't you just use that as a financial Runway for you to try this digital solopreneur thing you've been doing and see if you can give it a go. And that was, like, the best words that have ever come out of my wife's mouth. Besides, I do. I do was very important, too. And it was just. But it was like a confidence booster for me. So mentally, I was like, yes, I feel like I can do this because I had the support of my wife, and I had been making money in my small business. So it was proven that I could actually make money doing this. Now, if I had double the amount of time or triple the amount of time, I wonder if I could really be successful with this. So, one, it was proving that I could make money with it. Two, it was $100,000 saved in an FU money fund to say, hey, man, even if I mess this up, we got some money, right? And then three, it was my wife giving me that, you know, support, saying, hey, man, you got this. And so I took the leap in January of 2020, said goodbye to my corporate career, and I haven't looked back.

[Joel]

That's the trifecta right there.

[Andy Hill]

It is, man.

[Joel]

It really is. Having a proven concept, having some seed money, and then having someone in your life who supports you and believes in you, like, those three things combine, that's a pretty sick recipe. To at least give it a good run. Even if at some point you have to go crawling back to corporate world.

[Andy Hill]

Yeah. And that realization number four realization, oh, I could go back to the corporate world. And would that, would that really be that bad?

[Joel]

We think when we make this leap, like, there's no going back, right? No. Who would ever hire us again? I still have that thought. I'm like, I'm so unemployable at this point in my life. And I'm like, you know what? I know people. I would be fine. Like, if podcasting becomes the medium of yesteryear in the next couple of years and nobody listens anymore to podcasts, they're so not cool because we've all got AI friends or something like that and they're the new podcast, then that's okay. I can go find something else. But you have to also, you have to realize that and not just think about worst case scenarios.

[Andy Hill]

Exactly.

[Joel]

Which is hard for human brains.

[Andy Hill]

Yes, it is.

[Joel]

I want to jump ahead, maybe even just a few years. So you said that happened in 2020. At this point in time, over the last five years of doing this, you have built the kind of life, slowly but surely, brick by brick, that you wanted to achieve. At this point in time, neither you nor Nicole work full time. That's amazing. Some of you might be like, wait a second, Andy, you're not that old. How. You've still got young kids, youngish kids. Like, how did you get to that point?

[Andy Hill]

Yeah. So from that point, you know, when I leapt in 2020, it was all on. I was so excited about making this business perfect and, you know, having it not fail. So I essentially, you know, kind of bought myself another 40 to 50 hour job, you know, and I was excited about that job, though. I really liked it and I worked very hard to make it come to life. I still had that desire of also being a present father and a great husband and a good son and volunteering in the community. So what I did right away, as my wife likes to call me, and, and Andy, I tried to do it all, man. I tried to do it all in January of 2020. And I. I tried to do more podcast episodes. I tried to do everything because I had that moment of like, I finally have freedom. But then I realized again, there's only 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week where it's like, you can only do so much. So because I liked those other portions of my life, I said, well, what can I do over the years to Work less and live more, maybe lean into these other identities more than I have been, you know, athlete, father, son, you know, good husband. And so from 2020, where I was working, you know, call it 40, 50 hours a week to today, about five years later, Nicole and I work probably 20 to 25 hours a week. I'm trying an experiment starting next week where I'm only working Tuesday through Thursday so that I can have a three day work week and a permanent four day weekend. I just always thought that would be like the coolest thing in the world. So I'm like, I want to try that. Wouldn't that be cool to always have a four day weekend? So if you wanted to get out of town, it's no big deal. You don't have to move any plans. It's just that. So I'm going to experiment with that next week I will report back because that might be too small of an amount of time to make my business keep moving. But I guess we'll see. That's really where I am. Yep.

[Joel]

The key word is experiment in there. Right. And you can experiment as a solopreneur and you can say, wait a second, like, you know, what is it? Pareto principle or Parkinson's law? Parkinson's law, right. Where the amount of work expands to, to fill the time that you give it. And. But then there's also the truth where I think you could whittle it down to where you're not giving enough time and you're like, I have more work to do than time available. But that experiment, like, I love that, I love that you're giving it a shot.

