[this is a ymoyl update.]
i’ve decided to start tracking another line on the graph. it represents what my monthly expenses would be if i had already achieved financial independence. i’ve plotted it for this year by taking the expense figures for the last six months and subtracting the costs of the mortgage, the car payments, and the income tax, so this line represents what i would be spending if i owned my home and car and were living off my investments so that my income taxes were nothing or negligible. this is the real line that my investment income line needs to cross to be able to support me, assuming i also have a cushion and cache to cover the unexpected.