The FIRE movement has its share of haters.

And honestly, I don’t get it. (Much.)

Sure, the biggest objections are understandable:

1. People don’t want to retire early and sit on their rear doing nothing.
2. It can seem out of reach for many people.
3. People don’t want to live waaaaay below their means and never do anything fun.

So let’s tackle those things one at a time. Doing so will help explain why right this very moment — with all the economic upheaval and ongoing problems — might be the exact right time to join the FIRE movement.

The FIRE movement, at its heart, is about blazing your own trail. Today’s writing will get this point across, and I’ll lead by example–we’re going to explore a bit. This article will be a winding road, but I hope you’ll trust me enough to guide you out to the other side. Grab your walking stick, and let’s set out.

We all know where the traditional life paths lead. It’s 40 years of 9-to-5 and working for the weekends. It’s using our 20s and 30s to bury ourselves in debt, only to use our 40s and 50s to dig ourselves out. And don’t forget about engaging in Cold Wars of one-upmanship with the neighbors and church group and PTA. Who does he think he is, driving a Tesla in this neighborhood?! This is what the Jones’ have done for generations.

The FIRE movement shirks those “traditions.” Vicki Robin—if she’s not an O.G. FIRE founder, I’m not sure who is—reminds us, “Money is something we trade our life energy for…The only real asset you have is time.” There’s an idea worth holding onto. The only real asset you have is time. We’ll come back to this idea. But first, a detour! Let’s go check out the steel mill…

Many people dream of becoming financially independent and retiring early, but it’s something that only a small percentage ever achieve. For most, work continues well into their sixties (and sometimes beyond), leaving little time to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

The idea behind FIRE (which stands for financial independence, retire early) is to provide the intellectual tools, resources, and support that people need to make early retirement a genuine possibility.

Building long term wealth is the cornerstone of the FIRE movement, but it takes more than cutting back how much you spend on groceries to get there. While watching your budget and keeping your expenses down help, you need lasting wealth if you hope to achieve financial independence.

So, what’s the secret to lasting wealth? Unfortunately, if you’re searching for the mystic yellow brick road leading to success, you’ll be disappointed.

Continue reading “5 Awesome Ideas for Building Long Term Wealth”

Is FIRE worth the effort? Sometimes I wonder if chasing after FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is really what I want and whether it’s a movement I should enthusiastically encourage. I ask myself if maybe I’ve just been sucked into the hype, running after something I don’t really understand or appreciate?

Don’t get me wrong – it would be great to have the freedom to decide how I live my life and how I choose to spend my time and money. But is it worth the effort to chase after FIRE if I don’t have plans to retire early? More importantly, is it worth pursuing if I’ve joined the FIRE movement too late to retire early?

As a 30-something year old, I understand that time may still be on my side. I’m no spring chicken, but I’m also not staring retirement in the face. I’m in that awkward in-between phase. And this possibly makes me one of the lucky ones.

But what about my family, friends and colleagues who don’t have the same luxury? Should they be discouraged from chasing after FIRE, simply because the movement was birthed too late for them?