There are plenty of reasons people choose not to have kids, with the cost of raising them being a major one. Another big factor is the fear that children will disrupt an ideal FIRE lifestyle<\/a>. Many envision a life of traveling the world, indulging in incredible cuisine, and living spontaneously\u2014things that can feel more challenging with kids in tow.<\/p>\n I understand that perspective. I grew up living in six countries before college, studied abroad for six months, and spent 13 years working in international equities. Travel was a huge part of my life. My approach was to achieve financial independence as quickly as possible and then have kids.<\/p>\n As an older parent<\/a>, I feel relatively secure, having had more time to save and invest. However, I do wish I had children earlier than 39 and 42, given how much energy it takes to raise them. Starting younger would have meant more years with them later in life.<\/p>\n To prepare for settling down, my wife and I spent 2012\u20132017 traveling to about 20 countries before having our first child. We wanted to get those travel experiences out of our system so we could fully embrace being stay-at-home parents<\/a> during their early years. By the time our son arrived, we were over the constant urge to hop on planes or ships, so our plan worked.<\/p>\n This mindset helped us focus on raising our kids without feeling the fear of missing out\u2014especially during the first two years of the pandemic.<\/p>\n Eight years into parenting, however, I\u2019m realizing that delaying having kids is a bad idea<\/em> if you truly want them. Kids won\u2019t derail your FIRE lifestyle as much as you might think because they actually have more flexibility than you\u2019d expect. <\/p>\n Plus, as you get older, your desire to travel and party as much naturally declines. Instead, you may find yourself enjoying the simple pleasures of reading a good personal finance book<\/a> in bed or ordering takeout while watching your favorite show. Take for example my latest travels. <\/p>\n Just a couple of weeks after spending five nights skiing at Palisades, Lake Tahoe, we are back for another four-night stay. With my kids off from school for nine days between February 15-23, I figured we should make the most of it with another trip.<\/p>\n Being the frugal personal finance enthusiast that I am, we planned our visit strategically\u2014driving up on Monday, February 17, and leaving Friday, February 21. This way, we could rent out our place the weekends before and after, maximizing rental income<\/a>. For a 3.5-hour drive each way, we\u2019ve found that four to five nights is the sweet spot. Plus, weekend rates are peak rates, and we prefer fewer crowds on the mountain anyway.<\/p>\n During the drive up, I couldn\u2019t help but think:\u00a0Dang, these kids are really lucky\u2014so many vacations!<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0It feels like they\u2019re taking more trips than I ever did as a kid. It\u2019s almost as if education has taken a backseat to maximizing freedom at an early age.<\/p>\n Once we arrived, I decided to check our school vacation calendar. Sure enough, there are\u00a046 vacation\/off days<\/strong> during the school year\u2014not including the\u00a02.5 months off for summer.\u00a0When you factor in the weekends wrapped around those breaks, we\u2019re looking at\u00a04.5 months of free time a year<\/strong>!<\/p>\n All these days off feel like the beginning of the quiet quitting<\/a> movement, but for school. Does anyone else feel like the number of school vacation days is reaching ever-higher levels?<\/p>\n Before semi-retiring in 2012<\/a>, I imagined that the ideal amount of time to travel when FIRE was about three months per year. I had already been taking six weeks off a year for the last two years of my work career. My plan was simple:<\/p>\n For several years, I stuck to this plan, sometimes extending my travels to 3.5 months a year. But eventually, I got tired of all it all. While I\u2019m not at that point again, I\u2019m reminded of how exhausting frequent travel can be as I was driving up to Lake Tahoe.<\/p>\n As much as I enjoy experiencing new places, I’ve come to appreciate the balance between adventure and staying put. While three months per year might have been the sweet spot before kids, I\u2019m now reconsidering<\/em> what the ideal amount really is.<\/p>\n While vacations are fun for kids, they often require more effort from FIRE parents<\/a> or those who choose to take time off instead of sending their kids to mini-camps or daycare. The more school breaks your child has, the more energy you\u2019ll need to dedicate to parenting.