[dingaling]

Sadly, also hyper-unrealistic. Very few people can afford to save 20% of their income whilst maxing pension contributions, let alone maximising other accounts.

Points 1, 3 and 5 are probably the key ones and would still stretch most people.

[noduerme]

I was saving 20% a year when I was making $36k a year and spending $800/mo on an apartment in the tenderloin. In 1997. It's called beans and rice. I'm still saving 20% a year, making $200k a year and owning a house. Yes, you can do it. Stop buying shoes, clothes, rims, and video games and you've probably got 20% right there.

Oh, and don't get married.

[camillomiller]

What an exciting life you got there! Enjoy your sad and lonely retirement

[noduerme]

Not sure what that means. I own a couple classic cars and a house, work 60 hours a month, travel for fun most of the time. Lived in 12 countries in the last 20 years. Have a great girlfriend and a great ex who I get along with. But I don't waste money on rims, shoes or clothes. And tonight I made rice and lentils, because my credit card bill this month was $8k and I only made $15k.

It's actually more exciting if you limit yourself and enjoy the struggle of trying to hit a high target. For example, moving to Mexico and trying to live on $3k a month. I did that a few years ago, it was awesome and I saved a lot of money.

[echelon_musk]

Sounds great!

[loeg]

I guess dying destitute because you saved nothing is more romantic?

[robocat]

The romance of Dickens gets less appealing with wisdom.

[jandrewrogers]

The median US household is statistically within the ballpark of being able to achieve this per the data. Americans have extremely high incomes and anomalously low taxes on the middle-class. They can easily afford it.

Whether they save or not is another matter. Something like 30% of Americans don’t save a significant fraction of their income even though the data clearly indicates it is easy to do so.

[dcow]

The trick is not to let it hit your checking account. Live without it and your lifestyle will adjust.

[loeg]

The 20% includes pension contributions.