I’m sure it’s been asked here some time, but what are jobs you transitioned to after reaching CoastFIRE? I know some people just stay in their roles, but some take on lower stress roles. Curious what the job was and do you still enjoy it

At 45yo, I'm in a situation where I could technically coast now or even retire early in a few years based on conventional and historical wisdom about withdrawal rates, average market returns over the long-term, etc. But I have a really hard time doing that with so much global political upheaval and market uncertainty that may play out over the next several years (and decades). I understand the historical cycles based on past decades including the boom and bust, and the case for how you can ride it out even when coasting in a way that works. But I can't help but have the sense that maybe things don't play out according to historical patterns at this stage. There is so much risk coming down the road -- political restructuring around the world, skyrocketing inflation risk, US deficit risks that aren't going to go away, AI impacts just to start. It feels really hard to step back from the security of a high paying job under the current circumstances without feeling like I'm taking on a huge amount of risk (e.g., what if the market actually tanks way worse than historical trends would project, what if there's a depression, what if inflation skyrockets more than even predicted now, what if AI really wipes out jobs and the coast jobs I swapped for aren't sustainable in that environment). How does everyone deal with the current risk climate as you contemplate and try to map out coasting?

As in the title? If so, how?

Once work no longer determines where you live, what makes an expensive city worth the retirement budget?

I struggle to understand aiming for around $6.5M or more if moving somewhere cheaper is an option. I associate HCOL areas with people focused on demanding careers, and I wonder whether I'd feel out of place after a day spent sitting in a cafe.

I'd also find it hard to pay that premium while still worrying about neighborhood safety and homelessness.

For people planning to stay after retiring, what am I missing about the day-to-day value? What would you be giving up by moving, and is it something you could find in a less expensive place?

In a lot of FIRE threads, most of the posters appear to be millionaires. By the way, if you are a millionaire and FIRE, more power to you. However, I'm very curious about people who FIRE on much lower amounts. In my opinion, one could fire on a modest amount if they are debt free and have a low-cost life structure.

It feels like the society at large views struggle to earn money as being noble but struggle to save money is looked down upon. IMO, it shouldn't be this way. A penny saved is a penny earned.

My 401k says I've officially hit CoastFI on paper.

I plan to maintain company match, but will reduce retirement contributions otherwise to focus on student loans, etc.

My horizon is 5 years to fully pay everything except mortgage off.

I'm interested in hearing what everyone did once they hit full CoastFI?

What would be any helpful advice for somebody just coming into this territory? I have almost no debt except an auto loan which is almost at its end (2 years and 8 months left) I work 2 full time jobs making around 8-10k a month depending how many Wednesdays or Fridays are within it(also room to grow my next promotion would be around 15-20k a month once that happens) I haven’t start my Roth IRA which I plan to do asap. I have about 10k in savings. None of my family really ever spoke about this with me given I come from a family not extremely knowledgeable about finances. I do not want to end up in the position my father is in (mid 50’s still living paycheck to paycheck). I’m married paid the wedding in cash only last large expense in my future would be a downpayment for a home hopefully within the next couple years. I always read these posts where people my age or even younger are light years ahead and I just feel like I’m so far behind. I honestly would be happy with 100k a year to coast on but at my age I’m not sure how much I should be putting away to catch up. If you’ve read this far thank you and any advice from somebody who’s done it would be extremely appreciated.

Side note: One of my jobs has a 2% 401k match which is pretty low but still something I haven’t started it yet, wondering if my money would just be better set in a Roth IRA or a HSA.

I think it’s time to redirect my DCAs from BTC to index funds. I have 4.5 BTC privately held in ledger and 6BTC spread out in retirement accounts. I’m 49 and wanna semi retire in a few years.

I max out my IRA, 401k, and HSA.

2mil total in retirement accounts

90k in HSA

House valued at 1.3mil with 250k left on a 2.99% mortgage (not paying that off early other than bi-weekly payments).

3 kids (19-13) with 520k in 529

Throw away account because my main has too much personal info.

TLDR, my w2 tech job was just eliminated as part of a reorg (welcome to the club, so I hear). I will essentially be paid through the end of the year, with subsidized health insurance lasting a little longer than that. I'm at a crossroads and considering the best path forward, so seeking unbiased opinions, as honestly this isn't something I discuss with most of my friends / family in detail.

It's me (40), my wife (mid 30s), and our 1.5 year old daughter. We want to have a second in the near future, ideally.

We have about 500k in various 401ks and IRAs, another 150k in taxable brokerage, about 150k in cash (about a year of living expenses with no tightening). We also have ~1.2M in home equity (TLDR, the house was essentially a gift). We'll probably get an inheritance at some point, call it 2M conservatively (likely would be more, you never know though, and no idea when).

