{"id":1879,"date":"2026-04-01T05:57:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/?p=1879"},"modified":"2026-04-01T07:54:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T07:54:15","slug":"barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"What Barista FIRE for 2 Years Taught Me: Real Lessons on Money, Freedom, and Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have you ever fallen down the personal finance rabbit hole? If so, chances are you\u2019ve heard of FIRE. You know, Financial Independence, Retire Early. It\u2019s awesome. You should totally do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okay, hear me out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It took me awhile, but somewhere between spreadsheets and index funds, and I discovered\u2026 Barista FIRE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yep. BARISTA FIRE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For two years, I lived this lifestyle. Not the Instagram version. Not the \u201cLet Me Tell You About My Theory On\u201d version. I actually did it. The whole enchilada. The good, the bad, and the WTF moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And you know what? It was one of the best decisions I\u2019ve ever made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, there were hard lessons. Parts that sucked. Boring moments. If I\u2019m being totally honest, there were even times I questioned what the heck I was doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it was also fascinating. Empowering. Transformative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s what two years of Barista FIRE taught me about money, work, identity, freedom, and just how much is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(This is a long one, but it\u2019s fun!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"771\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/my-barista-fire-lessons-1024x771.jpg\" alt=\"Person relaxing by the seaside at sunset, wearing casual sneakers and striped pants, overlooking calm ocean waves\" class=\"wp-image-1880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/my-barista-fire-lessons-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/my-barista-fire-lessons-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/my-barista-fire-lessons-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/my-barista-fire-lessons-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/my-barista-fire-lessons-432x325.jpg 432w, https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/my-barista-fire-lessons.jpg 2040w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Taking a moment to slow down and enjoy the view in Nice, France \u2014 one of the simplest pleasures Barista FIRE made possible \ud83c\udf05<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<div style=\"max-width: -moz-fit-content\" class=\"wp-block-ub-table-of-contents-block ub_table-of-contents ub_table-of-contents-collapsed\" id=\"ub_table-of-contents-e9f9a0fd-4252-4f6c-a2b9-bbb49fdbf726\" data-linktodivider=\"false\" data-showtext=\"show\" data-hidetext=\"hide\" data-scrolltype=\"auto\" data-enablesmoothscroll=\"false\" data-initiallyhideonmobile=\"false\" data-initiallyshow=\"false\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header-container\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header\" style=\"text-align: left; \">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-title\" style=\"\"><strong>Table of Contents<\/strong><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header-toggle\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-toggle\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\u00a0[<a class=\"ub_table-of-contents-toggle-link\" href=\"#\" style=\"\">show<\/a>]\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-extra-container\" style=\"\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-container ub_table-of-contents-1-column ub-hide\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul style=\"\"><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#0-what-is-barista-fire-and-why-i-did-it\" style=\"\">What is Barista FIRE (And Why I Did It)<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#1-lesson-1-freedom-is-amazing%E2%80%A6-until-it-isn%E2%80%99t\" style=\"\">Lesson 1: Freedom Is Amazing\u2026 Until It Isn\u2019t<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#2-lesson-2-you-have-more-identity-tied-to-your-job-than-you-realize\" style=\"\">Lesson 2: You Have More Identity Tied to Your Job Than You Realize<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#3-lesson-3-you%E2%80%99ll-spend-way-less-than-you-think\" style=\"\">Lesson 3: You\u2019ll Spend Way Less Than You Think<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#4-lesson-4-time-is-money%E2%80%A6-literally\" style=\"\">Lesson 4: Time Is Money\u2026 Literally<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#5-lesson-5-you-don%E2%80%99t-need-as-much-money-as-you-think-you-do\" style=\"\">Lesson 5: You Don\u2019t Need as Much Money as You Think You Do<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#6-lesson-6-work-optional-life-changing\" style=\"\">Lesson 6: Work Optional = Life Changing<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#7-lesson-7-boredom-is-your-friend\" style=\"\">Lesson 7: Boredom Is Your Friend<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#8-lesson-8-your-friend-group-will-shift-and-that%E2%80%99s-ok\" style=\"\">Lesson 8: Your Friend Group Will Shift (And That\u2019s OK)<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#9-lesson-9-financial-independence-is-a-journey\" style=\"\">Lesson 9: Financial Independence Is a Journey<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#10-lesson-10-i-still-wanted-to-work\" style=\"\">Lesson 10: I Still Wanted to Work<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bearsavings.com\/blog\/barista-fire-for-2-years-lessons\/#11-final-thoughts-is-barista-fire-worth-it\" style=\"\">Final Thoughts: Is Barista FIRE Worth It?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"0-what-is-barista-fire-and-why-i-did-it\">What is Barista FIRE (And Why I Did It)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">OKAY, before we get into all of my philosophical musings let\u2019s back up for a second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What exactly is Barista FIRE?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Good question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, Barista FIRE falls into the larger FIRE category but differs in one important way. With traditional FIRE, you save and invest so much money that you never have to work a \u201creal job\u201d ever again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BuT wHy WOuLD YoU dO tHaT?? ?