“Playing with FIRE”, The Documentary about Financial Independence and Early Retirement

“Playing with FIRE” is a popular documentary about financial independence and early retirement that explores the lives of several families who have chosen to pursue FIRE. The film follows their journey as they make significant lifestyle changes to achieve financial freedom and retire early.

The documentary features interviews with financial experts, including bloggers and authors who have written extensively about the FIRE movement. It also explores the psychological and emotional aspects of pursuing FIRE, including the challenges of living frugally and the impact it can have on relationships.

One of the key themes of “Playing with FIRE” is balancing financial independence and personal fulfillment. The film highlights that achieving FIRE is not just about saving money and investing wisely but also about finding ways to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Overall, “Playing with FIRE” is a thought-provoking and inspiring documentary that provides an in-depth look at the FIRE movement and the people pursuing financial independence and early retirement. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in personal finance, lifestyle design, or the pursuit of happiness.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  1. The financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) movement is a growing trend, reshaping how people think about work, money, and life.
  2. Achieving FIRE requires intelligent financial planning, disciplined saving, investing, and a willingness to make significant lifestyle changes.
  3. Pursuing FIRE can be challenging, but it can also be advantageous. The documentary showcases real-life examples of families who have achieved financial independence and retired early and highlights the benefits they have experienced as a result.
  4. Pursuing FIRE is not just about money but balancing financial independence and personal fulfillment. The documentary encourages viewers to consider what truly makes them happy and find ways to pursue their passions while achieving financial freedom.
  5. The principles of FIRE are accessible to anyone, regardless of their income level or background. The documentary provides practical advice and inspiration for anyone seeking financial independence and early retirement.
  6. Bucking the traditional retirement planning system involves making significant lifestyle changes to achieve financial freedom. It may include living below your means, avoiding debt, and investing in low-cost index funds.
  7. The documentary could explore other personal finance topics in greater detail, such as different investment strategies, debt management, budgeting, and personal finance’s psychological and emotional aspects.

How Did The Playing With Fire Documentation Begin?

Playing With Fire Documentation Begin

The production of the “Playing with FIRE” documentary began in 2017, and the film was released in 2019. The documentary was directed by Travis Shakespeare and produced by Scott Rieckens, one of the film’s main subjects.

The idea for the documentary came about when Scott Rieckens, a filmmaker and entrepreneur based in San Diego, became interested in the financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) movement. He and his wife, Taylor, decided to pursue FIRE themselves, and Scott began documenting their journey on film.

As he learned more about the FIRE movement and the people pursuing it, Scott realized that there was a compelling story to be told. He teamed up with Travis Shakespeare to create a feature-length documentary that would explore the principles and strategies of FIRE and the lives of people pursuing financial independence and early retirement.

Overall, the production of “Playing with FIRE” took over two years and involved extensive research, filming, and editing. The resulting documentary has been well-received by audiences and has helped to raise awareness about the FIRE movement and the possibilities of financial independence and early retirement.

What year did the Playing With Fire Documentation begin?

financial independence and early retirement documention

“Playing with FIRE” is a relatively new documentary released in 2019. However, the film is part of a broader movement gaining momentum in recent years.

The financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) movement has its roots in the personal finance and self-help communities of the 20th century. Books like “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, first published in 1992, laid the groundwork for the FIRE movement by promoting financial independence and early retirement as a path to greater happiness and fulfillment.

In the years since, the FIRE movement has grown significantly, fueled partly by the rise of the internet and social media. Personal finance bloggers and podcasters like Mr. Money Mustache and ChooseFI have helped popularize FIRE principles and provided practical advice and inspiration for those who want to pursue financial independence and early retirement.

“Playing with FIRE” is part of this broader movement, and it aims to provide an in-depth look at the lives of people pursuing FIRE and the challenges and opportunities involved. The film has been well-received by audiences and has helped to raise awareness about the FIRE movement and the possibilities of financial independence and early retirement.

The Purpose Of The Playing With Fire Documentation

Purpose Of The Playing With Fire Documentation

The “Playing with FIRE” documentary aims to provide a comprehensive and engaging look at the financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) movement. The film seeks to educate viewers about the principles and strategies of FIRE, as well as the benefits and challenges of pursuing this lifestyle.

Through interviews with experts and real-life examples of families pursuing FIRE, the documentary aims to provide viewers with practical advice and inspiration for achieving financial freedom and retiring early. It also challenges traditional beliefs about work and retirement, encouraging viewers to think critically about their financial goals and priorities.

“Playing with FIRE” aims to empower viewers to take control of their financial futures and live more fulfilling lives. The film seeks to inspire viewers to pursue their passions and to find a balance between financial independence and personal fulfillment. Additionally, the documentary aims to raise awareness about the FIRE movement and to promote a broader conversation about financial literacy and planning.

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes of Playing with FIRE” is a featurette that provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the documentary. The featurette includes interviews with the filmmakers and footage from the production process.

The featurette highlights the challenges and opportunities of making a documentary about the FIRE movement. It explores how the filmmakers approached the subject matter, including the decision to focus on the lives of one family and how they worked to make the film accessible to a broad audience.

