“The most important thing you need for early retirement is an ability to break out of conventional societal programming — the persistent notion that a person has to work for four or five decades and retire at 65 or later to live a productive, fulfilling, “normal” life.”
Even if you’re already past your thirties, this Vox article is worth a read.
It features advice on how to retire early from a group of people who managed to do so. Tips include to save most of your money — many early retirees saved 50% or more for years — and rethink your core values.
One of the key pieces of advice is to stop focusing on small cost-saving measures and instead focus your savings efforts on the “big three” — housing, transportation, and food.