The FIRE movement: How soon can I quit?

Followers of the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement structure their lives around saving up enough money to quit their jobs, even if that means subsisting on instant ramen and forgoing fancy cars.

Aki Ito, chief correspondent at Business Insider, always thought it was a fringe movement — until its continued popularity post-pandemic encouraged her to reevaluate how it turns hustle culture on its head.

“This whole idea that we should devote everything to our jobs — that comes from a time when companies kind of did care about you.” Ito said. “That social contract doesn't exist anymore, but people are still expected to give everything to their jobs anyway.”

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Ito about her reporting.

Click the audio player above to hear their conversation.