Playing with FIRE documentary

[FIFoFum]

I second (third, fourth?) that a "typical" FIRE story wouldn't make for a compelling documentary. Nobody wants to hear about how I got a good job, bought a used car, got a good deal on my house, and take cool vacations with the help of credit card churning.

I hear the 5/24 rule animation part rocks!

[mathlete]

I second (third, fourth?) that a "typical" FIRE story wouldn't make for a compelling documentary. Nobody wants to hear about how I got a good job, bought a used car, got a good deal on my house, and take cool vacations with the help of credit card churning.

I hear the 5/24 rule animation part rocks!

I shudder to think of what would happen in this world. If word got out about churning via a popular documentary, I think we'd be looking at a 3/24 rule sooner of later.

[Bloop Bloop]

I second (third, fourth?) that a "typical" FIRE story wouldn't make for a compelling documentary. Nobody wants to hear about how I got a good job, bought a used car, got a good deal on my house, and take cool vacations with the help of credit card churning.

I don't agree.
If there's an audience for the blogs, forums, podcasts, and books, then there's a market for a movie/tv show.
There have already been multiple tv shows about people tackling debt. You could absolutely do a dpocumentary/docuseries about people who reject the level of lifestyle they could afford in favour of financial independence. How they socialize, their life hacks, what their friends and family think, what the hell they do with their time once retired, etc, etc.

Documentaries/docuseries looking into the day to day life of people who live just a bit off the beaten track are often hugely popular.

I just watched a series called "Couples Therapy", it's literally just watching normal people in couples therapy, and it's fucking transfixing.

I guess if your FIRE habits involved something cool like recycled water, solar panels, biking to work and all that jazz, it might be relatable and interesting.

If your FIRE habits mainly involve spreadsheets, tax mitigation, steady investing and credit card churning then it might be harder to market. There's only so many ways to sexy that up.

Then there are some hacks that I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing to a large audience. There's nothing illegal or unethical about them but some financial tips are not for everyone, and are heavily jurisdiction dependent. E.g. how to maximise deductibility of vehicles. How to get banks to give you a lower rate.

I agree that it would be interesting to focus on what people do after they achieve financial independence/early retirement.

[mathlete]

I second (third, fourth?) that a "typical" FIRE story wouldn't make for a compelling documentary. Nobody wants to hear about how I got a good job, bought a used car, got a good deal on my house, and take cool vacations with the help of credit card churning.

I don't agree.
If there's an audience for the blogs, forums, podcasts, and books, then there's a market for a movie/tv show.
There have already been multiple tv shows about people tackling debt. You could absolutely do a dpocumentary/docuseries about people who reject the level of lifestyle they could afford in favour of financial independence. How they socialize, their life hacks, what their friends and family think, what the hell they do with their time once retired, etc, etc.

Documentaries/docuseries looking into the day to day life of people who live just a bit off the beaten track are often hugely popular.

I just watched a series called "Couples Therapy", it's literally just watching normal people in couples therapy, and it's fucking transfixing.

I guess if your FIRE habits involved something cool like recycled water, solar panels, biking to work and all that jazz, it might be relatable and interesting.

If your FIRE habits mainly involve spreadsheets, tax mitigation, steady investing and credit card churning then it might be harder to market. There's only so many ways to sexy that up.

Agreed. This is what I had in mind when I said that few would be interested.

The typical FIRE story is a high income household living like a middle income household. Scott and Taylor could have hit FI pretty quickly just by living like middle 50% Americans. That wouldn't have been compelling though.

[neo von retorch]

Things that are frugal and sexy:

• Cooking delicious meals
• Building deck chairs
• Hosting parties (e.g. board games)
• Visiting the park

They touch on this in the documentary in some places... take the kid to the park, batch cook breakfast, enjoy the company of your friends somewhere other than a restaurant (i.e. beach, etc.), play Ticket To Ride (!)

