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Barista FIRE Calculator

Barista FIRE means leaving full-time work once your portfolio can cover part of your spending, with a part-time job paying the rest. Enter your spending and part-time income to see the smaller portfolio you need and how soon you can get there.

$

In today's dollars, including taxes and health insurance.

$

What you keep after tax, in today's dollars.

%

The 4% rule is the usual starting point.

%

An assumption, not a promise.

$
$
Your Barista FIRE number$900,000You get there in 16 years, at age 46. That is 7 years sooner than full FIRE.
  • Portfolio you need$900,000
  • Covered by part-time work$600,000
Yearly spending
$60,000
Covered by part-time income
− $24,000
Left for your portfolio each year
$36,000
Barista FIRE number (÷ 4%)
$900,000
Full FIRE number ($60,000 ÷ 4%)
$1,500,000
Age at Barista FIRE
46
Age at full FIRE
53

This assumes the part-time income lasts as long as you need it and keeps up with prices. If it stops, your portfolio has to cover the full amount. All figures are in today's dollars.

How Barista FIRE works

Subtract the part-time income you expect from your yearly spending. Your portfolio only has to cover what is left, so you divide that gap by your withdrawal rate instead of your whole budget. The lower target usually means you can leave full-time work years earlier.

Example: you want to spend $60,000 a year and expect $24,000 from part-time work. The portfolio covers $36,000, so at a 4% withdrawal rate you need $36,000 ÷ 0.04 = $900,000 instead of $1,500,000.

How the years are figured

Your savings grow at the return you enter, after inflation, and your yearly contribution is added at the end of each year. The count stops at the first year your balance reaches the target.

In the example above, a 30-year-old with $100,000 invested who adds $30,000 a year at 5% reaches $900,000 in 16 years, at 46. Full FIRE at $1,500,000 would take 23 years, until 53.

Where the 4% rule comes from

A 1998 study in the AAII Journal, often called the Trinity study, tested withdrawals against market returns from 1926 to 1995, raising each year's withdrawal with inflation. Over 30-year retirements a 4% rate lasted in 95% to 98% of past periods for portfolios with at least half in stocks. An early retirement can run longer than 30 years, so a lower rate adds safety.

Questions

What is Barista FIRE?

It is a form of early retirement where you quit full-time work but keep a part-time job. The job covers part of your costs, so you need a smaller portfolio.

How is Barista FIRE different from Coast FIRE?

With Barista FIRE you start withdrawing from your portfolio now and part-time pay fills the gap. With Coast FIRE you leave your savings untouched to grow while work pays all your bills.

Should I enter part-time income before or after tax?

After tax, since it is the money you actually have to spend. Count your spending the same way, including taxes you will owe on portfolio withdrawals.

Why do people pick part-time jobs with benefits?

If you retire early you have to pay for your own health insurance. A job that includes coverage lowers the spending your portfolio has to support.

What if I stop working part time later?

Then your portfolio has to cover the full amount. Many people plan to keep saving or to work part time only until their portfolio reaches the full FIRE number.

Sources

Updated November 3, 2026. Estimates only, not tax or financial advice.

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