I lived somewhere less expensive (small town, out of the way) and in addition to being a big drag on income (9 of 10 jobs were a "no" from the start because the

I lived somewhere less expensive (small town, out of the way) and in addition to being a big drag on income (9 of 10 jobs were a "no" from the start because they didn't hire remote) I ultimately didn't like the lifestyle. Now I live somewhere with a high cost of living (Toronto) because I'm near work, my kids can ride transit rather than driving (much safer for teens) and it means I'm not spending my time as a soccer-practice chauffeur, universities are nearby as well as good hospitals etc., lots of cultural stuff I like. But it's expensive. From the article "one or two years’ worth of living expenses" if your goal is financial independence, opting work for two years is insane, unless you can bring your expenses down to next-to-nothing as the author suggests. Having two years of expenses for a family of 6 is whole different ballgame than what this fellow is talking about, it's apples and oranges. As a single person I could get up and move somewhere cheaper, sleep in tent and eat out of the dumpster for that matter (I've done it before, I can do it again) but this is not something I can do with/to my family.