This is what you need to retire you think. Put it in the bank, draw interest. Live as sparse as possible. Grow a garden in the back yard for food. Hunt squirrels to meat in the park after hours. You surely can make some cash investing portions. You live like this, using candles mostly for light. Minimal heat and cooling during the year. Riding your bicycle around. Still buying a case of beer a month though. Your investments go nowhere. You are dipping lower and lower in your account. You have to find income soon and its only been eighteen months since your attempted retirement. But they where great months and you want more like them.