What it’s really like to quit work forever at 30, with Captain FI
It’s a fantasy many of us share: what if you could retire early, walk away from your job forever, and live life on your own terms by the age of 30?
Would it be all freedom and fun… or would the reality look very different?
In this episode of Making Cents, I talk to Captain Fi, one of Australia’s most well-known FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) bloggers. He shares what it really takes to achieve financial independence at such a young age, and whether he would actually recommend it to others.
Captain Fi started out as a pilot, a career that cost him over $300,000 in training. Determined to buy back his freedom, he focused on three strategies that define the FIRE movement:
- Earn as much as possible through a high-paying job and multiple side hustles
- Spend as little as possible by keeping living costs low and avoiding lifestyle creep
- Invest everything left over into shares and growth assets to build wealth quickly
By living on less than $40,000 a year, while sometimes saving up to 90% of his income, he was able to quit work in his early 30s.
Today, Captain Fi lives on a hobby farm in Queensland with his wife and young daughter, raising bees, planting gardens, and building the family-focused life he always wanted. But his journey also included burnout, grief, and a surprising twist: after a short period of “retired life,” he realised it wasn’t fulfilling enough and pivoted into something new.
In this conversation, we cover:
- How he built financial independence by 30
- The reality of early retirement versus the daydream
- Why he “un-FIRE’d” and bought a farm
- The hidden challenges of extreme savings and burnout
- His advice for anyone chasing financial freedom today
If you’ve ever wondered what early retirement really looks like, or how to use the FIRE movement to reshape your own career and lifestyle, this episode has the insights from someone who has lived it.
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