Episodes
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Welcome back to the Aussie Firebug Podcast, the financial independence podcast for Australians, where I interview interesting people on topics relating to financial independence.
Today on the podcast we have Amy and her partner Matt from FI Freedom Retreats, a five-day financial independence retreat in Bali.
This was a passion project born out of Amy’s love and gratitude for the F.I.R.E movement and community.
Heads up, I recorded this podcast in January this year and haven’t released it until now because I’ve been distracted with other things. This means there’s a good chance there won’t be any spots left in the retreat for this year, but I think you’ll still find our conversation interesting.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
Amy’s fear-based relationship with money (00:02:29)Geo-arbitraging in Mexico, Thailand, and Bali (00:09:37)Matt & Amy’s experience with healthcare while living in SE Asia (00:14:42)90% savings rate in SE Asia (00:22:45)Why Amy started FI Freedom Retreats (00:35:41)Matt & Amy’s top tips for pursuing FI and living your best life (00:46:36)LinksWebsite – FI Freedom Retreatswww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today we're joined by Ana Kresina, Head of Product and Community at Pearler and the Co-host of the 'Get Rich Slow Club' and 'ETFs for Beginners,' podcasts.
Ana’s FIRE journey (00:03:37)Hitchhiking through Europe (00:07:09)Why Ana wrote a money book around raising kids or preparing to raise kids (00:10:02)The importance of normalising money conversations with children (00:23:12)Philanthropy and teaching your kids why giving matters (00:35:41)LinksWebsite - Ana KresinaBook - Kids Ain't CheapPodcast - Get Rich Slow Club
She’s also just become a published author with the book “Kids Ain't Cheap”.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Episodes manquant?
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Today's episode is something a bit different.
LinksPodcast - Wealth Time Freedom (WTF)
Terry, the host of the Wealth Time Freedom (WTF) podcast interviewed me a few months ago. The response was so positive from that episode that I decided to repost it on my show.
In this episode, Terry asks me about becoming a dad, my recent pivot with work and my new perspective on FIRE.
I found it to be a great conversation, and I hope you'll enjoy it too.www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today, my guest is fellow FIRE enthusiast/podcaster/blogger, Captain FI!
Who is Captain FI? (00:02:36)Investing a big lump sum into the share market (00:04:47)Finding a financial planner (00:16:01)Investing psychology (00:26:24)Reaching financial independence (00:41:26)Does your FI number include a paid-off house? (00:43:43)Selling shares to pay your living expenses (00:45:46)The psychology of spending (00:52:26)LinksWebsite - Captain FI
He’s actually been on the podcast before but I had to take that episode down due to ASIC’s 2022 guidelines.
Cap came and stayed at the Firebug household after attending the Rask event in my hometown. It was a lot of fun meeting and greeting others from the FIRE community and it was extra special to do so in my own backyard.
This was very much an improv podcast and I didn’t have any set questions.
We had a general chitchat about Captian Fi’s financial journey and other topics relating to FIRE.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today, my guest is none other than my accountant, Clayton!
Clayton and I have talked about doing this podcast for a while. I pay him thousands of dollars each year to help with tax planning, structuring our investments and businesses and other strategic decisions that ultimately help me reach FIRE sooner.
The difference between an accountant, a tax advisor and a financial planner (00:05:36)The role an account can play in someone’s journey to financial independence? (00:09:08)Common financial structures for people wanting to improve their situation (00:11:56)Some of the advantages of a financial trust structure (00:14:13)The difference between tax minimisation and tax evasion (00:16:52)How can people get the most out of their accountant? (00:22:30)Easy things you can do to help you at tax time (00:26:58)How do you find a good accountant who'll work with you to build wealth? (00:34:33)What are the main things to consider when starting a sole trader/freelancer business? (00:36:54)How often does the ATO actually audit people? (00:49:10)LinksWebsite - McMillans
I thought it would be interesting to chat to him about what role an accountant can play when someone is trying to reach FIRE, and explore why certain decisions were recommended for our family in terms of tax advice and planning.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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I've been thinking about this post for the past 18 months, and to be honest, it's long overdue.
