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Risk & Money
It's Giving Tuesday and we've been writing recently about risks we've taken to reach financial independence.
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- The power of risk to sculpt your ideal life
- The benefits of switching to part-time work
- How FU money lets you negotiate from a position of strength
Those risks are what have enabled us to give with gratitude and be at peace with the life we lead.
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We also executed our monthly giving grant after totaling your votes in our reader's choice FIRE fund. Are you able to give today to what matters to you?
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What if you DIDN'T take a risk?
In this post, I explore what life could be if you did NOT take the risks that formed you as the person you are today.
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- How risk-taking is a necessary and unavoidable part of life
- Good risk and bad risk
- Why you should take risks in life
- The cost of playing it safe
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All with the backdrop of a little Jean-Luc Picard.
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Your potential: to make yourself more than you are.
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Taking risks is part of being human. The trick is in understanding and overcoming the fear that creates risk in your life so that you can become a better person.
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Voluntarily going part-time
Jenni made the switch to part-time work back in May. Six months later, she's written about the benefits she's found in working part-time.
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For her, it's been a life-changing experience.
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- Fewer hours with a flexible schedule
- Narrowed work-related duties
- More time for her needs and wants
- Less stress and a happier self
But more than just her own experience, she explained the benefits of part-time work for those of you still on the fence and at the edge of FIRE.
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Here are some of the benefits that you could potentially find by going part-time:
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- As a part-time employee, you will be assigned fewer hours to do your specific job
- You may get to redefine your role as a part-time employee
- Discover your work has more meaning
- Daily management problems no longer fall into your realm of duties
- Strict working hours will create more concrete boundaries between your work-life and home-life
- Once you clock out, you can leave work at work
- Gain more time away from work
- So much time in your life that you may not know what to do with it
- A flexible schedule will let you fit your work into your life schedule
- Time will be become yours to do with what you want
- There is more time to share with those who matter to you
- Your to-do-list will actually become longer
- Part-time work can be less stressful
- A health benefit of part-time work is getting more sleep
- More time to dedicate to exercise
- More time to prepare healthier meals at home instead of eating out
- You may become more aware of your financial independence
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Jenni runs through and expands upon every one of these points.
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Part-time work offers the opportunity to do what you want with your day.
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If you know someone that's thinking about dialing things back and going part-time, it's a great article to share with them.
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This is what FU money can do
Back in 2010 at the ripe old age of 25, I used my F-you money for the first time in a professional setting.
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It got me escorted out of the building.
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I wrote a post about the dynamic between financial independence—the financial tool that lets you create a long term plan for life outside of work—and FU money—an instrument that levels the playing field in your day-to-day experiences of differing power dynamics.
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The amount of money you need to qualify as "FU money" will differ for every person since having it is a subjective experience that removes the fear of financial risk in your decisions.
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And of course, I told that story of how I said "no" at 25 and it changed my life.
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GivingTuesday
Many worthy charitable organizations are matching donations (via other generous donors) around the world today for GivingTuesday.
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How can you make an impact?
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Our charitable focus for the month of November was on world hunger relief. Our giving poll ended this morning.
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The winning organization is:
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As part of GivingTuesday, another donor is matching with a 3-to-1 impact today for Heifer International. We put our donation through this morning from our Reader's Charitable FIRE Fund.
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Once we write our monthly FIRE budget review for November, we'll have a new charitable poll posted for December. That should be before the end of the week.
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Personal Finance Favorites on the Web
Below are the articles we've read since the last newsletter that really struck a chord with either of us. Give them a read, check out the authors, expand your information sources with these quality creators.
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- Is Early Retirement Selfish?
1500 Days to Freedom
FIRE proponents tend to account for and save every possible penny. Does that mean they're also stingy when it comes to giving, appreciation, and gratitude?
- Money Can’t Buy Happiness? It Can Buy Important Ingredients.
Educator FI
"Money can’t buy happiness? Maybe not, but lack of money makes happiness harder in our society. Most importantly, money can buy choice, and that matters. A lot. Let’s take a deeper look at this."
- Seeing Things Through A Different Lens
Accidental FIRE
One problem many early retirees face is feelings of inadequacy; of not having value in what they do after they're done with work. You might also underappreciate the positive effects you contribute back to society as Dave learned when looking at his contributions through a different lens.
- The True Cost of Car Ownership
The Best Interest
This is a deep dive on total car ownership costs, but it covers adjacent concerns. Should you repair an older used car or invest in a new one (along with statistics to back up the decision)? When does leasing make sense? And much more—it's a great overview of vehicle ownership.
- Why the FIRE Space is Full of Introverts
Millennial Revolution
Dopamine, money, and fun pseudoscience self-reflection. But also 4 strong points about why introverts manage the FIRE life quite well! INTJ checking in here!
- The Bumpy Ride Isn’t Over
Mr. Tako Escapes
With vaccines around the corner with potential >90% efficacy, are we near the end? Maybe, maybe not—but the stock market sure has a lot more wild rides in store for us.
- Everyone is using the 4% rule wrong
Financial Success MD
If you miss this key planning point when developing your FIRE number, you might burn through your retirement fund long before you're perpetually horizontal. It's not as simple as "25x expenses". Don't miss it!
- Bustin’ a Few Myths About the FIRE Movement
Budgets Are Sexy
6 myths about the FIRE movement reveal key points to focus on if you're thinking about sharing FIRE principles with friends and family. Are you ready for that holiday dinner conversation?
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Thank you for giving us the most valuable thing in your life:
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See an article from our favorites a friend might like? Forward this newsletter onto them!
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Our Latest Posts
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Incase you missed one, here's our latest posts since our last newsletter:
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A big, strong Lukas made his way into the world with our Doula by our side and healthy Jenni after a long labor!
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Last Month Before Baby (Apr. 2026)
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Our latest monthly FIRE budget: A $250K net worth swing, motherhood charities, and our last month as a family of two!
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Huge Investment Bonuses & Home Repair (Mar. 2026)
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See how we earned a whopping $11K+ in bank bonuses, read how our baby prep continues, and come vote for a nature conservation charity we'll donate to!
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If you found an article we wrote that a friend might like, forward this newsletter to them!
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We're most active on social media here:
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Thanks again for subscribing to our infrequent newsletter. We both hope you're enjoying TicTocLife as much as we are. If you have feedback about this newsletter, you can reply directly or use our Contact form.
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