Aussie Firebug

In this episode we’re not talking about money or investing but rather touching on the sustainable side of the FIRE movement. Today my guest is Anthony Broese van Groenou, a sustainability expert, environmental scientist, PhD researcher and the co-founder of the Good Car Co. This company's goal is to accelerate the uptake of Electric Vehicles in Australia by offering second-hand EVs at an affordable price.Some of the topics we cover are:Who is Anthony Broese van Groenou and what is the story behind the Good Car Co.? (03:24)What options are there now for Australians who want to purchase an EV? (07:11)What is the price range in Australia for second-hand EV’s atm? (12:44)One of the most exciting features of EVs in my opinion is the two-way charging capabilities. What does this mean and what are the benefits? (20:27)How much can an average Aussie expect to save on fuel and maintenance costs with an EV? (30:10)How long does an EV battery last and what is the replacement cost? (31:46)What about EV battery warra

Today I’ve invited Terry Waugh back on podcast to talk about a topic that’s very popular in the Aussie FIRE community. I recently published an article about how we (Mrs Firebug & I) are Debt Recycling and have received a lot of questions from the community about the details of how it all works. Terry is one of the most knowledgeable people I know on this topic and he has kindly agreed to join me to answer as many questions as we have time for.Some of the topics we cover are:What is Debt Recycling? (02:28)What are some of the ways you can DR and how does it work? (03:48)What happens if you need to sell some shares due to an unforeseen event? (21:26)What happens if you don’t have a lump sum to invest? Can you DR with dollar-cost averaging? (23:04)Are there any products on the market that make DR any easier? (26:42)Can you explain your tip “Repayment needs to be done once in full”? (28:30)Can you use a fixed loan with DR or does it have to be variable? (29:30)Is DR more or less effective if the interest rate

This episode is a follow up on my previous conversation with Vijay Boyapati about Bitcoin.Today Mark Monfort joins me to talk about other Crypto currencies, Web3 and DeFi. Mark has worn many hats in his career working as an equities and macroeconomic analyst in Melbourne and London and also spent time in sales at the ASX. Mark is a TradFi native turned DeFi convert and is passionate about building communities in Web3.Some of the topics we cover are:How did Mark get involved with Crypto? (07:45)What is Web3? (10:00)Why use blockchain technology and what problem is it solving? (13:40)What is DeFi? (22:01)Bitcoin vs all the others. What is there to consider? (31:43)What Crypto currencies does Mark “invest” in? (41:54)Energy concerns about Crypto currencies (44:18)Proof-of-Work vs Proof-of-Stake? (53:50)LinksNotCentralisedAustralian DeFi AssociationTradeFlowsETFtrackerNew Era Analyticswww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast

Today I have Bill Perkins on the podcast who is the author of the very popular book titled “Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life.” The book challenges a few core FIRE beliefs and has definitely had an impact on the way I’m modelling for my retirement.Some of the topics we cover are:Who is Bill Perkins and what is he all about? (06:20)Why Bill wrote “Die with Zero” (07:42)The value of experiences fluctuating throughout life (12:05)Memory dividends (28:30)What about the kids? (36:26)What if I run out of money before I die? (43:02)What the FIRE movement gets wrong (55:45)Criticisms of the book (58:37)LinksBook - Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your LifeWebsite - Die with Zerowww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast

Today’s episode is a summary of my blog post titled “ASIC Crush Independent Content Creators & the End of Ask Firebug Fridays”. The new ASIC guidelines have major implications for content creators in the FIRE and personal finance communities. This is why I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions on these new guidelines and what they mean for AFB moving forward.www.aussiefirebug.com/asic-crush-creators

