Good discussion. Yes, the FIRE movement gets a lot of things wrong, especially the extreme frugality that sucks the joy out of life for most people. However, "retiring" early is more about having some financial freedom to do what you want, rather than having to do things for money. If you love music and want to be in a band, it is better to have another source of income to feed you while you struggle to make it work, etc. This takes time and effort, but it can help free up your life for what is more important to you than money.