‘Die with Zero'

‘Die with Zero: Getting all you can from your money and your life’ is a personal finance and life-philosophy book by Bill Perkins.   Its main message is ‘Your goal should not be to die with the most money, but to die having lived the fullest life.  Let us talk about this concept.  The central concept or idea is to use all your resources money to maximize life enjoyment and meaningful experiences rather than saving purely for wealth accumulation or leaving a large inheritance.  Do not waste your money that you will not spend in your life time.  The book highlights, instead of endlessly saving for the future, Perkins encourages using your money to create meaningful experiences while you are alive, especially when you are young enough to enjoy them.  One should maximize life experiences, not one’s bank accounts.

This die with zero school of thought gives you another way of thinking.  It says what you got, spend it on life experiences.  This concept helps avoid the regret many retirees feel, accumulating wealth only to find that by the time they retire, they no longer have the health or energy to enjoy big life experiences.  Hence, do not save it to give to next generation.  In today’s world with our life span increasing, by the time we leave the earth our offspring are also in their 50s or 60s.  So they are already earning their living and making their own money.  You rather spend that money you made on your own and your kids’ life experiences than putting it in the bank.

When you die no matter whatever your bank balances what you really remember and cherish is what you did with your life and how you lived it well.   This saving tendency is rampant in as immigrant families and all eastern cultures.  We have seen our previous generations in our fathers, mothers, grandfathers, the generation previous to us do it.  We got to learn from their mistakes now.

There is a happy balance.  Balance saving and spending across your life.  I am not saying spend everything or just do not save anything.  But there is a very happy balance between saving enough to have a comfortable life till you die and still enjoying life experiences today.  You should avoid both extremes that is, over saving meaning having too much money left unused at the end of your life and, overspending, meaning running out of money too early.   Convert money into ‘memory dividends’.  Experiences pay ‘dividends’ over time because you keep remembering them, gaining joy again.  Money is a tool to create memories; health and time are limited, so do not postpone everything for ‘later’.

In conclusion, ‘Die with Zero’ teaches you to spend deliberately, value time more than money and design a life rich in meaningful experiences.  The goal is not to be irresponsible but to use your resources wisely so that you do not reach old age realizing you saved too much and lived too little.

Yours truly,

Subbiah Sridhar