“FIRE” has grown into a small family of milestones, and the names can blur together. Every version is built on the same engine: a nest egg large enough that a safe yearly withdrawal from it covers your spending. The common rule of thumb is a 4% withdrawal rate, the same as saying you need about 25 times your annual spending saved up.

The four milestones below are just different answers to two questions: how much do you plan to spend, and does your nest egg have to cover all of it or only part of it.

• What it is. You have saved enough to cover your normal, comfortable spending for the rest of your life without working. If you spend $50,000 a year, full FIRE at a 4% rate means about $1,250,000 saved.
• Who it suits. People who want the complete off-ramp, the freedom to stop working entirely while keeping their current standard of living.
• When you reach it. Usually the last milestone of the four. It requires the full nest egg to exist today.

• What it is. You have not saved the full nest egg, but you have saved enough that it will grow into the full amount on its own by your retirement age, with no further contributions. Your existing investments coast the rest of the way on compound growth.
• Who it suits. People, often younger, who front-loaded their saving and now want to breathe. Once you hit Coast FIRE you can stop contributing to retirement and redirect that money to life today, while still being on track.
• When you reach it. Typically the earliest milestone, sometimes decades before full FIRE, because time does the work.

For the exact math and a full worked example, see how Coast FIRE is calculated.

• What it is. Full financial independence, but on a deliberately lean, low-cost lifestyle. Because your spending is lower, the nest egg you need is smaller. If you can live on $28,000 a year, Lean FIRE at a 4% rate is about $700,000.
• Who it suits. People comfortable with a frugal, simple life, or those in low-cost areas, who would rather reach freedom sooner than hold out for a bigger budget. Geographic arbitrage, retiring somewhere cheaper, fits naturally here.
• When you reach it. Earlier than regular FIRE, purely because the target is smaller. The trade-off is less spending room and a thinner cushion for surprises.

• What it is. A hybrid. You have saved enough that a part-time or lower-stress job can cover the rest. Your investments handle most of your spending, and modest ongoing work (the classic example being a barista job that also brings health benefits) covers the gap.
• Who it suits. People who do not want to fully stop working, or who want to leave a demanding career for something lighter without waiting for a full nest egg. A middle path between Coast FIRE and full FIRE.
• When you reach it. Between Coast FIRE and full FIRE. You need more than coasting requires, but less than covering 100% of your spending from investments alone.

Think of it as a spectrum from still saving to fully free:

• Coast FIRE. Stop saving for retirement. Keep working to pay today’s bills. Investments will finish the job by your target age.
• Barista FIRE. Investments cover most spending. A light job covers the rest. Partly free.
• Lean FIRE. Fully free, on a smaller budget.
• Regular FIRE. Fully free, on your full budget.

Most people pass these in roughly that order, though it depends on your spending choices. Lean FIRE and Barista FIRE can arrive in either order depending on how frugal you are willing to be versus how much part-time income you are willing to earn.

There is no single right answer, and you do not have to pick just one. Many people treat Coast FIRE as an early relief valve, then keep an eye on Barista or Lean FIRE as a mid-point, with full FIRE as the long-term goal. The right target depends on how you want to spend your days, how much spending room you want, and how much longer you are happy to work.

The most useful thing is to see the actual ages you would hit each one, given your real income, savings, debt, and taxes.

Exityear Lite detects all four milestones, FIRE, Coast FIRE, Lean FIRE, and Barista FIRE, and marks the specific age each is reached, or tells you clearly if it is not reached in your plan. It simulates your finances month by month to your life expectancy, including debt and taxes, so the ages it shows reflect your real situation rather than a rough formula. It runs entirely in your browser, free, with no account and no data ever leaving your device.

As always, this is a projection based on assumptions you can adjust, not financial advice. It is a way to compare paths and see what is realistic for you.

Open the calculator, or read why debt and taxes change these dates.

What is the main difference between Coast FIRE and Barista FIRE?
Coast FIRE means you can stop saving for retirement but still need a normal job to pay today’s bills. Barista FIRE means your investments already cover most of your spending, and you only need light part-time work to fill the gap.

Is Lean FIRE just FIRE with a smaller number?
Essentially yes. Lean FIRE is full financial independence built around a deliberately low-cost lifestyle, so the nest egg required is smaller. The trade-off is a tighter budget and less margin for unexpected costs.

In what order do people usually reach these milestones?
Coast FIRE typically comes first, often by many years. Barista FIRE and Lean FIRE come in the middle, and full FIRE is usually last because it requires the complete nest egg for your full spending.

Do I have to choose one milestone to aim for?
No. Many people use Coast FIRE as an early sense of security, then track Barista or Lean FIRE along the way, with full FIRE as the eventual goal. They are checkpoints on the same road.

How is each milestone actually calculated?
Each compares a required nest egg (your relevant annual spending divided by your safe withdrawal rate) against your projected savings at a given age. Coast FIRE adds a growth step. Exityear Lite runs this month by month and reports the age you cross each line.