Excited: I have 1.3 million in assets, not inc. real estate!

[Anonymous]

I don't see the point in walking around in rags. Why bother to earn money if you never spend any. Yolo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the point in walking around in rags. Why bother to earn money if you never spend any. Yolo.

Who said anything about rags? Have you been to a thrift store recently? The stuff another family pays full price for is outgrown like all other kids' clothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to say congratulations, but I don't really care. I think this post is in poor taste and 1.3 million is not a lot of money, especially considering all the scrimping and saving you feel so proud of. You must not be a savvy businessperson, but good luck with your coins.
However, I am not impressed with your lack of class or with your lack of business savvy. If you were 25 then this post would make more sense.

Did I mention I took 7 years off (not working at all)? And I only work part time now. Remember my posting. I did not say these were all of our assets...I said this was MY assets in my name. This has nothing to do with what is in my husband's name or our joint names or any real estate (6 homes and a 1/6 interest in a rented commercial building that has been rented, making a profit, for 8 years). Again, I posted because I AM proud of myself. I would agree, working full time at 1.3 million combined is not a great deal of money, but to have it as non-real estate and being about 1/2 of our asset (non real estate portfolio), I gotta say I think it is pretty damn good. Oh, and you can delete the first 5 words of your post, as they aren't true!

I am amused. Don't confuse that with caring.

That is still not a lot. Even if it were doubled in just your name I would say the same. It is better than most people, but still not impressive or worth bragging about.

I would tell you why, but then I would be guilty of what I am accussing you off- being someone with little class.

But keep on posting and I will keep on chuckling. But you might want to spend less time bragging and more time around people who can upgrade your business skills and ways of thinking. Or just keep posting because we all need a laugh.

I think it's a shit ton of money, I'm very happy for you, I'm feeling terribly insecure about the very very small amount my husband and I have saved. Eff these naysayers. It's a great accomplishment to provide financial security for yourself, and to meet a big goal.

[Anonymous]

My story is so similar the the OP's, although we don't have quite as much. Mine and my husband's money is combined. We are 46 and 47 and have $1.2 M not including our home (which has equity), includes retirement and savings for college. When I quit my job to stay home with my kids in 2001 I was making $60K. My husband was making about $80. He now makes $140K and I am a SAHM with a small income doing side jobs (under $5K per year). So combined we've never made more than about $150K.

I, too, remember getting a passbook account when I was young. Age 9 maybe? I put $70 into it, which was money saved up from birthday presents and had been kept in a drawer. I loved to visit the bank and have them stamp the new interest on there (which was quite high!). I always liked to save my money, too. My sister was the opposite. Still is!

I am frugal, like the OP, perhaps slightly less. I shop Thrift stores - probably the same ones. Unique? We eat out about once per week. Most books are from the library and thrift stores. My oldest is in 6th grade, and she doesn't like thrift store clothes any more, but we shop sales and discount stores. She got Uggs at the end of the season last year for 35% off, for example. My younger two are fine with hand-me-downs. We buy lots of things secondhand - we check Craigslist before the retail stores.

We use coupons, not excessively, maybe between 1-5 each trip to the store. We go to matinees for movies, use Entertainment book coupons for waterparks. No frequent stops at Starbucks or ice cream. We'll buy ice cream at the store with cones and make at home instead. We're not militant, though and occasionally get coffee out or ice cream or fast food, but it's not a regular occurance.

We go to the beach as soon as school lets out. The hotel we go to doesn't raise their rates until July 4th weekend, so we pay about 2/3rd the "high season" rate. We generally do car trips for vacations. We shop for deals online for hotels. Stay mid-level - SpringHill Suites, for example.

I believe we grew our wealth little by little. As I said, I never made more than $60K. But I did have a good start - no student loans (parents paid for college) and I had a car. I lived with roommates out of college for about 8 years. I was able to send $200 per month to a mutual fund because my rent was cheap and no debt (which I realize not everyone is so fortunate).

