When I was 18, I informed my parents I will no longer be living rent-free and I won’t be accepting any help with my tuition or college expenses. I had to work my way through school and get loans, but it meant my parents semi-retired at the age of 40. Sure, it wasn’t a full retirement, but working 2 or so days a week instead of 5 and not worrying about money as much made them so much happier and gave them freedom to enjoy life instead of slaving away at work because their not-so-much-of-a-child-anymore decided to take care of herself.

What I’m getting at is “barista FIRE” isn’t the worst thing. Some people decided that working 1-3 days a week instead of 5-6 is enough. They enjoy life and are happy. If they experience financial issues, they’ll go back to a full-time job. And then they can switch to a 2-day work week again. Having freedom to do so is the point behind FIRE and other similar financial concepts. By the end of the day, those folks live the life they want and aren’t stuck because of a 20-year mortgage.