Three women, three different scenarios, all with the same conclusion: early retirement and the FIRE movement are not what they seem.
The idea of early retirement It is usually presented as a financial equation: reach a certain net worth, save a good portion of your income, invest in a disciplined manner and leave the job market as soon as possible. However, for some people who managed to retire in their 30s, reality proved to be more complex than the ideal. FIRE movement — the English acronym for “financial independence, early retirement”.
People in this situation have told how life after work can bring freedom and relief, but also deep doubts about purpose, identity and meaning in life. For many, the big question stopped being how much money was needed to stop working and became something else: retire for what?
Josette Chang She abandoned her work in the financial area in 2024, after reaching, with her husband, the amount they defined as sufficient to enter FIRE. It was “a blessing”, mainly because he no longer had a schedule full of obligations or a boss controlling his time. But he acknowledges that he wishes he had thought better about what he would do next.
“At first, sure, Netflix and movies keep us busy for a few weeks,” he said, “but after that, I started asking myself: How do I want to spend my time? What do I really value? What relationships and communities are most important to me?”
The answer to these questions has emerged through trial and error: try activities, abandon those that don’t make sense and progressively adjust your routine to what brings you meaning.
The (different) experience of Gwendolyn Merz led to similar conclusions. After finishing his studies, he had difficulty adapting to business life. He discovered the FIRE movement and immersed himself in an extreme strategy of cost containment and savings. She saved up to 78% of her income and, after five years, accumulated around US$200,000, a financial cushion that gave her the confidence to leave the business world.
In this case, Merz’s goal was never exactly to stop working. Created other sources of incomeincluding freelance writing and podcasting, and decided to try working for himself. Many things failed in this plan.
Some of the money was tied up in retirement accounts, healthcare costs were higher than expected and independent work proved to be more stressful than liberating. After nine months, Merz returned to a traditional job with a fixed contract and salary.
“I realized that working hard and not having fun being my own boss wasn’t worth it,” she told Insider.
Rose Han She also discovered that achieving financial independence didn’t bring her the fulfillment she imagined.
For years, he focused on earning more, spending less, and investing aggressively, paying off nearly $100,000 in student debt and building assets worth more than $1 million, giving him room to quit his Wall Street job.
Rose, who dreamed of living in a van house, was already drowning in boredom after a year in retirement. An excessive emphasis on money, he believes, can take people away from what really matters, such as time with family and building relationships, at a crucial stage in life for building relationships.
