Die With Zero Summary

We’ve been taught to save. To invest. To delay gratification. And while that advice has its place, Die With Zero makes a compelling case for what’s often missing: a strategy not just for preserving wealth, but for spending it wisely—while it still matters.

This isn’t a book about being reckless with money. It’s about being deliberate with time. Because time, as Bill Perkins reminds us, is the one resource you can’t earn back. And the real tragedy isn’t running out of money—it’s running out of life with too much left unspent, unwritten, and unlived.

Die With Zero is part personal finance guide, part philosophy of intentional living. It challenges the reflex to accumulate, and instead encourages you to optimize your life across your lifespan—matching your spending, effort, and generosity to the seasons where they’ll create the most impact.

Perkins reframes financial planning not around wealth preservation, but around experience maximization. He invites us to look at our calendar the way we look at our portfolio: with strategy, foresight, and a long-term view—not of growth, but of fulfillment.

Is Die With Zero for You?

If you’ve ever looked at your savings account and wondered, “What exactly am I waiting for?”—this book is for you.

It’s especially relevant if:

• You’re in your 30s, 40s, or 50s and starting to think about how to get more out of life beyond career achievements.

• You’re nearing retirement and wondering how to spend down wealth without fear or guilt.

• You’re highly driven, financially responsible—but sometimes feel trapped by your own success and unsure how or when to truly enjoy it.

• You’ve built up resources (money, time, relationships) and want to turn those into meaningful experiences, not just spreadsheets.

• You care about leaving a legacy—but also about living one now.

The book challenges readers to rethink their approach to life and money, encouraging them to adopt a proactive mindset and prioritize experiences over material possessions.  However, the book's lessons are applicable to people of all ages and stages of life, as it offers a unique perspective on how to live a life with purpose and intention.

And for high-income professionals or careful savers, this book offers something liberating: permission to spend with purpose, before time quietly takes the option away.

This isn’t about dying broke. It’s about living richly—on your own terms, with intention, courage, and clarity.

DIE WITH ZERO CHAPTER SUMMARY

Chapter One: Optimize Your Life for Experiences, Not Just Wealth

The chapter opens with a gentle but confronting reality: most people are not just saving too much—they’re living too little. We’ve been conditioned to believe that building wealth is the goal, but Perkins argues it’s not the endgame. The real objective, he says, is to use that wealth to maximize meaningful experiences throughout your life—because if you wait too long, you won’t have the health, energy, or time left to enjoy them.

At the core of this chapter is the idea of return on life—a reframe of the ROI mindset from finance into the realm of fulfillment. Rather than asking, “How can I earn the most?”, the better question becomes, “How can I get the most value from the time and resources I already have?”

To explore this, Perkins introduces one of his foundational beliefs: "Die with zero." Not literally £0.00 in the bank the moment you die—but close. The concept is about matching your money to your moments, not hoarding it indefinitely out of fear, habit, or inertia.

Why this matters:

Most people have a default setting: earn, save, repeat. But what they don’t realize is that while money compounds, life doesn’t. Your physical ability, risk tolerance, curiosity, and even your relationships all decay over time. What you could do with £10,000 at 30 is very different from what you can do with it at 70.

And yet, many people delay their most meaningful adventures—travel, career shifts, sabbaticals, family time—because they feel it’s safer to wait. But waiting has a cost. And the tragedy Perkins points out is that we’re often saving for a future that never quite arrives in the way we imagined.

“The goal isn’t to die with nothing—it’s to die with nothing left unlived.”

The "curve" of life utility:

Perkins uses a concept he calls the “experience curve.” It mirrors a financial life-cycle, but instead of focusing on wealth accumulation, it focuses on experience accumulation. Your goal should be to spend your money when it gives you the most life value, not just when you feel the most financially secure.

For example:

• Traveling in your 30s brings different joy (and mobility) than in your 70s.

• Learning a new skill, starting a business, or taking risks is often best done when energy and appetite for challenge are still high.

• Giving money to loved ones while you’re alive to see the impact creates far more meaning than a posthumous inheritance.

This chapter doesn’t offer formulas—it offers a framework: spend intentionally, and sooner. Because if you keep pushing the best parts of your life into retirement, you may find they’re no longer waiting for you when you arrive.

Emotional undercurrent:

There’s a quiet courage in this chapter. It asks you to imagine not just how much you’ll need for the future—but how much of your present you’re willing to sacrifice for a future that’s unknowable. It doesn’t preach recklessness. It calls for intentional living, where spending is aligned with values, not just risk tolerance.