[Andy Hill]

Yeah. So lately 20 to 25 hours has sort of been that sweet spot where it's like, okay, I'm able to get a lot of high functioning, important things, high value dollar things done. And then I find that I'm not able to do some of the extras that maybe don't produce as much fruit for me and it ends up being okay, like, oh, I don't have enough time to do that. Well, it didn't make me money anyway. Oh, maybe I don't need to do that anymore. And so I've been trying to have some more of those experiments where I essentially hack away at the unessential, as Bruce Lee would say, where it's like, just get rid of the stuff that doesn't work and keep doing more of the stuff that does work. So that's where I've been experimenting as a solopreneur and hopefully it continues to work. But right now it's been a great time in my business. This year in December, I'm crossing over 200,000 in revenue. So I'm able to pay myself $100,000 by working 20 to 25 hours a week. That's like the dream life I've always wanted. And I'm just gonna keep on flexing and trying to, you know, push towards this three day week. And maybe it won't work, but I guess we'll find out. Like you said, it's an experiment.

[Joel]

No, I mean, I think what you're, what you're highlighting is something that a lot of people want. They just feel like it's not gonna happen or impossible to get to. And I think what we kind of jumped through that five years timeline real quick. 2020 to 2025. There was a lot of frugality. Oh, man, tough decisions, A lot of hard work on your business to get.

[Andy Hill]

I'll tell you, a failure moment. If you're open to it, I'll bring it. So January 2020, you know what happened two months later? Everybody knows what happened two months later.

[Joel]

I think I remember that. Yeah.

[Andy Hill]

So things went south for me in my business. I had these locked up contracts. I had this money coming in. And then that all went away, man. I lost advertising dollars, I lost these, these solid contracts. And things looked scary, man. I got depressed. I said, oh my God, was this a horrible mistake that I made for my family? I'm supposed to be protecting my family, and I've done the opposite. But what I had in my corner again was an awesome wife that patted me on the back saying, hey man, you got this. I had a great father who gave me some great advice at the time as well. Some good friends. And then again, my other great friend at the time was $100,000 of FU money that said, hey man, I'm here for you. Like, use me. Like, this is what you. This is the, this is the. Oh, oh, no. Emergency fund. Like, use it. And we did. So we used it for about three months of it just to kind of right size. Things pivot in the business, figure out different ways of making money. But yeah, even with 12 months of expenses, we only used three months during a global pandemic. That was proof enough that I'm hardworking enough. I've got great support and I've got the financial backing to make this thing work. And so year over year, I've just tried to decrease the amount of time I'm working and increase slowly increase my income as well. So it's Been a combination. It's one of those things where there's a lot of trial and error, you know, entrepreneurship, man, you know, well, it's a lot of this. It's a lot of up and down big waves. Some months I'm like, oh, man. And then I get a little too spendy. And then I'm like. And then I have one of those down months and I'm like, oh, I wish I wasn't so spendy. So over the past three years or so, I've been. I've realized the importance of a good business emergency fund. Having some money set aside outside of your family emergency fund to keep the business going. And that way these wild waves of revenue and un Revenue don't hit me so hard.

[Joel]

Let's say somebody out there listening is like, well, you know, entrepreneurship. Not for me. Becoming a solopreneur, that's out of my wheelhouse. I don't necessarily have a business I want to start. I'm working in W2 capacity for a job, and guess what? I like it. Yeah, but I'm working too many hours. I'd like to dial it back. I feel like I'm managing my money well. I have enough savings and I don't need to get paid as much. How would you. Which I think, again, is something that more people can work towards. I have a buddy who did this exact thing and it was really fun to hear his story and how he spends his time. Was literally running the other day and he's just like playing the piano out in public. And I'm like, dude, this is awesome. This is how you spend a random Tuesday morning. Now, how would you suggest people broach that conversation, though, with their employer or work towards essentially having more ownership of their time and less of their time taken up by work if they still need to get paid and still need benefits?

