"By wanting to retire early, millennials are subverting conventional ideas of work and finances" - CNA Article

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Just wanna share some thoughts after reading this article  It's about why FIRE may not be suitable for everyone. I think this is the 2nd article on this topic in the last 2 weeks.  The main reason cited seems to be not being able to spend more money = less happy. Definitely true for some people. 

"Some FIRE practitioners say they do in fact enjoy living a minimalist lifestyle and do not crave these luxuries. But while frugality is a virtue, it cannot be totalising. If the cost of missing out on fancy dinners and new clothes exceeds the joy they could have been derived from them, scrimping might make one worse off."

I agree with the writer that if you are someone who likes cafe hopping, 4 long haul overseas trip a year, branded bags, 2m dollars apartment, 200k car and so on and so forth, then most probably FIRE is not for you unless you have the passive income to back you up, or rich parents. It's either that, or you need a job to feed the material wants. Dont force a square peg into a circular hole. It will not work. My 1.5 years old can tell you that as well. 

However, being happy is not all about spending 80 dollars on a meal, it is much more than that. If you are someone who prefers the simple joys in life, perhaps the decision making will be more straight forward isnt it? Dont be discouraged by the article. It's all about balancing the numbers. If your passive income is more than your expenses, then you are probably in a good place to think about FIRE. You are not going to turn into someone who likes 80 dollars meal suddenly after you achieved FIRE. 

I mentioned this in my previous post, this and this. It all depends on what you want in life.  If you dont mind working, then continue to work and live your life, dont adopt the FIRE movement just because it is a FAD now. You are the master of your own destiny.

Comments

  1. The CNA writer may not have enough exposure to people of varying personalities.

    Those who are more introverted and independent will find FIRE to be up their alley. These are the type of people who love the covid lockdown in Apr- May 2020 lol.

    Those who are extroverted & find energy in having wide networks may FIRE only to morph into some sort of semi- retirement or entrepreneurial side lines etc.

    Both are ok. They don't impose on others or hurt others. They manage their lives to make themselves happier

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. well said. To each his/her own if it makes their lives happier.

      Delete
  2. I think the article link is not working?

    ReplyDelete

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