The 3 Big Ideas from Die With Zero (and How to Apply Them Now)

Die With Intention: How to Spend on What Matters Most

The book Die With Zero by Bill Perkins often raises eyebrows at first. The title sounds reckless — maybe even irresponsible. But once you dig in, it’s actually about something far more meaningful: living intentionally, spending with purpose, and using money as a tool to create memories, not just accumulate wealth.

In Die With Zero, Perkins challenges the traditional idea of saving endlessly for a future that may never come. The message isn’t to abandon financial planning — it’s to align your money with the timing of your health, energy, and values.

The Money–Health Curve

If you were to graph life, you’d see two intersecting lines. One represents your health — high in your early years, slowly declining over time. The other represents your wealth — starting near zero and increasing throughout your career and later years.

The point where those two lines meet — when you have enough health and enough wealth — is the sweet spot. That’s when experiences have the most impact. Waiting too long can mean having more money but less energy, fewer opportunities, and, most importantly, less time with the people you love.

Timing Is Everything

For Chris, this idea hit home while planning a family trip to New Zealand. He and his wife, Michelle, had always dreamed of traveling with their kids — but as years went by, life got busy, and those big adventures stayed on the back burner.

Then they realized: their kids were eight and six. Blink, and those family years would be gone. If they waited for the “perfect time” — when work was quieter or savings were higher — that window might close.

So they booked the trip. Not because they could perfectly afford it or had every detail figured out, but because it fit their values. It aligned with their health, their kids’ ages, and their desire to build memories now.

The Time Bucket Exercise

One of the most practical ideas from Die With Zero is “time bucketing.” Break your life into five-year chunks and write down your age, your partner’s age, and your kids’ ages at each point.

Then list out the experiences and goals that matter most to you — travel, education, hobbies, milestones — and start placing them into those time buckets.

You’ll quickly see how certain things have a window. Maybe you want to backpack with your kids before they’re teenagers. Or take a sabbatical before your energy dips. Seeing life in defined stages helps you prioritize what matters while you still can.

Over-Saving and Under-Living

Many people spend their working years accumulating wealth, only to reach retirement and realize they never gave themselves permission to live. They over-saved and under-lived.

And when they pass away, that money often goes to adult children who are already financially secure. A 60-year-old inheriting a million dollars isn’t necessarily life-changing — but using that same money decades earlier to create shared experiences would have been.

A more intentional approach is to give while you’re alive — whether that means helping your kids when they need it most, supporting a cause you believe in, or spending on experiences that strengthen relationships. Why wait to see the impact of your money when you could live it now?

The Balance Between Today and Tomorrow

Of course, this isn’t about spending recklessly or neglecting your future self. It’s about balance. Good planning ensures that you’ll be okay later — which gives you permission to enjoy life now.

If your projections show that you’re on track for financial independence, you can stop worrying about “what if” and start investing in what matters most. If your plan isn’t yet solid, work toward that security — but still find space to live meaningfully along the way.

As the saying goes: Show me your calendar and your checkbook, and I’ll show you what’s important to you.

Living Richly, Not Just Dying Rich

True wealth isn’t about how much you have when you die — it’s about how intentionally you live while you’re here.

Your legacy doesn’t have to be measured in dollars left behind, but in experiences shared, memories created, and the positive impact you see unfold in real time.

So take an hour this week. Write down your ages, your kids’ ages, and the experiences that matter most. Bucket them out, make a plan, and give yourself permission to live with intention — not excess.

Because the goal isn’t to die with zero.
It’s to die with a life that was fully lived.