Moved back to my hometown to help my aging parents and it accidentally turbocharged my FI timeline

So this wasnt really planned but turned out to be one of the best financial moves I've made even though money wasnt the reason at all.

Last year my dad had a stroke and my mom couldn't handle everything alone. I was living in Seattle making 95k as a software dev but decided to move back to rural Ohio to be closer. Found a fully remote position at a different company for 78k which seemed like a huge step back.

My parents insisted I move into their guest house (separate entrance, basically a small apartment) and wont take rent. I offered multiple times but my dad got genuinely offended lol. My expenses dropped from like 2800/month in Seattle to maybe 900 here. I help with groceries and their bills which comes to around 400/month and it feels good to contribute.

I had about 15k saved aside for emergencies back in Seattle and that barely felt like enough. Here that same amount feels massive as a buffer. My savings rate went from maybe 25% to almost 60% and I'm on track to hit my FI number maybe 8 years earlier than I calculated before.

I drive my dads old truck that just sits there anyway. No more 200 dollar bar tabs on weekends cause theres literally nowhere to go. Started a vegetable garden with my mom which she loves and cuts down food costs. The lifestyle is wildly different but honestly Im happier and my numbers look better than they ever did in the city.