Personal Finance

I Have $5M At Only 35 Years Old, But Can't Enjoy It

David Beren

Published: March 1, 2025 10:58 am

One of the biggest challenges someone who is living the FIRE life can face is having a bunch of money but not being able to enjoy it. This is something of the underlying belief in FIRE, as you are able to make a bunch of money and then enjoy your life, so not being able to do so is a real concern. 

According to a post on r/fatFIRE, this is precisely the scenario one Redditor is undergoing. With an estimated $5 million in savings, this Redditor hoped he could enjoy his life. Unfortunately, medical issues are taking center stage, and nobody has any answers. 

This is a pretty sad situation as this Redditor wants to enjoy the millions he’s put away, but these lingering medical issues are taking quite a toll on their physical and mental health. 

What We Know

According to the Redditor’s post, he has been involved in a business for the last 10 years and plans to sell the company sometime in late 2025 or early 2026. The business has been lucrative enough to help him stash away around $5 million, half of which is invested in real estate and index funds, with the other half in cash. 

Unfortunately, the good news for this Redditor stops here as he has some “health and personal issues that make my life pretty unpleasant.” This isn’t easy to hear, and the post comments can’t help but sympathize with this individual’s situation. 

This Redditor can only stomach rice and meat, and eating anything else has led to gut issues. He has gone through a battery of tests in Eastern Europe, where they live, and still don’t have any answers. Thankfully, because they have the means, they are looking to shift their medical focus to Western Europe, where they might find other doctors who can get to the bottom of this. 

Sadly, these health issues are causing the Redditor to be unable to do anything, including dating, travel, hike, run, work out, or just any type of traditional social behavior. This is extremely unfortunate as this is the exact hope of many fatFIRE individuals. However, this Redditor feels shut out, and it’s been hard for them. 

Health Above All Else

One thing that doesn’t seem immediately apparent is that this Redditor has put their health aside for their fatFIRE goal. On the contrary, this individual indicates they have gone to many and “supposedly the best” doctors in Eastern Europe. However, without any answers, their frustrations continue to grow as they are still losing weight and have no dating life. 

Above all else, health matters most in this world. No amount of money can make you completely healthy, so we should be glad to see this individual following through with all of the tests the doctors recommend. Still, it’s understandable that this Redditor remains super frustrated. 

One interesting note from the comment section is that there is a pretty strong opinion that the Redditor should get tested for Celiac disease. The original post doesn’t mention this as a consideration, but since the symptoms and issues are mostly gut-related, Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease are coming up as potential tests to discuss with Western European doctors. 

As a result, several recommendations indicate that the Redditor should try a gluten-free diet temporarily to see if it helps reduce any of the gut concerns. Of course, very few of these comments are from medical professionals, so any advice should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, as this Redditor is desperately looking for recommendations, anything and everything should be considered. 

No Price Tag On Health

What makes this Redditor’s situation different from so many others is that he can seek treatment anywhere. There is little question that $5 million should be more than enough to run through the entire gamut of possibilities, whether in Western Europe or, as many of the Reddit comments suggest, go somewhere like the Mayo Clinic in the United States. 

We don’t know if any of these medical tests are related to insurance or if this individual is in a country where the state provides health care. Either way, as there is no price you can put on health, this is precisely why having money can be so crucial in the world. 

Not only does this individual need to step away from the stress of work, which could be an underlying contributor to some of these health issues, but the business has afforded them the means to get to places on the planet where they can and will find answers. 

Alternative Health Methods

Unsurprisingly, many Redditors suggest alternative health methods beyond traditional medicine. As the conventional methods haven’t worked yet, there is an argument to be made for trying anything. However, many of the alternative health methods being recommended may not work and need to be followed to the exact letter, or they can lead to other health risks. 

The result is that this individual should undoubtedly exhaust all traditional medical approaches before considering any alternative. What’s left unsaid in this post is whether the Redditor’s sale of the business will net them even more money. Even if this isn’t the case, there is enough money to try and learn about alternative health methods, but only if all else fails. 

Take Care Of Yourself

It should go without saying that taking care of your mental and physical health should be at the top of everyone’s list who is looking to or is currently fatFIRE. The bottom line is worth emphasizing again: You can’t put a price tag on health, and taking care of yourself is so important. 

The last thing this individual wants is to have enough money to live a carefree life only to be unable to leave the home without fear of having another stomach issue. I can only imagine this has been debilitating enough, so let this be a lesson to anyone reading this who might be in a similar situation.