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Barista FIRE, you work a low stress job. Sometime part-time. Something to pay for the basics. But that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201cBarista\u201d part doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you have to work at Starbucks. It just means that your main job is to drink lattes and exist financially on your investment income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Got it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Makes total sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For me, Barista FIRE was about choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I already had a good amount of savings and portfolio built up, so technically I could have quit work all-together. But I liked having a little extra spending money. And more than that, I liked the idea of still working, but on my own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So that\u2019s what I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-lesson-1-freedom-is-amazing%E2%80%A6-until-it-isn%E2%80%99t\">Lesson 1: Freedom Is Amazing\u2026 Until It Isn\u2019t<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look, when I first kicked off Barista FIRE life was awesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No alarms. No meetings. No hitting send before you absolutely needed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was glorious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after about a week of lounging around like a bum I realized\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Freedom kinda sucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t get me wrong. Having the freedom to live life on my own terms was amazing. But there was a part of me that just couldn\u2019t handle all the freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I felt lost without something to account for my time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not having a set schedule made me realize I still hadn\u2019t quite figured out what I was doing with my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which led me to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-lesson-2-you-have-more-identity-tied-to-your-job-than-you-realize\">Lesson 2: You Have More Identity Tied to Your Job Than You Realize<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When someone asks you, \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You know the answer, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Work? Career? Job? Profession?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Call it what you want. We all have something we say when someone asks that age-old question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when I entered Barista FIRE I didn\u2019t have an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least, not a good one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I felt lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because up until Barista FIRE I defined myself by my job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who I was, what I did, where I was going; all of it was tied to my career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not having that made me feel directionless. Like I had no identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It took me awhile, but Barista FIRE forced me to look beyond my job title and discover who I really was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-lesson-3-you%E2%80%99ll-spend-way-less-than-you-think\">Lesson 3: You\u2019ll Spend Way Less Than You Think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is probably the biggest surprise to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Barista FIRE I was always trying to save more money. Cut corners here and there. Be smarter with my cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hell, I was frugal AF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once I actually started living in the Barista FIRE lifestyle I realized how easy it was to cut back on spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, I wasn\u2019t flipping latte art like a mad woman. But I also didn\u2019t have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Traffic-filled commutes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tube socks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stress eating<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I didn\u2019t realize how much money I spent just to keep up with life before Barista FIRE. Sure, we all spend money we don\u2019t need to. But when you\u2019re not working full-time, suddenly that stuff becomes VERY noticeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-lesson-4-time-is-money%E2%80%A6-literally\">Lesson 4: Time Is Money\u2026 Literally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to tell one clich\u00e9 to someone living in the Barista FIRE lifestyle, make it this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trust me. I got tons of eye rolls when I tried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you work full-time, every minute of your day is scheduled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You work, you sleep, you rush here and there trying to fit as much into your day as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barista FIRE changed that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of a sudden I had time to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Think<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cook real meals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Workout regularly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Actually pay attention to the people I loved<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that extra time changed everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More time meant I could be intentional about how I spent my money. I could focus on the things that mattered most to me. And it gave me space to think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which led to some of my best decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-lesson-5-you-don%E2%80%99t-need-as-much-money-as-you-think-you-do\">Lesson 5: You Don\u2019t Need as Much Money as You Think You Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is another one I wasn\u2019t quite sure about when I started Barista FIRE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How would I actually live on my investment income?