I see all these ads and articles that basically boil down to: If you don't have 50 bazillion dollars when you retire, you'll see out your days in a Reagan condo eating cat food. Even the calmer entries on the topic seem delusional. “You'll need at least $4 million to retire.” Everyone seems to have a fetish about retiring and playing golf four times a week, going on two vacations a year, and so on. It's like they're weaponizing the idea of just retiring when you accumulate $500,000 or $1 million because they (whoever they are) need you burning out on the hamster wheel for as long as possible.
I just want to live alone, read my books, watch my TV, play online, etc. I don't want to climb Mt. Everest backward, I just want to relax and do things I want to do. Not race around filling every day with “activities.”
Can anyone refer me to any articles that offer more realistic appraisals of how much you actually need to retire?