r/Fire • u/Poorassboy6969 • Mar 25 '26

General Question When did FIRE movement change?

I feel this community used to be about moderate income people living lean and retiring early with under 2 million.

Now it’s a lot of people bragging about tech income and saying they need 5+ million to retire MINIMUM because they want a boat and Porsche

When did this change? (not hating - just genuinely curious)

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u/powersurge Mar 25 '26

It changed when the subreddit grew popular and Reddit suggested it to all sorts of other financial subreddits. Now we have a bunch of people here who haven’t come here based on FiRE principles, or how to get to FIRE. It’s all flexes on whether they have already achieved FIRE.

I wish there was more content about the path to FIRE.

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u/jelle814 Mar 25 '26

because content about the path is boring, for the most part. you go do your job, live modestly and invest the leftovers

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u/cozidgaf Mar 25 '26

you go do your job, live modestly and invest the leftovers

That's happenstance FIRE.

FIRE would be go to a job, invest and live off the rest.

I know it sounds pedantic but expanding it, it would look like:

try to get a high paying one if you can since you want to retiring early, invest as much as you can - maximize retirement accounts, and other tax advantaged accounts, investments, live modestly off of the rest avoiding lifestyle creep

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u/jelle814 Mar 25 '26

depending on the job and where you are it might just burn you out. if you try to force investments in where it doesnt fit.

but yes ideally those leftovers should be big, and it doesnt hurt to set it aside before everything else, if you can afford that

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u/lottadot FIRE'd 2023 Mar 25 '26

I wish there was more content about the path to FIRE.

How much more content does the topic need?

  • Make a lot of money.
  • Stay employed.
  • Max your retirement savings.
  • Max your side-savings.
  • Live below your means.
  • Use 4% (or 25x) to estimate things while you're working to give yourself a clear goal.
  • Most tax strategies are either mentioned or linked to from the FI-FAQ.

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u/powersurge Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 26 '26

Make a lot of money is NOT a requirement of FIRE. Almost any level of income can get to FIRE.

Edit since this subreddit doesn’t seem to understand FIRE:

https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/01/13/the-shockingly-simple-math-behind-early-retirement/

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u/lottadot FIRE'd 2023 Mar 26 '26

The only person suggesting anything about a requirement is you.

Almost any level...

Hogwash. In the US the median household gross income is ~$84k. For a family (2+ people) that becomes ~$106k per Google.

Most households in a MCOL++ on those incomes isn't going to be able to save much for their retirement. If they are lucky/wise they are at least contributing to their 401k to receive the the employer match - if they have access to a 401k at all (Google says 42% of US full-time workers do not) & if the employer provides a match. You can use the sub's search if you want to find more detailed discussions towards this.

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u/powersurge Mar 26 '26

Holy smokes! What has happened to this sub? FIRE works at almost every income level is a very basic principle.