To reword this, take the misconceptions people have and turn them upside down. Investing is a few steps at first, and a lot less later. Almost as easy as creating a Facebook account, link up your bank account and then you just click here and type in a number, and you're buying mutual funds, which you can promptly forget about for the next ten years. Changing your oil... it can be hard and messy, but the documentary can just show you rolling under your car, twisting an oil filter wrench and letting the oil drain. Maybe you need "normal" people who don't know how to do these things, and you show them learning and see how they react after they've accomplished something they thought was a black box they could never learn.

[Travis]

Things that are frugal and sexy:

• Cooking delicious meals
• Building deck chairs
• Hosting parties (e.g. board games)
• Visiting the park

They touch on this in the documentary in some places... take the kid to the park, batch cook breakfast, enjoy the company of your friends somewhere other than a restaurant (i.e. beach, etc.), play Ticket To Ride (!)

To reword this, take the misconceptions people have and turn them upside down. Investing is a few steps at first, and a lot less later. Almost as easy as creating a Facebook account, link up your bank account and then you just click here and type in a number, and you're buying mutual funds, which you can promptly forget about for the next ten years. Changing your oil... it can be hard and messy, but the documentary can just show you rolling under your car, twisting an oil filter wrench and letting the oil drain. Maybe you need "normal" people who don't know how to do these things, and you show them learning and see how they react after they've accomplished something they thought was a black box they could never learn.

Back when Pete was cranking out articles monthly, I was absorbing so many lessons of "holy crap, that's possible?"  He carried on that tradition in his Youtube channel earlier this year with a few episodes.  That kick in the pants years ago is what really got me started by breaking down the mental/financial barriers of how this all can work.  The number of podcasts and Youtube channels out there show these lessons can be conveyed in a TV-like medium.  I loved that the movie started out with Brandon just showing them the few changes that dramatically changed their retirement dates with a sprinkle of Vicki Robbins "your car costs this much of your working life."  I was hoping for a few more "numbers" lessons like how much they saved on eating out by meal-prepping or the total lifetime cost difference between her vehicle choices.

[Bateaux]

I enjoyed watching the film.  It didn't grab me like it may a younger person in the journey.  It could help some along the way that are still scratching their heads.   I wish there were resources like this when we were young, thank you for your great work.   I hope you get some contracts that pay you well for your efforts and personal investment in the film.

[calimom]

It really was a head-scratcher as to why Scott was not more transparent about his role as the producer in a FIRE documentary in this film. He just makes vague references to "looking for a work-from-home business or occupation after he quits his job and they hit the road, his wife being the primary breadwinner. To compare, and maybe it's a false equivalency, The Biggest Little Farm couple were very open and honest about their journey and it shows.

The scenes, though likely scripted, part in Iowa where he's cutting wood with his dad seemed authentic. Like, how did he ever get so far from his humble roots that he was mugging for selfies in San Diego in front of his new (leased) Jeep? And OK, we get a used Honda is not as sexy as (leased) BMW. She seemed to be slowly accepting that fact, despite the fact people in Coronado might think less of her by not having a (leased) European car. I wasn't particularly fussed about them living with family to save for a house or having some free childcare. Bend, Oregon is not a terrible place to end up.

The savings rate/years to retirement calculator that popped up periodically was interesting and show the average viewer the undeniable math. I liked the interviews and the FI conference, and Vicki Robin seems like such a smart and accessible person. Great to see MMM, JD Roth, Mad Fientist, et al. And @arebelspy , you and your wife appeared lovely and friendly in the part you were in. Very likely helpful to those viewing thinking enormous salaries are the only way to FIRE. Yes, accumulating real estate is another way to create wealth. Good on you.

[BTDretire]

Thanks everyone for the kind words about my small appearance.

Have you got you IMDb page up yet, or signed up with SAG?  :-)

[nara]

Are there any more FIRE documentaries in the works???

