🧠How Harrison and I Reached Coast FI
And what that actually means
Harrison and I recently hit Coast FI on our path to early retirement.
That sentence can sound confusing, so let’s slow it down.
Coast FI does not mean we’re retired.
It does not mean we stopped working.
It does not mean we never invest again.
What it does mean is this:
The money we’ve already invested is on track to grow enough, on its own, to support our retirement at a traditional retirement age.
We no longer have to keep adding money to retirement accounts for that goal to work.
What Coast FI Means in Simple Terms
Think of retirement savings like a snowball rolling downhill.
Early on, you are packing snow by hand.
That part takes effort.
At Coast FI, the snowball is big enough that gravity does most of the work.
Time does the compounding.
Growth does the heavy lifting.
Any money we earn now can be used for:
• covering current expenses
• enjoying life more now
• reducing work hours
• building flexibility into our lives
• choosing work based on alignment, not pressure
Why This Matters for Early Retirement
Hitting Coast FI changes the pressure around money.
It means:
• we’re not racing against the clock
• we’re not relying on perfect markets
• we’re not dependent on maxing everything out forever
It gives us options.
We can still invest, and we do.
But we’re no longer investing out of fear.
That’s a huge shift.
What Coast FI Is Not
Coast FI is not about quitting work overnight.
It’s not about never earning again.
It’s not about having unlimited money.
It’s about reducing future pressure.
It’s about knowing that future-you is already supported.
Why I Teach This Concept
I love Coast FI because it reframes success.
Instead of asking:
“How fast can I get out?”
It asks:
“How can I build enough momentum so my future is taken care of, even if life changes?”
For nurses and high-burnout professions, this matters.
It creates breathing room.
It creates choice.
It creates safety.
The Bigger Takeaway
Financial independence is not one finish line.
There are milestones along the way.
Coast FI is one of them.
And for us, reaching it wasn’t about extreme sacrifice or perfect timing.
It was about:
• consistent investing
• long-term thinking
• using simple index funds and ETFs
• staying invested through ups and downs
• letting time do its job
That’s the kind of progress that’s quiet, steady, and sustainable.