So much has changed over the last 11 years since I first stumbled across FIRE.
And if the podcast's feature image wasn't obvious enough, I recently became a father.
So, now is the perfect time for a big update/recap on life at the Firebug household.
www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast -
Today my guest is Carl Jensen who is better known in the FIRE community as Mr. 1500.
He’s a family guy living in Colorado with his wife and two young children and managed to retire at the ripe old age of 43.
The story behind the name "Mr. 1500" (00:02:06)Investment philosophy and strategies (00:07:25)Carl’s interest in Tesla and EVs in general (00:18:44)Balancing frugality and fulfilment on the path to FI (00:23:49)The biggest benefits of achieving FI (00:26:31)How Carl handled the cultural challenges of pursuing early retirement (00:39:04)What Carl wishes he knew when he started his journey to FI (01:09:58)LinksWebsite - 1500 Days to Freedom
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today’s episode is very special to me personally.
I’m speaking with my dad about how he grew up and what money and life lessons he learnt along the way. He’s probably had the biggest impact on how I view the world (along with my mum) and set the foundations early on for me to be in the position I’m in today.
What life was like growing up in Melbourne with immigrant parents (00:02:16)How Tony learned about money management as a child (00:13:08)Leaving school at 15 to help contribute to the family farm (00:19:26)Life lessons learnt from Tony’s immigrant parents (00:23:29)Comparing the housing market in 2023 to the 1970s (00:29:13)Learning about property investing (00:35:44)Stock market investing (00:48:15)Tony’s essential life lessons (00:53:47)
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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I’m excited today to be having a conversation with Bryce Holdaway and Ben Kingsley who co-host the very popular podcast called The Property Couch.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
How Ben and Bryce originally made a connection (00:02:00)Property investing guidelines and regulations (00:12:37)Their investing strategy/philosophy (00:23:25)The Australian housing and rental crisis (00:48:56)Active property investing vs passive share market investing (00:37:03)Are property investors adding to affordability issues or are they being used as political scapegoats? (00:56:45)How The Property Couch podcast got started (01:20:33)LinksWebsite - The Property CouchEpisode 446 | Property Spruikers Exposedwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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My guest today is Dr Toni Lindsay. Toni is a clinical psychologist who works primarily with people who are at the end of their life or have a severe illness (usually young people!).
In her own words: “My work has shaped how I think about all this FIRE stuff!”.
Toni is also the author of multiple books but the one which probably has the most application with FIRE would be “The Certainty Myth: How to be resilient when the world keeps changing”.
What does Toni actually do in the field of clinical psychology? (00:04:02)What motivated Toni to write “The Certainty Myth”? (00:15:54)How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help with the journey to FI (20:19:00)The relationship between uncertainty and anxiety and how we can better manage this (00:55:54)Cognitive flexibility - how flexibility can be an antidote to uncertainty (01:01:43)How FIRE plays a role in resiliency (01:10:54)How Toni’s experience with mortality has shaped her FIRE journey (01:21:50)LinksWebsite - www.tonilindsay.com.auBook - The Certainty MythBook - The Resilience Project by Hugh van Cuylenburg
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Following on from the previous episode, this is part 2 of the debate.
