One thing the FIRE community underemphasizes: the single biggest lever in most people's financial trajectory is their income, not their savings rate.

Yes, a 40% savings rate compounds impressively. But a 40% savings rate on $50,000 is $20,000/year. A 25% savings rate on $120,000 is $30,000/year — more total dollars saved even at a lower rate.

This doesn't mean lifestyle inflation is fine. It means that investing in income growth — through skills development, career progression, job changes, negotiation, and side income — is part of the financial equation.

The people who reach FIRE fastest almost universally have done both: earned more and spent less. The income and savings rate aren't either/or — they compound on each other. Doubling your savings rate while also growing your income gets you there dramatically faster than doing only one.

If you're currently optimizing only on the spending side, look at whether there's a skills investment or career move that could move your income substantially. Sometimes the best investment is in yourself.