That Ain’t Right 

In November 2021, I attended a local FIRE community event (The Event). By that point, I’d long since planned for the last work day of 2021 to be my last day of full-time work. My excitement about FIREing then was nearing a fever pitch.

Only a precious few people outside of The Family knew of my plan and target date. In an ideal world, I’d have shared all of this information freely with anyone and everyone. However, as I’ve explained previously, I didn’t.

But given that The Event’s roughly 50 attendees were all FIRE community people—many of whom already had FIREd—this was a crowd I could be totally open with. And I was. 

Again and Again

The reactions I got were uniformly the same. I’d say I was surprised by them. But “surprised” isn’t the right word. Rather, I was delighted. And amused. 

Here’s a sample conversation I had at The Event:

Them (with a nondescript countenance): So, are you retired?

Me (with a mild, but likely detectable glint in my eyes): Actually, I’m retiring at the end of the year.

Them (now with a mild but genuine smile on their face, and raised eyebrows, but otherwise a relatively nondescript countenance) replying relatively matter-of-factly: That’s awesome.

Now, back to me being delighted and amused. I was delighted because all these people were happy and excited for me. Not paying lip service. Not secretly jealous. Genuinely happy and excited. 

And, I was amused not just because each person I had this conversation with had exactly the same response. Rather because they totally understood what I was saying and what I was embarking upon. 

They weren’t puzzled. They weren’t concerned for me. And, as indicated by the facial expression information included above, they took what I’d said in stride. No differently than if I’d instead merely said that I was going on a weekend camping trip. Great news, but totally normal. Nothing outside the ordinary. 

Each time this conversation ensued, I said to myself, “what an alternate universe I find myself in!”

Were I having this conversation with any other crowd, I’m sure these would have been typical reactions:

He must’ve gotten let go from his job and is using this “thing” he’s calling FIRE (and what the heck is that?) as a cover story.

He’s just taking some time off. Probably to deal with some heavy stuff going down in his life.

He’s crazy!

I can’t tell you how much of a kick I got out of my experience at The Event. I still chuckle at it, all these years later. 

Since then, I’ve told more people I’ve FIREd. The vast majority within the FIRE community. Those who’ve already FIREd invariably react as those at The Event. Those working towards FIREing probably are a bit (and understandably) envious. But they almost invariably reply similarly to those who’ve already FIREd. 

This is one of the reasons I love the FIRE community. The crowd totally gets this. And considers it both totally normal, and the natural conclusion of certain steps. No explaining necessary. No completely blank stares. Just genuine excitement. It’s wonderful. And downright refreshing.

You can go your own way

This got me to thinking of many of the other things that lotsa us in the FIRE community do as a matter of course that we all consider perfectly normal and logical but that others rarely even contemplate, let alone do are completely flummoxed by. Here are a few.

1. Being way more chill than your av-er-age bear about a layoff or resigning one job without another already lined up. Heck, some of us actually want to be laid off or even fired. Many can well afford a period without job income. Many others at least know how to mitigate the financial impact and stress they might otherwise experience. 
2. Buying big-ticket items like cars or homes in cash. For most people, the idea of doing so (assuming a car trade-in/home sale doesn’t cover all or most of the new purchase expense) is unfathomable. It sure used to be for me. After all, car loans and mortgages are obligatory. Right?!
3. Living with roommates far longer than most others do, or engaging in more unconventional house hacking, such as perpetual house sitting, geoarbitraging, or just living in far less “home” than one might be able to afford. The idea of drastically driving down one of the biggest line items in one’s budget so that the saved dollars can go elsewhere (including to things one might value more) I suspect isn’t something most people even deign to entertain. 
4. Renting one’s home instead of buying. The same things I included in 3., above, apply here. But one might also prefer renting for the attending flexibility, without also introducing some of the variability and uncertainty that some other house hacks bring. The American Dream is to own a house, so renting (when owning is an option) is looked upon with a jaundiced eye by many.
5. Not driving, or maybe not even owning a car. ‘Merica has, if nothing else, a car culture. Not just that, but oodles of people firmly believe that a big vehicle is better than a small one. Maybe, too, that the bigger the better. Many of us in the FIRE community, including your humble blogger, reject this thinking wholesale. Yes, The Family has (and always has had) a car. But always just one. We use it far less often than we might. I bike and walk most places I need to get to. The Missus also often bikes instead of driving. We all take public transportation on the regular. 
6. In the United States, optimizing one’s income to maximize Obamacare health care exchange premium tax credits. This might take real effort to “generate” taxable income, such as by way of making or increasing Roth conversions. Or to lower taxable income, often by increasing contributions to traditional retirement accounts. I know first-hand that those outside of the community find this bananas. But those in the community? They not only get it, but often get great amusement from hearing the stories. 

None of this is meant to make me seem holier-than-thou. And I’m not intending to sound sanctimonious. Rather, we’re making intentional, thoughtful decisions, not caring as much (or at all) that they’re unconventional. 

And in the end . . . 

I sometimes think whether we all in the community are considered crazy by others. Meh. I personally think we’re perfectly rational. But if not, I’m happy to be riding the crazy train.