The featurette also provides insight into the personal journeys of the filmmakers themselves. It explores how their own experiences with money and work influenced their approach to the subject matter and how making the film changed their perspectives on financial independence and early retirement.

Overall, “Behind the Scenes of Playing with FIRE” provides a fascinating look at the making of the documentary and the personal journeys of the filmmakers. It serves as a companion to the film itself, providing additional context and insight into the FIRE movement and the people pursuing this lifestyle.

A Bucking of the Playing With Fire Documentation System

The “Playing with FIRE” documentary explores the concept of bucking the traditional approach of working hard for decades to retire in your 60s or 70s. Instead, it promotes achieving financial independence and retiring early (FIRE) to live a more fulfilling life.

Bucking the system of traditional retirement planning involves making significant lifestyle changes to achieve financial freedom. This may include living below your means, avoiding debt, and investing in low-cost index funds. It also involves rethinking the traditional narrative of what it means to be successful and happy and considering alternative paths to fulfillment.

The documentary highlights the benefits of bucking the system and pursuing FIRE, including the ability to retire early and pursue your passions. It also acknowledges the challenges and sacrifices involved in this lifestyle, including the need to make significant changes to your spending habits and to prioritize financial goals over immediate gratification.

Overall, “Playing with FIRE” encourages viewers to consider whether the traditional retirement planning system is the best path for them and explore alternative approaches that may lead to greater happiness and fulfillment.

The impetus for Playing With Fire, as Described by Scott

Scott Rieckens, the producer and one of the main subjects of the “Playing with FIRE” documentary, has described the impetus for the film as a desire to explore the principles and strategies of financial independence and early retirement (FIRE).

In interviews, Rieckens has explained that he became interested in the FIRE movement after experiencing burnout from his work as an entrepreneur. He and his wife, Taylor, decided to pursue FIRE themselves, and Rieckens began documenting their journey on film.

As he learned more about the FIRE movement and the people pursuing it, Rieckens realized that there was a compelling story to be told. He teamed up with director Travis Shakespeare to create a feature-length documentary that would explore the principles and strategies of FIRE and the lives of people pursuing financial independence and early retirement.

Overall, Rieckens has described the “Playing with FIRE” documentary as a way to share the principles and strategies of FIRE with a broader audience and inspire people to take control of their financial futures to live more fulfilling lives.

Here’s how Scott described the impetus for this project on Reddit last week:

  • I was a content creator for marketing/advertising firms for nearly a decade, so making content that focused on FIRE was natural for me. I was scratching an itch with this project.
  • I was so inspired by the folks that had shared their wealth of knowledge on finance and investing. And I remember seeing the Minimalism documentary and thinking…if the minimalism movement has a documentary, then surely FIRE would too. But to my dismay, I was mistaken. So, after some serious deliberation and reaching out to a few mentors and even a few FIRE writers and podcast hosts, I decided to dedicate myself to the idea.
  • Then, after an appearance on the ChooseFI podcast, my world exploded and I was able to raise money, connected with a fellow FIRE fan and director from the BBC (Travis Shakespeare), ended up with a book deal and shit got super real, really quickly.
  • I decided that leaning into this momentum made sense. Because the framework of FI, while painfully simple, has not been introduced to the masses and is far too important not to share.

This movie is meant to introduce people to the world of FIRE. It wasn’t made for the people who are already in that world.

Money and Happiness

Money and Happiness

I’ve seen the film four times already this year, and I’ll watch it again later today. I may force my family to watch it during the holidays. While I don’t think “Playing with FIRE” is perfect, there are many things I like about the film.

I like, for instance, that it ultimately isn’t about Scott’s journey of discovery; instead, the story is about his wife’s journey of discovery. It’s about Taylor wrestling with these ideas and how they apply to her life.

And I like that, really, the film isn’t about money. Scott and Taylor don’t embrace this movement to become millionaires. They don’t “play with FIRE” in order to become rich. They explore this lifestyle in an attempt to increase their happiness, to create more meaningful lives.

There’s a scene early in the film in which Scott and Taylor, who are trying to decide what to do with their future, sit down in a San Diego park to talk about what’s important to them. Taylor shares the top ten things that make her happy on a weekly basis. These are things like wine, chocolate, exercise, and (especially) spending time with family.

“Any surprises?” Taylor asks Scott.

“Well, first off,” he says, “I didn’t hear the beach. The beach isn’t on the list? When was the last time you were on the beach?”

“Everything on that list is stuff we can do pretty much anywhere,” Scott says. He’s implying that there’s no reason they should be paying to live in such an expensive city when they’re not deriving value from that city.

“What’s going to make us happy?” Scott asks. “Because we can’t lose if we keep happiness in the forefront. I really think we should [change our lives]. I think it’s going to be the best thing for us…moving forward into the future.”

This is, of course, the stuff I preach day-in and day-out. This is why people ask me to fly to Portugal to speak, why they ask me to be on their podcasts, why they ask me to write for them, why they meet me for lunch. They want to me to talk about the relationship between money and purpose.

