Money · Freedom Path Calculator
Freedom Path Calculator
How much do you need to own your time, and where could you get there soonest? Plug in your numbers to see your freedom number, your timeline, and how location changes it.
Your guide · Governance · capital
The Steward
Own assets. Keep your values.
“I guard your capital and your values. Let’s find the number that makes work optional.”
Bring your numbers and I’ll show you how close freedom is.
“I guard your capital and your values. Let’s find the number that makes work optional.”
Bring your numbers and I’ll show you how close freedom is.
Your numbers
Your freedom number
$1,000,000
At 4% a year, this pile pays you $40,000 a year ($3,333 a month) without you working for it.
Time to get there
29 yr 7 mo
Free at age
59
How your money compounds
In 35 years you'd have about $1,450,465. Only $430,000 of that is money you put in. The rest is growth.
The 3–5% rule, side by side
Same spending, different withdrawal rates. Tap a row to use it.
| Rate | Freedom number | Time | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | $1,333,333 | 33 yr 9 mo | 63 |
| 3.5% | $1,142,857 | 31 yr 6 mo | 61 |
| 4% | $1,000,000 | 29 yr 7 mo | 59 |
| 4.5% | $888,889 | 27 yr 11 mo | 57 |
| 5% | $800,000 | 26 yr 6 mo | 56 |
Your freedom plan
Three levers you control
At your current pace, you reach your freedom number in 29 yr 7 mo (around age 59). Here's what small changes do. These update as you edit your numbers above.
Spend $500 less a month
Lowers your freedom number to $850,000 and gets you there 2 yr 3 mo sooner.
Invest $300 more a month
Same freedom number, but it gets you there 3 yr 5 mo sooner.
Do both
Together, this gets you there 5 yr 7 mo sooner.
Milestones on the way
Freedom arrives in steps. At a quarter of your number, your savings could already cover about a quarter of your yearly spending at your withdrawal rate.
25%
$250,000
12 yr 11 mo · around age 42
50%
$500,000
20 yr 5 mo · around age 50
75%
$750,000
25 yr 7 mo · around age 55
100%
$1,000,000
29 yr 7 mo · around age 59
The geography lever
Where does freedom come soonest?
If you can work from anywhere, where you live may be your biggest lever. Each card shows the freedom number for a modest life in that city at your 4% withdrawal rate, and how long your current savings plan would take to reach it. You're planning around $3,333 a month now.
Chiang Mai
Thailand
~$1,000/mo
Mountain town with a big remote-work community.
Freedom number
$300,000
Time to get there
14 yr 8 mo
Bangkok
Thailand
~$1,300/mo
Big-city energy, great transit and street food.
Freedom number
$390,000
Time to get there
17 yr 6 mo
Ubud, Bali
Indonesia
~$1,100/mo
Rice terraces, yoga and coworking cafés.
Freedom number
$330,000
Time to get there
15 yr 8 mo
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
~$1,000/mo
Fast-moving city with low daily costs.
Freedom number
$300,000
Time to get there
14 yr 8 mo
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
~$1,200/mo
Modern apartments and English widely spoken.
Freedom number
$360,000
Time to get there
16 yr 7 mo
Tbilisi
Georgia
~$1,100/mo
Old-town charm, food and wine culture.
Freedom number
$330,000
Time to get there
15 yr 8 mo
City budgets are rough, rounded estimates for one person living modestly (a 1-bedroom rental, food, local transport and basic bills). They are not quotes and prices change. Health insurance, flights, visas and taxes are not included. Check current prices and visa rules before you move.
How it works
The 3–5% withdrawal rule
The idea is simple: once your investments are big enough that a small slice each year covers your life, work becomes optional. Divide your yearly spending by your withdrawal rate and you get your freedom number. Spend $40,000 a year at 4%, and you need $1,000,000. Every dollar you cut from yearly spending lowers that number by $25.
3%
The safe harbor
Needs the biggest pile (33× your yearly spending), but it has held up through the worst stretches in market history. A good pick if you plan to stop working young and need the money to last 40+ years.
4%
The classic rule
Save 25× your yearly spending. Studies of past markets found a 4% first-year withdrawal, raised with inflation, lasted at least 30 years in almost every period tested.
5%
The bold option
Only 20× your yearly spending, so you get there sooner. The trade-off: a bad run of markets early on can drain it. Works best if you can cut spending or earn a little in down years.
Compounding is the engine that gets you there. Growth earns more growth, so the line bends upward over time. Starting early and investing steadily matter more than picking the perfect investment. Healthy body, more assets, more freedom.
Can you work from anywhere? Living somewhere cheaper can lower your yearly spending, and your freedom number with it. Find places with good weather each month in my free travel calendar, or unlock every tool in full, this one included, with one pass. All-Access Pass · $100 for life
For learning only, not financial advice. Results are estimates that assume steady growth every year; real markets go up and down, and past returns don't promise future ones. Taxes and fees are not included.