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Throughout this series, we've talked about everyone your money can take care of.
Your kids.
The causes and communities you believe in.
Even the IRS, on your own terms.
Still, there's one person missing from that list.
You.
But after a lifetime of saving, splurging on yourself just feels… wrong.
That's why I saved this one for last in our Die with Zero series. For most people, spending on themselves is the hardest part of the whole plan.
But the foundation is already there. You're on track to have more than enough.
And yet, every time you think about spending what you've saved, something tightens. You've spent so long protecting your savings that watching it shrink feels like going backward.
I want you to know, that feeling is completely normal.
One study found that about one in three retirees reach their mid-eighties with every dollar they'd saved for retirement still intact. Yes. Every dollar.
Among those who'd saved $500,000 or more, nearly half actually end up with more than they started with. They have every reason to spend it, but after decades of saving, the fear of running out drowns out the joy of using what they’ve earned.
The same discipline that served you well is now the exact thing holding you back.
After 18 years guiding people through both sides of retirement, I’ve learned that the retirees who end up most fulfilled share this one thing:
They know that every dollar saved was always meant to build a life worth living.
And few people have captured the value of living better than Bill Perkins. His whole philosophy comes down to one simple observation. Money spent on things fades, but money spent on living pays you back for life.
He calls it the memory dividend.
A trip you take at 65 doesn't end when you come home. Years later, you'll be telling that story at the dinner table about the paella you ate overlooking the coast of Barcelona.
You'll find the picture of you with your grandchildren in front of the castle at Disney World.
Or you'll smile out of nowhere, thinking about the street musician you and your spouse danced to on a random Thursday night.
And suddenly, the years fall away, and you're right back in that moment as if it never ended.
But money sitting in your account does the opposite.
It sits.
Waiting.
Waiting for a someday that, for many people, never comes.
Perkins doesn't soften it. He says, "The last thing I want for you is to finish rich in money and poor in enjoyable experiences."
Now, here’s the part that most people miss:
The day you die and the day you can no longer do the things you dreamed of are not the same day.
The trip you take at 67 won't be the one you can take at 87. The hobbies you enjoy in your 70s will look different in your 90s. The friends you want to spend time with won't always be around to say yes.
And the dream you keep putting off doesn't get easier to reach the longer you wait.
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So give yourself permission to do something most people never let themselves do.
Dream bigger.
Think of the thing you'd do if you knew you had the time, money, and permission. That moment is closer than you think. You may already have all three.
Write it down. Don't edit for practicality yet.
For now, just let yourself want it.
Some of my favorite moments around the office happen when I swap stories with Luke and Sean — two of our advisors here at Streamline — about clients who are out living the dreams they planned with us. Nothing would make us happier than helping you live yours.
If something's already coming to mind, grab a time to talk with us here. I think you'll be surprised by what you can accomplish. Most people are.
Thanks for walking through this series with me. I hope it's helped you picture what your overflow could do, and I'm excited to share more with you next month.
Until then, I hope you'll remember this:
You can't pour into anyone else's cup from one that's run dry. Everything you hope to give your kids and the causes you care about starts with taking care of yourself.
So fill your cup, even just a little. You've earned it.
Warmly,
Tim
Tim Meisenheimer, CFP®, CFA
CEO, Streamline Financial
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