Playing with Fire tackles this subject head-on and in a real, honest way. The film isn’t sensational. It isn’t fake. It’s simple, authentic, and open-ended. It doesn’t offer pat answers. While this is in some ways unsatisfying (we want projects like this to provide answers, not create questions), it’s also genuine. I like that.

Projects like “Playing with FIRE” are important. As Scott said in an email yesterday: “Each copy rented or sold is a vote for improving financial literacy and eliminating conspicuous consumption.” It’s a good thing to increase awareness about smart money habits.

That’s why I’ve embarked on a similar project of my own. I don’t want to make a movie (ha!), but I am creating a ten-part, five-hour audio course to introduce people to the world of FIRE. In fact, that’s where much of my time and attention will be devoted this autumn and winter. It’s an exciting assignment, one that I hope will reach a lot of new people.

For now, though, “Playing with FIRE” is really the only thing of its kind, the only mainstream introduction to the ideas of financial independence and early retirement that’s targeted toward a general audience (as opposed to targeted toward money nerds).

As I mentioned earlier, you can buy or rent the film from the following sources:

  • iTunes ($9.99 to buy, $4.99 to rent), where the Rotten Tomatoes score is linked to the wrong film
  • Amazon ($9.99 to buy, $4.99 to rent)
  • Google ($8.99 to buy, $3.99 to rent)
  • Vimeo ($9.99 to buy)

If you have family and friends who might be receptive to the message of this movie, you might consider sharing it with them. I intend to!

The post “Playing with FIRE”, the documentary about financial independence and early retirement appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

While the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) movement has gained popularity in recent years, there are some criticisms and potential drawbacks to pursuing this lifestyle.

Pursuing FIRE often involves making significant changes to your lifestyle, such as living below your means, avoiding debt, and investing aggressively. This may require sacrificing some luxuries and comforts in the short term, which may not be feasible or desirable for everyone.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the “Playing with FIRE” documentary:

1. What is the “Playing with FIRE” documentary about?

The documentary explores the financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) movement, which involves achieving financial freedom and retiring early to live a more fulfilling life.

2. Who are the main subjects of the film?

The film’s main subjects are Scott and Taylor Rieckens, a couple who decide to pursue FIRE to live a more fulfilling life with their young daughter.

3. What are the key takeaways of the documentary?

The key takeaways of the documentary include the principles and strategies of the FIRE movement, the benefits and challenges of pursuing FIRE, and the importance of finding the balance between financial independence and personal fulfillment.

4. What other personal finance topics could the documentary explore?

The documentary could explore other personal finance topics in greater detail, such as different investment strategies, debt management, budgeting, and personal finance’s psychological and emotional aspects.

5. Is the documentary available to watch online?

The documentary is available on digital platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, and Google Play.

6. Who should watch the documentary?

The documentary is recommended for anyone interested in personal finance, financial independence, and early retirement. It provides practical advice and inspiration for anyone who wants to take control of their financial future and live a more fulfilling life.

Different Investment Strategies

Different Investment Strategies

There are several different investment strategies that can be used to achieve financial goals, including:

  1. Index fund investing: Index funds are a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. Index fund investing involves investing in a diversified portfolio of low-cost index funds, which can provide broad exposure to the stock market with low fees and minimal maintenance.
  2. Dividend investing: Dividend investing involves investing in stocks or funds that pay dividends, which are regular payments made to shareholders. Dividend investing can provide a steady stream of income and can be a good option for investors who are seeking income in retirement.
  3. Value investing: Value investing involves investing in stocks or funds that are undervalued by the market. Value investors look for companies that are trading at a discount to their intrinsic value and have solid fundamentals, such as strong earnings and cash flow.
  4. Growth investing: Growth investing involves investing in stocks or funds that have the potential for high growth in the future. Growth investors look for companies that are expanding rapidly and have strong earnings growth potential.
  5. Real estate investing: Real estate investing involves investing in physical properties or real estate investment trusts (REITs), which are companies that own and manage real estate properties. Real estate investing can provide steady income in the form of rent payments and can also provide long-term appreciation in property values.

Overall, different investment strategies can be used to achieve different financial goals and objectives. It is important to carefully consider your own investment strategy and risk tolerance before investing in any particular strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

The “Playing with FIRE” documentary provides a thought-provoking and inspiring look at the financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) movement. The film explores the lives of people who have chosen to pursue FIRE and shows how they can live more fulfilling lives by achieving financial freedom and retiring early.

The documentary provides practical advice and inspiration for anyone who wants to pursue financial independence and early retirement, regardless of their income level or background. It highlights the importance of living below your means, investing in low-cost index funds, and avoiding debt to achieve financial freedom.

The film also encourages viewers to find a balance between financial independence and personal fulfillment and to consider what truly makes them happy. It shows the challenges and sacrifices involved in pursuing FIRE and highlights the benefits that can be experienced as a result.

Overall, “Playing with FIRE” is a well-crafted documentary that provides a comprehensive and engaging look at the FIRE movement. It encourages viewers to think critically about their financial goals and priorities and take control of their financial futures to live more fulfilling lives.

 

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