[Andy Hill]

I think this is the untapped resources that we're not talking about enough of. I think fire gets a lot of conversation in the media where it's like, I made a hard charge and save enough where I don't have to work at all. And it's like, okay, that's hard for the majority of us to do. This is a great middle ground. So, yes, still, build up your net worth, pay off that debt, you know, build your investments, get that financial security, financial strength. Build up a little bit of an FU money fund, and then have some conversations with your employer about the ability to work part time there. Especially if you've been working hard and they like you and you're a producer for them and it would be really hard for them to get rid of you. You know, you're in that situation now. If you're in one of those people that maybe isn't producing as much and you don't have that great of a relationship with your supervisor, maybe this advice isn't for you to go to say, hey, I'd like to work less than I already am. You got to be one of those people that's already putting in a lot of effort, you know, doing well for your employer. You got to have that rapport with them to be able to say, hey, I'm working full time for you right now. I'm in a season of my life where I would like to be spending more time with my kids, my aging parents, whatever, fill in the blank. Is there a way that I could work part time here? And knowing that I'd be working part time, I'd be willing to be paid less for that part time work? Is that a situation that could work for you now that goes with you having a good relationship with your supervisor and really understanding the general culture of what's going on in your company? If you're in a culture right now that's hacking a lot of heads and getting rid of employees, maybe not the best time to bring up that conversation. It's also good to just investigate other people who have done this at your company. Maybe take them out for coffee, take them out for lunch, saying, how did you broach this subject with supervisor? You know, how did you do that? That type of investigation could be really helpful. Let's say it doesn't work at your company specifically, but maybe a competitor or some other industry that you could work in does hire people for part time work. My wife did this. She wanted to go back to work as an esthetician after going back to school and trying something completely new. She specifically pursued part time work and they were hiring for it. So it's like part time positions are out there. You just have to seek for them. And then the third option, outside of just like going your own solo business route, is maybe working as a freelancer or a contractor within the industry that you have so much expertise in ones that you could get paid a high hourly rate or a high day rate in order to produce for them. So those three areas could be really good ones to investigate outside of just like saying, hey, I'm out of here, I'm going to go start my own business and see how it goes.

[Joel]

The other tug of war, I could see people having in their mind, is, is it the right thing to build up a higher net worth to keep the income rolling? I'm just buying myself more options as I continue to boost my investing nest egg. Do I keep doing that? Like, when is it right? When is it right to start to own more of my time? That's like a really. I think that's a really tough thing, especially for people who have been accustomed to learning about. About investing and, and compounding returns and what that means for their future. And it feels like you're doing the opposite. You're starting to almost like, draw down on those funds.

[Andy Hill]

Sure.

[Joel]

In a way by utilizing some of them for current happiness. How do you, how do you, like, sign off on that?

[Andy Hill]

I hear you, man. Well, you're going to do it at some point in your life. Right. There's going to be a point where you're going to start drawing down on those assets that could be 80 years old. That could be 70 years old. 60 years old. You have to decide when you're going to do that. Now, in our current position, I'm not even advising drawing down on the assets. I'm advising just like dialing back on the overemphasis of saving more. We went from 40 to 50% savings rate to this point in January of 2020, saying, well, what if we just dialed that back to like 10% because we're not needing to save for our retirement goals anymore because we've gotten to a point of coast fire where these contributions will. I'm sorry, the balance will continue to grow over the next couple of decades without our support and still get to like $2 million. So I think there's a middle ground of just saying, okay, yes, it's important to accumulate and build your wealth, but at what point can you say, that's good? I think I've got enough. Find out you're enough. And then at that point, live some life, man. Life is for living. You got to enjoy the present moment because we don't know what we have in the future. That's all we really have. We have the present. So it's important to think about the future. Yes. Don't go into the day total yolo, but it is important to think about what we have now and make sure we're enjoying our lives. And if you've got one of those jobs where you're just like, I hate my everyday. Does life really need to feel like this? Then yeah, maybe it's a time to make some changes that could be just changing your job and finding a different career altogether. Or it could be moving in one of these directions.

