Early Retirement & FIRE
Lean, Fat, Coast & Barista FIRE
FIRE isn't one finish line. There are several, and the right one depends on the life you actually want.
The four common flavors
- Lean FIRE. Retire on a minimalist budget — often under ~$40k/year. Smaller number, less margin, more discipline.
- Fat FIRE. Retire with a comfortable, no-compromise budget. Bigger target, more cushion, longer to reach.
- Coast FIRE. Save enough early that, without adding another dollar, growth alone funds retirement at the normal age. You only need to cover today's expenses from here.
- Barista FIRE. Partly there — a part-time job covers some spending (and often healthcare) while your portfolio keeps growing.
How to choose
It's a trade between how soon you stop and how much you spend after. Lean and Coast get you freedom sooner with less spending; Fat takes longer but removes money worry entirely.
Lean
~$0.8M
Coast
save early
Fat
~$2.5M+
Coast FIRE is the underrated one: hit it young and the pressure evaporates — any job that covers your bills now is enough, because retirement is already funded by compounding.
You can switch
These aren't permanent identities. Many people Coast for a few years, then push toward Fat, or downshift to Barista. Model each and see which timeline and lifestyle you actually prefer.
Key takeaways
- Lean = minimalist budget; Fat = full-comfort budget.
- Coast = enough saved early that growth alone finishes the job.
- Barista = part-time income bridges the gap (often for healthcare).
- Pick by trading time-to-freedom against post-retirement spending.