Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Boldin.
If you’re rethinking how to use your time, money, and energy in midlife or as you approach retirement, “Die With Zero” by Bill Perkins offers a refreshingly bold perspective.
Rather than focusing on saving endlessly for a future that may never come, the book challenges you to intentionally convert money into meaningful life experiences while you’re still healthy enough to enjoy them.
What ‘Die With Zero’ Is All About — And Why It’s So Compelling
Published in 2020, “Die With Zero” by former hedge fund manager Bill Perkins quickly became a word-of-mouth phenomenon, especially among midlife professionals and retirees rethinking how they spend their time and money. The book challenges a deeply ingrained mindset: that accumulating wealth is the primary measure of financial success.
Instead, Perkins offers a more radical goal: use your money to create the richest life possible, and aim to die with zero dollars left unspent.
The idea isn’t about irresponsibility or draining your bank account. It’s about timing your spending to match your capacity for joy, recognizing that money is most valuable when used at the right moments, not hoarded indefinitely for a future that may never arrive.
As more people seek to reclaim agency over their lives — especially in the wake of the pandemic, rising burnout, and shifting values — “Die With Zero” has resonated in a big way. It sparks deep introspection and conversations about regret, opportunity, and purpose.
Here are key tips and insights from the book to help you live more fully and plan with purpose.
1. Spend Your Life Energy Wisely
Money is just a tool to help you get the most out of your finite time and energy. Perkins argues that your goal shouldn’t be to die with a large bank account but to have used your money to create a rich, memorable life.
2. Don’t Over-Save — Optimize
Traditional financial advice pushes saving “just in case.” But “Die With Zero” suggests flipping the script: save enough for security, then focus on using your money to enjoy life now. Saving too much for too long can mean missing your prime window for adventures, family time, or personal growth.
3. Time-Bucket Your Life
Perkins introduces the concept of “time-bucketing”: breaking your life into five- to 10-year chunks and asking, “What experiences do I want to have in this phase of life?” Then, plan your money and time accordingly — before that bucket passes you by.
4. Invest in Experiences, Not Just Assets
Experiences create lasting memories and shape who you are. Unlike material things, they appreciate in emotional value over time. Prioritize experiences that align with your values and give your life meaning.
5. Give Earlier, Not Just Later
If you’re planning to leave money to your kids, family, or causes you care about — why wait until you’re gone? Giving earlier means you get to witness the impact, and your loved ones benefit when they need it most (e.g. early adulthood, starting families, buying homes).
6. Health Is the Ultimate Currency
No amount of money matters if you don’t have the health or energy to enjoy it. Plan your most active adventures during your younger years, and structure your later years around what your future self will realistically want and be able to do.
Is Dying with Zero a Sound Financial Plan?
Strictly speaking, “Die With Zero” isn’t a financial plan — it’s a philosophy of living. It’s about making the most of your finite time, energy, and money by intentionally spending on experiences that bring meaning, connection, and joy — before it’s too late.
But it is challenging to turn it into an actual financial plan.
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