Early retirement isn't for everyone. We could sit here for hours in the comments section and come up with thousands of difference scenarios where "early retirement" simply doesn't make sense for an individual. But when you're caught living the type of life that is slowly wearing you down, from the inside out, the knowledge of how to retire early becomes invaluable.

One path: how to retire early
There are lots of different paths leading to this goal, and the four following steps highlight just one of many different approaches. The fact that just about anyone -- from a 20-something just out of college, to a 50-year old who hasn't saved a dime yet -- can benefit from this method should provide some measure of hope for your financial future.