The Irish FIRE Podcast

In this episode, Michael talks with David Ferns, author of the recently released financial independence book How to Make It.

David is based in Dublin, and the conversation covers some of the practical habits and decisions that can make a big difference to your finances over time.

We discuss tracking your expenses, automating your finances, gambling and its impact on money, the true cost of car ownership, teaching children about money, and having better financial conversations with your partner.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation about building healthier habits around money and making financial independence feel more achievable.

Show Notes:

Buy the book at:

Amazon Ireland (paper back):
https://www.amazon.ie/How-Make-Simple-Financial-Independence/dp/B0H2YTJRPH/

Amazon UK (Kindle version):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Simple-Financial-Independence-ebook/dp/B0GZGS5JBS/

Subscribe to the Irish FIRE Newsletter:
https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter

This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

This episode has also been sponsored by Moneycube.  Moneycube is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode Michael shares his thinking behind his decision to step away from full-time work and begin early retirement before turning 43. He reflects on two stories that have stayed with him: Norman, an 80-year-old former WWII fighter pilot who wished he could have five years of his life back, and a MrBeast contestant who turned down $500,000 rather than spend another 100 days away from his family. For Michael, both stories underline the same lesson: there comes a point when more money simply isn't worth trading away more time.

After spending much of the summer living a slower, simpler life with his family in West Clare, Michael realised that many of the things that make life enjoyable cost very little - trips to the beach, football in the garden, cooking at home, building a treehouse and simply having time together. With the family investment portfolio now approaching €1 million, he explains the numbers behind his retirement plan, including the proposed sale of their first investment property, drawing income from their rental-property company, and using the money from the property sale to help bridge the years until their longer-term investments and pensions become accessible.

After eight years of pursuing financial independence, Michael believes he has finally reached the point where the most valuable thing his money can buy is time.

Show Notes:

Subscribe to the Irish FIRE Newsletter:
https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter

This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

This episode has also been sponsored by Moneycube.  Moneycube is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

Tom was last on the podcast in early 2024, when he shared his journey of going all in on property as a route towards financial independence.

In this episode, Michael catches up with Tom to hear what has changed, how his portfolio and FI plans have progressed, and whether his definition of financial independence has evolved along the way.

The conversation then turns to one of the most difficult questions on the FI journey: when is enough, enough?

At what point have we built a portfolio that is genuinely sufficient? When should we stop focusing so heavily on accumulating more wealth and start putting more of our time, energy and attention into actually living?

Michael and Tom discuss the temptation to keep moving the goalposts, the difference between financial security and endless accumulation, and the importance of understanding what all this wealth-building is ultimately for.

Are you building wealth so you can live your best life now - or simply creating a future inheritance tax problem for your children?

This is an informal and honest conversation about property, financial independence, defining enough and learning when it might finally be time to take your foot off the accelerator.

Show Notes

Tom's first podcast episode:
https://www.firepodcast.ie/the-gen-z-fire-blue-print

Subscribe to the Irish FIRE Newsletter:
https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter

This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

This episode has also been sponsored by Moneycube.  Moneycube is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode, Michael marks seven years of The Irish FIRE Podcast with a personal update on how his own FIRE journey has progressed and evolved. He shares the latest developments in his property investing strategy, including the purchase of another buy-to-let property in Limerick, the use of refinancing and equity release, and how he thinks about leverage, risk and long-term financial independence.

Michael also reflects on what it actually feels like to reach financial independence. Rather than a clean break from work, he talks about the slower transition towards more freedom, seasonal work, taking more time off, and the challenge of deciding what “retirement” really means when you still enjoy the work you do. He also shares an update on the podcast itself, including reaching 400,000 lifetime downloads and welcoming Moneycube as a new podcast sponsor.

Finally, Michael explores one of the biggest lessons of the past year: time freedom only matters if you protect it. After taking on a major hockey coaching commitment, he reflects on the impact it had on family life, the importance of learning to say no, and why FIRE is ultimately about creating more space for the things that matter most - family, freedom, calmness and time.

Show Notes:

Subscribe to the Irish FIRE Newsletter:
https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter

This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

This episode has also been sponsored by Moneycube.  Moneycube is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

In this episode of The Irish FIRE Podcast, Michael speaks with Alan and Katie Donegan, who reached financial independence and retired in 2019. Since then, they have built a life around freedom, travel, creativity and purpose, living as digital nomads while continuing to teach others about money, business and lifestyle design.

Michael talks to Alan and Katie about their own journey to financial independence, how they approached saving, investing and building a life that was not dependent on traditional employment. They also discuss what life has looked like after reaching FI, including the realities of early retirement, travelling full-time, and finding meaningful projects after stepping away from conventional work.

This episode is a great listen for anyone interested in financial independence, lifestyle design, digital nomadism, or simply hearing from people who have actually reached FI and are living life on their own terms.

Show Notes:

Alan’s previous interview from 2020:
https://www.firepodcast.ie/financial-independence-with-alan-donegan

Rebel Finance School:
https://rebeldonegans.com/finance/rfs/

Rebel Business School:
https://therebelschool.com

Subscribe to the Irish FIRE Newsletter:
https://www.firepodcast.ie/newsletter

This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance. KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.