re: How many days of retirement have you bought?

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Meaning, it won't be little to no tax on accessing the funds

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You have to pay income tax when you draw down those pre-tax accounts whether before or after 59 1/2. It's primarily a way to avoid the 10% penalty. It's feasible to get taxes down to a minimum using standard deduction if only drawing down $35000. You could augment that with funds from a taxable brockerage and take advantage of zero long term capital gains up to ~$78k in taxable income married filing joint.

In these spending calculations, I am always perplexed by the expected/assumed $$ needs in retirement.

If I have downsized my home and it’s paid off.
If I have reliable cheap transportation.
If I am not buying work clothes and going out to lunch everyday.
If I have raised my children to be independent financially.
If my parents have passed away and no longer need my help.

What are these huge expenses that I need money for?

Healthcare yes. Huge expense.

And?

I am not arguing with anyone. I just don’t understand why I will need >75% of my current income to survive.

380.

I’m running ahead of schedule.

Pension, so I’ll let you know after I die. I need to check the wife’s, she was at 200 something a few years ago.

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I am not arguing with anyone. I just don’t understand why I will need >75% of my current income to survive.

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Because if you've worked, sometimes 2 and 3 jobs, and busted your arse for 30+ years, when you stop working you spend your time on things that don't pay.

And some of you folks have expensive hobbies. Guns, guitars, cars, travel, all that adds up.

Better safe than sorry. Of course, you could move to a crackerbox, live on beans and rice and never do anything in retirement. That's a plan...

(Plus inflation, baws - that used to be a thing and could be again - hope for the best, plan for the worst.)

All the way to the scene of the crash.