I started putting money into my 401K at age 22 with my first job out of college. Maximized it at age 23, I think. I kept track of my balances month to month and had Excel spreadsheets of goals (how much I'd be making, how much I'd have, etc. Yes, I'm a nerd).

By age 32 I had $70K saved up (outside retirement). My husband had $20K (outside retirement). We bought an older, small home in Vienna for $300K back in 2000. We started doing the IRAs too for the max. Retirement money came off the top. We never had a strict budget, but a general idea of what we had to spend.

Slowly but surely our nest egg has grown. Consistent contributions has been the key. It's taken out before we miss it, which is also very important. We just spend what we are left with, after savings.

For us, it was a combination of being fortunate (parents paying for college and buying house at a good time) and consistent savings and living pretty frugally (smaller, older home). Our income is certainly not over the top for the DC area.

I do know you can't take it with you and we try to have fun with our money while we can. Just bought tickets for Disney in April (using a discount site, of course). We'll drive down. With 3 kids airline tix are expensive, and having the car is easier anyway. That's our story. Not a lawyer, not BIG income. A bit of luck and a bit of frugal living and consistent savings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My story is so similar the the OP's, although we don't have quite as much. Mine and my husband's money is combined. We are 46 and 47 and have $1.2 M not including our home (which has equity), includes retirement and savings for college. When I quit my job to stay home with my kids in 2001 I was making $60K. My husband was making about $80. He now makes $140K and I am a SAHM with a small income doing side jobs (under $5K per year). So combined we've never made more than about $150K.

I, too, remember getting a passbook account when I was young. Age 9 maybe? I put $70 into it, which was money saved up from birthday presents and had been kept in a drawer. I loved to visit the bank and have them stamp the new interest on there (which was quite high!). I always liked to save my money, too. My sister was the opposite. Still is!

I am frugal, like the OP, perhaps slightly less. I shop Thrift stores - probably the same ones. Unique? We eat out about once per week. Most books are from the library and thrift stores. My oldest is in 6th grade, and she doesn't like thrift store clothes any more, but we shop sales and discount stores. She got Uggs at the end of the season last year for 35% off, for example. My younger two are fine with hand-me-downs. We buy lots of things secondhand - we check Craigslist before the retail stores.

We use coupons, not excessively, maybe between 1-5 each trip to the store. We go to matinees for movies, use Entertainment book coupons for waterparks. No frequent stops at Starbucks or ice cream. We'll buy ice cream at the store with cones and make at home instead. We're not militant, though and occasionally get coffee out or ice cream or fast food, but it's not a regular occurance.

We go to the beach as soon as school lets out. The hotel we go to doesn't raise their rates until July 4th weekend, so we pay about 2/3rd the "high season" rate. We generally do car trips for vacations. We shop for deals online for hotels. Stay mid-level - SpringHill Suites, for example.

I believe we grew our wealth little by little. As I said, I never made more than $60K. But I did have a good start - no student loans (parents paid for college) and I had a car. I lived with roommates out of college for about 8 years. I was able to send $200 per month to a mutual fund because my rent was cheap and no debt (which I realize not everyone is so fortunate).

I started putting money into my 401K at age 22 with my first job out of college. Maximized it at age 23, I think. I kept track of my balances month to month and had Excel spreadsheets of goals (how much I'd be making, how much I'd have, etc. Yes, I'm a nerd).

By age 32 I had $70K saved up (outside retirement). My husband had $20K (outside retirement). We bought an older, small home in Vienna for $300K back in 2000. We started doing the IRAs too for the max. Retirement money came off the top. We never had a strict budget, but a general idea of what we had to spend.

Slowly but surely our nest egg has grown. Consistent contributions has been the key. It's taken out before we miss it, which is also very important. We just spend what we are left with, after savings.