Key Learning Outcome

Don’t delay living in the name of security. Start thinking about how to spend your time and money when it matters most—not just when it feels safest. Your best return on life comes from experiences that happen at the right time, not just any time.

Try This

Sketch a simple “life energy curve.” On the x-axis, write your age from 20 to 90. On the y-axis, chart your estimated energy, mobility, curiosity, or appetite for new experiences. Now overlay your income or projected net worth. Ask yourself:

• Are my best years for adventure aligned with the time I plan to spend my money?

• Where are the mismatches—and how can I bring spending forward to match moments?

Chapter Two: Invest in Experiences That Pay Memory Dividends

Most people think of investing purely in financial terms—cash in, cash out. Perkins flips that logic and introduces a more human currency: memories.

Memories, he argues, are a form of emotional wealth. When you invest in a meaningful experience—whether it’s travel, learning something new, or time spent with people you love—that moment creates a residual return. Not in pounds or percentages, but in lifelong joy, storytelling, perspective, and connection.

“A memory dividend is the ongoing reward you get from a meaningful experience—long after the moment has passed.”

The Emotional Economics of Experience

Unlike material purchases, which often depreciate quickly in value or satisfaction, experiences gain emotional value over time. They become part of your identity, your relationships, and your worldview. A sunset you watched in Greece at 29? You might remember it for 50 years. That’s an incredible return.

And that’s the insight: spending on experiences early—while you’re able to fully enjoy and remember them—maximizes their lifelong yield.

Here’s the catch: most people delay big experiences until they feel more “secure.” But by then, the window for memory dividends is smaller. Physical ability may fade. People move on. Life gets complex. Even your sense of wonder might contract. So the experience isn’t just postponed—it’s diminished.

Case Study: The Trip That Changed Everything

Perkins shares an example of a friend who took a year off in his 30s to travel with his partner. At the time, it seemed risky and indulgent. But decades later, that year is still a core part of their shared story. The cost was measurable. But the dividend—an emotional and relational legacy—was immeasurable.

This is where Die With Zero starts to lean into its deeper theme: value is not about accumulation—it’s about what stays with you.

Time Sensitivity and Experience Planning

The chapter also introduces the idea that experiences are time-sensitive assets. Every year you wait, you may lose access to a particular kind of memory. Maybe your kids are still young enough to travel with you. Maybe your body is still agile enough to climb Kilimanjaro. Maybe you’re still curious enough to try something that will later feel too far outside your comfort zone.

Perkins encourages you to identify those windows and act on them—not someday, but soon. Because the return isn’t just the experience itself. It’s the memory it generates, and the dividend it pays for the rest of your life.

Strategic Spending vs. Saving

This isn’t an anti-saving message. It’s an anti-hoarding message. The question isn’t “Should I save or spend?” It’s, “Am I spending in a way that generates the highest long-term value for my life?”

And if a £3,000 trip creates decades of joy, storytelling, and connection, maybe it’s worth more than another £3,000 in your pension pot that might be spent on something forgettable (or not at all).

Key Learning Outcome

When you invest in experiences—especially while young or able—you’re not just spending. You’re creating memory assets that compound in value for the rest of your life. This mindset reframes spending not as loss, but as intentional investment in joy, meaning, and identity.

Try This

Create a “Memory Dividend Map”:

• Think back over the past 5–10 years.

• List the top 5 experiences that have stayed with you the longest—moments you still talk about or feel connected to.

• Ask: what kind of spending made those experiences possible? What returns have they given you emotionally, socially, or even professionally?

Then: Plan your next “dividend-generating experience” in the next 6–12 months—and budget for it as if it’s an investment. Because it is.

Chapter Three: Why Die With Zero?

In this chapter, Perkins brings the book’s title into sharp focus. It’s not clickbait. It’s not a gimmick. It’s a lifestyle design principle: structure your spending so that you use your resources when they can provide the most life-enhancing value—and plan to reach the end of your life with your wealth effectively used up.

Because let’s be honest: if you reach the end of your life with large unused wealth, and you didn’t need to, it means one of two things happened:

1. You over-saved out of fear.

2. You under-lived out of habit.

“Money is a tool. And unused tools are wasted potential.”

The Problem With “Just In Case” Saving

We’re taught to prepare for emergencies, and rightly so. But many people—especially high earners and diligent savers—default into permanent over-saving. They live their entire lives preparing for a future that never requires the level of financial armor they’ve built.

And when that future finally comes? They’re often too old, too tired, or too physically limited to enjoy the wealth they’ve hoarded. Perkins calls this "wasting your life energy"—sacrificing time, relationships, and vitality for a version of security that was never realistically needed.

