Are you average?  I’ve realized I’m average in many ways.

When I refer to being “average,” I classify that as my interpretation of the Jim Rohn quote, “I’m the average of the FI friends around me.”

Here are some ways that I’m SO “average:”

Traits

I’m intentional.  It seems like nearly everything I do is based on a logical, planned calculation.

I’m a thinker.  I am always processing something in my head.  It could be a task at hand.  It could be an upcoming task.  It could be wondering about something I’m curious about.  It could be making a connection between thought A and thought B.

I’m a planner.  I don’t tend to just do a task.  I prep.  I calculate.  I project probable/possible outcomes and then try to take the best action.

I’m cautious.  I am not much of a risk-taker.  I’m sure that’s because of the traits listed above.  I do have times when I just go for it, but often those have been calculated to show that a bad outcome would not be horribly detrimental.

I’m a saver.  EVERY one of my FI friends is the same.

I’m not a spender.  This is interesting because it could mean I never give my money away in transactions.  Of course, I do this often.  I think maybe a better sentence would be “I’m not a careless spender.”  The more I process this thought, I’d like to be an intentional spender.  A spender who finds value and joy in releasing money.

Spending is the trait that I’ve worked the hardest on becoming better at.  It has taken DECADES of preparation and calculations to get to the point of being willing to spend—willing to spend freely, quite freely.

Yes, the ability to spend freely is substantially due to the returns of my earlier saved assets (deferred spending) that have had excellent (far exceeding my planned) returns (to this point).

Shifting

My FI friends, as a whole, are not in the spending mode yet.  Even the friends who are a similar age, a similar stage of the FIRE journey, and a similar net worth, have not shifted to a freer spending mode.

Why?

I was working on the shift of freeing up some Fun Money in 2021 when Mark Trautman and I talked while hanging out.  We both noticed the many years of high returns on our savings, and I mentioned taking some of the icing off the asset cake and giving ourselves freedom for that chunk of money.  Creating a Fun Bucket.    

I eventually formalized our Fun Bucket.  

Messengers

Now, Mark and I are trying to spread the word, the perspective, the optionality, and the possibility that others may have over-saved based on their asset growth and have some extra icing on their asset cake.

(To be clear, I now understand Roger Whitney’s Pie Cake structure.  Not that its complexity fits my structure, but I get it—whew)

Mark and I want to be leaders in a new safe planning, smart spending, freedom possibility-ing members of the FI community to help change the “averageness” of those around us.

*** Nothing in this article is to be construed as financial advice.  I am not a financial planner, nor do I pretend to be.  You should always consult your own professional when seeking advice. This post is not a piece of literary mastery, just a random thought I had.