the friends on FIRE podcast retired about 312 days ago, and Maggie started a new podcast called Inside Out Money with a rotating set of co-hosts. Inside Out Money is about to launch their 50th episode, and in anticipation of that we're sharing one of our top 10 episodes so far - Episode #24 with Maggie and Greg discussing the surprising truth of ea…

Maggie shares the trailer to her new podcast Inside Out Money, which is now available wherever you listen to podcasts.Visit the Inside Out Money website (https://insideoutmoney.org/) to learn more, or find it wherever you listen to podcasts.Oleh friends on FIRE

This week is our final friends on FIRE episode. We share our memories, fun stats, and closing thoughts as we wrap up what has been an amazing experience for both of us. Thank you to everyone who has listened to and supported friends on FIRE over the last 200 episodes!Oleh Maggie Tucker, Michael O'Leary

In this week’s episode, we answer more listener questions and read more awesome comments you all sent us!Oleh Maggie Tucker, Michael O'Leary

In this week’s episode, we answer listener questions and read many lovely comments you all sent us!Oleh Michael O'Leary, Maggie Tucker

In this week’s episode, we share some big news with our listeners! You’ll have to listen to hear the news, and we also have a special request for all of you at the end of the episode.Oleh Michael O'Leary, Maggie Tucker

In this week’s episode, we talk about helping your parents with financial and legal stuff. First, we share advice for why and how to initiate the discussion. Then, we then dig into tactical advice for what to discuss, such as life insurance, medical insurance, social security, withdrawal strategies and required minimum distributions, naming benefic…

In this episode, we read and discuss a recent CNBC article: There’s a quicker, cheaper way to go to college, but fewer students are trying it. We then share our thoughts on dual enrollment and the broader topic of financial vs lifestyle choices.Oleh Maggie Tucker, Mike O'Leary

In this week’s episode, we continue our discussion of the toxic pressure related to career growth, titles, and money and give our advice on how to make changes needed to let go and be happier.Oleh Maggie Tucker, Michael O'Leary

In this week’s current events episode, we discuss the recent Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) collapse and what it all means. We dig into what happened, why, and what it might mean for you.Oleh Maggie Tucker, Mike O'Leary

In this week’s episode, we discuss the sometimes toxic pressure of career growth, titles, and money. We hear from a couple of listeners who share their personal stories of how the anxiety to go for higher jobs has caused them to rethink their priorities. For anyone who’s worked a job with a hierarchy, there can be immense social pressure to climb t…

In this episode, Maggie shares her experience and tips for signing up for medical benefits on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. We discuss how to sign-up, some of the details of how the program works, and the best tips and tricks that we’ve learned along the way. And we share the specific amount Maggie and Greg are paying for benefits in 2023 on…

In this week’s episode, we discuss the specific mechanics of different ways you can fund early retirement and different withdrawal strategies. We start with a reminder of how early retirement works and then review the various levers that could provide income during your early retirement. We discuss various withdrawal strategies, tax advantages, and…

In this episode, we talk about the steps you can take to get your money back when something you buy doesn’t work out. Maybe the vendor never delivered it, maybe it broke, maybe they misled you; no matter what happens, you have a bunch of options to get your money back! We encourage you to try one or many of these and fight for your rights.…

In this episode, we share our top 10 favorite products and why we love them. Well, that’s what it was supposed to be; it really turned into Maggie sharing her top 10 favorites and Mike explaining why he isn’t really attached to anything. This becomes a philosophical discussion about stuff and our relationship with it.…

In this episode, we discuss the concept of financial intimacy and how focusing on financial intimacy can improve your relationship. Financial intimacy is the level of trust and comfort that couples have when they are discussing and managing their finances together; it’s a measure of how open and honest partners are with each other regarding their f…

In this week’s episode, we share how to protect your child’s financial identity and create a strong credit store to set them up well for the future. We dig into why this matters and the specific steps and recommendations for what to do.Oleh Michael O'Leary, Maggie Tucker

In this episode, we talk about how to set boundaries and say no, with your time and with your money. Learning to set boundaries is a critical skill that will help you live a happier, more fulfilled life, and that’s what we’re all about. We discuss why boundaries matter and specific tips and tools to create more boundaries with your time and money.…

