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When I first heard about Coast FIRE, it felt like someone had lifted a weight off my chest. It wasn’t about hustling until I was 65 or trying to retire by 35. It was about building enough early momentum that I could stop stressing about saving forever—and that idea changed everything for me.
If you’re drawn to the idea of financial independence but don’t love the idea of extreme frugality or working full-time for decades, then Coast FIRE might be the perfect middle path.
Let’s walk through exactly what Coast FIRE is, how it works, why it appealed to me, and how you can figure out if it’s the right path for you too.
What Is Coast FIRE?
Coast FIRE is a type of financial independence where you save aggressively in your early years, then let compound interest do the heavy lifting—coasting the rest of the way to retirement without needing to contribute more to your retirement accounts.
Once you hit your Coast FIRE number, you can stop saving for retirement altogether and just let time grow your investments. You’ll still work to cover your current lifestyle, but you’re off the hook for retirement savings because you’ve already done the hardest part.
How Coast FIRE Works
Let’s break it down.
The idea is that if you save and invest enough early on, those dollars have decades to grow—even if you never add another cent.
So instead of aiming for a full FIRE number like $1.2 million by age 35, you build up, say, $250,000 or $300,000 by your early 30s and then stop contributing. By the time you hit traditional retirement age (like 60 or 65), that money grows to your full FIRE number on its own.
Here’s a simplified example:
You’re 30 years old
You’ve saved $200,000
You never invest another dollar
If that grows at 7% annually, by age 60 you’ll have over $1.5 million
That’s Coast FIRE.
You’re still working and earning to cover your current expenses, but the pressure to save more for retirement is gone.
Why Coast FIRE Appealed to Me
I liked the idea of early retirement—but I didn’t love the idea of cutting everything fun out of my life or trying to hit a million dollars in five years. It felt overwhelming and unsustainable.
Coast FIRE gave me permission to breathe.
It let me:
Front-load my savings while my expenses were lower
Focus on building a career I enjoyed, not just one that paid the most
Take mini-retirements, travel, or go part-time without guilt
Know I was still on track to retire comfortably, even if I took my foot off the gas
It’s financial freedom with more flexibility—and less burnout.
What’s the Difference Between Coast FIRE and Traditional FIRE?
Traditional FIRE means you’ve saved enough to stop working entirely—forever. You draw down your portfolio and live off the income.
Coast FIRE means you’re still working, but you’re no longer saving for retirement. You’re just covering your current lifestyle while your retirement investments quietly grow in the background.
Here’s how I like to describe it:
Traditional FIRE = retire completely, live off investments
Coast FIRE = work now, no pressure to save more for retirement
For a lot of people (myself included), Coast FIRE is a smoother, more realistic version of financial independence.
How to Calculate Your Coast FIRE Number
To find your Coast FIRE number, ask:
How much do I need to have invested today, so that with no more contributions, it will grow to my full retirement number by age 60 (or your target age)?
There are Coast FIRE calculators online, but here’s a quick ballpark method:
Pick your target retirement age (say, 60)
Pick your annual spending in retirement (say, $40,000/year)
Multiply that by 25 (based on the 4% Rule): $40,000 × 25 = $1 million
Use a compound interest calculator to reverse-engineer how much you’d need now to hit $1 million by 60, assuming 7% annual growth
In this example, if you’re 30 and want $1 million by age 60, you’d need about $131,000 invested today. That’s your Coast FIRE number.
Who Coast FIRE Is Great For
Coast FIRE is perfect if you:
Want to save aggressively early, then scale back
Plan to work or earn income in some way for years to come
Value flexibility more than extreme early retirement
Might want to start a business, go part-time, or take sabbaticals
Feel burned out by traditional FIRE pressure
It’s a great option if you want financial freedom without the all-or-nothing mindset.
Pros and Cons of Coast FIRE
Pros
Lower stress: You’re not racing toward a huge number
More lifestyle freedom: You can change careers, travel, or work part-time
Long-term security: Retirement is covered if you stay the course
Less savings pressure: Once you hit your number, you can stop contributing
Cons
You still have to work to cover current expenses
Requires early discipline and high savings rates
Market downturns could slow your progress if they happen early
Health insurance and lifestyle costs still need to be planned for
What My Coast FIRE Plan Looks Like
Here’s how I’m doing it:
I’m investing aggressively now (about 50% of my income)
I use Roth IRAs, HSAs, and a taxable brokerage account
My Coast FIRE number is around $250,000
I plan to hit that in the next few years
After that, I’ll scale back saving and focus more on life, travel, and work I enjoy
Even if I continue working full-time, I’ll be doing it because I want to, not because I have to. That’s the mindset shift that Coast FIRE gives you.
Why I’m All In on Coast FIRE
Coast FIRE isn’t about quitting work tomorrow. It’s about giving yourself options.
It’s about knowing your future is secure—even if you slow down, change direction, or try something totally new.
It’s one of the most realistic, sustainable versions of financial independence I’ve come across. And for me, that’s exactly the kind of freedom I’m looking for.
What to Do Next
Use the FIRE Countdown Calculator to find your Coast FIRE number
Estimate your target retirement spending and full FIRE goal
Run your numbers to see how close you are
Consider how Coast FIRE might give you more freedom today—not just later
You don’t need millions to build a rich life. You just need a plan—and a head start.
