Origins
F-You money, it’s PG derivation, originated in a novel titled, Tai Pan, from author James Clavell. The concept is having a nest egg that may not be large enough to retire but allows you choices to act in a fashion that serves you. Some examples may be saying no to work that does not serve you, leaving a toxic boss, or taking time to recover from burnout.
Uses
Throughout my career, there have certainly been situations where having F-you money would have been a great asset to have in my back pocket. In those situations where I did not, there have been times when I’ve just had to make the best of a bad situation. However, if I did have that freedom, I could have walked away without feeling like I needed to land my next job.
However, the power of F-you money doesn’t always have to result in an exit from a company either. Maybe you really like your job, except for that one “TPS report”. The beauty of F-you money allows you to tell your boss your candid feedback and say no. While that may be subtle, some of the power has just shifted to your side of the balance sheet.
Another way this manifests itself is the great climb of the corporate ladder. While you may feel obligated to continue to take on more and more responsibility as that is how your company works, F-you money allows you to get off on whichever floor you feel comfortable. For example, let’s say that you are an individual contributor today and to move up you need to move into management. If that’s something you desire, fantastic! You can continue as normal. However, if those are not part of your goals, you have the flexibility to take a different path.
A common saying around the FI is about the “Boring middle” and how keeping energized throughout your 5 levels of FI is important. Measuring when you have F-you money is another checkbox that you can tick off in your journey and see the additional freedom it provides.
How about you?
How about you? Do you have F-you money? Have you used it at some point throughout your life? If so, what are some creative ways you’ve spent your F-you money?