uFIRE Seasons · #FIRESeasons
Your kids are only little once.
Retirement doesn't have to be one cliff at the end. Take a season now. Go back to work. Retire for good later.
The idea
A season in the middle
Four ways
Pick the season that fits
Full stop
Both of you, or one, step away.
Downshift
Part-time or consulting.
Tag team
Take turns. Someone is always home.
Geo-pause
A slow, cheaper year somewhere new.
The planner
What would a season cost?
Change the numbers. See the bridge, the cost, and what it does to your timeline.
Bridge money for the season
$260,400
$86,800 a year for 3 years: spending plus health insurance, minus any season income.
What paused contributions cost
$242,074
$75,000 not saved, which would have grown to this by age 60.
Final nest egg needed
$1,750,000
Spending ÷ 4%.
Your season's effect
+9 yr
Your final retirement moves about 9 years later.
With these numbers your savings would run out during the season. About $260,400 is needed, and you'd have about $219,188 when it starts. A shorter season, some income, or more years to save can close the gap.
No season
Retire for good at 60
With your season (orange)
Retire for good at 69
An estimate in today's dollars, using steady returns. Real markets bounce around. Leaves out taxes, Social Security, children's costs that change, and what you'd earn when you return. Nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice.
Free sheet
Get the free Season Planning Sheet
Choose your season, fill in your numbers, talk it through with your partner, and plan the first months. Free when you join Kindling. Your download opens right here.