Are you for or against opening up Super to allow members to buy a home? (00:01:33)Is confidence being eroded when the government keeps tinkering with the system? (00:08:20)Is it just the rich getting richer? (00:15:08)Is it a good idea for the government to invest in capital projects? (00:18:43)The proposed Super cap (00:31:35)LinksCameron Murray - SubstackCameron Murray - TwitterCameron Murray - FacebookScott Phillips - TwitterScott Phillips - Facebook
There’s been a few potential Super changes put forth by the Albanese government lately and I wanted to get two different viewpoints on the podcast to debate the pros and cons of the changes. I also wanted to talk about Super as a high-level concept. What exactly is Super? What’s the purpose of Super? Is Super fulfilling its job? etc. We have two returning guests joining in today’s discussion. CIO of The Motley Fool Australia, Scott Phillips and Economist Dr Cameron Murray. I’m playing moderator between these two as they give their different opinions on some of the following topics:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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I’m so excited for this one today. There’s been a few potential Super changes put forth by the Albanese government lately and I wanted to get two different viewpoints on the podcast to debate the pros and cons of the changes. I also wanted to talk about Super as a high-level concept. What exactly is Super? What’s the purpose of Super? Is Super fulfilling its job? etc. We have two returning guests joining in today’s discussion. CIO of The Motley Fool Australia, Scott Phillips and Economist Dr Cameron Murray. I’m playing moderator between these two as they give their different opinions on some of the following topics:
What is the purpose of Super? (00:03:26)Is there an alternative to the current Super system? (00:11:38)Thoughts on how we could fix the Super system (00:19:27)Do we actually need to have both Super and the Age Pension? (00:39:48)LinksCameron Murray - SubstackCameron Murray - TwitterCameron Murray - FacebookScott Phillips - TwitterScott Phillips - Facebookwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today my guest is Queenie Tan. She’s a 26-year-old Sydneysider who has amassed over 350K followers on various social media platforms. Raised by a single dad in Sydney, Queenie was earning $400 a week after she moved out of home at just 19. A few years later she was able to save a $100,000 property deposit and now at age 26, has a net worth of half a million dollars.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
Queenie's upbringing and relationship with money (00:02:12)How Queenie built her net worth to $500K by age 26 (00:10:03)Dropping out of uni to start earning money (00:15:40)Changing jobs every couple of years (00:21:11)Queenie's thoughts on the term “Finfluencer” (00:46:28)Financial content creators and the ASIC guidelines (00:51:09)Sydney housing markets and financial freedom (01:05:34)LinksWebsite - Invest with QueenieYouTube - Invest with QueenieInstagram - Invest with QueenieTikTok - Invest with Queeniewww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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My guest today is Brandon Ganch who is better known in the FIRE community as the Mad Fientist. Brandon is an ex-computer programmer turned blogger and podcaster who reached financial independence at the ripe old age of 34 with his wife Jill. It’s always a pleasure to speak with Brandon as one of my financial/investing heroes and someone who’s been on the scene since the early days when I first discovered the concept of FIRE.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
The life changing event of becoming a parent and how FI has helped (00:07:10)Did Brandon really crack the Billboard Top 40 list with his debut album? (00:16:15)How to raise a money conscious kid (00:20:13)What’s life been like since Brandon quit his day job as a programmer? (00:30:03)Difficulties switching from portfolio accumulation to consumption (00:36:50)How the utility of money changes as you get older (00:40:22)LinksWebsite - Mad FientistSpotify - 1=2www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today my guest is Liz Thames who is better known as Mrs Frugalwoods. Liz is a mother of two who lives with her husband Nate on a 66-acre homestead in rural central Vermont USA. She’s the author of the popular FIRE book called “Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living”.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
Liz’s motivation behind writing a memoir-styled book (00:02:44)How to transition from saving to living off your investments (00:07:39)What does FIRE mean to Liz? (00:11:36)How Liz and Nate achieved financial independence (00:15:37)What does the Frugalwoods investment portfolio look like? (00:31:03)Financial privilege. Can everyone achieve FIRE or is it only possible for a lucky few? (00:41:35)How FIRE helps when raising two young girls (00:47:19)Tips for buying a home (00:55:47)LinksWebsite - FrugalwoodsBook - Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple LivingFinancial consultation services with Liz Thameswww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today I’m talking with the Chair of the Australian Electric Vehicle Council, Tim Washington. Tim has also co-founded two companies - JET Charge, who specialise in supplying and installing EV Chargers and Charge Fox, Australia’s largest EV charging network.