In this episode, we answer your money etiquette questions and share specific scripts you can use during tricky money conversations. Talking about money with friends and family can be awkward, but we encourage you to train the muscle of being open and honest, and it will get easier over time. We encourage you to speak up and be firm when it’s necess…

In this week’s episode, we do a full-year expense review and share what each of our families spent this past year. We share our total spending for the year and break down our top spending categories, which areas we’re feeling good about, and where we’d like to improve in 2023. We also share additional reflections and financial goals as we kick off …

In this week’s episode, we kick off the new year with optimism and energy while we discuss our intentions and goals for 2023. A huge thank you to all of our podcast listeners in 2022, and Happy new year to you all!Oleh Maggie Tucker, Mike O'Leary

In this week’s episode, we reflect on 2022. We dig into what we’re most proud of, what we want to improve, and other fun stuff, like our favorite books of the year. We hope you have all had a strong year, and we appreciate you listening to and supporting our podcast. We look forward to another year of podcasting in 2023.…

In this episode, we read and discuss a recent Business Insider article: Michael Burry, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg are raising the alarm on the US economy. Here are 8 recession warnings from top commentators this week. We then share our thoughts on these predictions on the US economy and our advice on what you should be doing.…

In this episode, we talk about how to stick to your values when you or your kids are faced with peer pressure. First, we talk through different types of peer pressure, from positive and negative, to active and passive. We then talk more about the good kind of peer pressure, share strategies for combatting negative peer pressure, and give ideas for …

In this episode, we talk about the 2023 IRS limits for various savings plans. We discuss the difference in benefits related to taxes and how to maximize these plans for long-term savings success. We hope this discussion motivates you to save more in 2023.Oleh Maggie Tucker, Mike O'Leary

In this week’s episode, we interview Jessica from The Fioneers and talk about designing a life you don’t want to retire from. Jess spends a lot of time talking, thinking, and writing about how people can use the financial freedom they build along the way to Financial Independence (FI) to design a life they don't want to retire from. We also talk wi…

In this episode, we talk about the arrival fallacy and what you can learn from better understanding it. The arrival fallacy is the false assumption that once you reach a big goal, you will have enduring happiness from accomplishing that goal. We explain why it’s a mistaken belief and how to fight it and find happiness in the journey instead of the …

In this episode, we discuss the lesser-known but universally understood concept of Hygge. Pronounced Hugg-ah or Hoog-ah, it’s the Danish concept of coziness, and it’s everywhere around the holidays. While everyone can appreciate some coziness in the winter, marketers will try to convince you to buy things to achieve it. But we think you can find hy…

In this episode, we talk about all things prenup related, and we bring on a family law attorney to give you an official legal perspective on prenuptial agreements. We explain what a prenup is, why we think they are good, and how to create one properly. We believe everyone should thoughtfully consider creating a prenup when they are getting married;…

In this episode, we read and discuss a recent Washington Post article: 7 ways a recession could be good for you financially. We then share our thoughts on the recession, housing prices, savings rates, ibonds, unemployment, student loan forgiveness, and more.Oleh Maggie Tucker, Mike O'Leary

In this episode, we talk about the cost of kids' sports. We dig into the benefits of kids playing sports, why the costs can be so high, and ideas for prioritizing and rationalizing these costs.Oleh Mike O'Leary, Maggie Tucker

In this episode, we talk about two types of big expensive parties, weddings and bat or bar mitzvahs. They average $30k+ and come with various traditions and expectations. We start by sharing what inspired this episode and what we’ve personally spent on these events. Finally, we provide some considerations for hosting awesome events without breaking…

In this week’s episode, we talk about travel hacking and focus on how you can best use and maximize all the points you’ve earned through travel hacking. Travel hacking is a fun and lucrative activity if you know learn how to do it right. We discuss our personal strategies and experiences for redeeming points and miles and share advice on how to sea…

In this week’s episode, we get chatty with Liz from LizGetsLoaded, the money kind of loaded. Liz describes herself as someone who likes to drink wine, spend money, and max out her tax-advantaged accounts. She started with a very pretty financial spreadsheet and then created an Instagram account to connect with other personal finance nerds, and now …

