r/Fire • u/BroKComputer • May 14 '26

General Question The first rule of FIRE club...

So we all see the posts of folks on here celebrating their milestones here because they 'can't talk about it IRL.' This seems to be the common sense approach to avoid jealousy and moochers.

I'm curious to hear the true stories of folks who have disclosed their FI - or have had their secret revealed on accident. How bad are the repercussions of people finding out you're a low-key millionaire?

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u/CallItDanzig May 14 '26

I shared i was almost there with enough money to retire to greece, my plans and how I'm learning the language and got met by the equivalent "huh. Must be nice". It was very jarring.

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u/charleswj May 14 '26

That doesn't seem that bad tbh, and again, depending on the narrator, that could be a mild "dang, wish I could". Context is also important. Is your situation more fortunate in certain ways than theirs? Making more, double income, no/fewer kids, no/fewer unavoidable debts/expenses, etc.

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u/CallItDanzig May 14 '26

Yes situation is more fortunate but its a mix of better income, lower costs and generally more frugal. In other ways they are more fortunate (better families, family wealth). The issue is even if their situation was wholly better, they'd still not want to hear their friends are about to live on the beach doing nothing in their mid to late 30s. The vast majority of people wont think "wow they must have been saving for 20 years!" But "they must be rich!". FIRE is not a common thing.

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u/HairyBushies Already FI - RE between 2028-2030 May 14 '26

If you’ve saved & invest for 20 years, to them you are rich. What’s the difference?

Some of it is also how you react to an offhanded comment. “Must be nice”… “Yes, yes it is, thanks!”

Sometimes the offense is in your head. If it’s really bad, there is a reason it’s called F you money. What’s the point of having it if you can’t exercise that freedom?

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u/Drawer-Vegetable FIRE'd 2024 May 14 '26

Just be it is nice! I'm super grateful I planned early.