The idea of early retirement is compelling to many of us.
And as Reddit boards and social media took off, so did the FIRE community.
(you’ve got the option to read more about thedifferent formulas here.)
The bottom line is that you’re no longer tethered to the demands of an employer.
You’ve earned the freedom to call the shots and live and earn how you choose.
Recently, FIRE was showcased in the new Netflix documentaryGet Smart with Money.
The FIRE movement has an exciting promise, I’ll admit.
But I wonder if this idolized money model can feel impossible to achieve and leave many feeling defeatist.
I’m not saying you must abandon this goal or ditch the movement.
There’s nothing wrong with working through your finances and achieving independence gradually.
The FIRE movement is no exception.
When you experience FOMO, focus on thefeelingyou want to experience, rather than thethingyou want to possess.
This gets to the root of what you’re aspiring to achieve and makes the solution personal to you.
For budgeting inspiration, there’sInspired BudgetandYou Need a Budget.
For investing help, I find experts likeAmanda HoldenandDelyanne the Money Coachto be approachable and fun.
“Financial FOMO is essentially embodying this perfectionist expectation around how your finances should be,” she said.
The danger is how those expectations can affect your well-being, causing shame and creating material roadblocks.
She recommends a kinder approach to addressing our finances, which focuses on progress, not perfection.
In the Netflix documentary,Mr.
He recommended that they DIY their home remodel projects and invest more aggressively.
We all want to feel happy, secure and in control.
But how we ultimately achieve these feelingsshouldbe different.
Because last I checked, no two people were the same.
