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> I'd rather enjoy my life in my 20s than save money to do nothing in my 40s. I think this is a lie that people who are bad with money tell themselves, that t

> I'd rather enjoy my life in my 20s than save money to do nothing in my 40s. I think this is a lie that people who are bad with money tell themselves, that the only two options available are to spend without restraint or live miserably frugal.

ge96 5mo ago
Age is a thing, can't do as many of the fun physical things when you're a lot older Aging is a nasty thing ugh, the way your bones get weak and your spine curls and you see old people hunched looking down at the ground when they walk
- wing-_-nuts 5mo ago
  The truth is that there are some things better experienced in younger years. I can't imagine backpacking across Europe is better in your 50's than it would be in your 20's, and if you're doing something with a chance of injury, you bounce back a lot faster the younger you are. But I really think you're underestimating how active even the average 70 year old retiree can be.
  - jimbokun 5mo ago
    That just comes down to luck. Some people at 70 are in great health, some not so much.
    - asdfasvea 5mo ago
      Disagree. Like financial independence, physical fitness in later years is something you can work towards and is well within nearly everyone's reach. Granted, both take focus and long term discipline which people who lack both chalk up to luck.
square_usual 5mo ago
> that the only two options available are to spend without restraint or live miserably frugal When did I say that? I have a 35% savings rate and still am able to spend happily. The point is that you don't need to aim to retire early. Set a target savings rate, spend the rest - enjoy your life instead of trying to maximize savings so you can retire early.
- ThrowawayR2 5mo ago
  There's a hidden assumption there that software industry pay will remain as high as it has and that the economy will be as good as it has in the past. I'm not sure I would be comfortable making that assumption in 2026 given that we seem to be entering an era of global instability and AI driven transformation.
JambalayaJimbo 5mo ago
"Miserable" is subjective obviously. If you're regularly working evenings and weekends at your high paying law firm, I'd characterize that as miserable. If you're living cheaply in some exurban place but can only see your friends or family twice a week, I'd characterize that as miserable. But I can't speak to anyone else's state of mind.
dfxm12 5mo ago
I agree. To add a data point, I used to squirrel all my money away, because I was afraid that if I didn't, there wouldn't be any left at retirement. It's like I was inadvertently following FIRE principals. It wasn't until I created a simple monthly budget that I realized that I can pay myself first, pay my bills and I still have plenty money left over to enjoy today and 10, 20, etc. years down the line.

ge96 5mo ago

Age is a thing, can't do as many of the fun physical things when you're a lot older Aging is a nasty thing ugh, the way your bones get weak and your spine curls and you see old people hunched looking down at the ground when they walk

wing-_-nuts 5mo ago
The truth is that there are some things better experienced in younger years. I can't imagine backpacking across Europe is better in your 50's than it would be in your 20's, and if you're doing something with a chance of injury, you bounce back a lot faster the younger you are. But I really think you're underestimating how active even the average 70 year old retiree can be.
- jimbokun 5mo ago
  That just comes down to luck. Some people at 70 are in great health, some not so much.
  - asdfasvea 5mo ago
    Disagree. Like financial independence, physical fitness in later years is something you can work towards and is well within nearly everyone's reach. Granted, both take focus and long term discipline which people who lack both chalk up to luck.

square_usual 5mo ago

> that the only two options available are to spend without restraint or live miserably frugal When did I say that? I have a 35% savings rate and still am able to spend happily. The point is that you don't need to aim to retire early. Set a target savings rate, spend the rest - enjoy your life instead of trying to maximize savings so you can retire early.

ThrowawayR2 5mo ago
There's a hidden assumption there that software industry pay will remain as high as it has and that the economy will be as good as it has in the past. I'm not sure I would be comfortable making that assumption in 2026 given that we seem to be entering an era of global instability and AI driven transformation.

JambalayaJimbo 5mo ago

"Miserable" is subjective obviously. If you're regularly working evenings and weekends at your high paying law firm, I'd characterize that as miserable. If you're living cheaply in some exurban place but can only see your friends or family twice a week, I'd characterize that as miserable. But I can't speak to anyone else's state of mind.

dfxm12 5mo ago

I agree. To add a data point, I used to squirrel all my money away, because I was afraid that if I didn't, there wouldn't be any left at retirement. It's like I was inadvertently following FIRE principals. It wasn't until I created a simple monthly budget that I realized that I can pay myself first, pay my bills and I still have plenty money left over to enjoy today and 10, 20, etc. years down the line.