For us, it was a combination of being fortunate (parents paying for college and buying house at a good time) and consistent savings and living pretty frugally (smaller, older home). Our income is certainly not over the top for the DC area.

I do know you can't take it with you and we try to have fun with our money while we can. Just bought tickets for Disney in April (using a discount site, of course). We'll drive down. With 3 kids airline tix are expensive, and having the car is easier anyway. That's our story. Not a lawyer, not BIG income. A bit of luck and a bit of frugal living and consistent savings.

Congratulations PP, both on achieving that milestone and on communicating it far less obnoxiously than the OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My story is so similar the the OP's, although we don't have quite as much. Mine and my husband's money is combined. We are 46 and 47 and have $1.2 M not including our home (which has equity), includes retirement and savings for college. When I quit my job to stay home with my kids in 2001 I was making $60K. My husband was making about $80. He now makes $140K and I am a SAHM with a small income doing side jobs (under $5K per year). So combined we've never made more than about $150K.

I, too, remember getting a passbook account when I was young. Age 9 maybe? I put $70 into it, which was money saved up from birthday presents and had been kept in a drawer. I loved to visit the bank and have them stamp the new interest on there (which was quite high!). I always liked to save my money, too. My sister was the opposite. Still is!

I am frugal, like the OP, perhaps slightly less. I shop Thrift stores - probably the same ones. Unique? We eat out about once per week. Most books are from the library and thrift stores. My oldest is in 6th grade, and she doesn't like thrift store clothes any more, but we shop sales and discount stores. She got Uggs at the end of the season last year for 35% off, for example. My younger two are fine with hand-me-downs. We buy lots of things secondhand - we check Craigslist before the retail stores.

We use coupons, not excessively, maybe between 1-5 each trip to the store. We go to matinees for movies, use Entertainment book coupons for waterparks. No frequent stops at Starbucks or ice cream. We'll buy ice cream at the store with cones and make at home instead. We're not militant, though and occasionally get coffee out or ice cream or fast food, but it's not a regular occurance.

We go to the beach as soon as school lets out. The hotel we go to doesn't raise their rates until July 4th weekend, so we pay about 2/3rd the "high season" rate. We generally do car trips for vacations. We shop for deals online for hotels. Stay mid-level - SpringHill Suites, for example.

I believe we grew our wealth little by little. As I said, I never made more than $60K. But I did have a good start - no student loans (parents paid for college) and I had a car. I lived with roommates out of college for about 8 years. I was able to send $200 per month to a mutual fund because my rent was cheap and no debt (which I realize not everyone is so fortunate).

I started putting money into my 401K at age 22 with my first job out of college. Maximized it at age 23, I think. I kept track of my balances month to month and had Excel spreadsheets of goals (how much I'd be making, how much I'd have, etc. Yes, I'm a nerd).

By age 32 I had $70K saved up (outside retirement). My husband had $20K (outside retirement). We bought an older, small home in Vienna for $300K back in 2000. We started doing the IRAs too for the max. Retirement money came off the top. We never had a strict budget, but a general idea of what we had to spend.

Slowly but surely our nest egg has grown. Consistent contributions has been the key. It's taken out before we miss it, which is also very important. We just spend what we are left with, after savings.

For us, it was a combination of being fortunate (parents paying for college and buying house at a good time) and consistent savings and living pretty frugally (smaller, older home). Our income is certainly not over the top for the DC area.

I do know you can't take it with you and we try to have fun with our money while we can. Just bought tickets for Disney in April (using a discount site, of course). We'll drive down. With 3 kids airline tix are expensive, and having the car is easier anyway. That's our story. Not a lawyer, not BIG income. A bit of luck and a bit of frugal living and consistent savings.

Congratulations PP, both on achieving that milestone and on communicating it far less obnoxiously than the OP.

NP here: But this PP wouldn't have written this if it weren't for the original poster. I actually enjoy all these stories...it makes me realize that saving a bit here or there DOES add up.