So, I did it. After years of saving and watching my accounts, I hit my FIRE number. That’s the amount I figured would let me stop working if I wanted to. It felt good to see that number, like maybe I could finally relax.
But then I realized something. Most of my money isn’t really mine to use right now. It’s tied up in places where I can’t touch it without paying a lot or waiting a long time. I don’t own a house, so I don’t have that as a backup. And honestly, I’m not trying to impress anyone—I just want to be able to use my money when I need it.
A big chunk of my savings is in retirement accounts. If I try to take money out before I’m old enough, I get hit with a big penalty. That doesn’t make sense for me right now. The rest is in stocks and other investments that don't make sense to sell yet, or I’d lose out on what they could grow into.
So, even though my net worth looks great on paper, I don’t have enough cash to stop working. If I wanted to stop working today, I’d have to figure out how to get to my money without getting punished for it.
That made me think: hitting your FIRE number is just the first step. You still need to make sure you can get your hands on your money when you want to. Otherwise, you’re not really free—you’re just waiting.
Now, I’m working on moving more of my money into places where I can use it sooner. I’m saving more in regular accounts, not just retirement ones. I want to be sure that if I do decide to stop working, I can actually live off my savings without jumping through a bunch of hoops.
It’s a bit of a wake-up call. The number on the screen is just part of the story. The real goal is to have enough cash ready so you can do what you want, when you want.
That’s what I’m working toward now. Not just a big number, but real financial independence.
