Ive read some of those lists and I cant help but wonder why you guys cant do a lot of those things while working. Do I just have an unusual job, that includes leave and no more than standard full time? Perhaps ER isnt really appropriate for a job like mine. Perhaps ER is only for hard jobs and/or ones with high stress/long work hours.
I dunno. Still debating what's right for me.
Try reading between the lines of some posts here. Many people were more or less pushed out, or would have had to take some ego hits to hang on. They had saved a meaningful amount of money, so they left. In my case, I had liability exposure that was more troubling as my net worth increased, so I opted to leave. There may have been better responses to this particular issue. Once you are gone, it is hard to return for institutional as well as personal reasons. Did you ever play high school sports? Remember how hard it was to get back into serious training after a layoff?
Another group is not exactly retired. They are non-working spouses of workers. This may be nice work if you can get it, but I would imagine also has its stresses, both current and possible. Like becoming a non-working ex-spouse.
Plenty people enjoy work and would not enjoy giving up even a little of what it offers. These people are not represented on this board for obvious reasons. Some spouses of board posters seem to fit this mold.
As to freedom to do what you want, you may have more with your current setup than you would with much less money, and more time.
Some of us are grounded by family ties, lack of funds, or even dogs.
If I were in your place my course would be very plain. Save money, but don't practice so much denial that you cease to enjoy your life and work. You can always exit- it's reversing that decision that can be hard.
I think advice is cheap, including this. But remember, if one has made a more or less irreversible decision it can lessen some of the associated anxiety to recruit others to one's position.
One thing I can absolutely tell you from my own experience. I read what some here say they spend, and I think it must be in some other universe. I don't doubt their truthfulness, I just don't fathom how it can be done and still enjoy daily life.
Horses for courses, right?
Mikey