#financial-independence
3 articles
Rachel's FIRE Number Is $1.26M at 50 — Marcus Earns 2× and Hits FIRE 4 Years Later
The FIRE number depends on what you spend, not what you earn. We ran two real-world profiles through the calculator: a $85K saver who spends $50K, and a $150K earner who spends $120K. The lower earner retires first.
Cutting $500/Month Spending Drops Your FIRE Number by $150K — Twice the Power of a $500 Raise
The FIRE number is annual expenses × 25. The math has a hidden asymmetry: every dollar you cut from spending moves the finish line closer AND speeds you toward it. We compared a $500 cut vs a $500 raise across 25 years.
25× Expenses Lasted 30 Years in 73% of Our Simulations, 50 Years in 49%
We retired $1.25M on $50K of spending in 5,000 simulated markets. Survival falls from 73% over 30 years to 49% over 50. Saving 33× lifts the 50-year number to 70%; part-time income adds less than you'd think.