Freedom: from emergency fund to FIRE

Who it is for

For someone with a steady income who thinks in decades.

What you will understand

You will understand how net worth is computed, what the 4% rule says, and where its limits are.

You tick a step yourself when you are ready — nothing is tracked automatically.

1. 1
   Step 1 of 7Article7 min

   Net worth: the one number

   Why this step: Every goal starts from an honest baseline.

   You will understand: What counts as an asset, what as a liability, and why a car is rarely an investment.

   OpenMark done
2. 2
   Step 2 of 7Calculator6 min

   Calculator: net worth

   Why this step: Five minutes of typing gives you a number you then check once a year.

   You will understand: How to group your assets and debts without missing anything.

   OpenMark done
3. 3
   Step 3 of 7Article8 min

   Where to keep the emergency fund

   Why this step: The buffer has a different job from an investment — so it belongs somewhere else.

   You will understand: The criteria that matter: access, predictability, erosion.

   OpenMark done
4. 4
   Step 4 of 7Article9 min

   The 4% rule

   Why this step: The most quoted rule in the field and the one most often taken out of context.

   You will understand: Which study it comes from and the assumptions under which it holds.

   OpenMark done
5. 5
   Step 5 of 7Calculator7 min

   Calculator: FIRE

   Why this step: The freedom number depends more on your spending than on any return.

   You will understand: How the savings rate and spending move the horizon.

   OpenMark done
6. 6
   Step 6 of 7Article8 min

   Coast FIRE and Barista FIRE

   Why this step: Between the two extremes there are intermediate versions that are rarely discussed.

   You will understand: What it means to stop contributing without stopping work.

   OpenMark done
7. 7
   Step 7 of 7Tool12 min

   Assemble your own plan

   Why this step: The planner brings income, surplus and goal into one place.

   You will understand: How a surplus turns into a timeline instead of a wish.

   OpenMark done

15 points per step, 50 for finishing a path. Progress is kept in this browser only — no account, no server. One click in the progress panel clears it.