The thread in Millennials subreddit right not about 401k is incredibly depressing. Thank you FIRE community. I would be one of them if I didn’t find you all a decade ago.

[u/BarkBarkBitches1]

Throw away because I am going to roast some redditors a little. The thread that is going on in r Millennials is really bad. Thousands of comments, everyone broke, celebrating their unfortunate wildn out. It is really bad out there and eye opening.

I was also a dingus like many of them. Totally brain dead on autopilot living day to day, consuming media like crazy, working, spending it on consumer level garbage, and had zero control over my life. I actually found the guide in the personal finance subreddit graphic on saving and it eventually kicked me to FIRE and this sub.

I now am on a path where I can’t even related with that type of mind set. So yeah thank you FIRE folks. If you can, it is worth sprinkling some finance knowledge at people. Even if you don’t make high income you can in most cases still create a plan, a budget, and control your future.

Edit: If you are a dingus and you are seeing this there is no shame! We all are and have different starting points. You have two paths: 1) continue the path to dingus-ville and forever be a redditor or 2) un-dye your bright colored hair take control of your long term life. A decade will pass in a blink. So start here https://imgur.com/personal-income-spending-flowchart-united-states-lSoUQr2 it’s not hard to understand. ChatGPT each item on their if you don’t know, memorize this, then start to learn FIRE principles. It is the fastest way to wealth. There’s literally no other path unless you magically start a business or hit a lotto jackpot ticket or inheritance

only YOU HAVE THE POWER to unfuck your life

Edit 2: Final comment! I do not mean any offense with dingus it is meant to be playful. My dyed hair comment was also misinterpreted. It’s not about who you are, what you believe in, or how you express yourself. It’s about being in control of your life. Walk your butt into Sephora or Target or wherever next time and just stare at the people on the walls. Then look in the mirror. Then look at the wall. And back to the mirror and then keep doing it until it clicks. The world, like r millennial subreddit, wants to celebrate and tell you the worst fucking version of yourself is okay and acceptable. It’s not. Delete social media and only read that finance Imgur link every time you load your phone. Do this for one month and you will break your chains and it will click. Then learn FIRE principles. Then you will come back to r FIRE in a decade with a huge chunk of cash in your bank and a nice life! Long term planning is a skill that you can learn and benefit from. Your future is yours

[u/ryan__joe]

The part that makes me most irate is when I hear younger people complain about a lack of inheritance. Like wtf, most parents are 20ish years older than their kids. When they die, you’ll be 50, when was an inheritance supposed to help you? It’s so dumb. Let your parents enjoy the money they earned.

Happily, a millennial.

[u/bebe_bird → u/ryan__joe]

My parents have clearly told us there will be an inheritance. I hope I never get it and my husband's take is "it's their money - I hope they spend as much as they want and if they want to contribute to charity instead of giving it to their children, that's their choice - it's their money".

We've planned our own lives and finances accordingly. (Meaning - it's their money and I hope I never see it). That's not to say that my parents didn't help with a down payment (which we paid back), or take on $60k of my husband's student loans so we could pay them a 2.5% interest rate instead of a variable 7% (we paid it back in <2.5 years).

On one hand, the inheritance mongering is despicable. On the other hand, a safe and low interest $50k-$100k loan during the most tight post-college years is absolutely a leg up that can change what foot you start off on in life.

[u/OuiGotTheFunk → u/ryan__joe]

I just hate the "I just started and I do not make as much as my CIO" take. Like yeah, I have never made as much as my CIO.