Glad you are thinking through this. 401k's are a great tool, but they are not the only tool. Investing in real estate and the stock market outside of your 401k can help you retire faster if that is on your radar. But you may want to rethink missing out on the free money of the match! I contriute just enough to get the max match (free money), and the rest goes into my investment accounts outside my 401k.