Sep 30, 2026 · 26 min
Teacher builds Coast FIRE on ordinary incomes
How this 41-year-old teacher can afford to retire early
Leigh’s story shows how disciplined saving, diversified investing, and paid-off housing can create career flexibility without a high salary.
- 1Leigh and her electrician husband built more than $1 million in investments while paying off their mortgage on modest incomes.
- 2A budget overhaul led Leigh from individual stocks toward diversified ETFs, listed investment companies, and superannuation investments.
- 3Coast FIRE gave Leigh the flexibility to take a year away from teaching while continuing to prioritize family security and intentional spending.
Don't miss
Leigh reveals that her family has reached Coast FIRE with more than one million dollars invested, enabling her to take a year off teaching.
The brief
Leigh, a Brisbane teacher and mother, explains how she and her electrician husband built more than $1 million in investments, paid off their mortgage, and reached Coast FIRE without high incomes.
Her strategy began with childhood money lessons, maternity-leave planning, and a budget overhaul inspired by The Barefoot Investor, which made saving and investing more deliberate.
After starting with five individual stocks, Leigh shifted toward diversified Australian and international ETFs, listed investment companies, bank shares, and dividend-focused investments.
The standout milestone is Coast FIRE: with future growth doing much of the work, Leigh can take a year off teaching while the family protects its financial flexibility.
Leigh connects wealth-building to intentional spending and family habits, from paying off the mortgage to teaching her children about saving, interest, and small investments.
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