daylatedollarshort
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 9,358
I'm not retired yet but I have read many examples of people who "retired" on various low amounts. Some travel around in third world countries living in a tent, youth hostels and other cheap accommodation. I've read about others who continue to live in the US by lowering their cost of living. Some built their own house (wood cabins, yurts, tiny houses, houses made of cargo containers, etc). Some chose to live out of their vehicle i.e. camper, van ,car, boat, etc. Some chose to live in a commune and others moved to a trailer park.
A huge percentage of the world population live on just $1 a day. So if you are willing to live like 2/3 of the world population (or whatever it is) or for that matter live like 99% of all previous generations, then I'd say a few thousand is probably plenty to retire on.
Even living middle class in the US in the 1950s involved less expenses in many categories - 259 avg sq ft of housing per person, one car, one bathroom, one TV with an antenna, wash hung out to dry, no cell phone, no cable, no Internet and no PCs.