I recognize we're very privileged to have some runway here, so I don't feel like I have to panic and take the first fulltime job I'm offered. I had a pretty good run the last couple years, probably averaging 350k-400k in gross income between my w2 job and consulting on the side (fulltime job was about 200k). That was atypical though. My wife is not working right now but she previously made ~200k. I would say we both work in pretty volatile niches in tech, especially right now, and I would not say I feel any particular passion towards my line of work. We're in a HCOL area and our expenses are high. I know we need to lower our run rate no matter what.

The way I see it, we have some options:

• Jump back into fulltime work. The job market stinks right now for what I do, or so I hear, so I'm not even sure how difficult it will be to find a fulltime job. Not excited about it but would do it to support my family OFC.
• Try to lean into consulting. I was able to make more from freelance work than my fulltime job for ~two years, but a lot of it was dependent on referrals from one partner, and that ebbs and flows quite a bit. As of this moment, I have about 50k of likely consulting income for the next year. I think I could build on that if I hustled and marketed myself more, but you never know. I don't like the work still, but freelancing makes it a little easier.
• My wife has some contracting she could do, making about what she was previously on an hourly basis. She's not excited about it, would ideally like to just focus on being a mom right now, but she'll likely at least give it a shot.
• We could just look at the next year as a break / transition, use our cash savings and side income to live while I work on doing something different. Take a step back in pay, find something that covers the bills that is maybe more interesting, hopefully with a higher long term ceiling (I'm 40 though so long term is relative).
• The backup plan has always been sell the house, invest the cash, spend an extended period of time overseas with my wife's family where we can live very cheaply. We already spend a lot of time abroad with them, so it feels like something we could realistically do, though obviously would like it to feel like a choice, not a necessity.

I'm back and forth between being excited about using this opportunity to do something different, and panicking about burning through our cash savings, being forced to sell the house in a down market etc. So, I guess I'm just seeking outside opinions, more so than hard numbers, what would you do with transition period with some, but far from unlimited runway? First time posting so happy to try to provide more detail if any of this is too vague.

Say I have 1 m+ in my brokerage account and my LT tax is around 20% so my NW would be 600k right? Or do people take 1m ( pre tax value) into consideration for FIRE calculation.

I'm burnt out and considering shifting into a role that translates to a substantial pay cut, but I think I'd enjoy the work more. Before you tell me to exhaust my PTO, I already have exhausted vacation leave and am working with a therapist aiming to get paid sick leave drawn down while I take a step back from work as I have a ton of sick leave banked.

I currently work as a senior engineer and spend most days working remotely doing plan review. It's tedious, and I find my focus is hard to maintain. It's a battle to keep myself at my desk all day. I find myself gravitating to more hands-on work and remember enjoying working in labs during collegiate coursework and research. I feel better in a role that lets me move around throughout the day.

I have a job offer as a mid-level lab analyst that would be supporting engineers and operators at a manufacturing facility. I'd have predictable benchwork, with some research/special projects. Honestly, I'd take it in a heartbeat, and the pay cut is tripping me up a bit. I'm past coastFIRE, but don't own a home and am concerned about the unpredictability of rent increases. I'm aware I'm in my mid-30s, can afford to take a risk for my mental health, and I'm looking for an honest take on my proposed plan if I take this analyst job. It'd be a stark change in income, and I'm trying to make logical sense of what, emotionally, feels like a good move for my physical and mental health.

Here are the specifics of my financial situation, current and offered job, and my plan of action:

Holdings:

• Investments:
  • Taxable brokerage: $465k
  • Traditional IRA: $55k
  • Roth IRA: $25k
  • 457b: $50k
  • 401(k): $17k
  • Mostly invested in VTI/VXUS with ~7% in bonds
• Cash:
  • HYSA: $10k
  • CDs: $80k (planned at end of 2025 to put a down payment on a house sometime in 2026, but with where market and interest rates are at, that's firmly off the table for the foreseeable future)
• Expenses: $5,100 monthly / $61,200 annual
• Debt: none
• Real estate ownership: none

Current income/job situation:

• Salary: $135k
• Retirement contribution: $24,500/yr to 457b
• Roth IRA contribution: $7,500/yr
• Working temporarily out of state (mostly remote, desk job) for 2026, have incurred these expenses:
  • $5k in unreimbursed travel costs
  • $2k in higher health care costs due to out of network care
  • $2k in pet boarding costs due to extended work travel

Job offer situation:

• Salary: $95k
• Retirement contribution: $24,500/yr to 457b
• Roth IRA contribution: $7,500/yr
• Only local travel, mileage reimbursed on as-needed basis

My plan:

• Max out 457b pre-tax deductions from paycheck
• Max out Roth IRA using matured CD funds
• Retain $30k emergency fund in HYSA
• Slowly draw down HYSA which would hold matured CDs through end of 2028 to fund cost of living
• Work to, most importantly, have fun! and advance in role to increase income a bit to more comfortable spot

Am I missing anything here? Thoughts? Thanks for your feedback.

