The idea is FIRE. FI - Financial Independence. This is the big one, and basically means you have enough money such that you aren't dependent on a job. It give

The idea is FIRE. FI - Financial Independence. This is the big one, and basically means you have enough money such that you aren't dependent on a job. It gives you freedom to leave a position you don't like, to take a job with less pay that you enjoy more, to ride out periods of unemployment without worry, etc. It can mean different things to different people. RE - Retire Early. This is an optional part that only some people aspire to. Many, like yourself it seems, don't mind working so will continue to do so. If you've already achieved a degree of FI, then you'll simply be able to spend more, or donate more , or whatever you'd like to do. For those that don't enjoy traditional employment, they might want to focus on personal pursuits, volunteer work, family, etc. The point is that you can make these choices on your own terms. One core idea in all of this is lifestyle creep; as you start to earn more, you find ways to spend it. No matter how much you make, it can seem like it's just enough. Even without being frivolous, it's an easy trap to fall into. And to an extent, it's just fine so long as you anticipate working until a normal retirement age and do save appropriately. But the observation here is that a relatively small delay in gratification, in delaying lifestyle creep, can lead to a large amount of financial independence. A bit of measured frugality can accumulate a large degree of wealth due to investment returns. Naturally, some will take this to an extreme that seems silly, but the basic idea is a very useful one.