I don't disagree with the author's logic in calculating the different variables about when he can retire. My issue is that retirement in general shouldn't be held out to be some kind of promised land.

There have been plenty of detailed studies carried out recently (one about Shell workers here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1273451/) that demonstrate how the life expectancy of a retiree drops the earlier they reitre.

I am all for frugality and am currently saving roughly 50% of my take home pay but a significant portion of that goes into my 'outlandish expenses fund' which is spent on travelling, living well etc during different periods of my life. What is the point of scrimping if you're going to spend your retirement years living like a bored domestic house husband/wife?

I'm lucky that I work at a job I love and would not know what to do if I retired. As informative as this article was, I think the overall focus is misplaced as retirement in my book equates to a life of mediocrity and boredom.