[Joel]

Yeah. All right, I've got more questions I want to. Specifically, I want to know about how you use those free times. What are Mondays and Fridays going to look like for Andy and the Hill family in this experiment? But we'll talk about that. We'll get to that and more right after this.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

Run a business and not thinking about podcasting, think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ad supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers listen to, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you at iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com lines and tines with Spencer Graves.

[Podcast Promo Host]

On the iHeartradio app is a podcast designed for hunters and fishermen to enjoy success.

[Spencer Graves]

I like the idea of like, hey, put me on a big deer. You know, hey, there's a big deer out here. He's doing this. Be looking for this deer. But I also love doing it on my own. I love going out there and saying, running my cameras. I love patterning the deer. I like showing up at the right time, checking the wind, knowing what stand.

[Andy Hill]

I need to be in.

[Spencer Graves]

And then whenever it all comes together and it happens, that's the most satisfying thing ever. So when you do it on your own, it's like, I then can hang my hat. But if I had somebody say, hey, pull up on these dots and catch them right here and you're gonna win. And then when I go in, it's like, yeah, it's cool, I won the tournament. The ultimate goal is done. But it's like, dude, when you find them and you make them bite, that's the puzzle.

[Joel]

I love it.

[Podcast Promo Host]

Listen to lines and Tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone, it's Ed Helms and I'm.

[Andy Hill]

Kal Penn and we are the hosts of Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Podcast Promo Host]

This week on the podcast, I am talking to film and TV critic, radio and podcast host and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. What moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you? Or just stood out the most.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and. And I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands. You have the crowd sounds like all around you is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones.

[Podcast Promo Host]

Listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audio Book Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Joel]

Foreign. We're back from the break. Still talking with Andy Hill, talking about owning your time. One of my favorite conversations, and this is something that I feel like, you know, Matt and I talk about more and more and more together as business partners and guys who are trying to, like, enjoy what we do and grow our business. But at the same time, what does it look like to enjoy our everyday lives and not put those on pause in an attempt to build financial independence or financial freedom? And I feel like I've seen so many people go down that path as they learn about financial independence and fire and stuff like that. That's not attractive to me and Andy, it sounds like that's not attractive to you either. I'm really curious what you do with your newfound time as you own more of your time, as you're working less, your friends are probably still going to the office. The average friend of yours, right? And you're like, hey, let's grab coffee. It's 11 o' clock on a Monday. And they're like, I don't know what life you're living, Andy, but that's not my life. So what do those days look like for you? What is owning your time? What does it look like in the day to day?

[Andy Hill]

Yeah, I think that that's a great question. And I would say it's come with also trial and error too, because there has been times where I'm like, hey, how come nobody wants to get lunch with me in the middle of the day on Monday? Right? So I've had a little learning with it, but Mondays, really for us, my wife doesn't work e so we go for a run on Monday morning and it's a great way for us to kick start the week. I like going to the gym and have so for the past few months where I've been exercising more than I have in my entire life. I probably go to the gym and exercise five to seven hours a week now, and I just feel really healthy and really strong. I really got into that Peter Attia Outlive book, man. I read that and I'm like, let me see if I can do this. Get that centurion decathlon.

[Joel]

Right.

[Andy Hill]

So I've been leaning into that on Monday. And then by the time Monday rolls around, if I continue to do this three day work week, I'm gonna just try to do those ever important things that, you know, need to happen around the house, man. That is preparing for the week for food, going to the grocery store, you know, doing meal prep, cleaning the house a little bit. And then lo and behold, the kids come home around 3:30. So it's not that long of a day really for Monday. So. And then Tuesday through Thursday. Yes, I still go to the gym in the morning and exercise because I want to start my day off on the right way. But those would be my work days. So I work, you know, between 10 and 3 on most of those days when my wife is at the office. Tuesday and Thursday I have to pick up the kids. So that really ends my day around 3:30 Wednesday I work a little later. And then Friday rolls around and yeah, that is the day where I'm able to connect with more friends. So Friday, Friday lunch, I think most people can kind of slough off and go hang out with me for lunch. I've played pickleball with friends on Friday. I've even caught some movies on Friday with some friends where we'll be the only people in the theater, which is great.

