#78: When Is Enough... Enough?

My Journey After LeanFIRE and Living in the Moment

Author

Millennial Money Veteran
January 27, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

I shared this on social media because it’s a reminder for myself to live in the present:

It’s an incredibly sad situation that is really relatable in the FIRE community. It shouldn’t take a tragedy to learn this lesson.

I remember the feeling that hit me when I started to make the shift towards living in the present:

I had just got laid off from my job. I didn’t post about it online right away. I didn’t celebrate it either. Instead, I spend weeks in quiet reflection, feeling something I hadn’t felt in years.

That feeling was relief.

At that point, I had already reached LeanFIRE and for so long, I was on autopilot—working in consulting, saving aggressively, cutting expenses, investing my hard-earned income, and optimizing nearly every aspect of my financial life.

I had convinced my younger self that the faster I could get to “the finish line,” the better my life would be. That finish line was to retire with more than I needed so that money would never become a source of stress. I needed maybe 3 more years to reach that finish line but that feeling of relief was overpowering enough that I didn’t feel the need to rush anymore.

For most people, being laid off would be devastating because it threatens their survivability. But getting laid off after reaching LeanFIRE—having enough saved and invested to cover my basic needs without having to work a traditional job—was maybe what I needed. The effect of being laid off allowed me to experience a mini-retirement and time to reflect to ask myself: What am I really chasing?

Money Bulletin (News Highlights of the Week)

Determining “Enough”

Here’s what I learned when I hit LeanFIRE: Enough isn’t a number. It’s a mindset.

When I reached that milestone, I realized I was on track to be comfortably wealthy in the future, but more importantly, I didn’t need to put myself in a situation to suffer anymore. I had built a foundation strong enough to let me take it easy.

When I step back and think about the different tiers of wealth, I was on track to be comfortably wealthy. That means living comfortably with certain luxuries like dining out occasionally, taking yearly family vacations, and shopping at most stores without worrying about the price tag. Heck, I do this now and I love it!

However, getting to the next tier of wealth, where flying first class is the norm and having the choice of which luxury car you’ll drive on a certain day, would require F-U money, which would require more years of grinding.

The luxuries that come with that next tier of wealth are not attractive enough to grind for. Instead, I started living in the present.

🌟 Take Control of Your Money with Empower! 🌟

Struggling to keep track of your finances? Feeling overwhelmed by budgeting, investing, or saving for the future? Empower (formerly Personal Capital) can help you master your money—effortlessly.

Here’s Why You Need Empower:

✅ All Your Accounts, One Dashboard: Connect all your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and investments in one place.

✅ Personalized Budgeting: Stay on top of your spending and save more with the budgeting feature.

✅ Retirement Planner: Build, manage and forecast your retirement in one convenient place with your Retirement Planner.

Living in the Present

It can be hard to make the shift to living in the present. After years in “accumulation mode,” it felt almost wasteful to spend money I’d worked so hard to save. Knowing that money could grow over time made it even harder.

But reaching LeanFIRE—or the job-optional phase—became the milestone that finally allowed me to slow down and start living in the moment.

Finding Your “Enough”

I want to ask you something: How much is enough for you?

Not what society says. Not what a financial calculator spits out. But what would genuinely allow you to feel free, content, and present in your life?

For some, “enough” might be LeanFIRE, where you cover the basics and take a step back from the grind. For others, it might mean pursuing traditional FIRE or FatFIRE to ensure every possible want is met. And for some, it’s simply knowing they can take a deep breath without financial anxiety looming over them.

Your “enough” doesn’t have to look like mine, and it’s okay if it evolves over time. But I encourage you to define it for yourself because once you know what you’re working toward, you can stop chasing endlessly and start living intentionally. The sooner you figure it out, the sooner you can enjoy it more.

Online Banking, Rent Collection, Accounting, & More in One Place

Simplify your real estate management with Baselane—the all-in-one platform for banking, rent collection, bookkeeping, and tenant management. I’ve been using Baselane, and I only wish I’d switched sooner! It’s made managing my real estate finances easier than ever—and the best part? It’s completely free.

Final Words

Reaching LeanFIRE didn’t just change my finances—it changed my life. I’m no longer rushing to the next milestone. I’m enjoying the present while knowing that my future is secure.

If you’re stuck in the grind, take a moment to reflect—you might be closer to “enough” than you think.

My HIGHLY Recommended Apps/Services

Most Requested Resources