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When I was in my twenties, I used to think about getting enough money in order to retire young. Then I realized that I actually enjoy working and I don't see my

When I was in my twenties, I used to think about getting enough money in order to retire young. Then I realized that I actually enjoy working and I don't see myself sitting on my ass doing nothing. What I want is enough money to say no to work I don't really like, enough money for allowing me to choose what to do with more liberty.

ptmcc 6y ago
Why do so many people view "retirement" as sitting on your ass doing nothing? It is a weird cultural stereotype, perhaps perpetuated to glorify work culture. This is probably why the term "financial independence" was coined, to break away from this misconception. Retirement/financial independence is not needing the paycheck anymore. It's owning all of your time to use how you want. There are plenty of "retired" people that don't sit around on their ass all day. They've retired from the full time rat race but are very much active, doing what they want to do. It might even still sometimes look like "work", but it is on their terms.
- mfalcon 6y ago
  Yes, "sitting on your ass" was not the best way to describe what I wanted to say. I don't want to use all my time to do only what I want, I also want to make something valuable for other people.
  - kyawzazaw 6y ago
    "FIRE" people do something valuable too, totally up to their choice. I think a good example would be like ashton kutcher creating thorn.
    - mfalcon 6y ago
      Sure but what's the path that ends with FIRE? If you're lucky you can maybe work on things you like, earn a good amount of money and then have enough to be financially independent. But if you have to slog at boring jobs for a lot of years in order to accumulate that big pile of money allowing you to become FI you'll have to consider if it's worth it. Maybe after being FI you'll keep working but you'll have the privilege to choose only jobs or projects aligned with your needs and desires. If that's the case: is it worth it the years and years working at boring jobs? do you really need to be FI if you'll keep working after? I'm not against having money on the bank, my approach is having enough to live several years without income, allowing me to reject things I really don't want. But I don't want to spend years just trying projects with no results, I want to do things valuable for other people and getting money in exchange is the way to be sure you're actually doing it.
      - kyawzazaw 6y ago
        > But if you have to slog at boring jobs for a lot of years in order to accumulate that big pile of money allowing you to become FI you'll have to consider if it's worth it. It's not mutually exclusive. > my approach is having enough to live several years without income, allowing me to reject things I really don't want. This is what "FI" part means. the financial independence.
        mfalcon 6y ago
        Yes, it's not mutually exclusive, that's the point. If you enjoy your day to day life and you are able to accumulate enough to be FI amazing, but I don't think it's worth it to spend several years at dreadful places in order to be FI in the future. I understand financial independence as "having enough to retire without needing any more income", so the amount of money is not the same.
  - bluesilver07 6y ago
    Why can't doing what you want also be valuable to other people? There are plenty of people who given financial freedom would want to start a business and even work harder on it than they did at their 9-5 job.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
JackMorgan 6y ago
I realized in my twenties I hold my life too valuable to waste it sitting on my ass in an office doing bullshit work.
- omosubi 6y ago
  What do you do now?
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - JackMorgan 6y ago
    Yearn for something better
    - omosubi 6y ago
      Lol join the club
monoideism 6y ago
> Then I realized that I actually enjoy working and I don't see myself sitting on my ass doing nothing. What happens when you're diagnosed with a serious, career-ending chronic disease? Financial independence has nothing to do with having a relaxing retirement at a young age. I wish I had realized this younger, for multiple reasons.

ptmcc 6y ago

Why do so many people view "retirement" as sitting on your ass doing nothing? It is a weird cultural stereotype, perhaps perpetuated to glorify work culture. This is probably why the term "financial independence" was coined, to break away from this misconception. Retirement/financial independence is not needing the paycheck anymore. It's owning all of your time to use how you want. There are plenty of "retired" people that don't sit around on their ass all day. They've retired from the full time rat race but are very much active, doing what they want to do. It might even still sometimes look like "work", but it is on their terms.

mfalcon 6y ago
Yes, "sitting on your ass" was not the best way to describe what I wanted to say. I don't want to use all my time to do only what I want, I also want to make something valuable for other people.
- kyawzazaw 6y ago
  "FIRE" people do something valuable too, totally up to their choice. I think a good example would be like ashton kutcher creating thorn.
  - mfalcon 6y ago
    Sure but what's the path that ends with FIRE? If you're lucky you can maybe work on things you like, earn a good amount of money and then have enough to be financially independent. But if you have to slog at boring jobs for a lot of years in order to accumulate that big pile of money allowing you to become FI you'll have to consider if it's worth it. Maybe after being FI you'll keep working but you'll have the privilege to choose only jobs or projects aligned with your needs and desires. If that's the case: is it worth it the years and years working at boring jobs? do you really need to be FI if you'll keep working after? I'm not against having money on the bank, my approach is having enough to live several years without income, allowing me to reject things I really don't want. But I don't want to spend years just trying projects with no results, I want to do things valuable for other people and getting money in exchange is the way to be sure you're actually doing it.
    - kyawzazaw 6y ago
      > But if you have to slog at boring jobs for a lot of years in order to accumulate that big pile of money allowing you to become FI you'll have to consider if it's worth it. It's not mutually exclusive. > my approach is having enough to live several years without income, allowing me to reject things I really don't want. This is what "FI" part means. the financial independence.
      - mfalcon 6y ago
        Yes, it's not mutually exclusive, that's the point. If you enjoy your day to day life and you are able to accumulate enough to be FI amazing, but I don't think it's worth it to spend several years at dreadful places in order to be FI in the future. I understand financial independence as "having enough to retire without needing any more income", so the amount of money is not the same.
- bluesilver07 6y ago
  Why can't doing what you want also be valuable to other people? There are plenty of people who given financial freedom would want to start a business and even work harder on it than they did at their 9-5 job.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

JackMorgan 6y ago

I realized in my twenties I hold my life too valuable to waste it sitting on my ass in an office doing bullshit work.

omosubi 6y ago
What do you do now?
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- JackMorgan 6y ago
  Yearn for something better
  - omosubi 6y ago
    Lol join the club

monoideism 6y ago

> Then I realized that I actually enjoy working and I don't see myself sitting on my ass doing nothing. What happens when you're diagnosed with a serious, career-ending chronic disease? Financial independence has nothing to do with having a relaxing retirement at a young age. I wish I had realized this younger, for multiple reasons.