She's got a "fire" strategy for ditching the rat race -- but naysayers want to put out her flame.
At the ripe old age of just 24, Gen Z'er Mia McGarth is already planning her retirement, and she's cutting costs to get there quicker.
"I eat a [$.63] breakfast every day so I can retire by 40," confessed the Gen Z in a trending tell-all, showcasing her do-it-yourself cup of coffee, microwaved scrambled eggs and toast she routinely stomachs for the sake of her budget.
The UK-based brunette, who's already stockpiled nearly $95,000 in savings thanks to stock investments, is a trailblazer of the rising "F.I.R.E" movement. It's a hot trend among young adults seeking "Financial Independence [to] Retire Early."
"My goal is to soft retire," McGrath explained to nearly 250,000 TikTok viewers, adding that she rarely splurges on shopping sprees, expensive lunches or cutesy manicures.
The economizing Zoomer scrimps, saves and skips out on treating herself in order to, "have the freedom to support myself while working less" later in life.
And while her mission may be commendable, social media critics are condemning McGrath's closed-fisted approach at long-term financial success.
"The sad thing is our future is never guaranteed," warned a concerned commenter. "I truly believe that you should live in the moment."
"Enjoy your youth, when it's gone it's gone," advised a faultfinder, suggesting that McGrath's laser-focus on the future is fouling up her opportunity for fun in the present.
"I'd rather have the freedom younger if possible," said another. "Traveling and experimenting with different jobs is surely easier in your 20s and 30s than 50s and 60s."
The idea of living-it-up during one's prime, rather than waiting until their golden years, is fueling the "micro-retirement" craze.
Spurred by 9-to-5ers in their early 20s, the fad sees young workers taking a chunk of time out of their careers to explore the world, discover new passions and turn hobbies into side gigs while they're young, healthy and free of hefty responsibilities.
But McGrath isn't too worried about the number of candles on her birthday cake. Instead, the money-minded gal is concerned about reaching her "F.I.R.E. number" as soon as possible.
"Retirement isn't about reaching a certain age, it's about reaching a certain number -- and that number is the number you need in order to live off of your investments for life," she said in the viral vid.
Beneath her post, in the comments section, the penny-wise powerhouse revealed that her ideal F.I.R.E. number for retirement is around $1.5 million in savings.
"It's also about having control over your time and choices," McGrath continued. "It depends on your personal finances -- your income, expenses and obligations."
"For me, a 24-year-old just starting out my career with very few responsibilities, there's no reason why I shouldn't strive towards this," she asserted.
McGrath went on to insist that her extreme frugality in the name of early retirement isn't rooted in "lazy Gen Z" stereotypes -- notions that younger folks would prefer lousing around the house to breaking a sweat on the job.
The go-getter's simply setting herself up for sweet autonomy.
"It means that at 45 I won't have to ask my boss for a random Wednesday off, I'll just take it," said McGrath. "That's my motivation for wanting to retire early."