FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It is a strategy for saving and investing enough money that paid work becomes optional.

What is a FIRE number?

A FIRE number is the amount of invested assets you need to cover annual expenses without relying on a traditional paycheck.

Where should beginners start on But First Fire?

Beginners should start with the FIRE number guide, compare FIRE types, then use the calculators to test withdrawal risk and location-based expenses.

The FIRE Blog - But First Fire

Financial Independence Guides

Start building a FIRE plan you can actually test.

FIRE means Financial Independence, Retire Early: building enough invested assets that paid work becomes optional. Your FIRE number is the portfolio target that can support your annual expenses, usually estimated with a safe withdrawal rate such as 3.5% or 4%.

Start Here

Learn the core math before optimizing details.

Calculate your FIRE number Compare FIRE types Understand Lean FIRE expenses

FIRE Calculators

Stress-test the plan instead of trusting averages.

Run the sequence risk calculator Compare geo-arbitrage cities Pay Off Mortgage vs. Invest Calculator

Popular Guides

Explore the questions people ask before leaving work early.

Can you retire at 35 with $500k? What is Coast FIRE? What is Barista FIRE?

Real FIRE Stories

See the tradeoffs behind real-world financial independence.

From debt to Coast FIRE A first-year FIRE reflection Living abroad on $1,100/month