Thank you for asking this! I question my sanity a lot when reading FIRE forums, blogs, etc., because according to the "rules" I'm already well past FI but I see very, very few examples of people spending as little as I do (I budget $18K but that includes sinking funds that I rarely tap so my actual spending is thousands less) or retiring on as little as I have (paid-off home worth about $300K and a little over $600K in liquid assets).
It's baffling because I feel like I have a very luxurious life. I have a lovely little house in a historic neighborhood, nicely furnished. I buy expensive organic groceries, wine, etc. (although not in huge amounts, as it's just me and I'm quite small). I have cute clothes, an electric bike, a newish car, eat out once in a while, subscribe to Spotify and Peloton, have all the fancy kitchen stuff, etc. I really cannot imagine what everyone is spending so much on. Kids, sure. But beyond that, I'm totally confused.
The main reason I'm continuing to work and save is to cover the potentially enormous expense of hiring care in my old age. I don't have kids or close extended family and my partner (who lives in his own house, just to clarify--my finances are my own) is 15 years older than me so I will be on my own. I would like to be able to buy into a continuing care retirement community and they're expensive.
If anyone can point to specific case studies, blogs, etc., of people currently retired on this amount of spending/assets, I'm sure those of us at the more frugal end of the spectrum would love to see them!