What If I Don’t Get Hit By A Bus?

By Steven  October 14, 2019

We’re a bit extreme about saving money around here. In fact, we recommend saving so much money that you never have to work a job again if you don’t want to, preferably as early in life as possible. This is usually achieved by optimizing your everyday spending and making big, deliberate choices to reduce some of life’s biggest costs, especially during your 20s and 30s.

Over the years, we’ve heard from a lot of people who don’t think this is such a good idea. One of the most common arguments is, “but what if you get hit by a bus?”

The implication is that it’s risky and senseless to deprive yourself of life’s pleasures, especially in your “best years.” After all, life is fleeting, and it could all be taken away in the blink of an eye.

An argument against pursuing financial independence and early retirement, apparently.

Okay, but like, what if I don’t get hit by a bus? Isn’t that way more likely? Shouldn’t I set up my life assuming I’ll live to be 60+, since there’s a 91% chance that I will?

Long-Term Thinking Pays Off

Unless you have a chronic illness or put yourself in immense danger on a regular basis, chances are good that you’ll live a long time. So for most people, hypothesizing about sudden death shouldn’t make for a very convincing argument. Still, the YOLO reasoning is pretty popular in our society.

To make money choices that will serve you better in the long run, first accept that you’re gonna be around for a while. When you’re 22, it’s tough to imagine that you’ll be 40 or 50 someday, but it really is coming. So make sure you’re setting up your life to enjoy the vast majority of the years ahead, not just focusing on today.

The key is to buy freedom for yourself sooner rather than later. If you spend the majority of your income in your 20s and 30s in order to “enjoy life,” you’re also guaranteeing that you’ll need to continue working full-time into your 40s, 50s, and beyond. That means you’ll spend thirty or more extra years in an office rather than out in the world doing the things that get you excited.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.tripofalifestyle.com/perspective/what-if-i-dont-get-hit-by-a-bus/