[Joel]

With a few blue hairs in the back or something.

[Andy Hill]

Exactly. Right. Yeah. So usually, if I could design it around that, it's usually like, you know, focus on Nicole and I on Monday and just family stuff on Monday. And then Friday, leaning into some friends and getting together with folks. And that just frees my whole weekend up for whatever. I try to plan nothing on the weekend. And then you mentioned.

[Joel]

I love that. I love that you mentioned like getting some stuff done around the house. And it just sparked the thought that owning your time is probably allowing you to save money in a bunch of ways too. Think about all of the ways we are tempted to use expensive, convenient services to help us get through a busy week where we're out the door early, we're coming in late and like got to get dinner on the table. I guess we're doing Uber eats tonight.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

Right?

[Joel]

That kind of stuff. So do you think that owning your time has actually allowed you in a lot of ways to save money?

[Andy Hill]

Absolutely. Not only allowed me to save money, but it's also better for my health because instead of somebody else mowing my lawn, I mow my lawn. Instead of somebody else shoveling my driveway, I shovel my driveway. Instead of somebody else making me Food at a restaurant with a lot of butter and a lot of salt. I'm making the food the way I need to make, make it at home. So I know it's heart healthy and I'm feeling good. Of course we still eat out, but the majority of the time it's eating at home. And we're creating it in a way that's good for us, so. Absolutely. And if we were totally pressed for time, it would be one of those things where it's like, I can't help clean the house at all. Sweetheart, let's get a maid, you know what their cleaning lady. Once a week, you know, you can just do that over and over again. You can say, sure, you know, so we have time to be able to take care of our home. We bought this house, we love it, but then we. We didn't have any time to take care of it, so we had to outsource a bunch of stuff and spend a lot of money to take care of it. So, Yeah, I completely agree with you. Now with more free time, we're able to spend less on homeownership.

[Joel]

I think some people too, and maybe it goes back to the American puritanical work ethic or something like that, but they. People tend to work long hours almost out of, like, a sense of guilt or obligation, even if they make enough money and they have, like, good money habits. Is that something that you've seen and that maybe you've helped people overcome?

[Andy Hill]

Yeah, it's a challenge because it is in our culture. And don't get me wrong, I think there's something to be said about having pride in your work and doing it well. But there's an extent to everything, right? How much? If you lean into that mantra too much, and if there's corporations behind it, 60, 70 hours is something to be proud of. Sleep, right? You know, get three hours a week of, you know, three hours a night of sleep. No, Think about what's best for your health and think about what's best for your sanity and make sure that somebody else isn't dictating what they think is best for you. So for me, at this portion of my life, working three days a week, 20 to 25 hours a week, feels really good. I have never felt so healthy. And I think that there can be some mantras out there in our society that maybe aren't the best for us. I know that people can overwork and that can lead to a shorter lifespan. And that's not something that I'm interested in overworking for somebody Else and then dying early. Not interested in that. I would rather work fewer hours and do well with that work and provide fruit for my family, but then also be present for my family so I can actually enjoy my life and time with them.

[Joel]

I love it. Andy, it's been a lovely conversation. Where can how to money listeners find out more about you and about your awesome new book?

[Andy Hill]

Absolutely. Well, Own youn Time is available next week. It comes out January 21st. So if you're interested in pre ordering and supporting our goal and having it arrive at your house next week, you can find it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble and you can find that anywhere. Again, Own youn Time by Andy Hill. And if you're interested in listening to more of my voice, marriage, kids and money is the podcast and that's a great place to find me.

