Fun thread. Don't think it applies to me/us.
We've been where we wanted to go, and have seen what we wanted to see. Don't quite understand why almost every long term projection ignores Social Security, and don't expect to die with our capital intact.
Three days ago, we entered our 24th year of retirement, and are much closer to age 80, than to age 70.
FWIW... DW receives half of my SS, and together the gross is $25,000. (We took it at age 62.) We count this as income.
One of the most interesting things I find here, is the same thinking that I had some years ago... that retirement years will include a bucket list a mile long. Maybe our list was a little shorter than most, but we did pretty well, and feel no regrets. Except for a few guilt trips about not running five miles a day, health is reasonable, and despite the everlasting worries about dementia... mental attitude is pretty darned good.
We still have our place in a mfg home park in Florida, our camp on the lake, and our home in a retirement community in Illinois... all in low cost areas. With simple needs, and simple tastes, we are simply happy.
That said, money is not a big part of our lives. We have enough.
Now, an interesting thought that I don't see here on ER... Namely, the fallback position for later years of living in a managed retirement apartment, with fixed costs, and including all services... and safe. We've been to see enough of these (including the apartment house in our own community) to know that for older retirees, it's a great option. Many of these retirement complexes are quite elegant.
Full service, 2 persons, for about $32k. Two meals a day. 2BR, 2BA, small kitchen, living room, light housekeeping 1/wk, all utilities, including TV, nominal transportation to local stores, doctors, etc. Planned outings... theatre, gambling, restaurants. On-site rehab center, nursing home, assisted living, beauty shop, library, meeting rooms, weekly calendar of planned events and 24 hour emergency services. Now lest that sounds too much like a place to go to die, there are always party groups, for cruises, trips to Branson, Nashville, and trips to Europe, Alaska etc.
I bring this up, not as a goal for the 45 year olds who are getting ready for adventure, but as a thought for when one is planning for years in the future. While I can still handle a 30 mile bike ride, or a few hours of canoeing, it won't be for much longer. We'll be divesting ourselves of the extra properties in the next year or two.
The point I would make is that making a plan for the future doesn't necessarily mean that the early years of retirement expenses, should have to carry through to the later years. Consider the savings... car expenses, house maintenance, repairs, insurance, taxes, food, utilities, and the intangible savings from being beyond the "acquiring" years...household goods, tools, clothing etc.
Usually I get little nudges when I post stuff like this... like "sounds like you're getting ready to 'toe up' ". Not really... just coming from a different direction.
As was already said... Different strokes...