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More workers approaching their 40s are questioning whether staying in high-pressure corporate jobs is worth it, especially after years of burnout, rising stress and growing frustration with workplace culture.

It seems like for some, reaching a seven-figure net worth no longer feels like a milestone for luxury, but an opportunity to finally step away from jobs they no longer enjoy.

That was the situation facing one married couple who shared their dilemma on Reddit recently.

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The couple, ages 39 and 37, said they have a $1.5 million net worth, including about $1 million in retirement accounts and roughly $500,000 in brokerage investments. With no children and plans to live frugally, they estimated they could keep expenses around $3,000 per month.

The poster admitted they were tired of “the corporate grind and this nonstop AI sh*t” and said, “My job is getting toxic.”

They were even considering dialing back their effort at work and simply waiting to get fired.

Numbers Already Support Retirement?

A large portion of commenters believed the math strongly supported early retirement. Several people pointed out that withdrawing $36,000 annually from a $1.5 million portfolio equals roughly a 2.4% withdrawal rate, well below the commonly discussed 4% rule used by many early retirement followers.

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“If you can live on $3k a month, the math is very clearly in your favor,” one commenter wrote.

“If your expenses are that low, then you are in an excellent position to retire now,” another person added. “You can basically not care about what the market does at this withdrawal rate.”

Still, not everyone thought fully retiring right away was the best move. Some suggested taking a sabbatical or shifting to lower-pressure work first.

“Take a sabbatical, see what life has to offer,” one person advised. “You can always go back if things go south.”

Another one explained why a temporary break can feel psychologically easier than retirement. “The mindset of a sabbatical is different from retiring,” they wrote. “Retiring burns the bridge for most people, and burning the bridge is scary.”

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Healthcare And Cost Of Living Raised Questions

Even many commenters who supported early retirement warned that healthcare could become the biggest long-term expense.

“Make sure you model it, with the cost increases every year as you get older,” one commenter wrote. “Then model it again with the possibility that one if you develops a disorder that requires an expensive medication.”

Others discussed Affordable Care Act subsidies, taxes and whether low reported income could help reduce insurance costs in retirement.

The couple also floated the idea of moving to Port St. Lucie, Florida, to reduce living expenses. That created another debate. Some people praised Florida’s lack of state income tax, while others warned that rising insurance costs, HOA fees and property taxes could quickly offset those savings.

Retiring decades before traditional retirement age can involve far more than determining whether a portfolio can support current spending. Healthcare expenses, tax planning, inflation, market downturns and long-term withdrawal strategies can all have an outsized impact when retirement may last 40 years or more. Because of those complexities, many early retirees choose to work with a financial advisor to evaluate different scenarios, identify potential risks and build a plan designed to support their lifestyle over the long term.

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Arrived

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Accredited Debt Relief

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Finance Advisors

Finance Advisors helps Americans approach retirement with greater clarity by connecting them to vetted, fiduciary financial advisors who specialize in tax-aware retirement planning. Rather than focusing on products or investment performance alone, the platform emphasizes strategies that account for after-tax income, withdrawal sequencing, and long-term tax efficiency—factors that can materially impact retirement outcomes. Free to use, Finance Advisors gives individuals with meaningful savings access to a level of planning sophistication historically reserved for high-net-worth households, helping reduce hidden tax risk and improve long-term financial confidence.

Immersed

Immersed is a spatial computing company building immersive productivity software that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens inside VR and mixed-reality environments. Its platform is used by remote workers and enterprises to create virtual workspaces that reduce reliance on traditional physical hardware while improving focus and collaboration. The company is also developing its own lightweight VR headset and AI productivity tools, positioning itself in the future-of-work and spatial computing space. Through its pre-IPO offering, Immersed is opening access to early-stage investors looking to diversify beyond traditional assets and gain exposure to emerging technologies shaping how people work.

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This article A 39-Year-Old Says ‘My Job Is Getting Toxic’ And Wonders If A $1.5M Net Worth Is A Big Enough Cushion To Retire Early With Their Spouse originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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