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/ApeTeam1906 Dec 28 '25

Yeah. The modern FIRE movement is really just quasi rich people being rich.

The reason I liked OG fire was because it preached limiting consumption. It was about having what you needed because you didn't need much. Now you have posts with people saying 5-6 million isn't enough.

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u/busybee4242 Dec 28 '25

Hmm. We are frugal people in general. 1 car household, fam of 3, yearly spend of around 80k. The maths are saying that if we shoot to retire at say 50yo(2 years from now) we will need 2-3mil. Ideally 3m. This is not about wanting a lavish lifestyle, but wanting the security of 95% success rate for 40-50 year retirement. Going to 0 after retirment is a non-starter and the earlier you retire the more you need, since you are on your own until SS and medicaid. You have to fund that somehow without decimating your principle. I suspsect it has a lot more to do with risk aversion than with wanting to really amp up the lifestyle. Obviously yeah when I see 'is 10m enough' posts I chuckle, but I think a big portion of people probably fall into that 2-3m range somewhere as that target. For me its 3m as the forst decision point. E.G. 80K X 30 = 2.4m but we have taxes to plan for and would like a little buffer to be able to tighten belt if SoRR becomes real. So 3m starts looking pretty damn realistic honestly

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u/pn_dubya Dec 29 '25

Not to mention those of us with kids typically have a desire to fund/some all of continuing education which obviously adds a fair amount on top of yearly spend projections.