<prompt> Human: So most of you know the post Im referring to. Does this chart mean that youd have to maintain the cost of living you had the entire time you were saving?If you saved 75 for 7 years you could retire - but doesnt this mean youd have to live at 25 your annual salary for the rest of your life?Unless Ive gotten something wrong it seem bogus to me. Lets take a real life example: Person makes 35,000yr Person saves 75 26,250 per year. In 7 Years this person can retire. Retirement only supports a 9kyr lifestyle.This means that Person has to live off of less than 9,000 for 7 years. Then, when they retire, they must keep that same 9kyr lifestlye for the rest of their life? But hey, youre retired right...?Am I misinterpreting what he is trying to say?Assistant: Thats right. If you find it too much of a sacrifice to continue living on the same amount in retirement you were able to live on while saving, then you need to save for longer.The math is fine. If you want to spend more, you need to save more.Human: If you want to spend more, you need to earn more.This seems more accurate.I saw a post where he listed his annual expenses. It was something like 25k In 40 years when he has health problems and cost of living has skyrocketed what will he be doing then? Plus isnt he supporting both him, his wife, and a child?It really doesnt seem to be sustainable unless Im missing something.  <response>: Im pretty sure his numbers take inflation into account- that he can sustain a 3-4 withdrawal rate indefinitely. It may be 25,000 this year, but in 5 years it might be 30k and in 40 years it might be 75k. His flat rate remains the same but because he is allowing his savings to grow with inflation, cost of living doesnt really factor in. Its not an exact science, some years inflation is minimal, others its not. Hes withdrawing the same VALUE of money each year, even though the figure itself increases. 