You don't need an enormous savings.Just live on less.

Make 100k for 2 years, spending 25k to live per year. So you have 150k in savings - taxes, lets round down to 100k.

You can now go 4 years without working.

I know people that do similar things... can use it to fund an indy game, or just play videogames for a few years.

I guess you don't plan on retiring early in that case.

Very true. But it has some benefits. I.e. you could potentially have 6 or 10 years in your 20s and 30s without work. Vs working til day 50 and only having older less active years to be off.

2 years off in my 20s felt pretty much like retirement. Loved it.

Yep, I worked for 4 years at ~$45k/y, spending nothing, and just had a year off, started by travelling for a few months and chilling for the last few, had the best time of my life, even started doing some side projects which I hadn't done since Uni, and really missed. Sadly I've run out of $$$ now and looking for some work.

I know it can be risky taking such a break from a career but I think it was worth it, I gained some great travel experience and better understand what I want out of life.

Make 100k for 2 years?? I scrape together 25k as junior dev. I really wonder how you manage that in your 20s.

Depending on where you are you are dramatically underpaid.

Western Europe. I feel the same as you do.

My example assumed US reasonable size city salaries.

Yeah, I made much less than that ~$40K (2007-2010) and ended up saving around $50k during that time. Just have to have not many expenses.

Now I earn more and spend more, too, lol. Enjoy it just the same though.

yeah, basically lived frugally for a few years, saved up about $50K USD, didn't spend much beyond rent ($550/month for a studio apartment in Portland, OR in 2010), food, utilities.

Ended up rejoining the working world when I saw a job ad for something that was "perfect" based on skills I had, interviewed and got it.