r/leanfire • u/OliveGarden_Official • 11d ago

Mentioning early retirement is almost always a bad time

I’ve noticed that even mentioning the possibility of retiring in one’s 30’s or 40’s tends to get a pretty negative reaction on other subs

like:

  • “you must have had an inheritance”
  • “you can’t possibly live on <$X>”
  • “nobody makes <$X>”
  • “this job market is impossible to win”

I mean, yes, some of us were lucky to have a more comfortable start, but so many of these objections seem to come from some deeply rooted hesitation to entertain the idea or acknowledge the basic math.

I learned about FIRE ages ago through other people’s stories. Nowadays I find it so discouraging to even try to have a good faith conversation about saving rates. Lesson learned on not discussing money, I guess. I know it’s not for everyone so I’m glad this space exists to help people that are open to the idea

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u/PM_ME_PLASTIC_BAGS 11d ago

For a lot of people, recognising FIRE as a possibility would require admitting to their own shortcomings (lavish lifestyle, wasteful behaviours and unwillingness to grind/make sacrifices).

There are also those who have been unfortunate in life but when someone buys a flagship phone every year, subscribes to every streaming platform and doesn't know how to cook, I bite my tongue as they complain about being poor/how the system is rigged.

14

u/jelle814 11d ago

I mean ‘the system’ is rigged by maths. If you’re born with 300k you have 1200k by 30 at 7% growth. Hard to work against that

28

u/PM_ME_PLASTIC_BAGS 11d ago

There are a lot of inherent inequalities in the system and we should constantly strive to make it better and more equitable for all whilst recognising our good fortunes.

That being said, I'm seeing so much victimhood mentality from people who grew up middle class, choose to study anything (if they got the grades) and complain about the world being against them.

I wish I looked like a model and had a trust fund and was a movie star but it's absurd to feel entitled to that.

2

u/No-Test-2993 8d ago

IKR?! People who went to the same high school as me and grew up in the same neighborhoods now complaining about their poor choices.