I have a really fun podcast for you guys today. It’s been 5 years since she was on, but I’ve finally managed to get Mrs Firebug back on the podcast. Sometimes it’s nice just to stop, turn around and look back at how far you’ve come. I thought it would be cool to get a life update from her perspective and just a general chit chat about her experience dropping down to working only 4 days a week.Some of the topics we cover include:Knowing what we know now, what would we have done differently if we could go back in time? (04:08)How has moving to 4 day working weeks impacted Mrs Firebug's life? (12:26)Lifestyle creep - how has our lifestyle changed? (26:33)How have I changed over the years if at all when it comes to money? (31:06)How we have managed our finances as a couple (37:12)Will Mrs Firebug ever go back to full-time work? (41:17)Mrs Firebug’s tips for anyone with a partner pursuing financial independence (45:33)Linkspodcast - Episode 7. Mrs Firebugwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast

Today’s episode is a summary of my “We Bought Bitcoin” article which is all about why we have decided to buy Bitcoin and how Bitcoin plays a part in our financial independence strategy.Some of the topics I cover are:Post-crash and General Feelings (04:51)Down the Rabbit Hole (06:46)Risk Verse Reward (10:03)End Goal (12:22)But Why? (14:00)Conclusion (17:12)Linkspodcast - Vijay Boyapati - The Bullish Case for Bitcoin podcast - Decoding Cryptowww.aussiefirebug.com/we-bought-bitcoin

My guest today is John Pidgeon. John is probably known best as the co-host of the very popular podcast, ‘My Millennial Property’ and has been investing in real estate for over 20 years. I had so much fun with this episode because John and I bounce around all different topics and we even get some footy chit chat in there as well.Some of the topics we cover are:How John got involved with property investing (12:27)Bringing up children in a money-conscious household (15:00)Private vs public schools (22:37)John's first property investment (27:28)His current real estate strategy and what his portfolio looks like (32:34)Are first home buyers currently locked out of the market? (50:57)Tips for first home buyers (55:55) Linkspodcast - My Millennial Propertywebsite - Solvere Wealthwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast

Today I’m chatting with Terry & Ryan from the Passive Income Project podcast. I’ve been listening to their show for a few years now and what I really like is their emphasis on the psychology of investing and money. They’ve recently gone deep into the world of crypto in their latest podcast series called “Decoding Crypto”.Some of the topics we cover are:Is the financial planning industry coming to a crossroads? (00:11:08)Is there a consensus among financial planners about what needs to happen to give everyone a fair crack? (00:16:40)Where did the focus on the psychology of money come from? (00:20:00)What do you find is holding people back from becoming comfortable with money? (00:24:13)When did you discover the concept of FIRE and how did that impact you? (00:32:11)What do you invest in these days and what is your investing philosophy? (00:38:36)"Decoding Crypto" - when did that journey begin for you guys? (00:41:29)What would you say to someone who wants to dabble in the world of crypto? (01:18:

My special guest today is one of the very first personal finance bloggers that I can remember. It’s J. MONEY from the 2012 Blogger of the Year awards “Budget Are Sexy”. J. managed to become a millionaire in roughly 10 years and has blogged throughout the journey posting his net worth each month which definitely inspired me to start something similar in Australia back in 2015.Some of the topics we cover are:J.’s experience of buying a house in 2007 and what the fall out of the GFC was like as an American (14:19)What made you start your blog back in 2008? (22:37)Where did the idea of posting your net worth come from? (34:08)How did you get to $1,000,000 USD net worth in 10 years? What was your investment strategy? (39:24)What did you invest in to reach your FI goal and what is your investing philosophy today? (55:11)When did you first discover the concept of FIRE? (1:00:33)What is the best part about being FI and how does being FI allow you to live your ideal lifestyle? (1:05:59)If you could give one piece of a

