Can you actually afford to quit?
The honest version of the quit-your-job math. Burn rate, conservative runway, and a Safe Quit verdict that doesn't sugarcoat it.
Cash + accessible investments. Don't count 401k.
Rent, food, transport, subscriptions — all of it.
COBRA, ACA, or partner's plan.
Only count contracted / recurring income. Not hope.
LLC fees, gear, software, the wedding you can't move.
Realistic runway
10.0 mo
Burn $3,250/mo · usable $32,500
Income covers
32%
of your monthly expenses including insurance
Conservative
8.3 mo
Realistic
10.0 mo
Aggressive
11.8 mo
Conservative assumes 20% more burn than you think. Aggressive assumes you trim 15% within 60 days.
Calculated Quit. 6–12 months of runway. Doable, but the clock is real — line up at least one anchor client before the announcement.
Adding even $1,500/mo of recurring income extends runway faster than saving an extra $10k. Lock one anchor client before quitting.
- Total monthly need = monthly expenses + health insurance
- Burn = max(0, total monthly need − expected income)
- Usable savings = savings − one-time launch costs
- Realistic runway = usable savings ÷ burn
- Conservative runway = usable savings ÷ (burn × 1.2)
- Safe Quit = conservative runway ≥ 12 mo AND coverage ≥ 70%
Common questions
How much runway should I have before quitting?▾
Conservative answer: 12 months of fully-loaded expenses with zero income, plus a 20% buffer for the stuff you forgot (taxes, gear, that wedding). 6 months is the bridge-or-bail floor.
Do I include health insurance?▾
Yes, separately — it's the line item people undercount most. COBRA, ACA marketplace, or a partner's plan. Whatever the real number is, plug it in.
Should I count expected freelance income?▾
Only count what's contracted or recurring. 'I'll figure out clients' is not income — it's a hope. Run two scenarios: one with $0 income, one with the income you're confident about.
What does Safe Quit mean here?▾
Low risk = 12+ months conservative runway and your expected income covers at least 70% of expenses. Anything less is Medium or High — survivable, but you're working with a shorter clock.