My very affordable mortgage (2.175% interest, thx COVID) with insurance and small savings for house repairs is 3k per month. I’ve got a wife, a dog, and 2 kids under 5. Daycare costs are about $600 per week for us both to work. Groceries with fresh produce for the kids and not much out of a box or can (and diapers and wipes) are about $800 per month. Yeah it’s gratuitous for groceries, but I ate a ton of hot pockets and lunchables and shit like that as a kid, but my kids don’t have to.

I’m already at 75k per year right there.

We own our cars outright, we are healthy and no medical payments, and we don’t regularly eat out. We have extended family overseas. One or two vacations a year (visit family every other year). We don’t spend money to medicate in any fashion :).

I remember living fine on 24k per year when it was just me on grad school, but now it takes a hell of a lot more. People can and do make it work for less, I wouldn’t personally want to downsize to retire earlier.