Barista FIRE Calculator
Compare staying in your full-time job versus switching to Barista FIRE to reach full financial independence.
Personal Information
Your age today. This is the starting point for the projection.
Your after-tax annual income from your full-time job. Used to estimate savings while you remain in full-time work.
How much you spend per year while working full-time.
Current Assets & Barista FIRE Age
Total value of your invested assets used for FIRE projections. Includes retirement and taxable investment accounts.
The age at which you plan to leave full-time work and switch to Barista FIRE. At this point, you stop saving aggressively and rely partly on earned income.
Retirement & Barista FIRE Income
Target annual spending to be funded long-term in retirement, in today’s dollars.
Expected monthly income earned from part-time or flexible work. This income offsets retirement spending and reduces portfolio withdrawals.
Investment Parameters
Expected average annual investment return before inflation.
Expected long-term annual inflation rate.
Percentage of your portfolio withdrawn annually once fully retired. Commonly 3–4%, based on historical data (not guaranteed).
Barista FIRE Comparison
If you switch to Barista FIRE at age 45, you reach full FIRE at age 65.
If you stay in your full-time job, you reach full FIRE at age 49.
Projection Chart
The goal isn't to retire early—it's to retire well.
About this calculator
Barista FIRE is a variation of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) approach where you leave full-time work but continue earning some income through part-time or flexible jobs. This income helps cover expenses while your investments continue to grow.
This Barista FIRE Calculator compares two paths: staying in your full-time job versus switching to Barista FIRE at a chosen age. It shows how each path affects your net worth over time and when you may reach full financial independence.
Use this calculator to understand the trade-offs between time, income, and lifestyle flexibility.
What each input means
- Current age is your age today. This is the starting point for the projection.
- Current annual take-home pay is your after-tax annual income from your full-time job. Used to estimate savings while you remain in full-time work.
- Current annual expenses is how much you spend per year while working full-time.
- Current invested net worth is the total value of your invested assets used for FIRE projections. Includes retirement and taxable investment accounts.
- Desired Barista FIRE age is the age at which you plan to leave full-time work and switch to Barista FIRE. At this point, you stop saving aggressively and rely partly on earned income.
- Annual spending in retirement is your target annual spending to be funded long-term in retirement, in today’s dollars.
- Monthly income during Barista FIRE is expected monthly income from part-time or flexible work. This income offsets retirement spending and reduces portfolio withdrawals.
- Investment growth rate is your expected average annual investment return before inflation.
- Inflation rate is the expected long-term annual inflation rate.
- Safe withdrawal rate is the percentage of your portfolio withdrawn annually once fully retired. Commonly 3–4%, based on historical data (not guaranteed).
How does Barista FIRE work?
Barista FIRE sits between Coast FIRE and full FIRE.
Instead of saving aggressively until you can fully retire, Barista FIRE allows you to leave full-time work earlier, earn part-time or flexible income, reduce how much you withdraw from investments, and give your portfolio more time to compound.
Because your expenses are partially covered by earned income, your investments don’t need to support your full lifestyle immediately. This can reduce the portfolio size required at the point you leave full-time work.
This calculator models two scenarios—staying in your full-time job and saving aggressively, versus switching to Barista FIRE and relying on partial income plus investment growth—and compares when each path reaches full FIRE.
Key levers that drive Barista FIRE outcomes
- Barista income level – Higher part-time income reduces portfolio withdrawals and accelerates growth.
- Age of transition – Switching earlier increases flexibility but may delay full FIRE.
- Spending level – Lower spending reduces the portfolio size required for independence.
- Investment returns – Higher returns compound wealth faster but increase uncertainty.
- Withdrawal rate – More conservative withdrawal rates require larger portfolios.
Key assumptions & limitations
- Constant returns – Investment returns are assumed to be constant.
- No market volatility modeled – Market volatility and sequence-of-returns risk are not modeled.
- Steady inflation – Inflation is applied at a steady rate.
- Simplified taxes – Taxes are simplified and not dynamically recalculated.
- Estimates only – Results are estimates, not financial advice.
This calculator is intended for high-level planning and comparison, not precise retirement forecasting.