This one was okay, but I would like to see one that covers people from all different financial situations and at various stages in their journey. Not everyone can relate to the despair of needing to downgrade from a BMW to a Honda, etc. 

[svosavvy]

I seriously just wish more "regular folks" would just get their sh*t a little bit together and practice some form of financial independence.  Even a little bit.  I just get so spiritually tired of seeing people tortured by this system that we worship like a golden calf.  Honestly, I just heard about this "American Factory" documentary and I don't even think I can watch.  Hurts too much.  My Dad went on strike at the chemical company he worked at when I was a kid.  Full on picket line in the winter burning barrel fire to keep warm the whole 9 yards.  The result, they all had to work on Christmas to make up for lost productivity during the strike.  He could have used a little FU money.  Ok, my internet rant is done now.  Vicki and Joe are/were a godsend.  FI is a tough love road but it's better than getting beat down by money which is a tough sh*t road.

[slappy]

I seriously just wish more "regular folks" would just get their sh*t a little bit together and practice some form of financial independence.  Even a little bit.  I just get so spiritually tired of seeing people tortured by this system that we worship like a golden calf.  Honestly, I just heard about this "American Factory" documentary and I don't even think I can watch.  Hurts too much.  My Dad went on strike at the chemical company he worked at when I was a kid.  Full on picket line in the winter burning barrel fire to keep warm the whole 9 yards.  The result, they all had to work on Christmas to make up for lost productivity during the strike.  He could have used a little FU money.  Ok, my internet rant is done now.  Vicki and Joe are/were a godsend.  FI is a tough love road but it's better than getting beat down by money which is a tough sh*t road.

I agree with this comment so much. I used to work in the service department of a large brokerage firm and it hurt my heart to hear the stories of people calling in to start retirement savings in their 50's. I always just hoped that they were lying and didn't want to disclose their other assets to me. I've also had people calling in and saying they were retiring, but it turns out they had no plan and nowhere near enough assets. They just decided they were going to retire because they wanted to retire, or they hit a certain age or whatever. (My own mother in law did this as well.) It was draining to take those calls day after day.

[RWTL]

I agree with this comment so much. I used to work in the service department of a large brokerage firm and it hurt my heart to hear the stories of people calling in to start retirement savings in their 50's. I always just hoped that they were lying and didn't want to disclose their other assets to me. I've also had people calling in and saying they were retiring, but it turns out they had no plan and nowhere near enough assets. They just decided they were going to retire because they wanted to retire, or they hit a certain age or whatever. (My own mother in law did this as well.) It was draining to take those calls day after day.

That's really depressing.

[Telecaster]

Are there any more FIRE documentaries in the works???

This one was okay, but I would like to see one that covers people from all different financial situations and at various stages in their journey. Not everyone can relate to the despair of needing to downgrade from a BMW to a Honda, etc.

Co-signed.  It seems like they so missed the potential of this topic.  There are a number of fascinating journeys to FIRE that could be explored, but the focus was on the wife reluctantly being deprived of her BMW isn't one of them. 

IMO, the real power and message of FIRE is you give up stuff you don't much care about (like driving a BMW instead of a Honda), and in exchange you get things you truly want and make you happy.  Like traveling where ever you want, or staying home to raise your kids. 

"Playing with FIRE" was framed in terms of deprivation.  I think that is exactly the wrong way to think about it. 

[Metalcat]

Are there any more FIRE documentaries in the works???

This one was okay, but I would like to see one that covers people from all different financial situations and at various stages in their journey. Not everyone can relate to the despair of needing to downgrade from a BMW to a Honda, etc.

Co-signed.  It seems like they so missed the potential of this topic.  There are a number of fascinating journeys to FIRE that could be explored, but the focus was on the wife reluctantly being deprived of her BMW isn't one of them. 

IMO, the real power and message of FIRE is you give up stuff you don't much care about (like driving a BMW instead of a Honda), and in exchange you get things you truly want and make you happy.  Like traveling where ever you want, or staying home to raise your kids. 