<\/p>\n That said, this extra time together is a gift\u2014especially if your kids are under 12. At this stage, all they want is to spend as much time with family as possible. One of the best perks of FIRE is having the flexibility to enjoy every school break with them.<\/p>\n However, if you\u2019re a FIRE parent who has settled into a routine where traditional school acts as a default structure for your kids, you may feel more exhausted during extended vacations. We get used to our habits, and ironically, not having to homeschool<\/a> has made us softer.<\/p>\n Beyond parenting, most FIRE parents I know have personal passions they love to pursue. For me, it\u2019s writing on Financial Samurai and creating a new personal finance book every three years. <\/p>\n To be more present on vacation, I prepared ahead by writing and scheduling three posts in advance. But, inevitably, new post ideas\u2014like this one\u2014popped into my head, so I had to write and publish them. Plus, I enjoy engaging with reader comments and emails. So when I’m on vacation, it\u2019s never a complete break.<\/p>\n Traveling solo or with your partner is completely different from traveling with young kids. If I were alone, I\u2019d throw everything into a backpack and go. But with kids, our SUV gets packed to the brim\u2014dietary-specific foods, clothes, stuffed animals, puzzles, games, and more. And if we\u2019re flying, checked luggage is inevitable. Thankfully, we\u2019re past the stroller and car seat stage.<\/p>\n Because traveling with kids requires more effort, my original three-month-per-year travel goal feels more than enough. In fact, eight weeks a year of travel is probably plenty with children<\/strong>. Even if the kids could travel 365 days a year, none of us would want to do so. Kids, in particular, enjoy the comfort of their own homes.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, March has another four-day school break, followed by two three-day weekends. Do we really want to return to Tahoe just two weeks later? Maybe. Consistently attending ski school is great for development. But maybe we\u2019ll opt for Sonoma\/Napa Valley instead\u2014just 1.15 hours away to change things up. <\/p>\n Then in April, there’s a nine-day break for spring vacation. I love spring skiing when temperatures regularly hit the 40s. But if the snow is too thin, we\u2019ll probably head to Honolulu<\/a> to visit my parents\u2014if they’ll have us.<\/p>\n When you have the freedom to take a trip during every school break, it can feel overwhelming. You’ve got to plan, pack, pay, coordinate, and travel. But staying home doing nothing can also feel like a waste since you are free. As a result, the natural tendency is to plan and go because you can.<\/p>\n With 46 school days off throughout the year (not counting weekends), you might feel exhausted by June, when school gets out. But then comes 2.5 months of summer break to plan!<\/p>\n Most parents rely on summer camps, which offer fantastic programs\u2014if you can secure a spot. In San Francisco, competition is fierce, and I assume it\u2019s the same in other big cities. If you don\u2019t land a spot, it\u2019s on the parents to fill the days.<\/p>\n Personally, I run\u00a0\u201cDaddy Camp\u201d\u00a0for my kids, which currently includes swimming, biking, hiking, Pok\u00e9mon Go adventures, reading, and pickleball. I also have\u00a0\u201cBe Responsible Camp,\u201d where I teach them life skills about adulthood. Subjects include manners, communication skills, household chores, landscaping, and rental property maintenance. It\u2019s fun but also a lot of work.<\/p>\n This summer, we plan to spend at least a month in Honolulu. If we get the kids into a local summer camp, that\u2019ll be a bonus\u2014it\u2019s like winning the lottery since out-of-towners are last in line. But if not, Daddy Camp and Be Responsible Camp will continue in Honolulu. But before booking the tickets, we need to lock down a 30-day-or-longer rental house. Anybody have one?<\/p>\n At the end of the day, having kids doesn\u2019t ruin your desired FIRE lifestyle\u2014you still get to travel plenty, just with them. As they grow older, travel becomes even more rewarding. Instead of just reading about the pyramids in Egypt, they\u2019ll see them in person. Instead of nibbling at expensive meals, they\u2019ll actually eat enough to justify the cost. More importantly, you\u2019ll create amazing memories together for up to 4.5 months a year.<\/p>\n When school is in session, you\u2019ll regain ~40 hours per week to do whatever you want. That is when you might experience true early retirement life again since you don’t have to work. And when they leave for college, you\u2019ll have 168 free hours per week if you wish. Hang in there! Yet, at the same time, cherish every moment with them.