In this week’s episode, we share tactical advice on how to ask for a raise. It can be very stressful to ask for more money, and many people who deserve more never get the nerve to ask for it. We encourage everyone to thoughtfully consider if they should be getting a raise and then dig into how to approach the process of asking for one.…

In this week’s episode, we share our advice on how to get promoted at work. Preparing and positioning yourself for a promotion can be a difficult situation to navigate, but we share tactical and specific advice for how you can be successful in working towards a promotion. These are both tricky situations to navigate, but we share tactical and speci…

In this episode, we talk about financial anxiety and how to cope with it. Financial anxiety is normal, and we all experience them in different ways and at different times. Our listeners shared their financial anxieties with us, and we talk through them one by one and share tips and ideas for how to cope. We believe education, preparation, and commu…

In this episode, we talk about investment scams, how to spot them, and how to avoid them. Scams are everywhere, and while it might seem overwhelming to sort through all the offers online, a few key principles can keep you safe in a world full of people trying to steal your money. We discuss what to look out for, when to trust your instincts, when t…

In this week’s episode, we interview Sarah Wilson, aka Budget Girl. Sarah is a YouTuber, debt-destroyer, side-hustler, financial wellness advocate, and real estate investor. She creates amazing free resources and content on how to live a frugal, fun, and fearless life. She is also incredibly transparent on her finances and documented her success an…

In this episode we rewind three years of episodes and start with the basics. Where do you begin if you want to improve your finances or pursue financial independence? We discuss the mindset, skills, and actions needed to start your journey.Oleh Mike O'Leary, Maggie Tucker

In this episode, we talk about why we never have enough time or money and how to leverage Parkinson’s law to fix that. We start by explaining Parkinson’s law, the adage that work will expand to fill the allotted time. We dig into what we can learn from Parkinson’s law to improve how we manage our time. Then we switch over to applying Parkinson’s la…

In this episode, we share the total amounts we spent on our extended European summer vacations. We also dig into what worked well and what we’d do differently in the future. We then cover several listener questions that cover minimalist packing, hotels vs. airbnbs, how we budget for travel, anxiety while spending on vacation, drone recommendations,…

In this week’s episode, we discuss with Jason Brown how to go to college debt-free. Jason is an expert in taking the debt-free path to college; he’s earned two debt-free degrees and has even written a book on it! Jason shares his mindset on college and debt with us, and his inspiring message reminds us that there are ways to get a college education…

In this week’s episode, we share ideas and tips for saving money on toiletries and personal care items such as make-up, toilet paper, and medicine. We discuss how much people are spending in this category and share our best ideas and tips for saving money. We encourage everyone to take a minimalist approach, focusing on quality over quantity, buy g…

In this week’s episode, we discuss how to control your lifestyle to find financial freedom. We introduce the concept of lifestyle creep, or lifestyle inflation, and talk about how dangerous and destructive it can be to your financial and overall wellbeing. There is a definite balance between the positive impacts of inflating your lifestyle and over…

In this week's special episode, we record live while vacationing together in Austria! We’re both on summer adventures in Europe with our families, and we found a way to meet up together in the Austrian Alps for a week. We share what we’ve been up to on our travels, and bring in our kids and spouses for some quick check-ins.…

In this week's episode, we talk about how amazing public libraries are. We’re already paying for the services of public libraries via our tax dollars, and they offer a surprising volume of services and amenities that many of us aren’t familiar with. We share a long list of all of the surprising and not so surpassing amenities and services you can g…

In this week’s episode, we interview Diandra from That Science Couple. Diandra and her husband Bradley are a plant-based 30-something couple living in Wisconsin. Brad has a masters in Environmental Biology, and Diandra is a PDH student in nutritional sciences and has a passion for evidence-based nutrition. We talk with Diandra about evidence-based …

In this week’s episode, Mike does a 6-week check-in on early retirement with Maggie and Greg. Maggie and Greg. are enjoying early retirement; they are being even more active, sleeping better, and feeling the benefits of more margin in their lives. They share their observations and insights in these early weeks, from the impact of less structure, fe…

In this episode, we answer a bunch of recent listener questions. We answer questions on partying off your mortgage versus saving more into a 529 for college, if now is the right time to put money into the market, how much money to keep in a cash emergency fund, and how to balance income while planning for early retirement. We then discuss how to br…