Post your accomplishments if you didn't get help from others

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet most people who have been poor help more people than those who have never been poor. I am OP and I pay my brother's phone and utilities, paid for all of my mothers extras, and my entire career has been in public interest law.

You are going to regret this eventually. Ask me how I know. One, because the helping never ends, and how you help in one way begets more helping--you help with getting a house, then you need to commit to visiting them at that house and helping them there, even if it far away. And two, the people you are helping see your aid as so normative that they don't really see it as help and think they have achived what they have despite "challenges", so they feel special about that, as if they have actually worked harder and achived more than you, because you had it "easy".

Also are you African American? Welcome to the "black tax". Stop paying the "black tax".

This is PP again, to add, regarding OP's post: people who claim "I didn't get any help", yes, did get help from family like little $$ gifts, help filling out forms, government assitance, etc, but they see getting these things are part of their smarts in getting things they need, they don't see it as help, but ingenuity on their part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If people got need based scholarships or reduced cost loans for college, they had help. Those programs are meant to help.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is saying mother's sacrifices aren't help. My mom made me the person I am today. But on this thread we are allowing people who did not have financial help from their families in adulthood to brag about their financial accomplishments. This is pretty different from the standard DCUM money posts where some 35 year old gripes about having to pay into social security or someone worries that with 10million they don't have to retire.

The truth is that most wealthy people received help from their families for college and didn't have student loan help, get a car from mom and dad when they graduate (or turn 16) have their parents pay for their kids education, get yearly help, inherit riches, etc.

Just because the help you got didn't make you rich or even UMC doesn't mean it wasn't help. Some of you all got help to get to lower class or lower middle class level. These situations are not more brag-worthy than the others. Why would they be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet most people who have been poor help more people than those who have never been poor. I am OP and I pay my brother's phone and utilities, paid for all of my mothers extras, and my entire career has been in public interest law.

You are going to regret this eventually. Ask me how I know. One, because the helping never ends, and how you help in one way begets more helping--you help with getting a house, then you need to commit to visiting them at that house and helping them there, even if it far away. And two, the people you are helping see your aid as so normative that they don't really see it as help and think they have achived what they have despite "challenges", so they feel special about that, as if they have actually worked harder and achived more than you, because you had it "easy".

Also are you African American? Welcome to the "black tax". Stop paying the "black tax".

https://www.investopedia.com/the-black-tax-5324177

What Is the Black Tax?
The Black tax refers to the financial burden borne by Black people who have achieved a level of success and who provide support to less financially secure family members. These monetary transfers are generally made between middle-class and well-to-do Black people and relatives who are struggling to make ends meet.

The term encompasses the financial transactions and the toll they take on the well-off family member, who may be unable to build wealth like their white peers who don’t share the same financial obligation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If people got need based scholarships or reduced cost loans for college, they had help. Those programs are meant to help.

+1

This is NOT the same as growing up MC or UMC.

I grew up poor and received a combo of Pell Grants, loans, and merit-based scholarships to attend an in-state university. I worked six days a week in HS and as an undergrad to pay for food, rent, and remaining tuition. My EFC was a big fat zero and I received exactly zero dollars from my family. As a young person I was cold, hungry, and housing insecure.

But if it makes you feel better to tell poor people that their Pell Grants were as good as having mommy and daddy pay for calc tutors, SAT prep, sleep-away camp, European vacations, undergraduate tuition, cars, down payments on homes, and grad school … then your willful ignorance about the real world is shameful. I’m sure you’re the first to complain that “UMC families are so so disadvantaged when it comes to college admissions.” I’m sure your spoiled children look down their noses at the scholarship kids as well.

And we wonder why Trump won the working class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If people got need based scholarships or reduced cost loans for college, they had help. Those programs are meant to help.

+1

This is NOT the same as growing up MC or UMC.

I grew up poor and received a combo of Pell Grants, loans, and merit-based scholarships to attend an in-state university. I worked six days a week in HS and as an undergrad to pay for food, rent, and remaining tuition. My EFC was a big fat zero and I received exactly zero dollars from my family. As a young person I was cold, hungry, and housing insecure.

But if it makes you feel better to tell poor people that their Pell Grants were as good as having mommy and daddy pay for calc tutors, SAT prep, sleep-away camp, European vacations, undergraduate tuition, cars, down payments on homes, and grad school … then your willful ignorance about the real world is shameful. I’m sure you’re the first to complain that “UMC families are so so disadvantaged when it comes to college admissions.” I’m sure your spoiled children look down their noses at the scholarship kids as well.

And we wonder why Trump won the working class?

Yes is the same because they got help and you got help. Or is the problem that some people have more money than you in life? That actually is not a problem.

Trump didn't win the working class. Most black people are working class and he didn't win them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Blue-collar parents lived paycheck to paycheck. As kids we would look at stores that didn't have the system that validated if there was money in your checking account and then wave my mom in if the sticker wasn't on the door b/c we knew she was going to write a check to get groceries b/c her next payday might be 2-3 days away. Me and all my siblings paid for our own college and all had jobs by the time we were 14.

Now we're not living super large by any means but have $250K in home equity, $1.1M in investments, cash and 401Ks combined. Three kids. $450-500K HHI. Generally very very happy. All my siblings also very successful.

I'm very proud of myself but will say the fear of economic insecurity continues to drive me, and I probably am super conservative with investments to our fault b/c it's scary to have cash and put it in the market. I need to work on that. But yes, proud.

I also recognize I'm a white woman and have a lot of privilege just in that alone. So I never think I broke crazy barriers.

Kudos to everyone who hustled.

You are living very large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to encourage people who didn't have help for college or financial gifts from family or inheritances to post here to brag about what they have accomplished financially. I will go first. My single mom never made $40K her whole life and wasn't able to help me financially. I now have a net worth of $3 million (with husband and kid) at 50. I know I am just part of the mass affluent, but this is more than I ever thought I would have. What about you?

Yay for you! Add another $2M if you also have a pension!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DH was raised by a single mom who made just enough money to be slightly above the poverty line. He started working full time when he graduated from high school. His brother told him to put as much as possible into the company’s 401k. He started taking college classes at night. Fortunately, work paid for them. My DH finally graduated with a BA when he was 32 years old and most of the classes were paid via work tuition reimbursement. I am so proud with how hard he worked to get his degree: working full time, taking classes at night even after having a kid - our DS was at his daddy’s college graduation. Until recently, my DH was not a high wage earner but finally, this past year, his salary was $200k. And starting that 401k at 18 years old and $25k salary has turned into $1.7 million at 55 years old.

Wow! That’s why you have to start some type of investment account for your kids early. It really compounds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked my way through my associates degree with a full time job and a part time job, and graduated without debt. I almost have $200k in savings. This is the most money I've ever had in my life.

🫡🫡🫡🙌

Once you get that first $100k it starts to grow quicker it seems

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm very proud of myself but will say the fear of economic insecurity continues to drive me,

This is me too. I left home young and put myself through school. Shortly after I left home my dad died. The only time I ever asked for money (for school) no one had any to give.

Anyway, I bought a house at 26. Worked hard. Married and stayed married. Have kids including two with special needs who required lots of support beyond what was publicly available. Plus we had over $200k in medical bills. But here we are with two paid off houses, able to give our kids education and a nice life and $3m or so in net worth.

All if the years of struggling did have an effect though. I still worry and i cautiously spend. I take comfort in knowing social security will be enough for us when we reach that point.

PP who posted this. I want to work this year on having less fear of lack of money. I have had 300K+ in a HYSA for the past 3 years and would be lying if I said I didn't have regret over the gains I could have made in the market. I am most comfortable with 1 year expenses in savings vs the standard 6 months. But that would still give me at least 100K+ to invest. And yet everytime I think about doing it I get cold feet.

Is your net worth tied up in houses? Sounds like you do need to diversify maybe think about putting a little into an index fund the next pullback in the market

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to encourage people who didn't have help for college or financial gifts from family or inheritances to post here to brag about what they have accomplished financially. I will go first. My single mom never made $40K her whole life and wasn't able to help me financially. I now have a net worth of $3 million (with husband and kid) at 50. I know I am just part of the mass affluent, but this is more than I ever thought I would have. What about you?

So you didn't take FAFSA? No Pell grants or scholarships at all? No work study? Your single mom never took SNAP or WIC? Never got EITC or childcare credit?

Everyone gets help somewhere. Good for you for making it big on less than most, but you definitely got help.

Is any of that FROM FAMILY OR INHERITANCES?

Why are so many people mad at the question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If people got need based scholarships or reduced cost loans for college, they had help. Those programs are meant to help.

+1

This is NOT the same as growing up MC or UMC.

I grew up poor and received a combo of Pell Grants, loans, and merit-based scholarships to attend an in-state university. I worked six days a week in HS and as an undergrad to pay for food, rent, and remaining tuition. My EFC was a big fat zero and I received exactly zero dollars from my family. As a young person I was cold, hungry, and housing insecure.

But if it makes you feel better to tell poor people that their Pell Grants were as good as having mommy and daddy pay for calc tutors, SAT prep, sleep-away camp, European vacations, undergraduate tuition, cars, down payments on homes, and grad school … then your willful ignorance about the real world is shameful. I’m sure you’re the first to complain that “UMC families are so so disadvantaged when it comes to college admissions.” I’m sure your spoiled children look down their noses at the scholarship kids as well.

And we wonder why Trump won the working class?

+1000000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to encourage people who didn't have help for college or financial gifts from family or inheritances to post here to brag about what they have accomplished financially. I will go first. My single mom never made $40K her whole life and wasn't able to help me financially. I now have a net worth of $3 million (with husband and kid) at 50. I know I am just part of the mass affluent, but this is more than I ever thought I would have. What about you?

So you didn't take FAFSA? No Pell grants or scholarships at all? No work study? Your single mom never took SNAP or WIC? Never got EITC or childcare credit?

Everyone gets help somewhere. Good for you for making it big on less than most, but you definitely got help.

Is any of that FROM FAMILY OR INHERITANCES?

Why are so many people mad at the question?

Help is help.

[Anonymous]

Net worth $6k at age 30. Got married at 30 with someone with similar situation. Wedding cost $2k. Bought a true fixer upper (neglect and major termite damage throughout). It was all we could afford. Yearly DYI projects, focusing money more into retirement as much as possible. Now 47 with net worth of $1.2 million and a pension that will pay $65k at age 60.