Why Dying With Money Left Over Can Be a Failure

This is the emotional pivot point of the chapter. We tend to admire those who die with large estates. But Perkins challenges that logic: What if that wealth could have created far more value if it had been used earlier—on meaningful experiences, helping loved ones, or investing in memory dividends?

If you die with £500,000 unspent, and you could have used that money to:

• Travel with your children while they were young

• Learn a new skill in your 40s

• Take a sabbatical in your 50s

• Or simply buy time and presence during your highest-energy years

Then that money wasn’t wealth—it was unrealized potential.

And while inheritances are valuable (and addressed later in the book), Perkins argues that giving too late—after your own life is largely lived—is often less impactful than giving earlier, when both you and your loved ones can benefit.

Designing Toward Zero

So how do you actually plan to die with zero?

This chapter introduces the idea of spending curves: a conceptual map that shows how your spending should decline over time, because your ability to enjoy certain kinds of experiences also declines. The key is to front-load the right kinds of spending in the right phases of your life.

This isn’t about recklessness. It’s about matching your money to your timeline. And for most people, that means spending more earlier, not later.

Perkins encourages readers to rethink traditional retirement logic. Instead of saving endlessly for a “freedom” that might come too late, ask: What are you delaying right now that you should be doing this decade?

Because life doesn’t wait for perfect conditions—and neither should you.

Key Learning Outcome

Dying with a large bank balance isn't a sign of winning—it's a missed opportunity. Your goal should be to spend intentionally, meaningfully, and at the right time, so that your money fuels a life fully lived, not simply stored. Time your spending to your energy and capacity—not your fears.

Try This

Take your current net worth and sketch a rough lifetime “spending glide path.” Ask:

• Am I front-loading experiences that require energy, mobility, or flexibility?

• Where am I over-saving out of inertia or vague fear?

• If I had 10 fewer years than I expect, what would I regret not doing with my money now?

Then: Choose one “someday” item—a trip, a sabbatical, a course, a gift—and bring it forward into the next 12 months. Plan for it. Budget for it. Live it.

Chapter Four: What’s Your Net Fulfillment Curve?

Most financial planning focuses on one question: How much money will you need to retire comfortably? But Perkins reframes that. He asks a deeper question:

How much life do you want to experience—and when does your spending start to deliver diminishing returns?

This chapter is all about finding your peak fulfillment zone: the point in your life where every pound spent, every trip taken, every experience enjoyed gives you the most emotional and psychological return.

That curve won’t be the same for everyone. But Perkins argues that everyone has one—a moment where time, health, wealth, and desire converge. After that peak, both your ability to enjoy certain experiences and your return on spending start to decline.

The Shape of the Curve

Imagine a graph: the x-axis is your age, the y-axis is your “life fulfillment” or experiential return.

• In your 20s and 30s, you may lack wealth, but you have energy and freedom.

• In your 40s and 50s, you often have more money, but less time and more obligations.

• In your 60s and beyond, you may have wealth and time—but declining health or risk tolerance.

If you hoard your spending until your 70s, you’ve missed the steepest, richest part of your fulfillment curve. You’ve delayed the most meaningful and vivid experiences until your ability to fully enjoy them has faded.

Perkins’ message is clear: spending has a shelf life, and you want to consume experiences before they expire.

Timing Your Spending to Your Life Energy

This chapter asks you to take an honest look at your life stage—not just your bank balance. Are you holding off on trips, adventures, or lifestyle shifts because you’ve been taught to save “just in case”? If so, are you missing your own best return window?

There’s a concept here that feels both liberating and confronting: you don’t get a refund on unused energy. Every year you delay an experience may lower its value—not financially, but experientially.

“The most valuable currency you have is not money—it’s the ability to convert money into moments while they still matter.”

Avoiding Diminishing Returns

This chapter also warns against overconsumption of experiences—where they become routine or lose emotional depth. If you take five luxury trips a year, none may stand out. But if you space them intentionally and align them with people, purpose, or peak life moments, each one delivers far more fulfillment per pound spent.

This is the subtle skill: spend freely—but deliberately. More isn’t always better. Better is better.

So instead of tracking your net worth curve rising until retirement, ask: When is my net fulfillment curve peaking? And how can I pull meaningful experiences forward, instead of stacking money for a vague future that may never arrive as expected?

Key Learning Outcome

Fulfillment, like investing, has a curve. Your peak isn't when you have the most money—it's when your money, energy, health, and desire align. Waiting too long to spend reduces the life return on your wealth. Plan your life not just to preserve capital, but to extract meaning at the optimal time.

