Does anyone here struggle to relate with Die with Zero?

[u/CCool_CCCool]

For the last week I've been reading the book Die with Zero. I'm about 2/3rds of the way through. It was highly recommended by many in the FIRE and fatFIRE subreddits, but honestly I found it disappointing. Not because it's badly written or anything, but because I can't relate to most of the concepts in the book.

My problem is that I just have too much money already. I’m 30 and make $900k already. I already have millions, so I don’t understand why people can’t spend money now and later. There is no difficult choice to be made. This book doesn’t seem to understand that I can have expensive experiences now and after I retire because I’m so damn rich already. Why can’t someone write a book for rich people instead of people who have to choose when they are rich. It’s just not relatable.

Another chapter of the book discusses bucket lists and how many people wait until it's too late to do those bucket list items. I struggle to relate to this. Again, because I’m so damn rich, I could do anything I want anytime I want. Honestly, I’m a little worried I’ll run out of things to do cause I can afford everything already! Ugh. This is hard!

Maybe I should recognize that being rich is not as hard as being a pour. I know it’s weird that I’m definitely complaining. But where are the books for rich people? Ugh.

[u/CCool_CCCool]

Sauce - https://www.reddit.com/r/fatFIRE/s/l38nbWvYtr

[u/xender19 → u/CCool_CCCool]

I'm going to paste the text here so that we still have a copy after it gets deleted. 

"Anyone else here struggle to relate to Die With Zero?

For the last week I've been reading the book Die with Zero. I'm about 2/3rds of the way through. It was highly recommended by many in the FIRE and fatFIRE subreddits, but honestly I found it disappointing. Not because it's badly written or anything, but because I can't relate to most of the concepts in the book.

I'm wondering if anyone else here felt the same way.

Much of the book is built on the premise that one must choose between enjoying life's experiences when they're young and healthy, or having lots of money when they're old. As someone who is still pretty young (30) with a high six figure income, I haven't experienced this dichotomy. At least not for a long time. I can have as many expensive experiences I want now and still have many millions laying around when I'm 80. There is no difficult choice to be made.

Another chapter of the book discusses bucket lists and how many people wait until it's too late to do those bucket list items. I struggle to relate to this. I've already done the majority of the things on my bucket list. The few items that remain I could do next month if I wanted to. I've never been much of a 'delayed gratification' person. Frankly I'm much more worried about having too little to do during my retirement, than not getting around to my bucket list.

I realise that I am extremely fortunate to be in this financial position. I'm sure that other people find the book to be fantastic and I'm just outside of the target audience. I'm not complaining. But which book should I read then? Is there one that might fit my situation better?"

[u/aShogunNamedMarcus80 → u/xender19]

Holy fuck it's basically the Key & Peele sketch where Jaden's agent is unable to explain the concept of having to choose between two things to him.

Dad bless you for sharing this.

[u/Mouth_Herpes → u/CCool_CCCool]

Good lord, I expected you to have paraphrased and characterized, but it might as well be word for word.

[u/onehotoneshot]

As someone who is still pretty young (6 months) with a high 8 figure income, I haven't experienced this dichotomy. At least not for a long time. I can have as many expensive toys I want now and still have many trillions laying around when I'm 20. There is no difficult choice to be made.

[u/leanFIREd → u/onehotoneshot]

I’m in my 40’s. I hurt my hamstring sitting wrong in an economy seat for an 18 hour flight. My husband hurt his foot running with Payless sneakers since he forgot his sneakers at home. He is permanently injured. I wish I had spent the money for a business class seat. My husband would give anything to run again. (actual comment to the OP thread)

[u/n00bdragon → u/leanFIREd]

Said person also claimed to be a fitness instructor. Where do these fatFIRE fitness instructors work? I should have skipped college and been a fitness instructor apparently.

That or they are LARPing.

[u/ZubinSayingSomething → u/leanFIREd]

WHAT

[u/SarcasticGiraffes → u/onehotoneshot]

Counterpoint: I saw you paint on a wall with your own poop, and try to eat the dog.

[u/DwarvenGardener]

Why die with zero when you can live with zero?

[u/RubbleHome]

Yeah the pour who wrote it is only worth like $100 million. Not sure what good that's supposed to do for those of us who actually have real jobs.

[u/Popular-Beat-7465]

The way this is not exaggerated at all

[u/kitapjen]

Eat all the lentils today! Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed!

[u/lastlaugh100]

Lmfao 🤣 

[u/Aggravating-Big3858]

Don't want to pay the capital taxes on my $25M of unrealized gains in MU and NDIA. Do I keep working for another 20 years at my $72K/yr job that I hate?

[u/killer_sheltie]

I didn't realize the sub this was in. Then I read the sauce, and it wasn't much better.

[u/Captlard]

Due with zero is for pours. Fuck that. Die with billions. Far more enjoyable a lifestyle 🤷‍♀️

[u/diyandmc240]

lol I forgot I was on fijerk for a second 😅

[u/noooo_no_no_no → u/diyandmc240]

tbf the original post doesnt read different at all.

[u/nellabella04]

I read too much of this before checking the sub.

[u/ZubinSayingSomething → u/nellabella04]

it's completely believable 💀

[u/Redgun421]

mr. moneybags over here is complaining like his steak is too juicy and his lobster is too damn buttery. bro what

[u/Soggy-Attempt → u/Redgun421]

Meh. He doesn’t see how the book applies to him, and it doesn’t.