"Playing with FIRE" was framed in terms of deprivation.  I think that is exactly the wrong way to think about it.

I've been thinking about this a bit, and it all depends on who the material is being viewed by.

I think people who already don't care about the prestige of their vehicle and don't see the value of living in ultra HCOL areas for no tangible benefits other than to feel privileged to live there, will find MMM type content on their own.

I keep thinking about all of the people who would really relate to Taylor and her process of dealing with the angst of losing the prestige of the luxury car as an outward symbol of her career success, likewise her angst about finding her "dream home" and accepting that it's not worth the cost trade off.

The more I've thought about it, the more I like that it shows the struggle of someone who isn't overly compatible with these values going through the growing pains of coming around.

It's why I wish there was more content covering her actually transitioning and not just suddenly being 100% on board.

It's valid to glibly indicate that a clown car is a huge waste of money, but it's also valid to explore that the transition away from putting value on the prestige of luxury cars can actually be very uncomfortable.

I especially appreciated seeing them struggle with not getting as excited by seeing money in the bank. That's the issue that most people struggle with, spending money makes them feel richer than having it.

They obviously made the movie for people like them, and they were absolutely rampant status-based consumers, renting in a VHCOL area, leasing luxury vehicles, spending gobs on luxury groceries and dining, etc.

I think if the film is meant to appeal to people like that, then there's a real benefit in being honest about the angst of letting go of that status-based thinking.

The more I think about it, the more I think of the many many spendy people I know who would really relate to Taylor. The people who get uncomfortable even contemplating questioning their motivations behind their spending decisions because they don't want to admit to themselves that it's all about status.

[slappy]

Are there any more FIRE documentaries in the works???

This one was okay, but I would like to see one that covers people from all different financial situations and at various stages in their journey. Not everyone can relate to the despair of needing to downgrade from a BMW to a Honda, etc.

Co-signed.  It seems like they so missed the potential of this topic.  There are a number of fascinating journeys to FIRE that could be explored, but the focus was on the wife reluctantly being deprived of her BMW isn't one of them. 

IMO, the real power and message of FIRE is you give up stuff you don't much care about (like driving a BMW instead of a Honda), and in exchange you get things you truly want and make you happy.  Like traveling where ever you want, or staying home to raise your kids. 

"Playing with FIRE" was framed in terms of deprivation.  I think that is exactly the wrong way to think about it.

I agree that it's the wrong way to think about it, but I also think that's what people think of FIRE. Every article I've seen focuses on the deprivation aspect. They don't say we buy things based on what we value. They just say we don't go out to eat, don't buy big houses, drive "crappy" cars, etc. So from that point, I think people need to see her journey. They need to see that she didn't want to give up the car, but that everything turned out great because the car isn't that important. In my experience, it's far too easy to dismiss FIRE because of that. Even my own husband once said "some people don't want to drive a piece of crap car." Says the guy who is driving a 2016 Honda Pilot and I drive a 2011 Outback. Not exactly luxury, but not pieces of crap either. But that's the perception of FIRE followers, in my experience.

[mspym]

A good example that showed the gradual shift was zero waste man, which had some good personal drama (positive and negative) and showed the process of making the mental switch - both the husband's immediate jump in and the wife's more cautious approach (she could clearly see a LOT of extra work coming her way because of his Shiny New Idea)

[thesis]

As a stand-alone documentary it wasn't too bad. I liked it. If anything, I think it opens to door to more documentaries that are interested in covering other angles.

At the same time, yeah, I was consistently confused about what the husband was doing. It was almost annoying except that it always steered the discussion away from that, kept you entertained. But I think even people without the money for BMWs can relate to not wanting to give up stuff, just maybe some of that could have been explored.

It would have been great to see some interviews of non-blogger FI folks and how FI has affected their lives. Really, it was more an introduction to the popular personalities in the FI bloggo-sphere. Meh.

