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The Journey

Articles about the journey

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How Much Do You Need for Barista FIRE in Your 40s? ¥45M–¥75M — but the Split Matters More
The Journey

How Much Do You Need for Barista FIRE in Your 40s? ¥45M–¥75M — but the Split Matters More

A 47-year-old in Japan with ¥60.5M gives a range, not a number, and explains why ¥10M of it has to sit in cash. The math comes from the 2022 drawdown.

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I Dropped Back Below ¥60M ($382K) in Six Weeks — and Found the Hole in My Barista FIRE Plan
The Journey

I Dropped Back Below ¥60M ($382K) in Six Weeks — and Found the Hole in My Barista FIRE Plan

My portfolio fell from ¥60.3M to ¥58.5M while the Nikkei rose. What actually moved it, and the one thing my early-retirement plan never accounted for.

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What Pushed Me Past ¥60M ($387K) Wasn't 8 Years of Investing — It Was 3 Days in August
The Journey

What Pushed Me Past ¥60M ($387K) Wasn't 8 Years of Investing — It Was 3 Days in August

On Aug 3 my portfolio sat at ¥57.8M. On Aug 6 it hit ¥60.3M. What actually did it, and why I'm not moving my Barista FIRE date up.

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I Keep Getting Within a Hair of ¥60M ($400K) — and Keep Getting Knocked Back to $387K
The Journey

I Keep Getting Within a Hair of ¥60M ($400K) — and Keep Getting Knocked Back to $387K

My portfolio touches ¥59M, then slides back to ¥58M without crossing ¥60M. Why a bigger portfolio moves $4,000+ a day, and why I changed nothing.

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Side FIRE / Barista FIRE at 50 with $330K Assets in Japan: A Full 3.5-Year Plan
The Journey

Side FIRE / Barista FIRE at 50 with $330K Assets in Japan: A Full 3.5-Year Plan

Can you Barista FIRE at 50 with $330K? A 46-year-old Japanese salaryman runs the full math: assets, contract income, education costs, drawdown to 90.

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Barista FIRE From Tokyo: A Japanese Salaryman Runs the Numbers at $330K in Assets
The Journey

Barista FIRE From Tokyo: A Japanese Salaryman Runs the Numbers at $330K in Assets

What Barista FIRE looks like from inside Japan's salaryman culture: real numbers, real constraints, and why the math surprised me

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I Check My Portfolio at 4 AM. If It's Up, I Stare. If It's Down, I Close the App
The Journey

I Check My Portfolio at 4 AM. If It's Up, I Stare. If It's Down, I Close the App

I check the S&P 500 at 4 AM every morning. If it's up, I stare for 5 minutes. If it's down, I close the app. My 8-year index investing routine.

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I Started Investing Because My Career Fell Apart | What Changed After I Gave Up on Promotions
The Journey

I Started Investing Because My Career Fell Apart | What Changed After I Gave Up on Promotions

Burned out as a manager at 38, salary frozen at $50K. Starting index funds after a career setback changed my financial trajectory.

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