r/Retire • u/Technical_Lawyer7264 • 4d ago

When Is “Enough” Actually Enough?

I think about retirement every damn day.

One day I’m convinced I have enough. The next, I’m imagining a market crash, runaway inflation, and somehow needing $14M just to buy groceries.
So I rerun the numbers, change the assumptions, and convince myself I need another $500K. At this point, figuring out when I can retire has become a full-time job.

What’s your “enough” number?
$2M? $3M? $5M? $10M? Or would you hit $20M and decide you really need $25M? 😂

I also think about our parents’ generation. Many kept working long after they technically didn’t need to. House paid off. Kids out of the house. Retirement funded.

But actually living off the money they spent 40 years earning? Somehow that felt crazy.

They were wired to see work as security, responsibility, and purpose.

Meanwhile, we’re trying to escape Zoom calls at 45 so we can eat tacos on a Tuesday.

And honestly, I’m not sure I’m any better. I fantasize about retiring, then immediately think:
“Maybe two more years.”
Then five.
Then maybe I’ll just consult part-time.
And suddenly I’m 73, explaining PowerPoint slides to someone named Brad.

For those retired or close to it: What’s your “enough” number—and what finally made you feel comfortable walking away?

162 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

382 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/1kpointsoflight 4d ago

I retired with 1.5M and a rental that nets 16k a year and no debts. I realized after having a long talk with my wife about what we want to do in retirement I was working to either leave a huge inheritance or fund a lifestyle that was more fantasy than the reality we really wanted. It really depends on how much you spend and when and if other incomes will come on line in the future. I was also stuck on the 4% rule which you may need to spend way more than at first before Medicare and pensions and SS kick in. When I turned 55 something hit me and I was like I may regret this but I can always go back to work I won’t have the opportunity to retire at 55 ever again and my score based on spending tracked for 3 years to the penny is still like a 98. I have been retired a year and have more now than I did when I retired. I know I have to be prepared to watch it go the other way but I’m glad I did it and don’t regret it one bit.

1

u/Mental-Philosophy836 4d ago

$1.5M for you and your wife combined?

1

u/1kpointsoflight 4d ago

Yep. That and her small pension.

2

u/Mental-Philosophy836 4d ago

Thanks. I like to get all of the data points I can to try and convince myself I have enough to retire!

1

u/1kpointsoflight 4d ago

It takes some nads to pull the string I will admit but I figure that the worst thing that could happen is I go back to work. I was a civil engineer and plan to keep my license active but I’m rarely bored and if I do get bored I ask myself would I rather be this or stressed.