Why FIRE is the Worst Thing you can do Right Now

Just found out about FIRE, and you have decided that this will get me out of my dead-end job? Well, well, well buddy. You might want to stay at that dead-end job for a while because you don’t even know the half of it. FIRE is tougher than you think, and requires more commitment than your ex-wife had for you. Also, perhaps focus on changing from the dead-end job as well.

Before we get started on knowing why FIRE is not for you. Yes, you, specifically. We should know about the history of FIRE. Fire was discovered two million years ago by Homo erectus. However, FIRE is a much more recent thing, that started in the recent 90s. Why is this important? Well things have certainly changed since then, there is much more income inequality in the world, and millions of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

FIRE is a Tough Ride

The first reason why you would not want to start FIRE is that it is a tough journey. You will have to spend way less than you did and also compromise on things that you might not wish for. While it might lead you to a better life later, you decide whether you would want to compromise now or not for the future. The answer is yes, however, you are the ruler of your own life, and if you are not well that is another reason to not start FIRE yet.

FIRE is built on compromises, and compromise you will have to do. You will have to miss out on going to parties with friends, and going out on dates, and will probably have to split the check with your S.O. instead of you paying for the whole meal. Balance is the key, you might be able to do all of this stuff and more, depending on your income, or you might not be able to do any of it. Or perhaps, like the majority, you will only be able to do it sometimes.

Income Level

If you are living paycheck to paycheck, it’s probably not the best idea to get started on FIRE, unless you can lower your expenses. Though if you cannot, maybe you will have to wait this one out, until you reach a higher income level.

Possibly, you can opt for multiple jobs, or maybe you cannot. Perhaps if you have a lower income, but you can still save up some money, you can go for FIRE models which require you to save less. Some of these FIRE models are Barista and Lean FIRE.

Just Not There Yet

Sometimes, the reason you should not get started FIRE, is that you are just not ready to make that level of commitment yet. That is perfectly fine, perhaps you do not have enough income, maybe things are just not going the way you wanted them to, or maybe there is something else you might do instead of FIRE.

Everyone has a different journey, and FIRE might not be in everyone’s journey. This is completely fine, and the person probably has to navigate their own life before beginning such an intensive journey.

You Have Not Fulfilled The Requirements Yet

Before you get started on FIRE, you should probably fulfill the requirements. These requirements are creating an emergency fund which is 6 months of your expenses. Creating an emergency fund is important as it can help you cover your medical expenses or be fired.

Another essential thing to do before getting started on FIRE is tracking your expenses. To save up money, you might need to lower your expenses, and a good way to do that is by tracking your expenses. Knowing where you are spending the most on, and if the thing you are spending the most on is worth spending that much on. Too much ‘spending’.

Not The Right Age

If you have just turned 16, and you are saying, “Yeah, this is it, I am going to get started on rizzin’ up my FIRE game.” Well, good for you. Also, why are you on this website? However, if any of your children want to get started on FIRE, and they are passionate about it, then why not, better start early.

However, they probably won’t be able to save a lot due to the lack of income. So, do not worry if they give up on their goal just yet, as, it might not be the right age for them to start anyway.

You Like Your Job

So, one of the reasons why you might not want to get started on FIRE, is that you do not want to retire early. What I say after this might sound like blasphemy, but you might ‘Like Your Job’. This is entirely possible, and there are some great careers out there that people might enjoy doing.

However, you can still opt to be financially independent, so that let’s say your firm goes bankrupt tomorrow, you will still be able to pay your expenses and live a functioning life. Also assuming that you have to retire someday, maybe not early, it’s always good to have a bit of money for the ol’ retirement life.

Conclusion

There are tons of reasons why you should get started on FIRE now and today. However, there are also several reasons why you should not or, perhaps, would not be able to get started on FIRE. This is why you should probably not stress yourself over it if you are not just ready or able to FIRE right now. FIRE is not the end goal of many people. You might have a different life goal than other people, and FIRE might not fit into that life goal.

Though, as a website that started with FIRE, we would say that FIRE is a pretty good way to achieve financial independence and retire early for almost everyone. But we might be a little biased, so think of that, what you will.