Building wealth is usually a slow and steady process'more of a marathon than a sprint. But as these extreme savers prove, it's not impossible to cross the finish line early.Their techniques may require more discipline than you can muster, but many of their habits'like living below your means, steering clear of debt and investing regularly'are easy to emulate.SEE ALSO:7 real people share the life hacks that save them thousandsI retired in my 30swithout a windfall of cash.Jeremy Jacobson, 42, location-independent retiree, currently traveling in AsiaMost 30-somethings are still building up their retirement funds, not getting ready to cash them in. But thats exactly what I was doing four years ago.I got fired up about early retirement after spending six years paying off $40,000 of student debt. The experience left me exhausted and disenchanted with the traditional vision of the American dreamgraduate, work till 65, retire.Instead, I ruthlessly cut costsselling my house and motorcycle, swapping my car for a bicycle and moving to a cheaper place with roommates in Seattle. My expenses went way down, and my savings shot up to more than $5,000 per month. In 2004, I met my wife, Winnie, who was on board with my frugal ways. Together, we began funneling our savings into index funds.By 2010, we were saving roughly 90 percent of our $135,000 income, and living off the interest and dividend income from our investments. That gave Winnie the freedom to leave her program manager job. With seven figures in the bankand plans to spend less than 4 percent per yearI retired from my job as a hardware architect three years later.I earn some income from my blog and Winnie just published a book, but neither of us works a traditional job anymore. Were now full-time parents to our almost 2-year-old son Julian and embrace a minimalist lifestyleand were traveling the world in the process. Well see where the journey takes us.We saved more than 70 percent of our income last year.Matt, 43, and Misti DeMargel, 40, a marketing specialist and nurse in Houston, TexasMy wife Misti and I saved well over half of our net income last year, which landed in the low $100,000s, by living below our means, investing in index funds and staying out of debt (aside from our mortgage). We also have a six-month emergency fund and routinely top off both our Roth IRAs and my 401(k).Our family opts for Netflix over cable and a free library card over new books and movies. We also have cheap Wi-Fi calling plans instead of expensive family bundles. And were proud couponers, always on the hunt for a good deal on food.Another huge money-saver for us is sharing one family car, a 12-year-old Dodge Neon. (I ride my bike almost everywhere.) Our family vacations are usually road trips, Misti cuts our hair to save on salon bills and we rarely buy new clothes.Were big-time budget nerds, and I wouldnt have it any other way. Once our home is paid off, we plan on maxing out Mistis 403(b) and saving in a 529 plan for our 9-year-olds college education. Funding a health savings account is also on our list.I paid off close to $200,000 of debt in six years.Lisa Perry, 55, an attorney in Phoenix, Ariz.A decade after I graduated with my PhD, I was still up to my ears in debtabout $160,000 in student loans. Credit card debt and a car loan tacked on another $40,000. I was unwilling to spend the next 30 years making minimum payments, so I got serious about eliminating every cent.As an hourly workerIm a temporary document-review attorneyI picked up every project that came my way and got a second job teaching. I even participated in research trials at a nearby college.In addition to bumping up my income, I majorly slashed my expenses. I moved into an apartment with roommates, biked to save on gas, cut cable and stuck to a strict budget that limited my food and entertainment spending. At one point, over half of my income was going toward debt.I kept this up for six years before becoming debt-free. My income fluctuated a good bit, but it was mostly between $80,000 and $120,000. However, a lot of my accelerated payments toward the endsometimes upward of $2,200were made on a $50,000 salary. Im living proof that its not how much you make, but what youre willing to do with what you have.Ive since loosened the purse strings a bit, but I have zero regrets!See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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