The issue I guess I also would have is if your lifestyle is ultra frugal and bone trimmed if you meet someone who isn't lavish but above your spending then what? I mean if you are living on $30ka and they live on $60k? Or have kids? Or want kids? Do you go back to work?
I when you fire early 40s is it fat fire? Where you aren't ever worried then cool go for it. A friend fat fired at 45 and is living it up. But if it's more barista or lean fire I'd worry even solo.
Doesn't dating can be expensive? Not expensive expensive but going camping can be more than sitting at home doing nothing. Going to visit friends and family during school breaks will be more than retired and free to travel midweek. Just doing stuff might cost more. Going to events with a significant other might cost something if you budgeted nothing. Maybe they like to visit their friends and family often and give first. Maybe they like to just spend money on experiences. Or give to charity more.
I guess if depends on what fire looks like for you.
Basically, I believe that i can fund my life on about $40,000 per year as I have several years of spending data, I also think this is the sweet spot for ACA tax credits to get cheap health insurance.
I've been on the fence about targeting a $1.5M number just to have what seems like a massive buffer, I don't think it would significantly extend my career, but there's no way to know for sure. Some years I spend less, some years I spend more.
My current plan is to build up a $1M+ portfolio as well as save up another $100k-$200k to buy a condo for cash somewhere in MCOL area. Basically the vast majority of my spending would be discretionary because my housing cost would be very low. This would not feel like a life of deprivation for me, but if I were to fall in love with someone who has a more expensive desired lifestyle than I do, I might not enough have $$$ to keep up with them, so where do I draw the line on the work longer so that my level spend is in alignment with more women vs work less sooner so that I can live more earlier;
The longer I work, the bigger my FERS pension (and social security) will be. I currently have 5 years of federal service, so if I retired today, I would start a ~$3200 annual pension at age 62, with a 23 year wait to start the pension, but if I work 10 years of federal service, it would be closer to a $9221 annual pension at age 62 with a 18 year wait to start the pension. If I work 15 years, it would be more like a $16k annual pension with a 13 year wait to start the pension. If I work for a total of 24 years in the federal government - when I hit my minimum retirement age, then the combination of FERS and social security would easily cover my expected expenses, and I would get retiree health insurance, but that's a very long time to be sitting in a cubicle at a boring job. The nice part about working for the federal government is that i can try different things as well as different locations, so i am of course applying to different things and their may be less urgency to retire if I ever do find a job that I love.