By Finally. For about a year now I have been waiting for the opportunity to see the documentary, “Playing with FIRE”. For those of you who aren’t familiar, this is a documentary focusing on everything this blog is about, financial freedom, independence, and overall happiness. When I first saw the trailer, I was so excited that someone had gone through the effort of creating a documentary like this and thrilled that it would reach thousands of people spreading the message about the F.I.R.E movement.
Overall this documentary was really well done and I felt it told a story that really reaches out to people. So much so that it has sparked interest in myself and the co- writer of this blog, Gabe, to host our own event in showing this documentary again in the Chicago land area (stay tuned for future updates).
So without too many spoilers, I will give a brief description of what this documentary is all about, why I think it is important enough to write a blog post on it, and why I’m willing to go through the motions of setting up a viewing in my area.
This documentary follows a young couple, Scott and Taylor, who live in a high cost of living area of San Diego. They drive luxury cars, enjoy eating out, spending times with family and friends, and are passionate about providing their young daughter Jovie with the best life possible. Scott and Taylor both have well-paying jobs but found themselves still living pay check to pay check. Things all changed one morning when Scott was listening to a Tim Ferriss podcast which featured my favorite blogger Mr. Money Mustache. This podcast transformed the way Scott thought about money and he quickly became consumed by the idea of finanical independece and retiring early.
This results in a huge uprooting of Scott and Taylors lives. This includes moving out of state, living with their parents, selling their expensive vehicles, and then dealing with all of the stress that comes along with these huge changes.
One of the greatest things about this film is that it shows how hard the struggle is for Scott and Taylor. They were initially consumed by the culture of consumerism and spending their money on material things. It showed the reality of the stress on their relationship and the effects money can have on your life.
In addition to the story of Scott and Taylor’s pursuit of financial independence you also get the opportunity to meet some of the biggest proponents of the FIRE movement including Mr. Money Mustache, Vicki Robin, Brad and Jonathon from ChooseFI, the mad Fientist, Paula Pant, and so many more. I’ll admit I was somewhat starstruck and really enjoyed seeing so many of the financial experts I have been reading about and following for years now.
One of the greatest take aways for me is beginning to see an increased following in the F.I.R.E movement. The financial independence retire early lifestyle is something that I am so passionate about and it is truly a blessing for me to see people getting excited about it and interested in turning their lives around. I had the opportunity to stop and speak to a few people after the movie and it is great to see how people from so many different walks of life are realizing that financial freedom is important, and that it can be a lifechanging goal to achieve.
I urge you to go to https://www.playingwithfire.co/ to view the trailer and see if there are any showings near you. If you are able to go, try bringing a friend or family member, maybe a neighbor or co-worker, or someone that you think needs to hear this message. This film is a great conversation starter and a great way to spread the message about FIRE.
A big thanks to all of the staff and crew from Playing with FIRE, and the hard work they put in to make it possible. Because of them, thousands of people have been touched by Scott and Taylor’s story and inspired to pursue financial independence.
If you are interested in setting up an event for this documentary yourself, send me an email and I can walk you through the steps of doing it. The greatest part about it, is that it’s free! All it takes is meeting a minimum amount of tickets sold in order to get the event confirmed. Thanks for reading.
-Matt-
Money on F.I.R.E. 