Barista FIRE Calculator
See how much you need invested to leave full-time work and let part-time income cover the rest, and how many years sooner than full FIRE.
Barista FIRE means leaving full-time work once your investments can cover part of your spending, and earning the rest from a lighter part-time job. Because the portfolio only has to fund the gap, the target is smaller and you reach it years before full financial independence. This calculator compares the two targets and how long each one takes.
How to use this tool
- Enter your age and the yearly spending you expect, in today's dollars.
- Enter what the part-time job would pay each year after tax.
- Enter what you have invested, what you add each year and a withdrawal rate.
- Set the expected return and inflation, then compare the two timelines.
Formula
Barista FIRE number = (Spending − Part-time income) ÷ Withdrawal rate
Full FIRE number = Spending ÷ Withdrawal rate. The time to each target is found month by month: balance × (1 + monthly real return) + monthly contribution, until the balance reaches the target. Real return = (1 + return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1.
Example
Spending $50,000 a year with a part-time job paying $24,000, the portfolio must cover $26,000. At 4% that is a Barista FIRE number of $650,000, against $1,250,000 for full FIRE. Starting at 32 with $150,000 invested and $25,000 added a year at a 3.88% real return, you reach the Barista number in about 12.8 years (around age 45) and full FIRE in about 22.7 years, so part-time work could start roughly 10 years sooner.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Barista FIRE?
The name comes from taking a job at a coffee chain partly for its health benefits, since some large U.S. employers offer health insurance to part-time staff. Any part-time, seasonal or freelance work counts.
How is Barista FIRE different from Coast FIRE?
With Coast FIRE you stop saving and leave the portfolio untouched until a normal retirement age, working to pay all current bills. With Barista FIRE you start withdrawing right away and use part-time pay to cover the rest.
What if the part-time income stops?
Then the portfolio has to cover everything, which at the Barista number means withdrawing well above your chosen rate. Keep a cash buffer, or keep saving a little while working part time.
Which withdrawal rate should I use?
4% is the common starting point, based on studies of 30-year retirements. If you leave full-time work in your 30s or 40s, a lower rate such as 3.5% gives more margin for a long retirement.
Sources
This tool gives an estimate for general information only. It is not financial, tax, legal or medical advice — check with a qualified professional before you rely on the result.
Last updated: 2026-10-30