EVs have been a hot topic in the FIRE Facebook group lately and I’ve had a few episodes on EVs in general but none that dig into the charging side of the equation which is a big part.Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
How does a home EV fast-charger work with your home solar system? (00:21:29)How will the new FBT legislation affect the cost of EVs in Australia? (00:23:44)How much does a EV fast-charger cost to buy and install? (00:26:09)Is vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology currently an option for Australians? (00:32:27)Turning your car into a money-making asset instead of sitting idle 90% of the time (00:34:24)Can Australia’s electricity grid handle the upcoming transition to EVs? (00:46:59)Hydrogen cars (01:01:11)LinksWebsite - Jet ChargeWebsite - Electric Vehicle Councilwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today I’m welcoming back property investor Scott O’Neill to the podcast. Scott and his wife are self-made multi-millionaires that created $300K in passive income by 28. Since Scott was last on the show, I received a fair amount of emails asking me to get him back to give a more practical guide on investing in commercial real estate.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
What is commercial real estate? (00:06:32)Pros and Cons for both residential and commercial property (00:13:52)Why commercial leases are so so important and very different compared to residential (00:21:58)What about finding a tenant to lease your property? (00:29:02)Are there strategies specific to commercial property investing? (00:41:50)What to look for when doing due diligence (00:52:46)LinksWebsite - Rethink InvestingBook - Rethink Property InvestingPodcast - Scott O'Neill - Self-made $300K in passive income by 28. Marketing BS or the real deal?Podcast - Inside Commercial Propertywww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast
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Today my guest is city planner and urban designer Jeff Speck. Originally trained as an architect, Jeff is most famous within the FIRE community for his award-winning 2012 book: ‘Walkable City: How Downtown Saves America, One Step at a Time’.
It’s amazing how such a small detail like walkability can touch on so many tenants within the FIRE ethos. The economy, health benefits and sustainability are all areas that are impacted greatly by our poorly designed cities which are where the majority of humans on earth live.
How Jeff became an expert in city planning. (00:03:25)What is urban design and city planning? (00:09:02)City development before the great depression and world war 2 (00:13:43)How do we solve this problem of a car-centric environment? (00:36:25)Health benefits of a walkable city (00:41:14)How we can change our roads to benefit pedestrians and reduce traffic (00:52:09)Different ways to make a city more walkable (00:57:48)LinksWebsite - www.jeffspeck.comTED - Jeff Speck: The Walkable CityBook - WALKABLE CITY: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:www.aussiefirebug.com/podcast/
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Today I’m talking with financial educator and podcast host Kate Campbell. Kate grew up in country Victoria and joined the defence force as a teenager before changing careers to finance and investing later on. She’s probably best known in the FIRE community as a co-host for many of the very popular podcasts that Rask Australia produces.
Some of the topics we cover in today’s episode are:
How Kate got started in finance and investing (00:03:30)The importance of taking risks and just giving it a go (00:08:52)What does Kate’s portfolio look like? (00:23:12)Kate’s blog and podcast (00:32:04)How Kate came to work with Owen at Rask Australia (00:38:03)Common roadblocks people face with their finances (00:43:22)Financial hurdles women have to face (00:44:56)Money and psychology (00:54:04)LinksWebsite - How To MoneyWebsite - Rask AustraliaRask Investing & Finance Courseswww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast/
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Today we welcome back Dave Gow who retired at the ripe old age of 28. He’s better known online as Strong Money Australia where he blogs about early retirement and how to live a happier life. It’s a really light-hearted chat today where we mainly talk about Dave’s new book which will be available on the 1st of December 2022 which is very exciting.
But we also cover a range of other topics such as:
Updates on early retirement (05:32)Strong Money Australia book (06:53)Publishing rights (12:58)Audiobook difficulties (18:23)Updates on the FIRE and Chill podcast comeback (34:15)Elon Musk buying Twitter (43:20)LinksWebsite - Strong Money Australiawww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast/
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