THE BLUE TREE
Business English
CEFR B1
Intermediate
warm up
Answer the questions below. Then listen to the model answers and think about how you could improve yours.
| Have you ever thought about when you would be able to retire? |
TRANSCRIPT
I have thought about it, but retirement still feels far away. I’d love to retire early, though, and focus on traveling or pursuing hobbies I never seem to have time for now. It’s interesting to imagine how much financial planning it takes to retire earlier than expected, especially in today’s economy.
| What do you think your life will look like when you retire? |
TRANSCRIPT
When I retire, I imagine spending more time outdoors, maybe gardening or hiking, and traveling to places I’ve always dreamed of visiting. I also hope to dedicate time to volunteering or mentoring, as I think staying active and engaged in the community will be essential for a fulfilling retirement.
| If you had enough money to live on in the bank, would you continue working anyway? |
TRANSCRIPT
If I had enough money to live on comfortably, I think I’d still work, but on my terms. I’d focus on projects I’m passionate about, like creative pursuits or causes I care about. Work can provide a sense of purpose, so I wouldn’t want to stop entirely—just shift my focus to things that truly inspire me.
part one
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch the first part of the video.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 00:30 What do all the people introduced at the beginning have in common?
- ⌚ 00:35 What does retirement mean in the new definition?
- ⌚ 00:51 What does F.I.R.E. stand for?
- ⌚ 01:13 What is F.I.R.E. about?
- ⌚ 01:44 How does F.I.R.E. help us feel more happy?
- ⌚ 02:25 How did Peter start with F.I.R.E.?
- ⌚ 02:33 What is another aim behind F.I.R.E. movement?
part two
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch the second part of the video.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 02:43 What did the pandemic force us to think about?
- ⌚ 02:57 What do people spend a lot of money on?
- ⌚ 03:19 What is the benefit of being location independent?
- ⌚ 03:51 What is the math behind this movement?
- ⌚ 04:10 What has F.I.R.E. been accused of and how does her story contradict it?
- ⌚ 04:35 How flexible is F.I.R.E?
- ⌚ 05:30 What was Kristy’s wake up call?
part three
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
- ⌚ 05:59 How does FIRE compare with traditional employment during crisis?
- ⌚ 06:21 Why is it easy to look rich in the US, even though you are not?
- ⌚ 06:43 What helps Peter lead a life of F.I.R.E?
- ⌚ 07:05 What was the biggest benefit of FIRE for Julien?
- ⌚ 07:14 What is the best thing money can buy?
- ⌚ 07:39 Why it may be difficult for employers to keep their staff in the future?
POLL
Cast your vote in the poll below.
DISCUSSION
WHEN WILL I RETIRE
Pete adn Sven are talking about the idea behind the FIRE movement.
Role play their dialogue. Whose views do you lean towards?
Pete: You’ve been talking a lot about this FIRE thing lately. Are you really planning to retire early?
Sven: Yeah, I’ve already started making some changes. I’ve cut down on unnecessary expenses, invested more, and I’m aiming to be financially independent in the next 15 years.
Pete: Wow, that’s ambitious. I mean, it sounds great, but isn’t it risky? What if something unexpected happens, like a financial crisis?
Sven: That’s exactly why I’m doing it. The whole idea is to have enough savings and investments to cover anything life throws at me. It’s not about never working again—it’s about having the choice.
Pete: I do like the idea of not being tied to a 9-to-5 forever. But don’t you have to be extremely frugal? I don’t want to live like a hermit just to retire a few years earlier.
Sven: That’s a common misunderstanding. It’s not about extreme frugality, just being smarter with money. Like, do I really need the latest phone every year? Probably not. But cutting unnecessary expenses doesn’t mean giving up everything fun.
Pete: Hmm. I guess there’s a balance. Still, it feels like something only high earners can do. Not everyone can save half their income.
Sven: True, but it’s flexible. Even saving 20-30% instead of 5-10% can make a huge difference over time. And it’s not just for the privileged—some people even move to cheaper countries after retiring to make their money last longer.
Pete: That’s interesting. So, it’s not just about money, but also about freedom?
Sven: Exactly! It’s about having control over your time. Imagine waking up and deciding how to spend your day, instead of working just to pay off bills and a mortgage.
