Ah, your closing question could be a thread in itself.

This is tricky territory! Be wary of the treadmill where as your income rises, your sense of what's an acceptable restaurant, vacation, car, home, etc. escalates just as fast. Then you'll always be n+1 windfalls away from your goal. If you're really wanting "financial independence," which is a weirdly opaque phrase, focus at least 49% of your energy on keeping your spending rate low.