[Reflection] #25: Career Change, FIRE… When Money Becomes a Means of Liberation
JB and I often receive messages from people who want to switch careers into our fields (JB talked about his career change here , and me here), often with the goal of becoming nomads later. The pattern is always the same: the person has a good salary, but they’re bored or don’t find meaning in their bullshit job. Problem: they earn 60k, but if they switch careers, they become a junior again and can only expect 35k. As soon as salary comes up, the conversation stops dead, it’s always the same.
At that point, they explain they have a mortgage to pay, a child, and they don’t know where to find the money to make up for the drop. The career change project falls through.
But in reality, they already have experience and will get back to their previous level (60k) in 4 or 5 years (3 years in my case, provided they switch companies), not in 15 years as they think. So the loss only lasts a few years, it’s far from forever.
If the person stays stuck in a short-term mindset, thinking “how do I cope with 25k less?”, they sink deeper into their current job. And they don’t get out until retirement. The cycle is complete.
That’s why I often say: money is just a way to buy freedom. If the person has some savings set aside, it offsets the salary loss and they hesitate less to change jobs. And if their savings have grown well over the years, they’ll have grown enough to really act as a cushion during the transition. But often, the person locks themselves in their golden cage, throws away the key, and wonders why they can’t move.
The big issue? There’s a glaring lack of long-term vision in our financial education. I’ve shared quite a few books on the topic on my blog and Insta, but let’s be honest: nobody reads them.
JB and I were lucky to earn well for several years, but it’s mainly thanks to our savings and investments that we felt free to switch careers (and earn much less 😀 )
It’s never too late to get interested in it. With inflation on the rise, it’s actually the right time. And if it’s really too late for you, think about your kids*. They’ll have the freedom to make bold choices later, without being paralyzed by the fear of lack.
*One last thing: when you put your money in an account at 2.5% and inflation is at 5%, you’re just losing money. That’s why so many people feel like they’re getting poorer without really understanding why.
FIRE
Total freedom is exactly what followers of the FIRE movement seek (Financial Independence, Retire Early : Financial Independence, Retire Early). They go beyond a career change; it’s about stopping rat race. For those who don’t know, the principle of FIRE is to save and invest enough to be able to stop working well before the legal retirement age, often at 40, and live as you wish.
On TV, they often show caricatured FIRE followers, ultra-frugal people who count every penny, live very modestly, and avoid any spending to accumulate as much money as possible during their career. But here on this blog, the mindset is completely different: we’d be more about abundance than scarcity.
Honestly, I’ve always believed it’s easier to try to increase your income than to spend your life scrimping on every euro spent. The question I often get is: how do you earn more? The answer: by choosing a niche. By truly specializing in a specific field, but going all in, to the point of being one of only thirty people in France who can do what you do. Then the salary you want becomes naturally attainable. JB and I also regularly validate our skills with recognized certifications.
For those worried about being bored without working, the concept of “barista FIRE” will reassure you: it offers a compromise between financial independence and maintaining a part-time professional activity. Rather than aiming for complete and immediate retirement, the person accumulates enough assets to cover part of their expenses through passive income from their investments. For the rest, they continue working, often in a light job or one they enjoy (like a barista, server, or freelancer), which allows them to meet their financial needs without pressure.
