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Types of retirement

There is more than one way to stop needing a salary. Seven common plans, what each asks of you and how to model it.

1. Lean FIRELive on less, need less, stop earlier. Lean FIRE trades comfort for time, and works best with a deliberate margin.
2. Coast FIRESave hard early, then stop saving and let growth carry you to retirement. You still work, but only to pay for today.
3. Barista FIREYour savings pay most of the bills, a part-time job pays the rest. Independence arrives years earlier, and work becomes lighter.
4. DownshiftingNot all-or-nothing: move to a cheaper commune, work less, simplify. Lower costs bring independence closer and make today lighter.
5. Retiring abroadSwiss savings, lower costs elsewhere. Geo-arbitrage can bring independence years closer, if you count taxes, health care and the franc.
6. Seasonal livingSummer in the Alps, winter in the sun. A split year can lower costs, but where you are tax resident decides a lot.
7. Spend-down retirementInstead of living only on returns, spend your savings over a chosen horizon. Pensions are the floor; capital is meant to be used.