Trying for FI
Sharing stories and strategies from the daily grind toward our financial independence. We are a Queer blended family of five living in the Bay Area and are "late starters" dedicated to Trying for FI!
Trying for FI
Stronger Together: How 4 Financial Calamities Deepened Our Financial Intimacy on the Way to Coast Fi
In this episode, we reflect on four major financial “calamities” that hit our family between 2022 and now — and how those moments shaped our growth, resilience, and intimacy as financial partners.
While none of these events left us without food or housing, they were significant outflows relative to what we were earning and saving — emotional, destabilizing, and deeply instructive.
We share stories and insights from:
• 2022: The birth of our youngest, with zero paid leave and unequal income
• 2023: Purchasing a second home and the financial power dynamics it exposed
• 2024: Major water damage and temporary relocation (“our house broke,” said the toddler)
• 2025: An expensive legal process — and the emotional cost of drawing down our emergency fund
Through each “blip,” we explore:
• The evolution of our financial intimacy and shared decision-making
• How we transitioned from separate money to a one-pot model
• What it’s like to max out your credit cards and still believe in your plan
• Why emergency funds are non-negotiable (even when you hate tapping them)
• The inner work Rascal did to manage money anxiety, and how Fetch gained financial voice
This isn’t a step-by-step guide. It’s a real-time, real-life glimpse into what wealth-building looks like when life throws curveballs—and why we still believe in financial independence as a path to deeper connection, even when the journey gets messy.
Check out our Resource Doc:
And our IG account @tryingforfi