[Bloop Bloop]

Even if you are status seeking, and let's face it many of us are, there can be a lot of status in FIRE. Imagine responding, when asked about why you don't drive a BMW: "I only buy things that my rent/dividends pay for. I've never opened my wallet in the last 10 years." Now that would be great.

FIRE isn't just about sacrifice! It can be just as "luxurious" as a clown car. Just requires a change of thinking.

[Metalcat]

Even if you are status seeking, and let's face it many of us are, there can be a lot of status in FIRE. Imagine responding, when asked about why you don't drive a BMW: "I only buy things that my rent/dividends pay for. I've never opened my wallet in the last 10 years." Now that would be great.

FIRE isn't just about sacrifice! It can be just as "luxurious" as a clown car. Just requires a change of thinking.

Yes, but if I consider all of the people I know who are like this couple, I think a lot of them would experience a fair amount of angst reprogramming that thinking, especially at the beginning when despite saving a large percentage of income, the overall amount isn't particularly impressive yet.

[slappy]

Even if you are status seeking, and let's face it many of us are, there can be a lot of status in FIRE. Imagine responding, when asked about why you don't drive a BMW: "I only buy things that my rent/dividends pay for. I've never opened my wallet in the last 10 years." Now that would be great.

FIRE isn't just about sacrifice! It can be just as "luxurious" as a clown car. Just requires a change of thinking.

The change of thinking is the hardest part.

[TVRodriguez]

-The Mad Fientist is a very handsome man.

Lol that kind of jumped out at me, too. I guess I had a, well, different, image of him in my mind after only listening to him on his podcast, so when I saw the name on the screen I had to rewind it, like, wait, why is this guy doing a podcast instead of a YouTube channel?

[sui generis]

-The Mad Fientist is a very handsome man.

Lol that kind of jumped out at me, too. I guess I had a, well, different, image of him in my mind after only listening to him on his podcast, so when I saw the name on the screen I had to rewind it, like, wait, why is this guy doing a podcast instead of a YouTube channel?

Agree! Yes, I don't know why, but his voice doesn't sound like how he looks!! Lol

[arebelspy]

Sadly, once FIREd, it doesn't seem to go like that. The number one response I get when asked why I don't work or why I dont have XYZ things is "I could never live like that! You know if you went back to work you could have all that stuff."

Reminds me of the monk and the minister.

https://jlcollinsnh.com/2011/06/02/the-monk-and-the-minister/

Your response should be "you know if you didn't have all that stuff, you wouldn't have to go to work."  :D

[calimom]

-The Mad Fientist is a very handsome man.

Lol that kind of jumped out at me, too. I guess I had a, well, different, image of him in my mind after only listening to him on his podcast, so when I saw the name on the screen I had to rewind it, like, wait, why is this guy doing a podcast instead of a YouTube channel?

Agree! Yes, I don't know why, but his voice doesn't sound like how he looks!! Lol

He has a face for broadcast (or Youtube) AND a very nice voice.

[arebelspy]

But then everyone who has FIREd is attractive  ;-).

The camera adds ten thousand dollars.

[robartsd]

But then everyone who has FIREd is attractive  ;-).

At least the ones who choose to go on camera!

I'm glad I read this thread. Doesn't sound like it would be worth renting this video to me. It might have been worth it if it were more like:

Act one: Discover FIRE! Scott and Taylor discover this idea of FIRE and cut back on their lifestyle spending (opportunities like those people have pointed out here). They have mixed feelings about the lack of status but over time they realize that it is paying off. They realize that none of their associates can even comprehend what they are doing leading to ...

Act two: Playing with FIRE! Scott has the idea of taking a deep dive into FIRE and make a documentary about it. They take the radical step of uprooting their life and start to go to the extreme in terms of depriving themselves to save as much money as they can. As they continue down this path, the stress makes them wonder if they made a mistake when they uprooted their life, but you can't just undo uprooting your entire life, so they keep moving forward. Fortunately at some point during the period of deprivation they get a break from it when friends in Hawaii invite them to house sit.

