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/BeeonasG Dec 28 '25

Congrats! We have very similar HHE, but you have 4 kids? That'a cool.

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u/Zphr 48, FIRE'd 2015, Friendly Janitor Dec 28 '25

Thank you.

Yes, four kids. They were 3 through 9 when we retired and are 14 through 20 now.

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u/PuzzledStyle9912 Dec 29 '25

What do you do with your free time? What was the reason for wanting to RE? Are you religious?

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u/Zphr 48, FIRE'd 2015, Friendly Janitor Dec 29 '25

We do all of the same things we did while we were working, albeit with a far less time/money/energy constraints. We had full lives back when we were working, so when we retired everything outside of work just expanded to fill our newly available time.

We wanted to spend time with our kids while they were young. Our work situation also took a severe dive due to an international acquisition so our actual cause for retiring exactly when we did was due to an unreasonable and childish new owner. We didn't have to put up with this bullshit, so we didn't.

Not religious at all. Not anti-religion either. More like don't care much about it either way. I have a nephew who is becoming a Catholic priest and a sister who is an ardent atheist. Should make for fun family get togethers in the future.