[Joel]

Awesome, Andy, I appreciate you, man. Thank you.

[Andy Hill]

Thank you, Joel.

[Joel]

All right. Gotta love that message from Andy and the way he talks about it like this is, this is clearly a message that he has internalized, right? That he has truly built this life where he has a lot of control over what his days look like, of his ability to spend time with his family, over his ability to pick his kids up from school at 3:30. A lot of people don't have that sort of control. And when you hear what Andy's life looks like, I guess my question for you is, is that something you want more of? Like, do you want more control over what your days look like in the here and now? And going back to kind of that beginning of Andy's story, Like he, he wasn't born on third base. He didn't have that immediately. It took a long time for him to build in that direction. But he built intentionally towards something specific. And now even I love what he talked about, even just the experimentation of bringing it down to a three day work week. And most people would be like, that's insane. You are in the building. I mean, Andy's about my age. It's like you're in the building section of your career, man, and you're taking your foot off the pedal. I don't understand. And yet for Andy, it means I don't necessarily need more. Like I've done the saving and investing thing really well. I've done the frugality thing really well. And so I want more control now. I don't necessarily want just full on retirement when I'm in my 60s. I want to be able to experience and taste some of that during this time right now. And so he said it starts with a dream. And I think maybe the most powerful thing, my biggest takeaway from this conversation was when he said, make sure somebody else isn't dictating what's best for you. And I think maybe it is the puritan work ethic I referenced or it's what we see going on in the culture around us and we are just subtly influenced or we're like, man, most of my friends are working like big time jobs and they're commuting and they're making solid money and buying bigger houses and nicer cars. And it just maybe we haven't done the work to think through whether or not that's what we want our lives to look like. And maybe you do. And that's fine. That's fine. But if this message reverberates with you, the ability to own more of your time, there is a path to get there. Andy's message is that and I think his new book can help you in that direction. And that is something we will continue to talk about here on the how to Money podcast. It's something, it's something Matt and I have implemented. We've talked in the past about how we don't work on Fridays and guess what? We're not here at 8am sharp most days or really ever. So the ability to own more of our time now, it has been incredibly meaningful to us, especially as dads of young ish kids and as guys who want to do more than just work and build something. Like we have other goals in our lives and the true desire is to have a well rounded life. Not just a life where we have tons of money but very little, very little time to use that money. So yeah, thank you as always for listening. I hope this episode was helpful and inspirational. You can find more information and links to Andy's book up on our [e-mail] until next time, best friend out.

[Podcast Promo Host]

Hey everyone, it's Ed Helms and I'm.

[Andy Hill]

Kal Penn and we are the hosts of Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Podcast Promo Host]

This week on the podcast I am talking to film and TV critic, radio and podcast host and Harry Potter super fan Rhianna Dillon to discuss Audible's full cast adaptation of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. What moments in this audiobook capture the feeling of the magical world best for you or just stood out the most?

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

I always loved reading about the Quidditch matches and I think the audio really gets it because it just plunges you right into the stands. You have the crowd. Sounds like all around you is surround sound, especially if you're listening in headphones.

[Podcast Promo Host]

Listen to Hearsay, the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts. A man with down syndrome tries the impossible, the grand slam in turkey hunting.

[Andy Hill]

4:53 hits. We're legal, shooting light. And he gives us this one last and he pitches off. And when he pitches off, he flies right into the gun barrel. I said to the cameraman, do you have him? He said, shoot him. I said, justin, shoot.

[Podcast Promo Host]

You can download this episode and others from Lines and Tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[iHeart Podcast Announcer]

You know we always say new Year, new me, but real change starts on the inside. It starts with giving your mind and your spirit. Same attention you give your goals. Hey everybody, it's Michelle Williams, host of Checking in on the Black Effect Podcast Network. And on my podcast we talk mental health, healing, growth and everything you need to step into your next season whole and empowered. New Year Real you listen to Checking in with Michelle Williams from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.