Act three: The Road to FIRE! Their period of extreme deprivation ends as they build their new life in Bend. They realize that they are now happier now than they ever were in SoCal and will be able to FIRE 10 years earlier than if they had just stayed the course at the end of act one.

[freya]

I'm with you on that, though it probably would have been too hard to tell that entire story in a movie.

I would have definitely liked to see a starting-out phase with a Your Money or Your Life style review of where their money was going, and how they really felt about the things they were spending money on.  Then show their reactions after changing their spending habits AND some idea of the amount they were suddenly able to save each month as a result.  Then they could talk about taking the next step and moving to a LCOL area.

Then the "atomic option" of going nomadic for a year on their way to Bend might have seemed a bit less ridiculous.

[Daisy]

-The Mad Fientist is a very handsome man.

Lol that kind of jumped out at me, too. I guess I had a, well, different, image of him in my mind after only listening to him on his podcast, so when I saw the name on the screen I had to rewind it, like, wait, why is this guy doing a podcast instead of a YouTube channel?

Agree! Yes, I don't know why, but his voice doesn't sound like how he looks!! Lol

Ha ha! I thought the same thing about MadFIentist's looks. And he looked polished and professional as well. So for those being introduced to FIRE for the first time with this documentary, it may help to have the face of "why are you driving such an expensive car" not look geeky. He looked like a normal guy everyone would like to be like.

Yes, I did assume MadFIentist would look...how should I say...more geeky than he actually does. I'm not sure what that says about me, but I accept the criticisms that may come my way.

#JoiningTheMadFIentistAdmirersClub

[Daisy]

Even if you are status seeking, and let's face it many of us are, there can be a lot of status in FIRE. Imagine responding, when asked about why you don't drive a BMW: "I only buy things that my rent/dividends pay for. I've never opened my wallet in the last 10 years." Now that would be great.

FIRE isn't just about sacrifice! It can be just as "luxurious" as a clown car. Just requires a change of thinking.

Sadly, once FIREd, it doesn't seem to go like that. The number one response I get when asked why I don't work or why I dont have XYZ things is "I could never live like that! You know if you went back to work you could have all that stuff."

There is just is no recognition that by not driving a Beemer etc I'm able to not have to work. They would (do) consider me poor because I don't have all the status symbols of my fancy area of SoCal. Talking about living off investment income from money you saved while working doesn't work either. They still see it as not enough to fund the lifestyle they want and therefore see no value in quitting a job in order to live like a middle class person when you could keep working years longer to fund an upscale life.

Maybe that was part of the reason they decided to relocate.  SD is probably not as status/income focused as LA, but probably moreso than Bend or other more northerly places (like Seattle) where people tend to value the ability to get up to the mountains/out to the ocean more than material possessions.  YMOYL was born here, after all.  And with all our tech wealth, early retirement is not such a foreign concept to many people.  Especially if you are using it to get out to the trails, etc. midweek.  EVerybody knows how great THAT is!

Well I live in Miami which is supposedly very status focused, but I have found when I tell people (especially people that know me from my past) that I am early retired, they all seem very interested in finding out more. I guess my early retirement stories include a lot of fun outdoor activities and travel, so it sounds like a life they want to lead.

Some people tell me to write a book or a blog. They think what I am preaching is new. I lead them to others' blogs which explain it all, but sadly I don't think they ever take that extra step to learn more.

[slappy]

I got the book for Christmas and wow! It was so much better than the movie. I wish the movie had followed the book more closely. Personally, I think it's so important that their concerns/moments of weakness/doubts are exposed. I think people who are not in the FI community think its so difficult and its all about not spending any money. I loved how the book talked about the line between spartan and indulgence, and the issues they ran into with their friends and family. I think they could have explored that further and cut out some of the "big names" in the movie that just talked about what FIRE is.