I (35M) have been working corporate jobs ever since I graduated from college. I remember for the first few years working, I didn't take time off longer than a few days. One of my coworkers in the office actually looked at me one day and asked me if I ever took vacations because...he always, always sees me working. I'm feeling a bit burnt out.

I also recently broke up with my girlfriend. We left on good terms but it was a decade long relationship (both decided we wanted different things in life, not going to get too much into detail). I don't have any kids, zero dependents, and the dating scene is absolutely horrible nowadays.

One day, after sitting in my car coming back from work in silence, I decided I was going to take a year-long sabbatical somewhere in SEA or East Asia. Sounds cliche, since most people do that already. But...I've been dreaming of it for a long time now. Beautiful pristine beaches, amazing food, cheap COL, what else could you ask for? I went to Thailand with a few friends a few years ago and it blew me away.

I told myself at the END of this year around December, I'd quit my job, and starting January 2027 I'd make the final move. I looked into condos, living arrangements, VISA, everything. I budgeted and planned roughly 40k USD to last the entire year, slow traveling through parts of SEA and E-Asia.

I have about $500k saved up in individual accounts, so money isn't an issue. I also have a house with about $175k home equity that I was planning to sell at the start of 2027 which would help fund the sabbatical. So, if all goes to plan, I'll have roughly 700k total net worth come Jan.

Everything was looking fantastic. I was just counting the days down now, until....I got promoted. Now I went from making 70k a year to 120k. That's a BIG freakin jump. I applied for the position on an absolute whim and didn't think I'd get it. So now I'm stuck. Not to mention it came with a whole crap ton of responsibilities and stress. Despite this....IDK if I should let this opportunity of a lifetime go away....but I'd been planning this sabbatical for a WHOLE YEAR already. Doing the math, planning the places I'd travel to and stay...a whole damn road-map playbook. Shattered. IDK what to do? To make things worse my family learned about the promotion and they're so proud of me they held a big party and everything. I feel like shit now if I'd let them down. We grew up poor so I'm the first person in the family to make above 6 figures.

Chances are...if I quit 2-3 months into this new promotion, I would most likely NOT be coming back to a job this lucrative in a year's time after the sabbatical is over. The golden handcuffs is true...I'm absolutely broken.

On top of it all....I've been deeply depressed. I recently enrolled in therapy because my anxiety and depression got so bad I couldn't sleep or eat, or go to the gym anymore. I thought lightly about suicide a few times due to being burnt out from the new role at work (but I'd never do it).

And now I don't really know what to do. With Ai and the job market the way it is...I don't know if I can even find a job making 70k when I come back; who knows? I realize this could hurt my future FIRE goals (I personally want to hit 1m and then just retire outright via ExpatFIRE). Should I say f** it and just do it? Or should I stick it out for another year or two?

Hey all,

Fairly new to this FIRE coast concept however hoping for some advice or even a point in the right direction of where to learn more/ receive professional advice.

My husband (34) and I (33) have 3 kids under 5.

Our financial position is that we have an investment property earning $35k a year however if we sold it would net approx $1.5m after cgt. There’s no mortgage. We’d look at investing in ETFs.

Our PPR was last appraised at roughly $1.2m and we owe $300k on it with $100k offsetting. Also looking to sell this and relocate however the new location house price would be similar if not more expensive than this. Let’s say a max of $1.4m all in.

I have $180k in super and my husband has $120k.

We are burnt out from renovating and 3 kids under 5 etc etc lol. We are hoping to take a family sabbatical to south east Asia for a year or so (will cost approx 90k for the year by what I’m reading). Was hoping a combination of either renting out house and income from shares could help fund this if not we would use some capital.

When we return we’d like to be able to work together in my husbands business (together we’d only make approx $120k a year maybe)…. And do some overseas travel once a year (happy for it to be slow travel most years). Or I could go back to my stressful job and earn $100k while he earns $100k on his own.

We are really open to redeploying our assets but we want to get professional advice on how we do this.

I know some of this probably doesn’t seem smart but since having children my priorities have shifted significantly and I want to be able to spend as much time with them as our finances will allow, and give them opportunities to see the world.

28M. ~$350K NW, with ~$106K invested across retirement accounts. I recently committed to trying to hit $150K invested by 30, all exclusively in my 401K and Roth IRA. I've been hoarding cash as of late, so moving forward I'm contributing 100% of my paycheck to my 401K to keep me on track. The goal is Coast FIRE. $150K would more or less get me there.