Try This

Sketch your own Net Fulfillment Curve:

• On a blank sheet, plot your age (20 to 90) on the x-axis.

• On the y-axis, plot “joy per pound spent” (your ability to enjoy money).

• Mark your current age and estimate when you’ll have the most energy, curiosity, and freedom. That’s likely your fulfillment peak.

Then ask:

• Am I pushing experiences past that point?

• Where should I accelerate spending into that window?

Make a plan to move one big, meaningful experience forward—into the heart of your fulfillment curve, not the outskirts of your retirement plan.

Chapter Five: Give Money When It Has the Most Impact

Perkins begins this chapter with a hard truth: most inheritances arrive too late. Statistically, people receive their inheritance around age 60—an age when, for many, the foundational stages of life have already passed: education, raising children, buying a first home, launching a business. By that point, the money is helpful, but not transformational.

The deeper insight: money loses impact over time—not in purchasing power, but in life power. Giving your children, loved ones, or causes money when it can shape their path—not just soften the end—is far more powerful than writing them into your will.

The Case for “Pre-Inheritance”

Perkins calls this “pre-inheritance”—the act of giving strategically while you’re still alive to witness the impact, enjoy the connection, and tailor your generosity to real, timely needs.

This approach shifts the meaning of legacy. Instead of being something that activates only after your death, legacy becomes something you live into now. You don’t just leave money—you leave memories, momentum, and meaning.

“Why wait until you’re gone to be generous—when you can see the ripple effect of your giving now?”

This isn’t about recklessness. Perkins isn’t suggesting you empty your bank account prematurely. He’s advocating for thoughtful, high-utility giving—money delivered at the moments it can do the most good.

Think:

• Helping adult children with a home deposit when it actually opens doors.

• Supporting a friend’s education or career pivot while it’s still life-shaping.

• Donating to causes when the capital can still drive urgency and innovation.

Emotional Return on Giving

This chapter also highlights the psychological reward of giving while living. You get to share in the gratitude, the joy, the progress. You get stories, not just statements. And that connection enhances both the giver’s and recipient’s experience.

Compare that to posthumous wealth transfer: silent, delayed, and often lacking the context or intention behind it.

Removing the Guilt of Spending

There’s also a strategic benefit here: if you give some of your money away at the right time, you remove the fear of not “leaving enough.” You liberate yourself to spend more freely, knowing you’ve already fulfilled your values-driven goal of giving back.

Perkins flips the script: instead of planning your life around your death, plan your giving around your life’s most generous phase—financially, emotionally, and relationally.

This reframe leads to a more active, engaged form of financial generosity. One that complements living richly, not sacrifices it.

Key Learning Outcome

Giving is most powerful when it’s timed for maximum impact—not just tax efficiency. Pre-inheritance helps loved ones and causes when it can shape outcomes, not just pad accounts. And giving while alive means you get to participate in the joy—not just fund it silently.

Try This

List three people or causes you want to support long-term. For each one, ask:

• What would help them most now—not just eventually?

• Would a smaller amount today deliver more impact than a larger sum later?

• What’s one gift—financial or otherwise—you could give in the next 12 months to move from “legacy” to living legacy?

Then: Build that into your plan. Not as a withdrawal from your estate, but as a return on your intention.

Chapter Six: Don't Live Your Life on Autopilot—Use a Plan

For many people, the concept of “dying with zero” feels risky. Emotionally, we equate saving with responsibility, spending with uncertainty. And so we default into a mode Perkins calls “autopilot saving”—accumulating by habit, not by need or plan.

But this chapter flips that script. Perkins argues that it’s not actually riskier to spend money with intention—it’s riskier to drift without a strategy. If you don't know how much you need, how long you'll live, or how to model for different scenarios, then you're not being conservative—you’re being blind.

Use a Framework, Not Fear

This chapter introduces the idea of probabilistic financial planning—a simple, structured way to answer the question:

How much is enough for me to live fully—and still be financially secure until the end?

Rather than hoarding wealth “just in case,” you create a dynamic financial plan based on:

• Your current age and health

• Your desired lifestyle

• Your estimated life expectancy

• Your assets, investments, and future income (e.g. pensions)

This isn't about perfect prediction. It’s about building a model that helps you make smarter, more confident choices now—not just later.

“Running out of money isn’t the real risk. Wasting your life out of fear of that risk is.”

The Role of Annuities and Lifeboats

Perkins discusses tools like annuities—which convert part of your wealth into guaranteed lifetime income. While not for everyone, they offer a psychological buffer: knowing a baseline level of income is locked in for life allows you to spend more freely now without fear of destitution later.

