400k in SF is about 260k after taxes. Figuring saving 50% would give 130k/year in savings and an expense rate of 130k/year. At 8.0% returns, it would take 14 years to have enough to withdraw 4%/year match 130k.
Maybe..if you are single and we have extremely different views of "paradise"
- Shop around for healthy food at bargain prices
- Learn how to cook well and make the most of all that food
- Learn and have the time to fix 90% of maintenance issues
- Have the time and energy for sports and exercise
- Can dedicate more time to your family, kids need fewer toys because they have their father or mother back
- Travel for VERY cheap and you now have the time to actually do it at any time
- No longer a need to buy status or social class signaling goods because you no longer need to deal with professional expectations and setting a good impression in the minds of people you don't actually like
- Learn personal finance and your local legal system to maximize every drop
- No longer a need to buy things that make you cope with stress or long hours or even regular hours doing stuff you don't want to do
- As a corollary to the above, fewer risks of health issues, obesity, posture problems, alcoholism or self-medication, sleep disorders, psychological disorders, etc.
- Engage in creative pursuits
- Might no longer need a car in the traditional sense
To me that sounds like a better life than that of 99% of people who have ever lived. Now remember that we are talking about jobs and salaries for which a 4% rule at 70k or more is extremely doable. Which means you can not only have the life I just described but can also pay for your kid's education and the occasional health scare.