We had packed lunches every day for 10 years and retired at 40

A couple has achieved financial independence and retired at the age of 40 by adhering to the principles of the FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early) movement. Their strategy involved extreme saving measures, including eating packed lunches every day for a decade, to maximize their savings rate. By prioritizing frugality and aggressive investment, they were able to accumulate enough wealth to leave the workforce decades earlier than the traditional retirement age, illustrating the trade-offs required to pursue early retirement.