Bought our house for $300K in 2007; it's currently appraised at $650K. The schools are still crap, but we have enough cash to afford private. Hooray gentrification!

Our DC shit shack downtown has more than doubled in value since we bought it in 2010 and we haven't done a thing. We own it free and clear. Similar tear downs (if you can find one) are going for ~700K to developers who pay cash. Crappy schools and all. Unbelievable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a trust fund that is difficult to hide at times since no one except DH knows. People think he does really well. Or that someone, somewhere is buying my art. Lol. They probably also pity me "what will she do if he leaves her" but I make more in interest that his salary is. And I don't even use all the interest money and it goes back into the pot.

I think I know who you are. And nobody thinks your husband is earning a lot. We all know that you both are living off the trust fund, and we all know that he will never leave you.

Oooh, this needs its own thread!

Because I like to work I took a GS 14 job (prior job was SES level) and banked every penny. No school loans for my kids. Feeling fortunate.

4 more student loan payments to go!

We are having a second child, and I was panicked about child care for both, and thrilled to get into an average PreK3 public school. But we crunched the numbers and we can afford to keep 3 year old in his current preschool for another year and pay for #2 to also attend daycare. I'm thrilled that we've made it to a place where we have these kind of choices. (I grew up on food stamps - and this is a dream problem to have).

Anonymous wrote:I have a trust fund that is difficult to hide at times since no one except DH knows. People think he does really well. Or that someone, somewhere is buying my art. Lol. They probably also pity me "what will she do if he leaves her" but I make more in interest that his salary is. And I don't even use all the interest money and it goes back into the pot.

I think I know who you are. And nobody thinks your husband is earning a lot. We all know that you both are living off the trust fund, and we all know that he will never leave you.

A few years ago we were struggling to pay our mortgage, I was in grad school and DH's business was failing. Now that I have my degree I have two jobs and we are comfortably able to pay our bills every month and send our two kids to college. I'm not in a high paying profession but love what I do so don't mind working hard.

I'm getting $25,000 of cosmetic dental work in two weeks. Being in the chair for so long over the course of several appointments will be hell, but I'm really excited because I need/want this. I've been so self-conscious about my teeth for a very long time.

When I graduated law school I decided not to practice law and found a job earning just under $50K a year. I had about $150K in debt. I shared a single room with a roommate to help cut costs that first year. When my husband finished his graduate school program a year later we got married. His job paid around $80K but he had no debt so after 2-3 years we had paid off all of my student loan debt! ALL of it! Eight years after graduation I now earn about 2.5 times my original salary.

We paid off half of our 30 year mortgage (which financed 80% of our home purchase price) in 3 years.

I got pregnant at 20 and everyone said I had thrown my life away. 9 months later I graduated my very prestigious college with a 3 week old baby. H was still in college.

13 years later, H and I make $260K, live in a $900K home and have a decent amount set aside for college, savings and retirement. Would we be better off financially if I didn't get pregnant at 21? Probably. But I am pretty damn proud of what H and I have accomplished over the last 13 years.

I just increased my 401k contribution to ensure my company's maximum contribution. I'm shopping for a CFP right now and I'm pondering moving to an accelerate student loan payment plan so I can pay it off in three to four years.

I love these good-news threads. I am also very comfortable and happy financially and I don't brag but these are awesome posts! Such a relief after all the bad news in the papers.

My sister expatriated 20 years ago and thinks we are all struggling in the gutter about to be nuked by terrorists constantly fearing for our lives. I love to share stuff like this with her.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sure, I'm a single Mom that just a few years ago was assaulted by my child's father. I had nearly 70K in legal bills over 2 years.

I am now credit card debt free and have 40K in savings. Moved us into a townhouse in one of the best school districts in the area. We take multiple international trips a year and am in a relationship with a wonderful, non-abusive man. I am so very grateful to be where I am today.

Awesome! You rock! Yes, you!

You Win! Yaayyy you!!!