Financial Samurai Author Redirects $40,000 to Summer Experiences After Startup Bets Shrink
Updated
Updated · Financial Samurai · Jul 5
Financial Samurai Author Redirects $40,000 to Summer Experiences After Startup Bets Shrink
1 articles · Updated · Financial Samurai · Jul 5
Summary
$40,000 in cash was repurposed into a “Summer YOLO Fund” after the author’s planned startup checks were cut, including one reduced to $10,000 from a planned $25,000.
The shift came after he had already moved $50,000 for YC Demo Day investing and wired $56,100 to meet a venture fund capital call, only to find desired deals either full or priced too richly.
The author frames the move as a deliberate break from 27 years of saving 50% to 80% of income, arguing FIRE habits can make spending on joy harder than making another investment.
Roughly $20,000 of the fund has tentative uses including $6,000 for dining, $2,500 for family outings, $2,500 for a MacBook Pro and $5,000 for blinds, with the rest still unassigned.
The broader point is a decumulation mindset: capital once earmarked for illiquid 10-year startup bets can instead be converted into immediate family memories when the right investments do not appear.