Retiring early is a desire many people have. Maybe this is also your goal and this is why you came to this blog! However, getting to actual FIRE can be a lengthy process. You may not want to wait until you are 100% FIRE to get a taste of what early retirement will be like. How can you try out early retirement in the near term, even if you are not yet in a position to permanently retire early? Well, just like you would test drive a vehicle before making a purchase, there are ways to get an early “taste” of retirement life before achieving FIRE. Let’s call this “Trial FIRE” 

Trial FIRE = Some length of time where you try out retiring early, with the safety net of a job (or plan) to return to traditional work 

What are some reasons why might want to Trial FIRE? 

• You don’t really know if want to retire early. You may be concerned that you will be bored, miss the social interactions of the workplace or feel a void in your personal fulfillment by not working in a traditional work setting. Trial FIRE can help you to see what the experience is actually like, with the safety net of a plan to return to the workplace. 
• Your FIRE date is a long ways off and you need a break NOW. You may have been working hard for years and have made great progress on your journey to financial independence. You have built up enough wealth that you are not paycheck to paycheck. You have lowered your expenses to a rate that has allowed you to save a large chunk (hopefully 50% or more) of your income. You can’t yet FIRE, but you need a breather on your journey. 
• There are things you want to do NOW. You have things that you want to do or experience now and you don’t want to wait. Maybe it’s a trip around the world. Maybe you want to spend more time with your kids. Perhaps you want to start a business. If you just had some time, you would choose to do those things now, instead of waiting for FIRE. 

Ok, fair enough. There may be compelling reasons to Trial FIRE. But you may wonder how to pull this off. How can you Trial FIRE without completely ruining your finances or derailing your FIRE journey? Here are some ideas: 

Take a Long Vacation 

The most lightweight version of Trial FIRE. You are still getting paid and your job is waiting for you at the end. Most people at most take a week off at a time. That really is not enough time to Trial FIRE. By the time you get relaxed, you are already thinking about going back to work. The minimum time for a Trial FIRE that I recommend is 2 weeks. 

Since 2002, the longest break I had taken from work was 7 consecutive work days, which works out to about a week and a half. This summer for the first time ever, I took a 2 week vacation at a beach house and I was really surprised at how much of a difference I felt in terms of detachment from work by adding on that second week. I got into a rhythm, felt a routine and experienced on a mini-scale what retired life could be like.  I read books, cooked meals, walked on the beach and rode bikes. I spent hours of one on one time with my kids. I felt relaxed and focused. I took the time to THINK. It was great! I learned a little about what I would want my own FIRE experience to be like as a result. 

If this sounds good to you, I encourage you to save up your vacation days and try to take 2 weeks (or more) off. Talk to your manager in advance. Work hard before your Trial FIRE so that things are in order while you are out. Come back recharged and more focused on attaining your FIRE goal, since you know what it tastes like! 

Paid Sabbatical or Leave 

Some companies offer paid sabbaticals or leaves at certain cadences, such as every 5 years. These may be for a month, 6 weeks or more in length. Not all companies offer them, but they are more common in academic environments or big tech companies. If your company offers one of these definitely take advantage. 

If you have a full month or more off, you will be able to do more with your Trial FIRE. You may be able to do some extended travel, deep dive into a passion or hobby or even get your own business started. By having the safety net of the job waiting for you, you can dive into these endeavors 100% and really get to explore. This will give you a great idea of what FIRE could be like. It might also give you some extra impetus to speed up your path to FIRE when you return since you have gotten to experience a taste of your dream for a decent chunk of time! 

If you are able to use your paid sabbatical to start a business, this may plant the seed to an additional income source. This can accelerate your FIRE journey. It can also pave the way to an income stream that will support you after you retire from your day job. 

I happen to work for a company that offers a sabbatical every 5 years and I look forward to taking advantage sometime in 2024. Right now, I am not sure exactly how I will use that time, but I am viewing it as a chance to learn more about what I want out of FIRE. 

Parental Leave 

Some companies offer very generous parental leave, in addition to the mandatory time off that may be required by the law. Some offer 4 months or more of paid parental leave, which is an awesome opportunity for new parents to explore FIRE. This is especially helpful if you are pursuing FIRE because you want to spend more time with your kids while they are young. 

I have two kids ages 13 and 4, with a baby on the way! I am planning to take some extended parental leave next summer. This will give me a chance to bond with the baby, support my wife AND get to spend extra time with my older kids. I think especially the 4 year old will need some extra attention as she deals with not being the youngest anymore! The older I get, and the more I see my children changing, the more I realize how precious these moments are. I don’t want to miss anything! My goal is to build a lifetime of memories I can look back on and cherish when they are older and gone.  

One of my main motivations for financial independence is to have the chance to spend more time with my kids. I am looking forward to my parental leave giving me a taste of what that life could be like, over a 3 month period. 

Unpaid Leave 

Perhaps a 2 week vacation is too short for you and your company does not offer a periodic sabbatical. What else can you do? Depending on your situation, you may consider talking to your employer about an unpaid leave. While every employer is different, they may be open to discussion about taking some unpaid time off. 

You should consider carefully whether or not this is a good option for you, as everyone’s circumstances are different. Taking unpaid leave could be detrimental financially and to your FIRE progress if you are not in the right position to do so, or have not planned accordingly. You also want to consider things like how benefits will be handled if you choose to take unpaid leave.  

Take a Year Off 

Taking a full year off is probably the closest thing to simulation of FIRE that you can do. A full year gives you an extended experience and plenty of times to see the good (and potentially bad) side of retiring early. You also will likely have the chance to accomplish things from your bucket list, such as seeing the world or immersing yourself in a passion project. A year will probably give you a very good barometer of what FIRE will be like and help guide you into what you want FIRE to be. It also might be a fantastic way to take a break and experience something awesome while you are still young, and then pick up the FIRE journey again a year later. 

Taking a year off is pretty serious. You really need to do your homework and understand if you are in a position to take a year off. Not only do you need to consider the financial side of things (including healthcare benefits, etc) but career impact. Depending on the industry or type of job you will want to return to, reentry into the job market may be difficult and take some time. So have a good plan, understand all the risks and give yourself a cushion if you choose to take a year off. 

The Bottom Line 

Trial FIRE can be an awesome way to try out what retiring early will be like before you actually achieve FIRE. There are small options like taking a long vacation all the way up to taking a year off! Do your research before deciding if Trial FIRE is right for you!