He also recommends setting up lifeboat funds: limited reserves that are specifically designated for worst-case scenarios. These create boundaries around fear—so it doesn’t bleed into every spending decision you make.

From Passive to Intentional

The real power in this chapter isn’t about financial products—it’s about mindset. Perkins wants you to shift from passive preservation to intentional allocation.

Most people have no real plan. They’re simply “saving for retirement” without defining what retirement looks like, when they want it, or how they’ll use the money they’ve worked so hard to earn.

Perkins is asking you to get off autopilot and into the pilot’s seat. To run the numbers. To define your risk tolerance. To determine how much is truly enough—and how much can now be converted into life.

Because the greatest financial failure isn’t running out of money. It’s running out of time with too much money left unused.

It's Not Reckless—It's Responsible

This chapter is also a subtle call for financial maturity. The goal isn’t reckless spending. It’s to create a clear plan that balances longevity, security, and joy. A plan that tells you:

Here’s how much you can spend this year—and still be OK no matter what happens.

That kind of clarity liberates your choices. It gives you permission to say yes to experiences that matter now, knowing you’re protected later.

Key Learning Outcome

You don’t need to guess or live in fear of “running out.” With the right plan, you can identify how much is enough—and give yourself permission to live more fully now. Living intentionally with your money doesn’t mean being reckless. It means being strategic, awake, and in control.

Try This

Run a “life expectancy spending model.” Use a basic retirement calculator or work with a financial planner to estimate:

• Your expected lifespan

• Your ideal annual lifestyle spending

• Your current savings, pensions, and income sources

Then ask:

• If I live to 90, how much could I safely spend each year?

• What happens if I front-load more spending in the next 10 years?

Use this model to set a yearly “experience budget”—a pool of money designed not for survival, but for living well.

Chapter Seven: Start Now—Time Is the Fire

Perkins opens with an uncomfortable truth: the clock is ticking, and we’re all running out of time. Not in a dramatic, fear-inducing way—but in the deeply practical sense that every delay costs us opportunities we’ll never get back.

Every year we defer something important, we risk losing the energy, the desire, or the relationships that make that experience possible. Life doesn’t wait. And “someday” is not a strategy—it’s a stall.

The Danger of Over-Planning

Many people over-plan their lives as if everything will unfold in predictable increments. But real life is volatile. People move. Health changes. Priorities shift. Perkins argues that the belief we’ll always have time later is a myth that leads to accumulated regret.

He shares stories of people who put off dream trips, reconnections, or even sabbaticals until “after the next bonus,” or “once the kids are grown,” or “once I hit X savings milestone.” Too often, when those moments arrive, the conditions that made the dream worthwhile have changed—or disappeared altogether.

“Time is the fire in which we burn. The window for many of the best things in life doesn’t reopen.”

The True Cost of Waiting

Perkins pushes us to rethink not just what we’re saving—but what we’re sacrificing. Every time we choose safety, structure, or delay over a meaningful experience, we make a trade. And we rarely revisit the cost of what we’ve missed.

That cost isn’t just opportunity—it’s identity. The version of yourself who could have been is shaped by those deferred experiences. The relationships that could have deepened. The skills that could have been explored. The worldview that could have expanded.

These aren’t theoretical. They’re lived costs. And most of us only see them in hindsight—when it’s too late to reclaim them.

Micro-Moments Matter

This chapter also zooms in: the “someday” trap isn’t just about bucket list items or big life events. It also shows up in how we delay micro-joys—taking that day off, spending a weekend with your parents, pursuing a hobby you say you’ll start “when things calm down.”

But here’s the thing: things rarely calm down. And the longer you delay joy, the less capable you become of recognizing and receiving it when it finally arrives.

So the real question is: What are you deferring that can—and should—happen now?

Make the Shift From Delayed Life to Designed Life

This chapter isn’t about being impulsive. It’s about trading passive waiting for active choosing. It’s about designing your life so that meaningful experiences are built in—not endlessly postponed.

Perkins isn’t saying you can have it all at once. But you can have what matters most, sooner—if you’re willing to stop deferring it behind the false safety of “someday.”

Key Learning Outcome

“Someday” is a seductive lie. Waiting until the “right time” often means missing the only time. The antidote is action—deliberate, imperfect, timely decisions that put experiences, relationships, and growth ahead of routine and deferral.

Try This

List the top three experiences, relationships, or goals you've been putting off for “someday.” Then write down:

• Why you haven’t done them yet.

