LuniBound · Free calculator

Barista FIRE calculator

If part-time work covers some of your spending, your portfolio only has to cover the rest. See when you could step back from full-time work — and how that compares with full financial independence.

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Barista progress

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Barista FIRE number

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Part-time at

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Full FI number

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Full FI at

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Estimates in today's dollars — see the assumptions below. Your inputs stay in this browser and are never transmitted.

What is Barista FIRE?

Barista FIRE is a middle path between working full-time and full financial independence. Your investments cover part of your living costs, and a part-time job — the classic example is a coffee shop that offers benefits, but it can be freelancing, consulting or seasonal work — covers the rest. Because your portfolio only has to fund the gap, the number you need can be dramatically smaller than for full FIRE.

How the Barista FIRE number is calculated

Barista FIRE number = (yearly spending − part-time income) ÷ withdrawal rate

Compare it with the full FI number, which is yearly spending ÷ withdrawal rate. Every dollar of part-time income you can count on reduces the portfolio you need by 25 dollars at a 4% withdrawal rate.

Worked example

You spend $48,000 a year and could earn $24,000 after tax from part-time work. Your portfolio only needs to cover $24,000 a year, so at a 4% withdrawal rate your Barista FIRE number is $600,000 — half the $1,200,000 you'd need for full FI. Starting at 35 with $50,000 invested and $1,000 a month at a 7% real return, you'd reach the Barista number around age 53.3, roughly 8.4 years before full financial independence at about 61.7.

Things to plan for

How long the part-time income lasts. This calculator assumes it continues. If you expect to stop working at some point, you'll want your portfolio to reach the full FI number by then.
Health insurance. In the US, leaving a full-time job before Medicare eligibility at 65 means finding coverage another way — through a part-time employer that offers benefits or the ACA marketplace. Include that cost in your yearly spending.
Taxes and variability. Use after-tax part-time income, and be conservative: part-time and freelance income is often less predictable than a salary.

See your whole plan on one page

The LuniBound planner adds 500 simulated market futures, a growth chart, Coast FIRE and your moon progress — still 100% in your browser, with no account and no bank linking.

Open the full planner

Questions

How much part-time income do I need for Barista FIRE?

Enough to cover the gap between your spending and what your portfolio can safely provide. With $600,000 invested at a 4% withdrawal rate, the portfolio provides about $24,000 a year, so the rest of your spending would need to come from work.

Is Barista FIRE the same as Coast FIRE?

No. With Coast FIRE you stop saving but still earn enough to cover all your living costs until retirement. With Barista FIRE you start withdrawing from your portfolio early and part-time income covers the remainder.

Does the part-time income need to last forever?

This calculator assumes it continues. If you plan to stop working later, aim to reach your full FI number by that point — the full FI age shown here tells you when that could happen if you kept contributing.

Should the income be before or after tax?

Use after-tax income, since your spending is what you actually pay for. Taxes on portfolio withdrawals aren't modeled, so lowering your expected return slightly is a simple way to add a margin.

Is my data private?

Yes. Everything is calculated in your browser and saved only in this browser's local storage. Nothing you enter is sent to Lunibyte or anyone else.