True, I got significantly more in savings than what he started with and that's just my buffer that should last a few months (without downgrading my living while

True, I got significantly more in savings than what he started with and that's just my buffer that should last a few months (without downgrading my living while I look for a new job) plus pay for something expensive breaking (in case such unfortunate circumstances come together) without having to sell ETFs. Also, assuming they're from the USA, life is probably more expensive than where I live. Nevertheless, if that money was enough for them to last a year, that isn't a super small amount of time either. But around the 6-9 months mark, it might have been a good idea to start looking for alternative funding (a regular job, even if it's just a low paying one), especially if there is no social welfare system where you live (if there were, you'd be able to live indefinitely on $0k while you try that self-employment thing; though similarly you wouldn't be going to any restaurants).