My guest today is Scott Phillips - a Sydney based investor with over 20 years experience. Scott holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma of Accounting but is most famous for his role as Chief Investment Officer of The Motley Fool Australia. This is a monster episode where we dive deep into many different areas of investing.Some of the topics we cover are:Where does it all begin with Scott Phillips and finance? (00:05:10)How and when did Scott start investing? (00:14:31)What does Scott invest in these days and what is his investing style/philosophy? (00:16:30)Is there a significant difference between getting income from dividends or selling down shares? (00:26:48)How do you identify a good company and what methods do you use? (00:31:43)Structuring investments for children. (00:35:57)Was financial independence ever a goal for Scott? (00:38:51)What does Scott make of this low-interest-rate world we are currently living in? (00:51:02)Does Scott think Australia is in a housing bubble? (00:54:20)What are

I’m kicking off the new year with a little refresher and a summary of a new article called “10 Lessons I've Learned from 10 Years Pursuing Financial Independence”. Check it out!1. The ultimate goal is to be happy. Never lose sight of this (03:50)2. Find your why of FI (07:18)3. Master behaviours, not spreadsheets (08:43)4. Getting wealthy is simple. Don’t overthink it (14:38)5. What’s measured is managed (19:07)6. Income potential is often overlooked (23:43)7. Compound interest takes years to notice (30:26)8. Most people are really after semi-retirement (35:58)9. Find your ‘enough’ (41:59)10. We’re all dealt a different hand in the game of life (47:02)www.aussiefirebug.com/10-lessons-ive-learned-from-10-years-pursuing-financial-independence

Have you ever wondered how far your donations to charities really go? I know it feels good to donate and we should all consider giving away part of our wealth considering we Aussies are some of the wealthiest people on the planet, but I’m not sure many of us really go over with a fine-tooth and comb how the money is spent and how many people are affected with every dollar.Today I’m speaking with Luke Freeman, a former tech and marketing professional who had a desire to positively affect the lives of the less fortunate in the world. Luke is the Chairperson and a Board Member of Effective Altruism Australia and Executive Director of Giving What We Can, which are both charitable organisations designed to help the less fortunate.The attributes of effective altruism share a lot of similarities with the FIRE movement. It’s all about using evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible, and taking action on that basis. Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:Who is Luke Freeman and

Today I’m speaking with Julia Druery, a mum of two, living on the Gold Coast who was studying to become a financial advisor before a tragic event hit her family back in 2016. Julia’s husband Kent suffered from an acquired brain injury which left him with several permanent disabilities and no longer able to work. Thankfully Kent had various insurances in place before the injury which helped to relieve the financial pressure of this life changing event.Some of the topics we cover are:Julia shares the story of her husband Kent’s acquired brain injury. (08:54)What was the process of claiming insurance payments after the injury occurred? (12:03)What is trauma insurance and is it included in default super cover? (17:25)Why is lifestyle an important consideration when making insurance decisions? (27:16)How much does all this cover cost and is it really worth it? (30:32)How has Julia & Kent's insurance cover impacted their lifestyle today? (35:01)Julia’s personal experience with debt recycling. (48:18)LinksW

My guest today is fellow Aussie, Vijay Boyapati who is an Ex-Google engineer and the author of The Bullish Case for Bitcoin. Vijay’s book has been translated into over twenty different languages and is said to be one of the most read pieces of literature on Bitcoin. This is a monster episode and we go deep into so much more than just Bitcoin and the Blockchain.Some of the topics we get into include:Who is Vijay and what led him to start working for Google? (04:28)Vijay shares why he identifies as a Libertarian and what he learned from working in Silicon Valley. (08:13)Why Vijay left his job at Google in 2007 to work on the Ron Paul US presidential campaign. (11:46)What exactly is Bitcoin and the Blockchain? (15:06)Why is Bitcoin important and what problem does it solve for the average person? (31:51)Gold v Bitcoin (45:27)Will Bitcoin be used as money anytime soon? (01:02:22)FIRE community Q&A (01:17:57)LinksArticle - The Bullish Case for BitcoinBook - The Bullish Case for Bitcoinwww.aussiefirebug.com/podc