Pete: That actually sounds pretty appealing. I guess I should start looking into this.
Sven: You should! The sooner you start, the better. Let’s grab a coffee, and I’ll show you some simple ways to get started.
OVER TO YOU
Discuss these questions.
 | Has this BBC video convinced you of the benefits of the F.I.R.E. movement? |
| Do you think F.I.R.E. has the potential to change the way people approach work in general? |
| Is overconsumption really as big of a problem as the video suggests? |
| What are the potential downsides of the F.I.R.E. movement? |
| Are you mindful of your expenses? Did the examples in the video inspire you to manage your finances more carefully? |
LESSON GLOSSARY
COMMENTS
What do you think of the idea of gaining financial independence and retiring early? Is this something you would like to do? How would your life be different from the way it is today?
Share your views and opinions here.
3 Comments
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The idea discussed in this video is not only very interesting but also quite tempting. I don’t mind using it in my life but not in full. People taking part in this movie talked much about freedom, time, and self-reliance. Freedom to choose whether one wants to work or now. Time as the something most valuable possession. And the possibility to live your life as you design it. That’s true, of course. I would have peace of mind if I had such savings I didn’t have to work. I would spend more time with my family, have time for my hobby and take up some new activities. However, from my point of view, early retirement shouldn’t be a goal to accomplish as soon as possible. I’d rather not resign completely from some entertainment and expenses during the time in my life when I still work. Remembering about monthly savings is more reasonable than flashing with money. On the other hand, it may be a good idea not to quit the job but limit it. We could have more time this way and the possibility to return in some cases. And finally, it’s necessary to watch over our investments to be sure they are still at the proper level.
I find the idea of FIRE very attractive, especially to me but it is based on a number of assumptions that are not true in all situations.
First of all, it is especially attractive in high-wage, high-cost countries. You should have something to put aside and save on something.
Poland is not, and especially was not, such a country. This idea is attractive, for example, in developed economies where real wages (adjusted for inflation) have stagnated practically since the 70s. When the prospects for wage increases are minimal, fulfilling yourself at work requires a different motivation. Earning a lot of money quickly with a job you dislike and then doing what you like seems to be a winning strategy.
For a long time, wages in Poland grew quite fast. Especially if you started from a low level. Under these conditions, interrupting this growth seemed unwise.
Another factor is the philosophy of life. When your spouse thinks you should work while you are still strong enough, it is difficult to decide for yourself to retire. It is obvious that this idea must be attractive to both partners.
Yet another factor is finding passive income that earns you above inflation. Anyone who invests unprofessionally realizes that it is not as easy as Robert Kiyosaki presents it. The general idea of increasing earning assets and cutting costs is of course correct but it’s easiest to stumble over the details. If the interest minus inflation is not enough to live on, this is not a strategy that is sustainable in long run.
Taking all of the above into account, I think that FIRE is a very interesting idea … but, for various reasons, not applicable to me … which I regret.
My first reaction on FIRE was it’s “something grate!” but then other reflections came to me…
I fully agree that you can’t buy happiness and that your time, health, family, relationships are much more important than money. But this philosophy is as old as the world and FIRE says nothing new.
Problem with overconsumption is well-known too – it is raised by many eco- and fair-trade organizations. I’m adherent of limitation expenses and zero waste trend.
What is really fresh and appealing in FIRE for me is financial independence in early age meaning living close to the civilization but without cubicles, mortgages or fear from being laid off. It would be great but for most of people not viable.
Let’s talk about John. He said that he could save much money after moving to US. How many people have such possibility? How many people in Poland can save on their cars as John does, when they can afford for cars only from second hand? You can probably live without the car in a small town and in case of emergency you can knock to the neighbor praying that his’ not fascinated with FIRE and has the car.
And what about children? How many John could save having kids in the school age? Maybe he would change his investment portfolio and put money in kid’s education.
I have impression that FIRE is for privilege people. People who are enterprising and have some basis for start (not necessary money but for example education). I whish everyone living from capital gains had in his mind all others who work in in companies bringing these gains. To treat the workers as people not as parts of making money machine would make the world better.
Apart from that, I like the idea to go for early retirement.