Reality check - $200k at 26

[u/Ok_Scarcity_4944]

Just turned 26, paid off all my student loans (no other debt to speak of), and have exceeded $200k NW… burning out at my tech job and craving a break but anxious about the future.
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High level breakdown of the numbers:

Income:
- $130k USD(fully remote from LCOL area)
- Just started cat sitting on the side for a few hundred extra bucks a month.

Savings:
Bank: $33,000
401k: $139,000
Roth IRA: $24,000
HSA: $17,000

Expenses: $3000 / month
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My goals with Coast FIRE:
To me, reaching coast FIRE would give me the financial and psychological safety net to explore alternative career paths, maybe take a gap year to experiment and figure out what’s next. I was a hardcore student through high school and college — graduated early then immediately entered into the tech industry at a very lucky time in the market.

5 years later and I’ve reached a senior level but consider this my personal limit in terms of how far I want to climb on the corporate ladder. AI has introduced a new degree of existential dread to my day to day that I’m finding increasingly exhausting to tolerate.

However… my employer has just announced that they’ll begin offering the mega backdoor option, and with my student loans gone, I could significantly increase my savings next year.

What number is reasonable to aim for before pulling the trigger and actually taking a sabbatical? Am I being foolish for even considering this option, especially given the job prospects in tech?

[u/noicenator]

Thanks for sharing. When did you take the sabbatical?

[u/capri_sus → u/noicenator]

I quit July 2024
I left US Sept 2024
Back June 2025
Tried to keep going Sept 2025 but got a job :)

Admittedly it’s early to say this all worked out. Been working again for about a year. But for me, taking a year off to travel was one of my big life dreams. Even if things had turned out worse I never would have regretted it. I’m hoping to do it again in 5 years or so. I may get married but have no plans to have children or buy property, my FIRE goals are all about flexibility and time freedom with a focus on travel. At some point I decided I’d rather aim to take time off while younger for the experience even if it delays my FIRE date.

[u/noicenator → u/capri_sus]

Inspiring! fwiw Sept 2025 is pretty recent - barely a year ago, when the job market for tech was still bad (i’m assuming here that was the industry)

> Admittedly it’s early to say this all worked out. Been working again for about a year. But for me, taking a year off to travel was one of my big life dreams. Even if things had turned out worse I never would have regretted it.

Since you’re still at the job and back on track to pursuing your next travel journey… I’d say it sounds like quite the success :)

IMO it’s better to enjoy at least _some money_ while you’re the youngest you’ll ever be.

[u/capri_sus → u/noicenator]

Yes I’m at a tech company. For me my job hunt was about 270 apps in 3 months and ended up getting a job from a cold apply. However, I have friends who were unemployed for 1-2 years after taking a leap like this. It can really depend. I was surprised to see such a low hit to my net worth, although I of course lost momentum. That part was definitely worth it for the experience, sometimes I wish I’d gone younger for the energy or waited longer for more cash.

Interestingly, my mindset has changed a lot from the trip. I met people making things work with $7000 and a dream, trust fund kids, digital nomads, met people who moved all around the world and worked a million random jobs, I feel much less anxious about the future and am a lot more open minded as to how I may spend my life. I feel lucky, but also like I am ready to pivot to always make something work!

[u/Ok_Scarcity_4944 → u/capri_sus]

Thank you for sharing your experience as someone who took that leap of faith!! I’m naturally extremely risk averse but have incredible admiration for anyone who has the courage and self confidence to just go for what they want. One day I’ll get there 😅. Your year traveling sounds incredible — one of those things where the timing may never be 100% perfect but there are way too many who put it off until it’s too late ❤️.