There is a difference between trying to do something "smart" with the money you are earning from your career or wherever you stockpiled 80k from and trying to retire in a couple years. 

Living below your means and selling the "doodads" so you can stockpile cash is also another way to get started to buy your first deal.

Do whatever you can to stockpile savings.

I'm planning to stockpile cash until then, but could do some wholesale or flips to build up the cash.Would like to build a portfolio long term to allow several horizontal incomes to allow retirement Any and all input welcome!

Having a stock pile of cash shows investors you can put money where your mouth is. 

Stockpiling cash2.

While you do this, I would suggest a few things: 1) Figure out a way to be stockpiling away money.

Stick in our area, rent out your rooms, and stockpile the extra cash saved to reinvest. 

We also weren't too worried about a reserve account from the jump on this project because we had 2 months of deferred mortgage payments which allowed us to stockpile cash for lender required repairs which included a new roof and patchwork in the parking lot and other turn costs which we anticipated as we moved rents. 

Either way it definitely helps to have a stockpile of cash, as the saying goes "cash is king."