[throwaway22032]

People aren't wealth paperclip maximizers, I don't think this stat really means what people think it means.

Loads of people I know spend their entire pay because they don't save. Like, saving just isn't a thing for them. They're not in poverty, they're not rich, they just don't save, they don't care.

They also don't maximize income either. They do whatever job sort of works and enjoy their life.

[IAmWorried]

If you aren't born into some upper class family, I think this honestly might be the best approach to living life. With the rate of inflation in housing and education, it might just not be worth the effort to save for retirement and a house.

[throwaway22032]

I wouldn't go as far as saying that you need an inheritance, but I do think that beyond a point you're just pissing in the wind.

Trying to build a retirement whilst earning $20K a year is like trying to become a bodybuilder whilst eating only donuts. You can't just be all like freewheeling and shit, you need to play life like it's a game with win conditions.

But yeah, you can just not play. Most people don't, they focus on other things that give their lives meaning.