Trying for FI
Sharing stories and strategies from the daily grind toward our financial independence. We are a Queer blended family of five living in the Bay Area and are "late starters" dedicated to Trying for FI!
Trying for FI
What Is Coast FI? Is It the Right FIRE Milestone for Your Family Too?
In this episode, part of our What Is Wealth? series, we explore a game-changing concept in the FIRE world: Coast FI — and how discovering it completely shifted our financial goals.
Coast FI is the idea that if you save enough early, you can stop contributing to retirement accounts and still retire comfortably. It’s not about leaving the workforce — it’s about gaining freedom, flexibility, and more time with your family now, not just decades from now.
We talk about:
• What Coast FI really means (and no, it’s not living by the beach)
• Why this milestone fits our family’s season of life better than full FIRE
• How the Coast FI Calculator from The Fioneers gave us a timeline of 1–5 years 😳
• The powerful impact of age, return rate, and savings pace on your Coast FI number
• How our retirement strategy has evolved — and why Fetch finally started a 403(b)
If you’re in your 30s or 40s, have kids at home, and feel like full FIRE is too far away, this episode will open up a more achievable and meaningful path. Coast FI might give you the freedom to work less, enjoy more, and stay present without sacrificing your future.
🔗 Try the calculator here: thefioneers.com/coast-fi-calculator
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