Also, someone mentioned above about how they went over their housing budget. The book clarifies that they didn't buy the "dream house". They ended up with something only slightly over budget $400k vs $420k.

[mtnrider]

I streamed the film.  I had low expectations, since some reviewers disliked it.  I thought it was pretty good.

It's not a how-to FIRE documentary.  I saw it as a foray into the emotions and relationship issues of FIRE.  This is where films shine, and I appreciated that.  (Despite being somewhere around 80% FIREd, I identified with some of those emotions and relationship issues!)

[Eco_eco]

I like the documentary, for me it was a nice little story about one couples attempt to sort out their financial future. Everyone has their own path to financial literacy, and I suspect there is an audience for stories like this one, just like there is an audience for people who are thinking about buying their first house and find out that renting and traveling is a legitimate option. I think there’s lots of room in our culture for stories of downsizing life to save money and lower consumption.

Having said that - I was quite concerned by some aspects of the story. The husband seemed to convince his wife, who clearly loves him very much, that FIRE will give them the ‘life they always wanted, particularly more time with their daughter’. She clearly liked their spendy life and so it seems she bares the whole cost of a very hard lifestyle change - she looses privacy, her nice things, her home, her circle of friends. But she’s the one who also has to spend 9-5 in a ‘home’ office all day while he gets to enjoy a passion project. He is a very lucky man to have someone so understanding - and she still doesn’t get more time with her daughter.

It takes too long to reach FI to make this much sacrifice if it’s not done evenly as a whole family. I. Think you need to enjoy the journey and find the compromise everyone is happy with, otherwise you are wasting too much life with a focus on saving money at all costs.

[EngagedToFIRE]

I like the documentary, for me it was a nice little story about one couples attempt to sort out their financial future. Everyone has their own path to financial literacy, and I suspect there is an audience for stories like this one, just like there is an audience for people who are thinking about buying their first house and find out that renting and traveling is a legitimate option. I think there’s lots of room in our culture for stories of downsizing life to save money and lower consumption.

Having said that - I was quite concerned by some aspects of the story. The husband seemed to convince his wife, who clearly loves him very much, that FIRE will give them the ‘life they always wanted, particularly more time with their daughter’. She clearly liked their spendy life and so it seems she bares the whole cost of a very hard lifestyle change - she looses privacy, her nice things, her home, her circle of friends. But she’s the one who also has to spend 9-5 in a ‘home’ office all day while he gets to enjoy a passion project. He is a very lucky man to have someone so understanding - and she still doesn’t get more time with her daughter.

It takes too long to reach FI to make this much sacrifice if it’s not done evenly as a whole family. I. Think you need to enjoy the journey and find the compromise everyone is happy with, otherwise you are wasting too much life with a focus on saving money at all costs.

I thought the film addressed this at the end.  When the wife was happy with the decision.  I got the same feeling during most of the film, and I thought that made it feel authentic, it's NOT easy on everyone.  But then at the end, she seemed pretty darn happy with the whole thing.

[Chris@TTL]

@EngagedToFIRE @Eco_eco - I definitely felt the same way about this part of the film. I was concerned that Taylor was sort of being roped in.

My other half felt the same way:

This film really highlights the importance of communication, a fundamental element to any healthy relationship. Scott and Taylor didn’t seem to be on the same page at first regarding their financial future. It seemed that Scott brought this idea of FIRE to Taylor and had to convince her it would be a good idea. It took her awhile to get on board.

She also commented on the rash of changes they were making all at once - upending their lives for FIRE. She wrote a whole review on playing with fire.

It turns out to be an interesting film in a sort of "reality TV" way, I think.

I don't know if there's a better way to show the topic on film... a traditional documentary looking at the numbers and process doesn't seem like it would be quite as engaging. If the goal was to capture a larger audience, maybe the reality style was the better choice. Thoughts?