• What would happen if you never did.

• What it would take to start this year.

Now, choose one. Make a 30-day plan to take the first concrete step toward making it real. Not later. Now.

Chapter Eight: Health Is Wealth—And It’s Decaying

Perkins starts with a sharp but under-discussed truth: your ability to enjoy life is directly tied to your physical capacity. And unlike wealth, which can grow and regenerate, your health is on a declining curve from the moment you reach your peak.

This isn’t pessimism—it’s planning. And just like we talk about compound interest, Perkins wants us to think about compound energy, compound vitality, and the diminishing return of experiences when your body can’t meet your ambition.

“You can't climb Machu Picchu at 82. You can try—but you won’t get the same reward.”

Healthspan vs. Lifespan

This chapter challenges the obsession with lifespan (how long you live) and introduces a more useful metric: healthspan—how long you remain healthy, mobile, and mentally sharp enough to enjoy life fully.

It’s not just about living longer, it’s about living well longer. And that means timing your peak experiences during your peak health years, not deferring them until you’re retired but sedentary, or financially ready but physically limited.

Don’t Bank on Later

The data is sobering: by the time most people retire, their ability to physically enjoy their freedom is already in decline. And that means many of the “someday” experiences they’ve saved for—sailing, hiking, dancing, exploring—either become logistically harder, emotionally muted, or impossible.

Perkins argues that health is the ultimate spending constraint. It puts a hard limit on how late you can delay your dreams. And unlike money, you can’t borrow health from the future.

The mistake? People often optimize for a future that assumes their body will stay ready. It won’t. And planning as if it will is a form of denial.

Spend While You Can Move

The core message: front-load physical experiences. Use your healthiest decades for the most physically demanding or energetically rewarding pursuits. That means:

• Adventure travel in your 30s and 40s.

• Long-haul hiking or immersive global trips before your knees or endurance say no.

• Big moments with kids, friends, or partners while you can run, carry, climb, or dance through them.

Not every chapter of life is suited to every type of experience. This chapter challenges you to match your physical capability with your experience design—and to stop waiting for the wrong chapter to do the right thing.

Health Is Part of the Plan

Finally, Perkins encourages readers to take health investment as seriously as financial investment. That means:

• Prioritizing fitness, sleep, nutrition, and stress reduction.

• Treating health not as maintenance, but as leverage.

• Not “hoping to be well” later, but planning to be able.

Because your memories, your joy, and your relationships don’t just need money to thrive. They need you—present, energized, and fully alive.

Key Learning Outcome

Health is your most fragile asset—and your greatest enabler. Your most rewarding experiences are constrained by your physical ability to enjoy them. Use your healthiest years intentionally, not as a warm-up for some distant, uncertain “later.”

Try This

Take inventory of your current physical abilities. Then:

1. List five experiences that depend on your current level of health or mobility.

2. Assign a “health window” to each—when you believe you’ll still be able to enjoy them fully.

3. Choose one to do within the next year—while you’re still at your peak for that kind of joy.

   
   

   Chapter Nine: A Life Well Lived—By Design, Not Default

   The final chapter of Die With Zero is a strategic reset. Perkins circles back to the original thesis:

Life is not a dress rehearsal. You only get one chance to live each chapter of it well.

He invites you to zoom out and look at the entire arc of your life—not in terms of financial milestones, but in terms of fulfillment milestones. And to stop asking, “How do I avoid running out of money?” and start asking, “How do I avoid running out of life?”

The Life Cycle of Fulfillment

By this point in the book, it’s clear: the best way to achieve a life with no regrets is to intentionally allocate your time, energy, and money across the stages of life that need them most.

Perkins offers a simplified version of this framework:

• In your 20s and 30s: Focus on high-energy, growth-oriented, experience-rich living. Take risks. Travel. Stretch.

• In your 40s and 50s: Allocate resources toward deep relationships, health preservation, and memory-making with family and friends.

• In your 60s+: Shift focus to passing on knowledge, wealth, and values—while you’re alive to see the ripple effect.

This isn’t rigid. It’s rhythmic. The goal is to match your spending and decision-making to the unique return-on-life opportunities of each stage.

Use a Personal Fulfillment Planner

Perkins urges readers to create their own “Die With Zero Plan”—a living document that helps you:

1. Estimate how much money is enough.

2. Identify your peak fulfillment years.

3. Schedule your most important life experiences before they expire.

4. Time your giving for maximum impact, not just inheritance.

5. Protect against regret—not just poverty.

This plan isn’t about precision. It’s about preventing drift. Because most people don’t spend intentionally—they just spend later. And later is a shrinking asset.

