The Freedom Before FI Interview

About this episode

Michael Houghton shares his journey to financial independence and insights on lifestyle design in this interview.

In this episode, Michael republishes his interview on the Freedom Before FI podcast which covers his journey to financial independence and what life looks like along the way. He shares his story of moving from New Zealand to Limerick, raising a family of five, and how he’s built up a €700k+ investment portfolio split between property and stocks. Michael also talks about lifestyle design, seasonal and part-time work, and how keeping a 75% savings rate was possible while still enjoying life. The interview also considers the human side of FI - how financial freedom has improved family life, the way he teaches his kids about money and investing, and what purpose looks like once work is optional. Michael shares what it’s like writing for The Irish Independent, filling his days with meaningful projects, and the habits and lessons that have shaped his path. Stick around until the end for a fun quick-fire round where Michael reveals the book that changed his perspective, the small things you can do this week to start investing, and the lessons he wishes he’d known ten years ago. Show Notes: Here are the links to the original interview: https://open.spotify.com/show/0XxPgEeuGayTqaEwUE19mk…

People in this episode

Host: Michael Houghton

Guest: Michael

Topics covered

• financial independence
• investment portfolio
• lifestyle design
• family life
• money education
• work-life balance

Keywords

• financial independence
• investment
• savings rate
• family
• money management
• lifestyle design
• interview

Sponsors

KennCo Insurance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Irish Independent

Places: New Zealand, Limerick

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• FIRE VS Financial Advisors - an Interview with Robert Whelan · April 14, 2026 · 52 min
• 8 Years Later: The FIRE Mistakes That Shaped My Journey · March 30, 2026 · 42 min
• I Hate Bidding Wars · March 9, 2026 · 20 min