New York Times Talks FIRE

The New York Times recently published an article about the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement.

Despite a couple minor gripes, it’s a well written article that covers, not only the different types of (FIRE – LeanFIRE, CoastFIRE, FatFIRE), but also the reality of how lonely it is to do something most people aren’t doing.

Although I’m still happily spending my time reading, working on my house, exercising, napping, and doing just about whatever else I’m in the mood for, I can imagine it getting old after a longer period of time than what I’ve experienced.

Best selling money books on Amazon

I thought this passage captured that feeling well:

“It was as if I fast-forwarded through an entire movie, and the end credits are slowly rolling,” Wong told me recently, recalling his first, restless years in retirement. “There was nothing more to watch, and all my peers were still busy watching the movie that I already finished. After I traveled the world and had done just about every possible fun thing I could possibly do, I often found myself wondering, What now?”

Am I worried at all about how I might feel once I’ve “read all the books”? No. It’d be a small price to pay for the benefits and happiness I experience everyday.

I’m also OK with some temporary discomfort. I think discomfort or boredom a good signal that it’s time to change things up and try something new and that’s always exciting.

If you’re interested in FIRE, I suggest you visit the r/financialindependence subreddit. In the NY Times article, the author focuses on the r/fatFIRE subreddit which only has 455k members vs. 2.2MM.

(The author’s focus on r/fatFIRE was the minor gripe I mentioned at the top of this post)

Or, instead of Reddit, you can start following Mr. Money Mustache’s blog who is known as one of the most popular members of the FIRE movement. I suggest starting with this post titled: “The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement”