What’s your rags to riches story?
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Anonymous
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I’d you grew up below the poverty line and now are considered “wealthy” how’s it happen?
I grew up in rural Mississippi. As a young child, we were poor but my mother was able to support us. She was an in-home nurse. I have 3 other siblings all by different men and I am the oldest, so there were many people in and out of our house and we moved a lot. My mom was injured on the job when I was 10 and my youngest sister was 6 months old. She stopped working and collected disability. We lived in food stamps, had our car repossessed and went weeks without electricity more times than I can count. Mom got addicted to painkillers and things went down hill. Lots of questionable men in the house. Myself practically raising my siblings. Depending on my friends for rides to school and their parents for groceries at times. I still did fairly well in High School and started working at a grocery store as a bagged when I was 16. Graduated High School went to school for a semester but financially it wasn’t going to happen. Worked at the grocery store for several years and by the time I was 26 I had worked my way up and was assistant regional manager. I was making $65k which was more money than I could handle. Bought my wife (married at 19) and I brand new cars, went on cruises every few months, had zero savings and lived what we considered Luxuriously. Grocery chain went under I was laid off. Sold my cars, moved into 750 square foot apartment and and started managing a movie theater for $11 an hour. Went to school, got associates moved to a new grocery store and made a little more as a store manager. Finished a bachelors in Education at age 30. Couldn’t find teaching job in what I wanted (theater) so moved to Dallas with my wife. She was working at a plasma center and finishing her bachelors in education as well. Taught for a year, hated it. Quit and went back to managing a grocery store. Promotes quickly and became district manager. Wife was teaching second grade at this point. We had our first child. Company moved me to headquarters in Chicago, paid for me to get and MBA. Finished degree 6 months shy of 40. Had our second child. Worked in high management for several years and promoted again. Top management official, quit and transferred to larger grocery chain with much higher pay and I’ve been here for 6 years. Three kids, my oldest has been accepted into Cornell. I’m so proud. Currently making $780K a year. I’m not terrible smart. Not terribly talented. My younger siblings have had very different lives. |
Anonymous
im a millenial so my rags to rags story is im still paying law school loans despite scholarships and working to cover expenses. no house, no car, just a rental apartment and loans on top of loans. work for govt because i like the mission and the area. i don't see myself ever getting to the riches part. but i liked the story and am jelly of the 780k year 
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Anonymous
| Also a millennial, thrilled that I just landed my first job with security and benefits at $66k! My path has been very different than yours, OP, and I don't think I'm on track to become wealthy ever, but I am impressed and congratulate you for your success. |
Anonymous
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OP, that's a spectacular rise. You went within a two decades from being a teacher (one year) to earning over 700K a year?
I need to move into the grocery field.... |
Anonymous
| Thanks for sharing OP- what an inspirational story! |
Anonymous
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I was one of 6 kids, three fathers. First stepdad cheated and left my stay at home mom for the other woman. Landlord immediately evicted us. Moved states, ended up homeless and lived in a shelter for a few weeks before moving to a trailer that didn’t even have a kitchen floor. Moved states again, new stepdad worked at fast food chains and wherever he could. Mom still stayed home. We lived on 10k a year, as a family of 8. Lots and lots of ramen and eggs.
I scored well on the act and sat, got good grades, went to school on full scholarship. Ended up transferring schools to switch fields, but left before graduating when I got pregnant with my first. Got married, had kids, endured years of verbal and emotional abuse as a stay at home mom. Finally found a way to get out and work a few hours each week, and finally left the abusive ex. I took a huge leap of faith when I left, and struggled for about a year while I established my business. Grew my client base, added value each year, and brought home six figures at 29, two years after divorce. Business keeps booming, and while I wouldn’t consider myself rich I almost hit 200k this year, and with dh we are well into the 300s hhi. If all goes well I will hit 450k this year. I never ever dreamed I would have the life we do, or the capacity to earn the money I do. Or that I would be the one in my household with the higher earning potential. I have learned the sky is the limit, anything is achievable if you set your mind to it and work hard. |
Anonymous
| OP I think it's key that you waited to have kids. All those transitions, jobs, schools would have been much more difficult. |
Anonymous
| Such an awesome story. And your kid will love Cornell (my alma mater!) |
Anonymous
| OP, that is an inspiring story! Thanks for the read! I love to hear things like this! May your life continue to be blessed. |
Anonymous
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Started out in a trailer without connection to water. Parents -
one did GI bill (his parents were sharecroppers) and went to college and worked as white collar professional until he died. The other put herself through college (her parents were blue collar) from a (very) small inheritance and was a teacher for many years. I make low six figures with no debt except a mortgage. Happened through education (into grad school), hard work (some), and luck (alot). Plus people willing to give me a chance even though I didn't go to pedigreed schools. Didn't have kids until I was in my 30s. I am very happy with my life. I don't have the uber-wealth, but I feel very well off, and my kids do not need anything that we cannot afford to get them (their wants on the other hand - well, it's good to not have every desire met). |
Anonymous
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31 making 325K a year. Not exactly 'rich' yet but by the time I'm 60...
Anyway, my story is more of a middle class kid fighting tooth-and-nail to raise themselves up. Parents put me on a plane to college 500 miles away with 50% of the student loans in my name, a lot of love, and a work study program. Nothing else. No financial help upon grad. I turned that into $1.3 million in real estate, a small nest egg in the 401K, student loans paid off, car paid off, and a life I love. Also no kids so the money is mine free and clear. |
Anonymous
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No rags to riches story here. Wasted too much time working hard for a small business owner. There was nowhere to climb and I didn't want to open a restaurant myself. I get sick to my stomach when I think how hard I worked for that man. All I did was raise the bar for all the other workers. Few people who worked harder, but even she was told to quit that job by her doctor. Extremely stressful, hard with long 12-hour shifts with a drunk yelling at everybody at the end.
No rags to riches story. Grew up in SU in middle class and will stay middle class in US. |
Anonymous
i hate to be that person ..but 50% loans in your name lol as in they paid half of your college tuition? and they put you on a plane as in they bought a plane ticket? and no financial help upon grad as in they did support you in addition to paying loans during college? and what's turning that into real estate? real estate your family already owns? |
Anonymous
Cool, are you a chef? Maybe you can go into media and be on the Food Network or Cooking Channel |
Anonymous
Yep and I'm grateful for their generous help with college loans but I'm frank in the fact that I walked away with a good amount of college not to mention higher ed debt that lots of wealthier friends didn't have. It affected my choices from the moment I walked across that stage. The real estate is my own cash and sweat. My parents have their own properties and they believe (as I do) that at 21 you need to stand on your own feet or fall. Considering a lot of my millennial friends are still living in their old bedrooms or renting out shared accommodations with 2 or more people, I know that my hard work paid off. |