Recently, I left the depths – living like a fallen gambler and a party animal – I want to reflect on it. Maybe no one is surprised, I don’t think there is a great deal of fun for your financial future. This may not be good for your health either.
In the bubble of our personal finance world, we wake up at 5:30 AM when we go to bed at 11:30 PM, exercise a few hours before work or parenting, always pay for open to realize many People don’t live this way, and even with their children, they actually get together often!
Our Sacrifices to Realize Financial Independence
As a fire advocate since 2009, one of the common questions I get is what sacrifices I made to get rid of the 34-year-old company grinding and whether it is worth it. My answer is: I worked for 13 years in my work week over 60, skipping most barhopping and clumbing and being under enough stress to produce chronic back pain and other physical ailments.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. The hard work and stress I know after graduating from college. In high school, I flipped burgers at McDonald’s, working for a temporary minimum wage. So when I have the chance to get more pain, I make the most of it until it gets burned. Thankfully, the chronic pain also disappeared.
Now, after 13 years of semi-retirement, the sacrifice is even more worthwhile. Looking back, I will push myself harder. Don’t always stay open to opportunities for making money and growing. You will grow old. You will be tired. Luck is not always around you.
The sacrifice you made today is worth it in the future. Too bad, until they were too old, many people realized this fact.
Party like a 27-year-old depraved
But I have to admit – sometimes I wonder what it would be like to party together like some of my classmates and colleagues throughout my 20s. So, to make a clear picture, I decided to do this on the last weekend.
On Friday, January 31, 2025, I had lunch in the downtown area with a friend who had played in the NBA. He spoke at my friend’s company, so since he flew in, we have all decided to get together. After lunch, I rushed home and drove to the indoor club to play tennis because it was raining because it was raining. Then I went to school to pick up the kids.
After dinner, I stuffed my kids to sleep at 9pm and I went to my softball friend’s place to play in Texas. He is 27 years old, has a group of friends from the late 20s and mid-30s, and I am a 47-year-old.
We played poker, Red Bull and vodka, had homemade chocolate cookies, talked about the story, and exploded until 2:45 AM! This is a group of people from all financial backgrounds.
It’s one of our hands, with three players working with Ace (H)/Jack (C), Pocket 2s and Ace King to go all out. The guy with pocket Deuces went all out first, then the guy with Ace Jack and Ace Jack went all out, and finally the guy with Ace King fit.
Go to the concert the next night
I climbed into bed at 3:30 am, woke up inexplicably, and woke up at 7 am. Destroyed. But the day didn’t stop. I took my daughter to ballet, went to paint with my son, painted the interior of our old house, and then took my family to my son’s classmate day party.
At 4:40 pm, I left the USTA tennis game at 5 pm and I lost in a cruel three-set tiebreak. Then, I didn’t miss any rhythm, I rushed home to take a shower at 7:45 pm, get dressed, and go out again at 8:30 pm, this time with my wife to the Sultan + Shepard EDM concert. Tickets are priced at $165 per ticket, and Bacardi and Cokes are cool $18 per ticket! YOLO baby!
We danced and cheered until 1 a.m. and went to bed at 2 a.m. For the first time in more than ten years, I slept until 9 a.m. for seven hours in a row! This is glorious.
Not very productive the next day
Usually, I write my Sunday newsletter sometime on Friday night or Saturday. But this time, I told myself that I would do it on Sunday morning because I felt lazy. The problem is, I didn’t expect it to be so late. I ended up publishing at 11:30 am, seven hours later than usual. oops!
If I had a boss, they would be very angry. If I charge a fee for the newsletter, the subscriber may request a refund. Fortunately, I didn’t answer anyone and everything I wrote was free. Ah, the glory of doing your own things and being your own boss!
Which reminds me of – how do people work hard to get together and still get the job done? Until the early mornings of my 20s and 30s, I was never productive when I was gambling and partying, let alone in my 40s. My lack of productivity will then hit my savings and investments. Ultimately, for more parties, I will have to spend many years realizing financial freedom. This doesn’t seem worth it at all!
Considering the rainy day, my family and I had lunch for the rest of Sunday, did more paintings in our old house, and examined the research and interior design inspiration for open houses.
Now I think about it, one of the reasons I feel confident on a weekend is because after I put my kids out of school, I can rest and recover on Mondays. If you have kids in school and don’t have a day job, the party time is on weekday night!
Don’t get out of the depths until you have enough money
Of course, you should be happy. You don’t want to sacrifice every ounce of fun on your way to financial independence. Enjoy the journey!
But, like everything, Moderate is key.
Not surprisingly, people I know worked hard to participate in their 20s and 30s and were free to fall far behind financially. Some people have family money to return, but most people need decades to work. This is their free choice.
If you want to get together hard, quit smoking quietly or take a long time, at least try to reach the minimum investment threshold amount (MIT) first. Once your investments may generate about 70% of your daily income, you will get a better safety net in case of layoffs or underperforming.
Competition will only become more intense due to globalization and artificial intelligence. The best balance may be moderate gatherings until you arrive at MIT, which is harder to get together afterwards, and then you can choose elbows only once you have enough passive income to pay for all the fees. This is a smarter way.
After the fire is achieved, you won’t change your identity dramatically
Once you reach financial independence, you may realize that excessive gatherings will never be as fun as they seem. You might think you will end up having time to do all the wild adventures you postpone, but in reality, you might continue to live like you used to, and it’s just a lot happier and easier.
It might be a good time to do a bending quarterly or even monthly, but it would be a good time to do it every week? That got old. See 10 countries in Europe in a three-month period? This also starts to get older because once you see a Gothic church, you already see all the churches.
Interestingly, we often chase things we don’t have, and are taken for granted only once they are within reach. If you retire in a big city, you may actually feel overwhelmed rather than bored – you’re too much Can Doing so, the paradox of choice can be exhausted.
For me, a wild weekend every few months is enough. These days, I would rather enjoy a great meal, watch a engaging show, or get lost in a good book at home.
Wow, I do sound like an old fart now. So…where is the next party?
Did you work hard to party in your 20s and 30s? If so, will it affect your work productivity and personal finance? Are you still partying like degenerate? If so, how do you keep your energy and joy in order to keep the good times rolling without burning?
Pick it up Millionaire milestone
If you want to be able to party like the fall without worrying about your financial future, grab a copy of my new book, Millionaire Milestone: Simple Steps to Seven Numbers. With over 30 years of experience working, studying and writing finance, I have distilled everything I know into this practical guide to help you achieve financial success.
Millionaire milestone It is a roadmap for building the wealth you want in your life. Order your copy now and take the first step in the financial future you deserve!
Subscribe to Financial Warriors
Listen and subscribe to the Financial Samurai Podcast apple or Spotify. I interviewed experts in my respective fields and discussed the most interesting topics on this website. Thank you for your stocks, ratings and reviews.
To speed up your financial freedom journey, join more than 60,000 people and subscribe Free Financial Samurai Newsletter. Financial Samurai is one of the largest independent personal finance websites established in 2009. Everything is written based on first-hand experience and expertise.
