Also in SoCal, westsider. I will definitely echo, find cheap housing. I had cheap housing and that was very very important. Now I'm back at "fair market value" but I have a mortgage so, in a few years inflation will help move me back to cheap housing. Rent in Los Angeles feels like it's sky rocketing up, so I'm really excited to have that locked mortgage.
I bike to work and don't own a car, partner has a car, so I'm not without access, but not having a car really helps.
Food, I'm really trying to get it down to a reasonable level. Eating out for dinner was not a huge thing for me, so that helped. Cutting eating out for lunch and NO coffee shops got me about $340.00 dollars a month, back in my pocket. Now I'm really trying to optimize grocery shopping. I spend on average $225.00 a month and really want to get it to $185.00 per month. So $185.00/ month groceries and about $50.00/ month entertainment is the goal.
Everything else is smaller and I just really try to do free, second hand, and sales for everything. I spend about $30,000/year and that includes my mortgage, the rest of my income is being put in my 401k. I have a Roth IRA for any leftover money each month. I'm not a super high earner or I would do the tIRA, to get more tax deferment.
Good Luck I hope you have great success. It can be done.