afterFI/RE Life after FI/RE
Common Questions · Money & enough

Life after financial independence

Why is it hard to spend money after reaching FI?

Some people find that years of saving do not immediately translate into comfort with withdrawals or discretionary purchases.

Withdrawals can still feel painful

Nelson enjoyed flexible days, cooking, golf and lunch dates, but still found drawing money out difficult and sometimes worried about finances.

“It hurts every time”

Nelson Smith Mar 2024 Read original by Nelson Smith (opens in a new tab)

Practice spending on things you actually enjoy

She deliberately aimed to spend more on food experiences while building a new life around language school in Japan.

“I'm trying to flex my spending muscle”

u/jellybean83087 May 2024 · Year 2 Read original by u/jellybean83087 (opens in a new tab)

A comfortable spending mindset can lag

She enjoyed RV travel and family occasions, but needed over a year to become comfortable spending savings.

“switch my brain from saving mode to being able to spend.”

ESI Millionaire 424 Jul 2024 Interview snapshot · published 2024-11 Read original by ESI Millionaire 424 (opens in a new tab)

Different experiences, drawn from the people in our collection. Summaries are ours; quotations are theirs.

Explore all 38 questions

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