Playing with FIRE Review

I went off to the land where ‘players play’ to attend the screening of Playing with FIRE in Atlanta last weekend. I met up with Financial Blogger Josh Overmyer and Financial Coach Lisa Duke, as well as some friends from CampFI Southeast in January of 2019. We had a drink together before we headed across the street to the screening of Playing with FIRE.

First Impressions

When I Arrived I was blown away at the number of people that came out for the film. The line into the screening kept wrapping around the theater. I expected to see the end of the line with every corner I walked around but the line kept winding around the halls of the building. It was a sold-out show. The attendance was a testament to how much the FIRE Movement is growing and what an incredible job Scott, Taylor, Travis and the rest of the crew did, producing this film.

Pro Tip: Buy tickets well in advance of the screening near you.

I felt honored that Scott reserved a seat for me considering that it was a sold out house. When you are on the path to FI, frills like VIP seating or VIP tickets are a luxury largely forgone in the pursuit of freedom. I ended up sitting next to Josh Overmyer, Stephen and his brother David the guys behind Fiology and CampFI. It was great to see these guys again. They are two tightens that do a lot for the FIRE community.

One of my biggest takeaways from this experience is the community that FI is woven together by. After the show, all of the attendees were invited to an after-party across the street at a restaurant with Scott & Taylor and Julien & Kiersten Mr. & Mrs. Rich and Regular. This was an awesome opportunity to get to know many of the attendees and members of the Atlanta Choose FI local group. I never get tired of connecting with fellow FIRE walkers and hearing their unique inroads to FI Life.

I got to hear the story of James and Emily of Rethink the Rat Race. They are both under 30 and retiring this year after FinCon in the Mediterranean with family on the island of Cyprus. Not a bad life huh? Josh offered me the extra bed in his hotel suite equipped with a full kitchen and living room, compliments of travel hacking. Thanks Josh! Remind me to send him a Refined by FIRE T-shirt.

Who is This Show For?

Scott and Taylor Rieckens personally introduced the show. It is a cool touch seeing the stars of the show in person in the theater. The show went on and WOW! See this documentary! Even if documentaries are not your jam. This documentary is great for anyone on the FIRE journey. It is also great for someone that has heard of the FIRE movement and wants to learn more without having to log dozens of hours reading blogs or listening to podcasts to get the principles. I recommend this film as a way of exposing the FIRE concept to a spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend.

As the credits rolled the gentleman sitting in front of me pulled out his phone, visited Vanguard and looked up an article on investing in stocks. Talk about a win! I can’t think of a better response to validate the film’s message. Imagine how many people are being similarly affected as this screening tour sweeps across the nation.

What Did I Think?

From being a close-knit member of the fire community, and having already heard Scott and Taylor in several interviews, I had a good idea of what to expect out of this documentary. However, it was still an awesome journey to watch it unfold on the big screen and to see the intricacies of their journey as they move towards financial independence and increase their savings rate from 8% up to 54%! That is an incredible hike in the short time frame they achieved this.

Taylor’s reactions to some of the life changes she was learning about were priceless to see unfold with a close-up of her genuine reaction 30 feet tall on the big screen. Her reactions were so authentic as she saw the implications of these life changes unfolding in her mind.

Too Extreme for You?

While Scott and Taylor show an extreme example of how quickly you can move towards financial independence, many people scale into FI much more gradually. If what they were striving for seemed a bit too extreme for you and you don’t think you could make such extreme changes in your own life don’t lose heart. Don’t just dismiss this FIRE movement as something that is not for you but rather ask yourself how could I scale that back and start by applying some of these changes to my life.

Remember I started my FIRE journey by buying a ridiculously expensive programmable smart thermostat to hopefully save on my heating and cooling bill. It is far more typical for FIRE Walkers to start slow and perhaps increase savings rates by 10% per year. If you see the financial benefits of this movement but are not ready to change all elements of your lifestyle, start with the easiest expense cutbacks for you to make and see how it feels. It is OK to date FIRE before you Marry it.

What Was the Hardest Thing to Change?

I had the chance to ask Scott and Taylor “What was the most difficult thing that you changed about your lifestyle on your Journey to FIRE?” Taylor’s answer was predictable after watching her reactions on the silver screen.

“Giving up the coastal home in Coronado and the fancy new vehicle,” she said.

Scott’s answer started off predictable with,

“Giving up the boat club membership.”

but then he went on, he kept talking and unpacking a deeper and deeper answer over the next 15 minutes as we walked back to the hotel. By the time we reached the hotel, his answer had completely evolved. I was left wondering if this was the first time he had thought so deeply about this question.

Given that his answer was about a 15-minutes long, I am Going to do my best to summarize Scott’s answer in a few sentences.

“For me, [Scott] the hardest thing that I put on the line was my credibility, taking a huge risk on this alternative lifestyle and asking my wife to have faith in my family leadership. Watching her make difficult changes, in her case some sacrifices and maintaining faith in me that this will all work out with our young daughter along for the ride. Especially, when I quit my job to make some of these drastic lifestyle changes and had to rely on my wife as the primary breadwinner for the family. The most difficult sacrifice was staking my reputation as a trustworthy and wise leader of my family and hoping my wife would support me.”

What is Next?

Will there be A Playing with FIRE 2? IF so, will it be titled “Played with FIRE and Didn’t Get Burned?” I asked the question and Scott did mention the next project after this film but that information is not yet official so I am not at liberty to leak it just yet. 😉

Still haven’t seen this film? What are you waiting for? Connect with a screening in your area by following this link to Playing with FIRE. Don’t live near a showing on the screening tour? No worries, you can actually bring the show to you by promoting a Tugg showing at your local theater. The film will be available after the screening tour on DVD and select digital streaming sources. Stay tuned to the Playing with FIRE site for release dates.

Keep the FIRE burning my friends.