I don't mean this to sound rude, but just need to point something out for the sake of all the other starry-eyed 20-somethings that come here asking how to get rich quick:

"it seems like the only way to get to a place where I am financially independent is to work my ass off for decades and hope the economy doesn't crash and then only will I be able to enjoy that once I'm like 40-45 if I'm lucky."

Yes. Exactly (well, replace "40-45" with "60-65"). That is the only reliable way to achieve financial independence - Work hard, save, and let the time value of money do most of the work for you.

Yes, you could win the lottery. Yes, you could create one of the 10% of startups that don't fail miserably in their first year (though that doesn't mean they necessarily succeed, just that they haven't gone bankrupt yet). Yes, one of your investments could cure cancer tomorrow and make you rich overnight. No, none of that will happen for most people.

Financial planning for someone in your situation doesn't mean reassuring you you can retire at 45. It means patiently explaining that your current situation looks great, and with another 40 years of patient, prudent investing, you can enjoy an awesome retirement.