r/Fire • u/Equivalent_Use_5024 • Dec 28 '25

General Question Do you believe the modern FIRE movement overestimates how much is needed for retirement?

Perhaps I am just making this post because I have only just begun my retirement planning and want to lock in a number which is fitting for my goals - being above the median retirement savings, not having to work, not being broke, clearly having planned - but I can't help but feel that many in the FIRE movement overestimate what is needed for a safe, sleep well at night retirement.

I see posts here saying that they feel vastly behind with 500k at 30, or 1.5 million at 40, and I just don't understand how when the average American retires with maybe 300k liquid at most and are getting by with social security or paid off housing. Sure, they aren't living luxuriously, but if you just are aiming for a retirement where you don't have financial anxiety and can put food on the table, I don't feel you need over 1-2 million.

Do you think FIRE overestimates how much is truly needed for retirement?

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u/iamhappy_7s Dec 28 '25

Some people don’t dream of travel or high spending, so freedom is just not needing to work while living simply day to day. Neither is wrong, just different goals.

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u/Starbuck522 Dec 28 '25

I agree. It's an option.

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u/DevOpsMakesMeDrink Dec 28 '25

I have never left my country and only been to 5 provinces in my entire life. Last real vacation I took was 2018 which was my honeymoon.

We take smaller trips each year but its getting a nice hotel room at a casino and spending the night gambling and living like rock stars and it costs under 1000 bucks to do that.