I would like to start by saying that I understand I may have a different perception on the world given that I am young in the 3rd cheapest state to live in although, these ideas are still valid if not as possible elsewhere.
The concept is called FIRE (Financial Independence & Retire Early) there are 2 main ways of achieving it. Lean fire is what most people see and criticize, this is where someone lives of an extremely low amount and invests the rest. People who do this typically get there savings rate up to 60-90%. The other side of the coin is to raise your income but that is much easier said than done. It has the same math behind it though.
If you are able to save 10% of your income you can retire in 23 years, at 50% you retire in 12
Now this seams pretty much impossible especially when you are already in debt and need to feed a family I understand but it is possible.
A few ways to get started are simply to
-make a budget
When you track something you will naturally want to improve the numbers, that's why weighing yourself makes you lose weight.
-meal prep
You can get meal costs down to $2 per person.
-house hacking
This can only be done when you have some money saved up but simply buying a duplex and renting out one side means you can live for free.
Let me know if you have any questions or if you would like advice for the other side of FIRE