Do you want to be a millionaire—and are you willing to pay the price?

That question sits at the heart of a new book by Spanish economist and financial commentator Joan Tubau, who argues that money is widely misunderstood. In his view, wealth is not about consumption or status, but about freedom—the freedom to choose, to say no and to control one’s time.

Tubau’s new book, Fuck You Money: De la libertad financiera a la libertad personal, is set for release in Spain on February 25, 2026. Rather than promising shortcuts to riches, it challenges readers to rethink their relationship with money, saving and personal autonomy.

An adjunct professor of economics at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Tubau is also the creator of the popular Kapital podcast and newsletter. His work blends economic analysis, practical financial guidance and philosophy to examine the deeper role money plays in everyday life.

Why financial freedom is not the same as getting rich

Rather than offering a shortcut to wealth, Tubau reframes money as a tool for autonomy. In his view, money’s real value lies in its ability to buy time and optionality, not luxury goods or social validation. Financial independence, he writes, is about securing enough stability to say “no”—to jobs, obligations and pressures that conflict with personal values.

“True wealth,” Tubau writes, “is the money you don’t need.” Accumulating savings and flexibility, he argues, allows people to make decisions aligned with their lives instead of remaining trapped by income demands or consumption habits.

That message resonates in Spain, where high housing costs, rising interest rates and relatively modest wages can make traditional paths to financial independence feel out of reach. Tubau’s philosophy—that money should serve life, not dominate it—adds a practical and reflective lens to national debates around saving, investing and lifestyle design.

Why both the rich and the poor feel financially trapped

He argues that financial anxiety is universal. “Managing money is a headache shared by rich and poor,” Tubau writes, noting that both groups often suffer from a sense of scarcity. The poor may want a larger television, while the wealthy lament the unequal distribution of a multimillion-euro inheritance. In both cases, dissatisfaction persists as goals shift once one desire is met.

Only a frugal mindset, Tubau contends, paired with what he calls a stoic disregard for excess, can break that cycle. Such an approach, he says, frees individuals from unnecessary stress and the constant pursuit of “more.”

Financial freedom and the FIRE movement

While some of his thinking overlaps with principles found in the financial independence retire early, or FIRE, movement, Tubau places greater emphasis on reducing dependence on work without sacrificing quality of life. Money’s highest value, he suggests, is not what it enables people to buy, but what it allows them to avoid (think corporate job, cleaning your house, etc.)

With Fuck You Money, Tubau promises a series of provocations designed to help readers rethink their relationship with money, and, ultimately, to use it as a tool for genuine financial freedom and personal independence.