<\/p>\n Having kids will enhance your FIRE lifestyle because they will give you more purpose to explore. Yes, you\u2019ll be more tired, spend more passive income<\/a>, and have your patience tested endlessly. But kids will significantly increase the joy and purpose of financial independence. So don\u2019t let your pursuit of FIRE stop you from having kids if you want them!<\/p>\n Finally, with so many flexible work arrangements available today, is early retirement even necessary anymore<\/a>? Many of my friends at Meta and Google work from home on Fridays and Mondays, effectively turning every weekend into a four-day getaway. Whether it\u2019s hitting the slopes or relaxing at the beach, they\u2019re already enjoying a taste of the FIRE lifestyle\u2014without having to retire.<\/p>\n Getting paid to vacation and travel with your kids feels like a double bonus. As someone who didn\u2019t even receive paid parental leave, I\u2019m not sure I could give up such a perk.<\/p>\n Logically, it makes sense to get paid to travel and vacation for as long as possible. If your employer starts tightening the reins, just ramp up your efforts until they ease up again.<\/p>\n If you’re a FIRE parent, I’d love to hear how having kids has influenced your FIRE lifestyle. Has it changed the way you originally planned to live? Do you find yourself constantly planning adventures whenever school is out, or have you learned to resist FOMO and enjoy a more relaxed, local lifestyle? How do you plan summer vacation with them? <\/em><\/p>\n If you want to get a better handle on your finances, sign up for Empower<\/a><\/strong>, a fantastic free wealth management tool. I’ve been using Empower since 2013 to keep track of my net worth and optimize my investments for excessive fees. <\/p>\n Every parent should have an affordable term life insurance policy, especially those with debt. Getting life insurance is an act of love for your children. During the pandemic, my wife and I got matching term policies through Policygenius<\/a><\/strong>. Once we secured them, we breathed a huge sigh of relief knowing our kids would be taken care of, just in case.<\/p>\n Finally, if you want to achieve financial freedom sooner, pick up a copy of\u00a0Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. It’s packed with actionable advice to help you build more wealth than 90% of the population, so you can live free.<\/p>\n Listen and subscribe to The Financial Samurai podcast on\u00a0Apple<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Spotify<\/strong><\/a>. I interview experts in their respective fields and discuss some of the most interesting topics on this site. Your shares, ratings, and reviews are appreciated.<\/p>\n To expedite your journey to financial freedom, join over 60,000 others and subscribe to the\u00a0free Financial Samurai newsletter<\/a><\/strong>. You can also subscribe to my posts to get the in your inbox as soon as they are published by signing up here<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n Financial Samurai is among the largest independently-owned personal finance websites, established in 2009. Everything is written based on firsthand experience and expertise. My goal is to help you achieve financial freedom sooner so you can do more of what you want. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are plenty of reasons people choose not to have kids, with the cost of raising them being a major one. Another big factor is the fear that children will disrupt an ideal FIRE lifestyle. Many envision a life of traveling the world, indulging in incredible cuisine, and living spontaneously\u2014things that can feel more challenging […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[1074,8404,3242,351,861],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-98108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance","tag-fire","tag-hurt","tag-ideal","tag-kids","tag-lifestyle"],"yoast_head":"\nDon’t Be Afraid of Having Kids If You Want to FIRE<\/strong><\/h2>\n
So Many School Vacation Holidays!<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/financialsamurai.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/school-holiday-schedule-2025.png\")
Ideal Amount of Time to Spend Traveling Each Year<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Vacation for Kids Usually Means More Work for Parents<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Three Months of Travel a Year Is More Than Enough<\/h2>\n
The Real Fun Begins in Summer for FIRE Parents<\/strong><\/h2>\n
You Can Travel Enough and Enjoy Your Freedom While School Is in Session<\/h2>\n
FIRE May No Longer Be Necessary<\/h2>\n
Recommendations<\/h2>\n
Subscribe To Financial Samurai\u00a0<\/h2>\n