“The worst financial mistake isn’t running out of money. It’s dying with too much life left unlived.”

Reframing Regret

One of the most powerful ideas in this chapter is Perkins’ challenge to redefine risk. For most high-achievers or disciplined savers, the idea of dying with zero can feel scary—irresponsible, even.

But Perkins reframes it beautifully:

• What if the real risk is not taking the sabbatical?

• What if the regret is not booking the trip, or not starting the business, or not calling the person?

• What if dying with too much money is actually evidence you didn’t live courageously enough?

That’s the core message: die not with zero pounds, but with zero regrets. Leave nothing on the table. And use your money as a tool to create a well-lived, well-timed, and well-loved life.

Key Learning Outcome

Your life is the sum of your choices—not just financial, but experiential. Build a plan that aligns your money with your values, your health with your calendar, and your time with the people and moments that matter most. Don't die with money you never needed—die with stories, memories, and peace.

Try This

Create your “Die With Zero Fulfillment Map.”For each decade of life (30s, 40s, 50s, etc.), ask:

• What do I want to experience before this chapter ends?

• What financial and health resources will I need to make that happen?

• What would I regret if I waited too long?

Then: Choose one experience, action, or gift to bring forward into this year. Schedule it. Fund it. Commit to it.

Because this year is not practice. It’s the real thing.

Learning Summary: Die With Zero by Bill Perkins

A life well-lived isn’t about preserving money—it’s about maximizing moments.

Die With Zero Core Message

The central thesis of Die With Zero is clear and bold:

Your money is only as valuable as your ability to turn it into meaningful experiences—while you still can.

Instead of accumulating endlessly and hoping to enjoy life “someday,” Perkins urges you to become the architect of your time, energy, and wealth. Not just to earn and save, but to spend intentionally, with the goal of leaving this life with nothing left unlived.

This is not about dying broke. It’s about dying fulfilled—with zero regrets, zero wasted time, and zero unused potential.

1. Money Should Serve Life, Not the Other Way Around

• Saving for a rainy day becomes dangerous when it turns into indefinite postponement.

• Your goal should be to match money to the experiences that matter most, not hoard it beyond your ability to enjoy it.

• Think in terms of return on life, not just return on investment.\

  
  

2. Your Health and Time Are Your Most Perishable Assets

• There is a window in each life stage—your 30s, 40s, 50s—where certain experiences are possible and powerful.

• Your ability to enjoy money declines with age, even if your wealth increases.

• Healthspan (not lifespan) is the limiting factor for joyful living—plan around it.

  
  

3. Memories Are Emotional Assets That Pay Dividends

• When you spend on meaningful experiences, you create memory dividends that continue to enrich you for decades.

• Investing in experiences early pays out longer, deeper, and more richly than waiting.

• Memory-making is not frivolous—it’s the core return of a life well lived.

  
  

4. Giving Later Is Less Powerful Than Giving Sooner

• Inheritance at 60 doesn’t change lives. Strategic, timely giving in your 30s or 40s does.

• Pre-inheritance allows you to see the impact of your generosity and shape the outcomes you care about.

• Don’t just leave a legacy—live it.

  
  

5. Fear of Running Out Is Often Irrational—and Solvable

• Most high earners dramatically over-save out of vague fear.

• With basic modeling, annuities, and reserve buffers, you can create secure floors that free you to spend the rest intentionally.

• Financial planning should include spending glide paths, not just asset growth.

  
  

6. “Someday” Is a Trap

• Delayed dreams often become expired opportunities.

• Don’t wait until conditions are perfect—time won't wait for you.

• Start now. Schedule life like you would schedule work: with intent, not delay.

  
  

7. Design a Life of No Regrets

• Think of your life as a finite canvas. What do you want it to look like?

• Build a personal fulfillment plan—one that includes experiences, giving, health, and time allocation.

• The goal is simple but rare: to arrive at the end of your life with nothing important left undone.

  
  

Final Thought

Die With Zero reframes wealth—not as a score to be maximized, but as a resource to be converted into meaning. It teaches you to spend your life—not just your money—wisely.

Because when your time, energy, money, and relationships are aligned, you don’t just live longer. You live deeper.

Die With Zero Exercise

Now that we've covered some of the key learning statements from Die With Zero, it's time to put them into practice. Today, we're going to do an exercise that will help you prioritize experiences over material possessions, create a bucket list, and make intentional choices about how you spend your time and resources.

