Count me in. First generation to go past college high school, left home at 17 and didn't go back to live. Put myself through college and post-college, came out with some debt, which I paid off quickly on my relatively meager early professional income. Then, did the usual... had a couple kids, bought a home, worked, spouse worked too but extremely meager income. BUT, we were frugal, paid off our mortgage in ten years instead of thirty, only once bought a new car (and learned that lesson), stayed out of debt, saved for our kids' college. Along the way I had bumps -- like unexpected divorce, major illness of one of our kids, but here I am. FI and about to RE. Overall, I'd say the positive power of living below one's means is a much much bigger factor in reaching FI than whatever help some people might get in the way of assistance from family, etc. Because even if one were to secure a large inheritance, for example, without the skills to live within one's means, most people would blow through it and be no better off.
