This will get me in trouble with my friends here on ER, but I respect your reasoning, and, though it was years ago, was in almost your exact position. If you have some time, you might want to take a peek at this thread.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/sharing-23-years-of-frugal-retirement-62251.html
Now, it's 28 years, but not much has changed. Though my dear wife and I did retire earlier, at age 53, we faced the same type of gap in income, and did take SS @ 62. The title uses the word "frugal" but for us, it didn't mean poor, or that we ever really sacrificed. The good part is that our nest egg, while not in the 7 figure range, is almost exactly where it was back in 1989.
I wish you well, and would encourage you to keep looking at your spending plan to keep it in line with your expectations.