That being said, I don't make a ton of money and I've been struggling with temptations to take on riskier investments to expedite the process. Especially perusing this thread, it's easy to feel behind. Ironically, according to the data, I'm an outlier, and among the top 10% of my peers. Which makes a lot of the folks on this thread absolute legends.

That being said, does anyone else struggle with resisting the urge to just throw a bunch of money into short-dated options or risky individual stocks? I was Frugal McDougal my entire adult life to build this foundation and it scares me that I occasionally fantasize about risking it all. I've been burnt before already, so I know better, but I still think about it from time to time.

It boggles my mind that A. I'm so privileged to be in this position but still feel behind somehow, and B. that having $150K invested by 30 is still borderline not enough while nearly half the people in the US are nowhere close to that figure, regardless of age. Hoping some folks here can give me a reality check or at least relate. I really can't process these things with anyone I know personally.

My parents are retiring with $4 M in savings, a paid off house, and close to maximum social security payments each.

Of course it’s not my money and I’d never expect anything but given that they are fairly frugal and savvy investors would it make sense to include this in my projections? I am am an only child. Personally mid thirties and getting close to $1.5 M worth and hoping to get close to $2 M before pulling the plug for a while.

Am I actually close to this number now because of the potential inheritance or should I not consider it at all?

Truthfully my job is high stress and my health has been going downhill as a result. Have tried to look for other jobs but no hits and barely an interview. Wondering if I even need to keep grinding at this point or if I need to suck it up.

This might be a long shot of finding someone who
has done this move or something similar. Long story short.

My wife and I have lived up in northern BC since we were born. In northern I am referring to Fort Saint John. Winters are a lot of -30 and weeks of -40c and non stop wind. Then summer comes and it’s short and bug filled.

After 33 years of this and now with young kids we have been wanting to move somewhere south with better weather and lifestyle to raise kids. I have worked the oilfield lifestyle for 16 years of that and tired of it all to be honest….. but it’s all I have ever known.

We have been wanting to pull the trigger for 5 years now but each year comes and we are still here….

My wage will drop from 180k to about 100k. Wife is not working right now with the 2 young kids at home but she will after they reach school age.

Cost of living will be about the same except housing will cost more.

Currently have about 1.1 million in stocks and 250k in home equity. (Hoping to fire at 2m) have saved since I was 20 aggressively

Not sure what’s scaring us or why we can’t mentally make the move….

Would love to hear some feedback or similar stories

brokerage: 282k
savings/checkings: 30k
roth ira: 11k
trad 401k + mega backdoor roth: 161k
total: 486k

I just turned 25 and am extremely burnt out. I hate my job and think about quitting every day. I used to love Computer Science and the problem solving, but AI has completely sucked the fun out it.

I'm thinking of doing a career pivot and going to med school, but I would need to take 2 years off to do all my premed requirements and get relevant experience (shadowing, clinical, volunteer, research). I worry about the tuition costs and the long road (many years) without making money. I've done some shadowing and think I would enjoy medicine a lot more. It excites me and is much more interesting, intellectually stimulating, and feels directly impactful in a way that aligns with my values.

I also think about traveling or just moving to southeast asia. Not sure what I'm asking honestly, but would love any advice or input. Feeling really lost in life...

Hi all!

I’ve been working in the corporate world for 15+ years and am getting close to reaching my FIRE number. Watches have been a passion of mine for a long time, and I’m excited by the idea of potentially making a career change and working in the watch industry once I reach financial independence.

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s made a similar transition or has experience working in the industry. What kind of opportunities are out there? I’m thinking of roles such as Sales (SA) for a watch brand or retailer, but I’d also be open to exploring other paths, including taking courses in watchmaking and learning how to service and repair watches.

I’d also be really interested to hear what kind of salaries I could realistically expect for these roles, especially from those working in the industry.

I am based in Singapore FYI but not important for my question.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and advice!

Hey guys, struggling to figure out if we've reached CoastFIRE and if we should pump the brakes with our retirement savings and build up cash for a house or continue aggressively investing and renting. We probably save $4k+ between our Roth IRAs, 401ks, HSA every month (including match). The math makes me say yes, but family planning and rising cost of living makes us question ourselves.

NW Breakdown:
- Cash: +$50k
- Investments: +$594k ($268k brokerage and rest in Roth IRAs, 401ks, $11k HSA)
- Credit cards: -$12.4k, 0% interest cc, planning to zero out in a couple of months
- Family loan: -$5k, planning to zero out in a couple of months
- Loans: $58k student and auto loan, both 2.75-3.99%
- Misc: $70k in cars and jewelry

Age: 29M/25F
HHI: $210-$220k
NW: ~$640k

What am I doing wrong? My YTD returns on investment is 3.5% and overall just 8%? It’s almost the same as putting money in a HYSA?

I’m trying to go hard on VXUS & VTI but it’s yielding so low returns. Very disappointing. Any advice?