A lot of it depends on your yearly spend. My spend is in the range of 20 to 30K. Its been in that range for years. I'm just not very material-goods oriented

A lot of it depends on your yearly spend. My spend is in the range of 20 to 30K. Its been in that range for years. I'm just not very material-goods oriented (my car is 24 years old). I've done some calculations and I would be OK with a 2000->2008 style downturn, though, a 2000->2013 downturn would be more problematic. Its not the lifestyle for everyone though, I agree. Though, I do think its prudent for younger people to plan _as if_ they might need to retire early, since the market may decide that they are no longer needed or desirable as workers. Perhaps especially so for tech workers, who already face ageism-based discrimination.