A Simple Life Philosophy for Financial Independence and Happiness

Struggling with financial comparisons? This simple philosophy from the FIRE community will help you stay on track and focus on what truly matters.

Lou LaMedica

Mar 4, 2025

Personal Finance Mindset

A Simple Life Philosophy for Financial Independence and Happiness

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Simple Approach to FIRE: Focus on What Truly Matters

I enjoy reading Reddit, especially posts in the FIRE community. Recently, I came across an excellent response that resonated with me so much that I wanted to share it here. I love clear, simple thinking, and this sums up my life philosophy pretty well.

User u/Unable-Ingenuity-879 posted:

"Lately, all I see are posts from people talking about how much money they have—and it’s so much more than I have.
I’ve worked so hard and spent years saving, yet these young people post about having so much already. It’s hard to read.
I know comparison is the thief of joy, but it still makes me question whether I’m doing okay. How do you decide if you’re on track?"

I think we’ve all felt this way at some point. It was easy for me to empathize with them.

Then, u/Altruistic-Stop4634 shared a response that I found truly wonderful:

Forget the FIRE goals.
Instead, have a system:
Live below your means.
Desire what you have.
Be prepared for emergencies.
Invest well.
Eat well.
Exercise.
Spend time in nature.
That’s the best anyone can do.
If you can achieve FIRE, great. If you can’t, at least you did your best.

I love this response! If I could add one more thing, it would be this: Demonstrate love to the important people in your life.

"Know what’s enough. Build what matters.”

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Lou LaMedica