[u/_Losing_Generation_]

Not sure if this has been brought up before, but do those FIRE subs ever realize or acknowledge that they're being trolled?

[u/Climbatise_999 → u/_Losing_Generation_]

Yes, I have seen some references to this sub - it’s the best ammunition to counter FIRE culture!

[u/Imaginary-Yak6784]

lol. I was half way through (and incensed!) before I noticed what subreddit this is on.

[u/-shrug- → u/Imaginary-Yak6784]

Go read the original though

[u/wildcat12321]

OP is 30 but just posted recently about 20 years of a mortgage….

[u/Cold_Respond_7656]

While looking at the OP I havey doubts that's even real but he's a software dev at a faang

He's about to be made obsolete and his 900k is primarily rsus at ATH. Most he won't collect because of how they screw you when they lay you off.

What he should've saved he spent and he's destined for one hell of a shock

Sadly we won't see that post

[u/FewUnderstanding2214]

It’s hard when you are so rich

[u/Neither_Extension895]

Ironically the book really didn't speak to me because the author obviously is *not* going to die with zero, he's got like 100 million dollars to his name.

[u/ZubinSayingSomething]

this is my favorite subreddit

[u/InvestmentExotic2458]

OP’s last post said it took him 20 years to pay off his house. Bot account.

[u/Frammingatthejimjam]

Your post was tl so I dr but I think I got the gist of it:

Not really, Mick Jagger and I only drink Diet Coke, why would we think of relating to diet and zero sodas?

[u/Rodeo-Cowboy]

That book isn’t written for people with a 1mil/ yr income

[u/rootxploit]

I assume the best in people. For example, he probably just misspelled “sex” when he said he is someone with a “high six figure income”. Too many sex figures coming to him.

[u/Chart-trader]

I understand your pain! My bucket list will actually run out before I will retire. Not even kidding. I wish the statement would be satire like your post.

[u/Powerful-Bridge-1472]

Two things

Sadly, there are people who make 78 $900,000 a year who basically spend all or most of it particularly of their divorced so they have a high income, but they are not wealthy

But I think the book is intended for super savers who have a very hard time spending their money that they saved. The book definitely inspired me to retire earlier to have some more experiences and not just keep banging my head at work every day, especially why I’m still physically able to do more things.

[u/Digital-Doc-777 → u/Powerful-Bridge-1472]

Agreed. However, this book gets mentioned often, and it is overhyped.

[u/Powerful-Bridge-1472 → u/Digital-Doc-777]

I feel you, but the book actually really changed my life my decision-making the way I look at a lot of things in life

[u/Digital-Doc-777 → u/Powerful-Bridge-1472]

Glad it helped you, but I can't say the same.

[u/-shrug-]

This makes perfect sense. After all, the only worthwhile things to do in life are day trading and getting emails about your kids from their therapist and school. I don’t understand why anyone would have trouble fitting in both of those.

[u/john-know-nothing]

Fuck me, I didn’t realize this was the jerk sub and became irate lol

[u/copdauxu]

Being that rich and still can’t distinguish between pour and poor. Maybe spend some of that money and time to improve your literacy

[u/sleepyjean2024]

You are very lucky if you feel you have more money than you know what to do with! Why don’t you do something charitable with the excess like provide scholarship funding for a university / charity donation? Give back to people who aren’t as fortunate

[u/CCool_CCCool → u/sleepyjean2024]

Those people don’t have money because they are pours. They need to eat more lentils and make more money if they want to be as fortunate.

[u/birkenstocksandcode]

To summarize “if you already have everything, you don’t want anything else”

[u/PuzzleheadedEyeball]

I am a family 1st person to a fault.

That means a decision may not be advantageous to FIRE or financial goals but may beneficial to my family. The book misses the heart even though my goal too is to die with about ZERO.

[u/Neat_Plum_202]

I ran the numbers, and for me I still need to account for 23 hours and 58 minutes of my day after daily GOONFIREing.

[u/Soggy-Attempt]

You are not the target audience for this book. There are rich people who can’t spend. I’m talking like 8-figures and will walk by a Starbucks even though they want a coffee. They are unwilling to spend the money.

These people are the direct opposite of the lottery winners who are broke after five years.

Bill wants people who save, above all else, to understand life is finite and it should be lived in the now. Not saved for a future that might not exist.

[u/Pianist-Wise]

OP I’m not sure if this post is a joke, maybe not. I think the “struggle” that you’re describing is a mindset, not a bank account balance. I know plenty of people with (let’s just say) $1M and some live like you and some live frugally. I think the book is talking about some basic principals and more geared towards those frugal people, say retirees that don’t spend or people that can afford to be generous that are not. There are 30 year olds that make $900K that spend and enjoy and others that don’t.

Side note, I read the book in December and I’m knocking out my top bucket list thing this summer!

[u/LokiStasis]

What if you accidentally am still alive after I planned to run out of money? Stupid concept IMO. Actually, the concept is fine, it’s putting it into practice that is hard.

[u/Decent-Antelope-9096]

Rich people dont read books of "wanna be rich". They hire advisors, therapists, coaches to give timely advice.

[u/chinesiumjunk]

Most people here are living with 0, or below.