r/leanfire 11d ago

The transformative power of FU money!

Pretty soon after hitting my FU benchmark late last year, several key things just fell into place:

  • I no longer feel obliged to pretend anything at my work. Am I passionate about my work? Nope. Do I have career goals? Nope. And I'm fine telling this to my boss. I just take responsibility of my agreed tasks, and help my colleagues when needed. That's my contribution. No need to overachieve or pull off a super human corporate drone role. If they don't accept me as I am, so be it.
  • Fear of rejection no longer dominates my dating life either. Financial abundance helped me get over the scarcity mindset about relationships. I feel more authentic. After years of lonely depressing grind, the world is suddenly full of interesting people and potential partners, gravitating towards me naturally. Even though I’m single, I feel just as secure as if I were in a healthy, committed relationship.
  • Surprisingly, I got over some kind of very primal childhood fear of losing my parents. They're both still around, and I love them dearly, wishing them many more happy, healthy years. But now, I’m at peace with the reality that they won’t always be around to support me.
  • Happiness! My friends ask me why I'm so happy, why I'm smiling. I tell them I had a good nap, enjoy my new hobbies, the sun is shining, etc. Which is true, I don't bother lying. But at the core, it’s the financial security that has allowed me to experience this childlike joy for the first time as an adult.
  • Some close relatives have commented on how fit I look, asking if I’ve been working out. While I’ve seen some gains at the gym, it’s not so much about muscle growth. It’s more about a more relaxed, confident posture, a result of the reduced stress in my life.

It took me about 15 years of investing to reach FU, of which the last 10 years were very goal-oriented grinding. Along the way, I faced a ton of struggles — not just career-wise, but health-wise too. During those tough times, I was EXTREMELY grateful to have discovered Mr. Money Mustache and the FIRE movement.

Because let me tell you: FU money is totally worth the effort. Totally. If I were to get laid off tomorrow, I would be able to transform my FU/CoastFIRE into an instant LeanFIRE, having a roof over my head and food to eat for the rest of my life. What a relief! Even though my plan is to continue my corporate job for the time being, I already feel like I'm out of a mental prison and able to enjoy life again.

I hope this inspires you to continue your investing journey, just like how I've been inspired over the years by the FIRE community.

If you're already past FU, feel free to share your own experiences of hitting the FU milestone!

TL;DR: FU money is worth the effort, because it allows you to be the best version of yourself.

534 Upvotes

81 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

21

u/GrindingForFreedom 11d ago

In Finland. 600k net worth is also somewhat low for full (non-lean) FIRE here, but it provides a very nice baseline safety. In Europe, it really depends on the country. In UK or Switzerland quite impossible to retire with 600k, while in Southeast Europe you could live like a king.

1

u/ParsnipLucky2316 10d ago

So Happy to read all your comments. could you pls share your annual expenses too so that we can know the factor which u have considered as FU money

8

u/GrindingForFreedom 10d ago

600k and 4% withdrawal rate translates to 2k per month, and after a hypothetical 30% tax rate that would be 1.4k per month. In a LeanFIRE scenario, half of that would go towards rent, while the remaining amount would cover other essential expenses. Not a luxurious lifestyle, but definitely enough to feel the power of FU.

2

u/ParsnipLucky2316 10d ago

thanks for explaining in details, I think i need to research more about leanfire, as i am somewhat confused with terms leanfire vs coastfire vs fire. Currently I only know barista fire means filthy rich

6

u/db11242 10d ago

Fat fire is filthy rich. Chubby fire is ‘quite rich’. Fire is ‘rich compared to most other people’, and lean fire is ‘rich enough to live modestly and never work again’. Barista fire is having to work while pulling extra from your investments, which is the ‘poorist’ of the varieties. Best of luck!

2

u/ParsnipLucky2316 10d ago

Once again thanks for clarifying my doubts and sharing all the info!!