Re 200K: Health care in early retirement can easily hit $25K for a couple between premiums, out of pockets, and expenses insurance doesn’t cover. Probably minimum $15K in federal taxes, probably more, plus any state taxes. You’re left with $10K-12K a month. In early retirement that’s pure pleasure, it gets you comfortable and safe housing in a HCOL area or live like a king in MCOL or lower, and if you live long enough it’s a hedge against needing expensive long term care. Not a crazy goal.

We are spending 240k now (but that includes 60k for college and won’t have that expense in retirement). Not sure what other expenses will go down other than mortgage. Do the conservative estimate seems to be 160-170k. But we’d also like to travel more so we are back to 200k.