‘Ika nga ni Bugoy na Koykoy… “hindi para sa lahat.” My mediocre ass was lucky enough to find a global tech job, work that said ass from 3 PM ’til midnight, and even then, make only the baseline level of a “high-earner.”

I am the typical American FIRE target market: a high earner in tech, retiring in her early 30s. But I believe stopping at any age before 60 is still early retirement, and being a “high earner” is entirely subjective. Depende yan sa kung magkano ang perang natitira sa’yo.

Since I talk about FIRE, I’m going to have to share my “number” here. Traditionally, mine is Php 12,000,000. I figured that my monthly retirement expense would sit right at Php 40,000. That is just enough for me.

Half of that can be enough for someone else. Heck, Php 17,000 nga ang minimum wage sa Pilipinas (not glorifying this, just stating facts). Say Php 20,000 monthly is all you need. That makes your FIRE number Php 6,000,000. You get that by multiplying your annual expense of Php 240,000 by the magic number 25 (which is the exact mathematical reverse of the 4% rule). Enough na daw yan to last you a lifetime when invested at kurutan lang ng 4% per year.

While “just enough” looks different for everybody, you need some sort of leverage to reach your number before inflation eats you alive. You could be a high-earner, part of a dual-income household, an entrepreneur, or dang it—married to a rich man! But if you don’t have those, you can also be an extreme frugalist who spends way, way less than what you earn. That choice can be your leverage.

Because you see, wanting anything more than just enough is just lifestyle inflation. To let you in on a little secret: some rich people are the most kuripot people I’ve ever known—as in.

Kaya siguro sila mayaman, kasi bawat piso mahalaga.

I believe every single peso spent beyond your basic needs and leisure means nagpa-uto ka sa man-made capitalist trends gaya ng Labubu at mechanical keyboards. Kung meron kang collectible, may pagka-mahina ang ulo mo, for lack of a better term. Once you become aware of these trends and see right through them, kasalanan na ang pumikit. Pinapayaman mo lang ang mga kapitalista who are banking on your boring life, while you drift farther and farther away from your FIRE number.

Moreover, to amass wealth beyond your actual needs is a waste of time. When you already have what you need to survive, continuing to grind for things you don’t need means you basically worked your body harder than you ever needed to in this lifetime. Ipinag-camping mo lang sana sa Tanay o chongke sa Thailand.

Since I married into a family of businessmen, I am surrounded by people hoarding money. But that is not stopping me from trailblazing my own path.

My journey through FIRE so far hasn’t been easy. It requires intense discipline and a heavy sprinkle of JOMO—the joy of missing out. This lifestyle is impossible to achieve if you are obsessed with “healing your inner child.” How about preparing for the future you? Who’s making sure your future will not be traumatic again?

Healing is not brought about by material things; it is a mindset. Ang bagong bili mong mechanical keyboard bago lang for a few days. Then the dopamine subsides, and here you are stuck with a clanky keyboard that you didn’t even really need.

So yes, FIRE—hindi siya para sa lahat. Because 1 – you need to know what is enough, 2 – you have to know when to stop hoarding money and 3 – hindi ka para sa lahat—keep your energy to yourself, keep your money to yourself. Pay yourself first, invest in the future you, and buy your dang time back.