Today I’m speaking with Chi Lam, an ex team-lead in the medical devices industry who lives in Sydney with his wife and 2 daughters. Chi was recently featured in an ABC Everyday article where he shared his story about how he quit his full-time job in his mid-thirties and redesigned his life so he could spend more time with his family.Some of the topics in today’s episode include:Who is Chi and when did he start thinking about financial independence? (06:37)Chi shares the traumatic story of how he and his family came to Australia from Vietnam. (07:51)What Chi learned about money and life from his experiences as a child refugee. (13:19)When, how and why Chi got started investing in property. (16:18)Chi talks about the day he quit his job and what made him take that leap of faith. (28:45)How Chi’s side hustle/passion project has grown into a full-time business on his own terms. (36:02)LinksArticle - ABC Everyday - Chi Lamwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast

It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome Ruth onto the show today. Ruth lives in New Zealand and is better known online as The Happy Saver. She has a very popular podcast and blog where she writes about managing money, living the good life and not working too hard.Some of the topics in today’s episode include:Who is Ruth and why did she create The Happy Saver blog and podcast? (04:49)Ruth shares her personal money story and how she became interested in investing. (10:10)The important life lessons Ruth learnt from losing her family home in an Earthquake. (16:11)Property investing - the significant differences between NZ & AUS tax laws. (19:28)The major advantage of investing in the share market in NZ. (24:40)Advantages of living in the country over the city. (29:48)What does Ruth actually invest in? (35:43)LinksBlog - The Happy SaverPodcast - The Happy Saverwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast

Today I’m speaking with Terry Waugh who you may know as Terry W from his online legal and tax tips. Terry is admitted as both a solicitor and barrister to the Supreme Court of NSW as well as the High Court of Australia and holds specialist qualifications as a Chartered Tax Adviser. He operates as a lawyer specialising in tax, estate planning, asset protection, and trusts for property and share investors.Some of the topics in today’s episode include:What structuring options do investors have when owning or controlling assets - specifically property and shares? (05:22)Land tax - when is it relevant to property investors? (08:34)Do many people invest through a company and what are the benefits of doing so? (10:43)What trust structures work best for property and share investors? (13:40)What is a trust, how do they work and how do investors benefit from trust structures? (15:44)What are discretionary trusts and why are they so commonly used? (19:05)What are the main pros and cons of using a trust structure and whe

Today I’m speaking with Paul Benson from the Financial Autonomy podcast. Paul is a tertiary-educated financial planner with over 20 years of experience. We talk about the role of a financial planner and Paul gives us some real-life examples of how financial planners are able to assist us with our FIRE journeys.Some of the topics in today’s episode include:What exactly is a financial planner?Why do financial planners have a bad rep in the FIRE community?How much does a financial planner actually cost and what should you expect for that fee?How do financial planners get paid and how do you tell a good financial planner from a bad one?If someone already has a dialled-in FIRE plan, where is the value in paying a financial planner?How to find a good financial planner. Is there a financial planner directory in Australia?What questions should you ask and what to avoid when choosing a financial planner?LinksFinancial Autonomy websiteFinancial Autonomy podcastASIC Financial Advisers RegisterFinancial Planning Associat

Today, I’m excited to have Bryce & Alec from the extremely popular Equity Mates podcast on the show. We chat about how Equity Mates was founded, Bryce and Alec's journey as investors and there’s even some footy talk as well.Some of the topics in today’s episode include:How long have Bryce & Alec been friends and what’s the story behind the Equity Mates Podcast?Bryce & Alec talk about how they were brought up and how each of them learnt about money and investing.How Alec lost all his money in his first investment on the stock market.What has changed since Bryce started his investing journey?The Equity Mates investing goals, philosophies and strategies. What do Bryce & Alec actually invest in?The advantages that retail investors have over fund managers.Does Bryce really hate the FIRE movement?LinksEquityMates websiteGet Started Investing podcastEquityMates Investing podcastGet Started Investing bookwww.aussiefirebug.com/podcast