CAREER BREAK CALCULATOR
What does a year off cost?
A sabbatical costs more than what you spend: you also stop saving, and that money stops growing. See how much later a career break makes your financial independence.
Without the break you reach $1,250,000 at about 52; with it, about 54. The break costs $61,000 up front: what you spend plus what you don’t save.
Plan it month by month Free, no account. The planner adds taxes, account access, Social Security, market swings and history.How the cost is calculated
The break starts now and is paid from your savings, month by month, while you save nothing. Afterwards you save as before. The delay is how much later your savings reach your FIRE number than without the break.
Cost up front = spending during the break + savings not made
In the example, the break costs $61,000 up front, and the FIRE date moves from about 52 to about 54.
Questions
How much does a year off really cost?
What you spend during it, plus the savings you don’t make, plus the growth both would have earned. In the example here, a year spending $36,000 while normally saving $25,000 moves financial independence about 1.9 years later.
How can I make a break cheaper?
Spend less during it, for example somewhere cheaper, earn some income, or keep it shorter. The planner lets you try a break abroad with a local budget, remote income and a return date.
Is this exact?
It is a steady-return estimate. Market swings, taxes and account access change the answer; the planner tests them month by month.