Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life

Perkins introduces his central philosophy through a reinterpretation of Aesop’s fable about the ant and grasshopper. The fable contrasts a diligent ant with a carefree grasshopper. The ant stores food for winter, but the grasshopper plays all summer; when winter arrives, the ant survives and the grasshopper starves.

While acknowledging the traditional moral about balancing work and leisure, Perkins questions when the industrious ant actually experiences enjoyment in life. This frames his core argument that merely surviving is insufficient; true fulfillment, he believes, comes from thriving. The book focuses not on wealth accumulation but on maximizing life experiences.

Perkins explains that these ideas emerged from years of discussion with his social circle, and although he lacks formal financial credentials, he positions himself as someone passionate about living fully. He acknowledges the book’s limitations for those facing economic hardship, noting its greatest value applies to individuals with sufficient resources to make meaningful choices about their time, health, and money. Ultimately, Perkins hopes to challenge readers’ fundamental assumptions about life and resource allocation.

The opening chapter of Die With Zero establishes Perkins’s central philosophy: Individuals should maximize their life experiences rather than their bank accounts. He introduces this concept through the story of his friends Erin and John.