Why FIRE Might Not Be What You Are Looking For

While figuring out how hopeless life is, and thinking about that I don’t want to do a job for the rest of my life, you have stumbled across this majestic thing called FIRE. You are now wondering whether this is the solution you have been waiting for.

However, what if I tell you, FIRE isn’t this exciting thing and no, it’s not the answer to everyone’s question.

Asking The Right Question

Before beginning FIRE, ask yourself this, why are you doing it? Is it because you hate your job and want to quit as soon as possible and exit the job world entirely? Or is it because you want to enjoy life that you will save because of FIRE? Or, even better, is it both?

I am asking this because FIRE won’t magically get you more money, and sometimes you won’t even have enough to fully retire. It all depends on the lifestyle you want to have after retirement.

If you want more money after retirement, then you would have to compromise more, which means less enjoying life currently and hustling until you finally retire. However, depending on your goal, it might be later than you think.

Let’s be honest though, would you want to retire after 60 with a buttload of money, but still barely functioning? Is that the time to enjoy life with the money you have earned? Also, consider the health effects and the stress you will have from all the hustling.

FIRE is Wrong Then, I Guess, Right?

Well, it’s a complicated question, but in essence, no. It is a good strategy, but it might not work for everyone. Everyone has different goals and needs in life. Everyone wants different things. While there are a lot of models of FIRE, it does not technically mean that any might be the right fit for you.

Maybe sometimes, you could just modify the FIRE according to your needs, as there is no one-size-fits-all. The other times, however, it just might not be for you, and then you will have to decide for yourself what is it that you require and what can you do to achieve it.

If FIRE is Wrong, Then I Don’t Want To Be Right

Now, I get it, you are a die-hard FIRE fan, and are now saying, ******* ***** ***. Well, calm down.

I am not saying FIRE is bad, FIRE is great, this whole website is mostly FIRE-based. It is just that I believe some people might not want to indulge in FIRE, and that’s not wrong. While you might believe that it is, it might not be necessarily. Yes, FIRE is great, but it also ends up causing a lot of stress on the normal person about compromising. Learning to compromise would also be great, but some people just aren’t meant to do it right now. However, the earlier you get started, the closer you are to your goal.

“But FIRE does not have to be a big compromise”, that is true. But, that mostly depends on the income of the person. For some, it might be a pretty big dent in their lives now financially. Some people live paycheck to paycheck while saving nothing, and there might not be anything they can do to increase their income at the current time. Also, they might end up joining FIRE later in life.

While doing FIRE, you have to have a balance, so that you do not get stressed out and start rapidly spending and just now following FIRE at all. It is better to get in the right mindset and start FIRE when the time feels right, which could be now or later. The key here is to not worry about starting FIRE as soon as possible, because that could mean you end up ditching FIRE as soon as possible as well.

Compromise Here, Compromise There

FIRE, in essence, is based on compromise. Some people just do not want to compromise. While some might call that idiotic, others might not feel the same. Some people cannot wait to enjoy life in the later years, which means they are not going to end up saving more and compromising in the present.

At the end of the day, it all depends on how much you are willing to compromise now and later. If you are willing to compromise more later and live a not-so-fancy lifestyle, maybe you can spend some more money now, and enjoy life in the present, though endangering your future. Though, perhaps still consider keeping an emergency fund, just in case, but you do you, dear reader, you do you.

Rushing Into The FIRE

Don’t be so quick to rush into FIRE, if you believe that you cannot keep up with what you are doing. You might go down the wrong path and never try FIRE again. Get in the right mindset and think that if you are going to have to start FIRE, it is going to be a long journey and is going to have a lot of compromises. Be sure, that you are ready for that, and only then begin.

Some might say to just not think and start it right now. However, I believe that researching about it a bit might help you save yourself some trouble later down the path. Maybe thinking about what you want from life currently and in the future will help you know what is the right model for you and if you want to do FIRE at all or not.

TLDR

At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want from life now and later, and how much are you willing to compromise. Perhaps in the future, you will think differently, but that’s something you have to deal with yourself. So, think about what is good for you and what fits your needs and start doing that from today, or whenever, your choice.