I reached Coast FIRE at 34 on a teacher's salary. Here's how I did it while still enjoying life.

Taryn Williams. Taryn Williams Taryn Williams achieved Coast FIRE at 34 after 10 years of strategic saving and investing. Despite a modest salary, Williams invested $140,000 by utilizing a pay-yourself-first budget system. She balances saving with life experiences and still prioritizes travel and concerts when she can. Growing up, I had no knowledge about investing . I didn't know anyone who invested, and I never heard stories about people investing for retirement or trading stocks — most people I knew lived paycheck to paycheck . My lack of financial literacy pushed me to start learning about personal finance in high school and college. Now, at 34, after 10 years of investing, I have enough money to feel comfortable retiring at 67, even if I don't add another dollar to my retirement account.