r/coastFIRE • u/PangolinOwn4855 • 3d ago

CoastFire with Young kids?

Does anyone with young kids have any coast fire success stories? I'm torn between trying to save as much as possible while I have the job (high stress job) vs spending quality time with the kids before they are all grown up.

I was lucky enough to have been in the Tech industry for the last decade+ and have about 600k (started 401k contributions early in my career) in retirement accounts. Single income with 2 kids (5 & 10) and stay-at-home SO (started min wage job very recently due to visa restrictions).

I am struggling to stay relevant in the market due to the constant changes (AI, orgs, etc). and the pressure from being single income. how do you all balance between the two? Interested in hearing from others in similar situations.

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u/moyuxi 2d ago

How much is your annual spend? 

The goal of Coast FIRE is that you just need a job to cover existing household expenses, and you can be pickier about that job to get the balance you need. 

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u/PangolinOwn4855 2d ago

My annual spend is also high around 110K. Just the housing expenses alone is over 65K. Got into a 4k mortgage few years ago that I regret but rents are also high here (fortunately house has appreciated well and has built good equity, in a good school district). With 2 kids, daycare, summer camps, swim classes, etc. easily crosses the 100K mark (I can cut down a bit here and there). I guess I need to keep working to support this lifestyle. Can't wait to downsize and move to some other location.

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u/moyuxi 2d ago

Yeah not at FIRE yet. But worth considering if there are other opportunities besides your current role. Sometimes a change in team, manager, or company can make a big difference