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Would I be able to cover all my expenses? What about extras?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It turned out I had nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, I worried about money. Who doesn\u2019t? But during Barista FIRE I learned that my actual expenses were WAY less than I thought they were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hell, it was easier to save money now than when I was working full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guess spending all that money wasn\u2019t as necessary as I thought it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-lesson-6-work-optional-life-changing\">Lesson 6: Work Optional = Life Changing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you had asked me a few years ago if I wanted to live a life where work was optional I would have laughed in your face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Work is WORK for a reason. It\u2019s supposed to suck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Barista FIRE showed me that when you\u2019re no longer chasing the almighty dollar, you start to view work a little differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sure, I still worked. A lot actually. But I was able to pick and choose what I wanted to focus on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I cared more about the type of work I did. Where I did it. Who I worked for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And honestly? Barista FIRE allowed me to become more productive than I ever thought possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-lesson-7-boredom-is-your-friend\">Lesson 7: Boredom Is Your Friend<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let me ask you this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When was the last time you were bored?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like really bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Go ahead. I\u2019ll wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Did you notice how long it took you to come up with something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See. Me too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We live in a world where boredom is something to be avoided at all costs. If you\u2019re not doing something, you should be doing something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Barista FIRE taught me that boredom is actually a good thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It allowed me time to think, reflect, and dream. To wonder about the what-ifs and figure out what I wanted to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Boredom can be a catalyst for change if you let it be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8-lesson-8-your-friend-group-will-shift-and-that%E2%80%99s-ok\">Lesson 8: Your Friend Group Will Shift (And That\u2019s OK)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One weird aspect of Barista FIRE that no one talks about is how your friend groups will change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m not saying you\u2019ll lose your friends. But your relationships will shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll meet new people. People who think differently about work, money, and life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you change your mindset about these things, it\u2019s inevitable that some of your old friends won\u2019t see eye-to-eye with you anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s perfectly okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can always find friends that match your current lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"9-lesson-9-financial-independence-is-a-journey\">Lesson 9: Financial Independence Is a Journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the thing about financial independence: once you start down that path, there\u2019s no turning back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least, not if you want to be financially successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that doesn\u2019t mean you have to go all in right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I started Barista FIRE I didn\u2019t quit my job overnight. I tested the waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Did it take awhile? Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I wouldn\u2019t have changed it for the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"10-lesson-10-i-still-wanted-to-work\">Lesson 10: I Still Wanted to Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okay, so this might sound bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But here it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After two years of Barista FIRE, I still wanted to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem wasn\u2019t working, it was working a job that I hated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barista FIRE taught me that I love working. I love creating. Building. Learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I just didn\u2019t want to do it in a traditional setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that was okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"11-final-thoughts-is-barista-fire-worth-it\">Final Thoughts: Is Barista FIRE Worth It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes\u2026and no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes because it was an amazing experience that I wouldn\u2019t trade for the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And no because everyone\u2019s financial situation is different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was lucky enough to be in a position where Barista FIRE made sense for me. But that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019ll work for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What I will say is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re even remotely interested in Barista FIRE, take the leap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t go crazy and quit your job tomorrow. But figure out a way to test it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take a few months off. Work part-time. See how it makes you feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll never know unless you try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And who knows? You might just love it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever fallen down the personal finance rabbit hole? 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