Hey there!
If you clicked on this expecting a success story about how I achieved FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) through sheer hustle & determination... well,
that’s unfortunate.
First, let me introduce myself. I'm Charmaine: I’ve dipped my toes in every side hustle imaginable.
No joke, my resume reads like a wild career buffet.
7 internships by 22? Check. Licking 500 envelopes for a mailing campaign? Yep, my tongue's been there. Selling exercise equipment while secretly being a couch potato? Guilty as charged.
I've tutored, transcribed, folded clothes like a retail ninja, & even passed off cork doodles as "art."
A brief look into some of the many side gigs under my belt. And yes, you’re seeing that right. 455 Carousell notifications.
But here's where I throw in the towel: while all this hustle did fatten up my bank account considerably, it also took my mental health on quite a rollercoaster ride.
& I've got a hunch I'm not flying solo on this one.
Don't get me wrong, the FIRE movement is incredible. The prospect of achieving financial independence & bidding adieu to the 9-to-5 grind is wildly motivating. It's what keeps us going (or kept me at least) while juggling our day jobs & side gigs.
But let's get real for a hot second - it can also be utterly exhausting.
I hate to admit this but there was a time that I was so laser-focused on maximising my earnings that sleep became a distant memory. If staying up until 3 a.m. drawing on cork coasters earned me $50, I’d do it.
At one point, I was so strict with my expense limit that I stretched a single sandwich over six meals. Not exactly my finest hours, folks.
As I juggled these gigs & watched my bank account grow & my sleep diminish, oddly I started feeling... proud? Accomplished?
It was like I'd stumbled into a funhouse mirror version of success. Every time I saw those digits tick up in my savings app, a wave of satisfaction washed over me.
The real kicker though?
My parents started bragging about me to anyone who'd listen. "Oh, our daughter? She's so resourceful. She can turn anything into a side hustle!" They'd beam with pride, & I'd stand there, exhausted but grinning, basking in their approval.
And you know what? I ate it up. I wore my hustle like a badge of honour.
"Sleep is for the weak," I'd joke even as my eye twitched from caffeine overload (I once drank 9 cans of coffee in a day). "I'll rest when I'm retired," I'd declare, as if running myself into the ground was a noble pursuit.
Here’s the truth: this warped sense of accomplishment became my drug of choice. I was addicted to the hustle, to the praise, to the feeling of being "productive."
But PSA to all – productive doesn't always mean profitable, & it certainly doesn't always equate to happiness.
It took me embarrassingly long to realise that this twisted pride was actually a smokescreen, hiding the fact that I was burning out faster than a candle lit at both ends.
I was so focused on the destination— that mythical FIRE finish line— that I'd completely lost sight of the journey.
My favourite pastimes transformed into paychecks, & I watched the joy slowly seep out of activities I once loved, leaving behind a hollow shell of productivity where passion used to reside.
So here I was, the poster child for side hustles, the queen of "making it work," the princess of productivity... & I was miserable. Accomplished on paper, perhaps, but at what cost?
At 21 years old this realisation was a tough pill to swallow. At such a young age, it forced me to confront some uncomfortable truths about my relationship with work, money, and self-worth. But I’m glad it did and early.
Sometimes, you need to hit that low point to reevaluate your path.
So, before you dive headfirst into the FIRE movement, take a moment to consider the full picture. The allure of early retirement is strong, but balance matters. Your mental health is just as valuable as your net worth.
Don't let the pursuit of financial independence consume your every waking moment or turn your passions into joyless money-making machines.
Financial writer, Lorna Tan, said this quote that I particularly love & has now become my personal motto: “You don’t have to be so fixated on retiring early, especially if you’re enjoying the work that you do. (Instead of FIRE), let’s look at this term FIRM– Financial independence, retire meaningfully.”
Together, let’s work towards a future where financial independence isn’t just about freedom from work because of accumulated wealth — it’s about the freedom to truly live.
Love,
Charmaine
Editorial Note:
Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone, & have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
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