Welcome! This is a central hub for all my post-FI content.
If you’re in the later stages of your journey, or thinking about transitioning to a more freedom-focused lifestyle soon (whether that’s full financial independence or a version of semi-retirement), this page is for you.
Below you’ll find content, tools, and community for the transition stage — designed to help you plan, build confidence, and take steps toward the life you actually want.
If you only do one thing on this page, read You’ve Got Money, Now What?
It’s the most comprehensive resource I’ve put together for people approaching this stage.
I wrote it specifically for readers thinking about stepping away from work – covering the mindset, the numbers, the lifestyle questions, and the practical stuff that most books miss.
Below you’ll find a variety of content for those of you in the later stages of your journey. But if you only read three things on this page, make it these:
Your Flex Rate – Why the 4% rule is often too conservative, and how flexibility lets you retire safely on much less.
The Barriers Blocking You from Retiring Early – Dealing with the fears and anxieties most people hit right before they leave.
How to Prepare for Freedom – How to get yourself ready for a new life, along with some lessons from my own experience.
A mix of personal stories, frameworks, and interviews – grouped by topic so you can dip into whatever fits your situation 🙂
Achievement vs Enjoyment (How to Have Both) — Shifting from striving to enjoying without losing your edge.
Dealing with Awkward FIRE Conversations — How to talk to friends and family about your plans.
Everyday Benefits of Having More Freedom — The tangible (and less obvious) upside of having your time back.
What Are Taxes Like After Retiring Early? — In-depth tax guide covering the most common FI scenarios, including part-time work.
Mortgage Strategies for a Debt-Free Retirement — Five strategies to kill your mortgage before retirement, and whether being debt-free is actually right for you.
Spending More While Getting Richer — Safely spending more in retirement without running out.
Reader Interview: Michael, FI at 32 — A Perth bloke who retired in his early 30s, plus a follow-up a few years on to see how he’s enjoying the freedom.
Interview with Pete Wargent — One of Australia’s first early retirees (FI at 33) on how he did it and what he’d pass on.
“Semi-Retiring in my Mid 30s” — Lizzie is a South Australian winemaker who’s set herself up to semi-retire so she can travel more and work flexibly.
Real-Life ‘Millionaire Next Door’ — A perfect real-world example of the classic book: built a business, lived frugally, retired wealthy.
Retiring Early to Travel the World — A couple with a passion for travel that are enjoying freedom and fantastic living on $100/day.
Year-by-year reflections: 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 — lessons and observations after each year of retirement.
Semi-FI: Your Shortcut to Freedom — Almost the same lifestyle benefits much sooner than waiting for full FI. Also available as a podcast.
The Freedom Dial — All the options you can choose between fully working and fully retired (there’s more than you think)
A few handy tools to crunch the numbers and play with different scenarios.
Networthify Early Retirement Calculator — The easiest FI calculator out there. Tweak the numbers to see what it takes to retire sooner.
Rich, Broke or Dead? Post FIRE Calculator ⭐ — The best post-FI calculator I’ve found. Test flex scenarios and see exactly how long your money will last.
Extra Mortgage Repayment Calculator — Work out how fast you can be mortgage-free, or how much extra to pay to line up with your retirement timeframe.
Semi-Retirement Calculator (by Money Flamingo) — Multiple options depending on your desired semi-FI lifestyle.
Passive Income Tracker — My own spreadsheet for keeping tally of annual dividend income. Grab it below:
It’s one thing to run the numbers, but sometimes a second opinion can be valuable.
If you’d like personalised help fine-tuning your plan, working through tax scenarios, or pressure-testing whether you’ve genuinely got enough to retire, I can refer you to someone I personally trust and have vetted to work with FI-minded people.
You don’t have to figure this out alone. A few places worth knowing about:
Aussie FIRE discussion group — Regular group chat on all things FIRE, run by Aussie Firebug.
Semi-Retirement Facebook group — Created by Money Flamingo for people pursuing semi-FI.
Reddit FI Australia — Great for the more detail-oriented folks who prefer forums.
My Facebook page and Instagram — Where I post thoughts and new content as it goes live.
Recommendations page — Tools and services I personally use and recommend (portfolio tracker, mortgage broker, etc).
Get my latest content and thoughts on FI, wealth, and mindset twice a month:
Got a story to share or a retirement question you’d like to chat about? Email me anytime: [email protected]
I love hearing real-life stories from readers and will help where I can.
Meet the Aussie couple who retired in their mid-40s to slow travel through Asia on $100 a day. Their full story, expenses, and what their lifestyle looks like.
How the budget will affect investors looking to live off their assets, and what you can do about it.
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