Press and Media

In The News

“Every afternoon, Lauren and Steven Keys stroll along the beach near their Florida home with their fellow retirees. They’re not octogenarians enjoying the fruit of decades of labor. They’re not even 65, just beginning their post-retirement life…the couple retired at 29.” — Vox

Photo collage of press screenshots

“For most, the typical weekday morning starts off with a blaring alarm clock, a rushed cup of coffee, and a noisy, stress-inducing commute to the office. But one couple found a way to trade the rat race for peaceful mornings spent hiking among active volcanoes in the Pacific one week and waking up beside still lakes surrounded by snow-capped mountains the next. No, they’re not trust fund kids…” — CNBC

“The secret to building wealth isn’t to make or have more, according to Lauren and Steven Keys. It’s learning to be content with less…The high school sweethearts have become work-optional at 29 years old with wealth they’ve accumulated on their own…” — TIME

“Lauren and her husband Steven…share their tips and tricks for retirement in your 20s on TikTok. Using clever saving techniques, the pair managed to put aside a quarter of a million dollars by the time they were 26.” — New York Post

“They…finished an epic American road trip where they visited every single national park…Seven months and 61 national parks later, they arrived back home, no worse off financially than when they left. Now they’re on a mission to spread the message: It’s not as hard as you think.” — BuzzFeed

“…thanks to Lauren and Steven Keys, things may be a little easier for the next traveler.” — USA Today

Interviews and Podcasts

2026

2025

  • Business Insider: Money Lessons From Self-Made Millionaires Who Retired In Their 30s (15:48)
    YouTube
  • Our Family Invests: Buy Your Freedom First (1:18:52)
    Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube

2024

  • Marriage Kids and Money: Steven & Lauren Keys: FIRE Millionaire Couple Enjoying a Trip of a Lifestyle (25:10)
    YouTube
  • How To Money: Dirt Cheap Travel w/ Trip of a Lifestyle (55:53)
    Spotify | Apple Podcasts
  • Fit Rich Life Podcast: Trip Of A Lifestyle: Vacationing Their Way To $1 Million Dollars & Financial Independence (1:16:11)
    Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
  • ChooseFI: Freedom Before FIRE | Trip of a Lifestyle (59:14)
    Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
  • BiggerPockets Money: From Making $38,000/Year to FIRE in Their Mid-30s (19:19)
    YouTube

2023

2022

2021

2020

  • Life and Money Show: How To Live A Semi-Retired Lifestyle Early On In Life With Lauren and Steven (1:00:00)
    Apple Podcasts | YouTube
  • Let’s Talk Real Estate: Homeownership with Semi-Retired Millennials (39:12)
    Spotify | Apple Podcasts
  • Osprey Observer: Trip Of A Lifestyle‬ with Steven & Lauren Keys (15:36)
    YouTube
  • Career Crashers: Lauren Keys on creating a career that leads to financial independence (27:00)
    Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
  • Twenty Free: Retired From Full-Time Work at 29 (1:20:00)
    Spotify | Apple Podcasts

2019

Many of our blog posts have also been read aloud on the Optimal Living Daily podcast:

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