In our How I Manage My Money series we aim to find out how people in the UK are spending, saving and investing money to meet their costs and achieve their goals.
This week we speak to Silvia Mariani, 59, who lives in Weston-super-Mare with her husband, Nick, 57. Having been interested in the Financial Independence, Retire Early (Fire) movement for years, Silvia and Nick both took early retirement in September 2025.
The couple, who married in 2016, have a rental property they purchased at auction as a renovation project. Silvia has a six-figure sum invested in gold as well as £75,000 in a cash ISA.
Monthly budget
My monthly income: I have about £550 coming in via money from a self-invested personal pension (Sipp). We have £450 coming in from a rental property. I sometimes make between £50 to £100 a month by selling items on Vinted. My husband has income coming in from a pension.
