The way to determine the functions noted above is to do a detailed critical path analysis that reflects development program milestones.

I suggest mapping out some milestones before you quit like:1. money saved= X2. properties purchased= X3.

They just want a roof over their heads, peace in their house, their kids to finish school, and eventually Section 8 subsidized housing to fade away in, and they're more than willing to pay a landlord regularly to just be able to see the milestones pass in their children's lives.So let me ask it again: can you try to flip this problem on its head?

See graphs below! 

Here's a file showing graphs from the book and additional data explaining the economic benefits.Scott Trench House Hacking SpreadsheetScott's graphs were an eyeopener for me.

I do some small scale stock market investing in my free time just as a way to save and grow a little of the money I currently make (that AMD graph lookin awesome) but I want a side project that I can do on the weekends.

The way I have it calculated, the "hours to buy the market" is much closer to 1000 than your graph shows (I think you quoted +/- 250 originally). 

This was a huge milestone for me and something I worked really hard to achieve.

just show what it looks like annually using a line graph. 

They also have a survey result in a graph that I cannot post that shows kitchen remodel choices by popularity.