I'm 55...been "retired" for 7 years now (though I stay busier than ever) and life is good
. Not counting on SS or inheritance (those are just "gravy" imo) and have always lived within my means. Worth a LOT more now than when I "retired" and in a lot better frame of mind than back in '08 too, but $ have never been my primary motivator. I have a multi-faceted approach for income streams and still maintain the same "disposable income" (for my lifestyle) than I had during my corporate gigs and don't see that changing much...but who knows?
ps: forgot who posted about early withdrawals (penalty free) from IRAs/401k....check out 72(t) distributions. Most corporate HR types and (in my experience) financial planners are absolutely clueless when it comes to these things and are simply singing the "mantra" they've been given....YMMV