The financial question is the most common place people stop, usually because they have never actually looked at the numbers. Four numbers turn it from a source of dread into a solvable problem with a date on it.
The actual numbers are frequently less frightening than the imagined ones. And when they are not, a specific gap with a timeline is still easier to work with than an unexamined fear.
Estimates are fine. Precision matters less than actually looking.
Every non-negotiable monthly expense. Housing, food, insurance, utilities, debt service, childcare, transport. The floor you could actually live at, which may be lower than what you spend now.
Money you could actually reach without penalty. Cash, savings, taxable brokerage. Exclude retirement accounts you would be penalized for touching, and exclude home equity.
What actually lands in savings in a normal month, after everything. If the honest answer is nothing, enter zero. That is a real and useful result.
The number at which you could make the move without fear running the decision, which is usually more than the bare minimum. If you have no number in mind, 12 to 24 months is a reasonable range to test.