Spending habits and location matter more than almost anything else when it comes to making early retirement work. A modest budget of $60,000 to $75,000 per year is achievable with $1.5 million if you're disciplined about expenses, while a high-cost lifestyle requiring $100,000 annually will strain even a well-funded portfolio. Rest assured that location plays a massive role in how far money can go. In a recent analysis, retirees in expensive states like California and Hawaii might see these kinds of funds o ...