A 27-year-old software engineer took to Reddit to ask if a ₹1 crore net worth is enough to retire early and move to a Tier-2 city. Drained by relentless 7-day workweeks combining a tech job with freelancing, he cited severe burnout, deadline pressure, and layoff fears.
“27M. Reached 1Cr net worth. Tired. Can I FIRE now?” a Reddit user wrote. The man shared that he is a software engineer by profession and recently reached a net worth of ₹1 crore. “Most of my net worth is invested in mutual funds, FDs, and EPF.”
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The techie asked Reddit users whether he could retire at this age, as his job at a “FAANG-equivalent company,” along with his freelancing, has left him essentially “working 7 days a week for the last 4–5 years”.
The man continued that his work life left him exhausted. “Honestly, I’m tired. Tired of the constant pressure of deadlines, performance evaluations, difficult work, and the constant fear of layoffs and uncertainty. I want to retire and live a peaceful life in a tier-2/3 city. I also plan to remain single and don’t intend to get married.”
{{/usCountry}}The man continued that his work life left him exhausted. “Honestly, I’m tired. Tired of the constant pressure of deadlines, performance evaluations, difficult work, and the constant fear of layoffs and uncertainty. I want to retire and live a peaceful life in a tier-2/3 city. I also plan to remain single and don’t intend to get married.”
{{/usCountry}}He concluded his post with a question: “Is it realistically possible for me to retire now with ₹1 Cr and live a simple, peaceful life?”
How did social media react?
An individual wrote, “Been there, honestly, you can't FIRE at this age with one crore. Life is long; you will change along with what you want with it. This money won't last you long. Also, you don't need FIRE; you need a break. Take a few weeks off for the start, tell them you are not well or have a personal tragedy, whatever. Don't do anything other than what you want to do( Movie, read, travel, games, painting...) along with physical exercises - walking, gym, swimming, whatever you like, just no computers and minimal phone usage. Then, once you are back in the office, coast for a few months: log off at 5, do minimal work, and keep doing what you really wanna do, along with daily exercises. If performance drops and the team notices after a few months, change the team. Within a few months, you will be recharged and with a new team doing something new.”
Another suggested, “No. You need your own house or a plot first. Then accumulate 1cr. Then, probably you can retire.” A third commented, “This is a highly subjective question. You need to do an analysis of your future expenses. Personally, I feel you need a break, rather than a retirement. Take some time off, switch to better work-life balance companies or try to bring some balance to your current job.”
A fourth expressed, “If you invest well, probably taking the break and recharging would give you a direction to pick something you're passionate about. This money would give you a nice, long break for sure. And it's a good backing while you're figuring out what to do with your newfound time.”
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