Exercise Actions	How to Apply Actions
1) identify Your Priorities	Reflect on your values and life goals. Write down your top three priorities.
2) Create a Bucket List	List at least ten experiences you wish to have, like traveling or learning new skills.
3) Calculate the True Cost of Your Time	Choose an item from your bucket list and calculate its opportunity cost, including time and expenses.
4) Prioritize Your Bucket List	Select the top three items from your bucket list and plan to achieve them within the next year.
5) Outsource Mundane Tasks	Identify a routine task to outsource, such as cleaning, to free up time for your top priorities.

By completing this exercise, you'll be able to prioritize experiences over material possessions, create a bucket list of experiences you want to have before you die, calculate the true cost of your time, prioritize your bucket list, and outsource mundane tasks to free up time for experiences that truly matter. Remember, the key to living a fulfilling life is to make intentional choices about how you spend your time and resources. So, get started on your bucket list today and make the most of every moment!

Die with Zero Summary FAQ

What is the main concept of "Die with Zero" by Bill Perkins?

"Die with Zero" by Bill Perkins presents a compelling argument against the traditional model of saving as much as possible for retirement, suggesting instead that people should aim to maximize their life experiences at the optimal times. Perkins advocates for a more dynamic approach to personal finance, emphasizing the importance of using your resources to enrich your life fully and meaningfully. The book encourages readers to plan their spending and experiences strategically so that they can die with little to no assets, having used their wealth to live their life to the fullest.

How does Bill Perkins suggest managing finances in "Die with Zero"?

Bill Perkins suggests a strategic approach to financial management that focuses on maximizing life experiences rather than accumulating wealth. He introduces concepts like calculating your personal "net fulfillment" and spending your money in ways that align with personal happiness and life goals. Perkins advises readers to consider health and longevity predictions to better time their spending, ensuring they can enjoy their money when they are most capable of enjoying activities and experiences.

What are some key takeaways from "Die with Zero"?

Some key takeaways from "Die with Zero" include:

• Spend intentionally: Allocate funds for experiences at the time in your life when you can enjoy them the most.

• Health over wealth: Recognize that your health dictates the quality of your experiences, so plan your finances around your physical capabilities.

• Timely experiences: Invest in experiences over material possessions, as memories are more valuable.

• Plan your legacy: Consider the impact of inheritances and the value of giving at the right time.

• Avoiding regret: Ensure that you do not miss out on life’s experiences due to over-saving or poor financial planning.

Who should read "Die with Zero"?

"Die with Zero" is ideal for readers interested in personal finance, especially those who may be questioning the traditional save-for-retirement model. It is particularly suited for individuals looking for a philosophical perspective on how to balance saving for the future with living in the present. People at any stage of their career can find valuable insights in Perkins' advice on how to optimize financial decisions for maximum life enjoyment.

What practical strategies does "Die with Zero" offer for achieving financial fulfillment?

"Die with Zero" provides practical strategies such as mapping out your life’s financial phases to align with your energy levels and capabilities. Bill Perkins emphasizes the idea of creating a "memory dividend" by investing in experiences throughout life. He also discusses the importance of understanding your peak earning years and advises on how to plan for financial expenditures that correlate with personal peak experiences.

How does Bill Perkins address the fear of running out of money in "Die with Zero"?

Bill Perkins tackles the common fear of running out of money by encouraging a calculated approach to spending and life planning. He suggests methods for estimating your lifespan and adjusting your financial plan accordingly, ensuring you use your assets effectively without the risk of exhausting them prematurely. Perkins advocates for a balance between cautious saving and excessive frugality.

Can "Die with Zero" be applied to people with different income levels?

"Die with Zero" is designed to be adaptable across various income levels. Bill Perkins stresses that the core principle—optimizing life experiences—can be tailored to anyone’s financial situation. He provides guidelines for adjusting one’s spending habits and life experiences according to personal financial capacity, making his strategies accessible to a broad audience.

How does the book "Die with Zero" suggest handling health care costs in later life?

In "Die with Zero," Bill Perkins addresses handling healthcare costs by recommending the early purchase of comprehensive health insurance and considering health savings accounts (HSAs) to manage potential expenses in older age. He underscores the importance of planning for medical costs while also enjoying life’s peak moments before health declines.

What criticisms have been leveled against the concepts in "Die with Zero"?

Critics of "Die with Zero" often point to the unpredictability of life span and economic conditions as potential flaws in Perkins' model. Some argue that his approach might lead to financial insecurity in the event of unexpected longevity or expenses. Additionally, critics suggest that the book might oversimplify complex financial decisions or underestimate the emotional comfort some people find in having savings.