Celebrations Thread

[Moonwaves]

The university I now work at held a seminar on pensions for internationally mobile workers yesterday and I went along. As well as gaining a bit more information, I overheard a guy from the US asking about a particular type of pension that you can buy here and talked to him afterwards and gave him some information about why in might not be the best option for him, some of the pitfalls to be aware of, as well as a website to find more information. And then I mentioned MMM and he actually wrote it down and, I think, will probably come here to look into the best ways to save and invest. I think that's worth celebrating. :)

[doug111]

Use this thread to post your mini-accomplishments so we can celebrate with you!

If you have a bigger accomplishment, feel free to start your own thread in the Share Your Badassity section of the forums, but for small milestones, things you just want to share with someone, but don't really have anyone to share it with (besides maybe your partner), toss em out there so we can celebrate with you!

Here I go !!! Here is my mini accomplishment !!! I paid off my $115,000 30 year mortgage in ONLY 23 short months !!! It feels good to be finally debt free !!! Thanks for listening !!!

[torbisen]

Well, beeing a part mustachian for years, i figured out two months ago that we ( me and my wife ) was pretty well off, so we decided to go dor it. These two months we saved a total of 14300$ out of our total income of 23125$ these two months. Its around the 60% bracket, and its a really good start. I am so proud. The bet thing is that it makes us do more things with our kids and in the local area. We live in a beautiful area and go hiking, kayaking, bicycling, on photo trips and so. Makes us really happy while saving big time :-). Thank you for the inspiration Mr Moneymoustache.

[golfreak12]

Hello all,

I'm technically not a newcomer as I joined about a year (?) ago, and have a couple of previous posts.  But as I now have good news to share, I figured it was a good time to introduce myself.

First, some background.  I hit the triple whammy of going for a PhD (at least it was in science), getting pregnant in the last year of my dissertation, and graduating straight into the unemployment line.  Even better, it was the end of summer, which here in the DC area means a lot of employers were dithering over hiring decisions, and I was denied unemployment because my last five years of paychecks were considered "student wages."  Fun times. 

I was unemployed for a total of 5 mos and part-timing for another 3 mos before landing my current position-- during which time our expenses went up with diapers, formula, etc (we had a preemie so certain options were off the table) and my whopping student loans coming due.  We ate a lot of boxed dinner, maxed a lot of credit cards, borrowed from friends and family to keep at least SOME of the bills paid, and went delinquent on the rest because there was nothing else we could do.  At the end of May, I finally began drawing a real paycheck-- 40% of which promptly went back out the door to daycare expenses.  BUT-- we were still technically ahead, by a narrow margin.  And so we got to work.

It's mid-September now and I'm happy to report that ALL our bills are current, we have a tiny bit in savings, and a tiny bit in investment accounts.  For the first time in a year, I made an entire grocery run during which I bought NO boxed dinners.  Even better, we carved a few hundred dollars out of the monthly budget to set aside for moving expenses in a year, to get us into a cheaper place where we can realize those savings long-term.  Longer-term, if we stick to the plan, we will effectively get a $20K/year "pay raise" when our daughter starts Kindergarten and we no longer have to pay for daycare.  We're probably not going to FIRE any time soon, as we're both late bloomers, but we now have a budget, and some savings, and a plan.  It's the little things. 

Speaking of which,  I can tell you that most of my professional wardrobe comes from the Salvation Army and that my '99 Malibu is still running (thanks to my car-savvy husband and a $20 coolant hose)-- so we are not only saving, but building the habits that will let us keep our money moving in the right direction.

If you've read this far, thanks-- and my name is Ariane, and I have a little peach fuzz.  ;)

Congrats !!! I love hearing people making their way back to financial success.

[TravelJunkyQC]

I turned 30 last week. And yesterday, I officially became an adult (in my book) by opening my first non-tax advantaged investing account with Questrade. Have yet to make the small 4k deposit into it that I want to do, but still, I'm very happy with this present to myself.

[Slinky]

I turned 30 last week. And yesterday, I officially became an adult (in my book) by opening my first non-tax advantaged investing account with Questrade. Have yet to make the small 4k deposit into it that I want to do, but still, I'm very happy with this present to myself.

Congrats and happy birthday!

[TravelJunkyQC]

I turned 30 last week. And yesterday, I officially became an adult (in my book) by opening my first non-tax advantaged investing account with Questrade. Have yet to make the small 4k deposit into it that I want to do, but still, I'm very happy with this present to myself.

Congrats and happy birthday!

Thank-you!

[Cookie78]

Just maxed out RRSP and TFSA this year. First time ever!

Want to save up 5500 for TFSA by the end of the year, and have a couple other savings goals for post-FIRE plans (like buying a camper).
Planning on opening my first non-tax-advantaged investment account early in the new year. :)

[pachnik]

I hit my $400,000.00 in investments goal for the year.  The market sure helped!  So nice to be heading towards $500,000.00.

[chasingthegoodlife]

Re-ran my numbers this weekend as a few small things have changed in my financial situation recently.

The results are SO MUCH better than when I first made my spreadsheet a year and a half ago. And the assumptions I used about income and savings are even more conservative. Can't believe it!

[torbisen]

Use this thread to post your mini-accomplishments so we can celebrate with you!

If you have a bigger accomplishment, feel free to start your own thread in the Share Your Badassity section of the forums, but for small milestones, things you just want to share with someone, but don't really have anyone to share it with (besides maybe your partner), toss em out there so we can celebrate with you!

Here I go !!! Here is my mini accomplishment !!! I paid off my $115,000 30 year mortgage in ONLY 23 short months !!! It feels good to be finally debt free !!! Thanks for listening !!!

WOW Congrats :-)

[MrSwayze]

I'm still a noob, but I finally hit over 10k in my RRSP'S, it's taken me longer than I had hoped, but I've bought myself and the GF bicycles so we can start getting to work by bike 10km round trip and also get groceries.

[Saskatchewstachian]

Another one, but this time not about investments!

Last week I accepted a roll out of our company "graduate program" which means a position change and a raise meaning a additional....... 23k/yr!!!!!!

Considering we had a 40% savings rate up until now, this new raise should really bump it up!

[Adge]

I paid off my car yesterday! I took out a $10k loan last July and have been throwing money at it for 15 months and now it's gone! Not bad on $36k a year gross ;) Now the plan is to open a roth IRA before the end of the year and start throwing all that money at it instead- I can't wait!

[mustachepungoeshere]

Two for me this month:

Paid off the last of my student debt ($15k total).

Started a new job, earning an extra $9k a year.

[happy]

Congratulations everyone.

Its been a while since I posted on this thread. But today's the day, my mortgage is 99k, i.e. below 100k. Its been a milestone I've been looking forward to. Started MMM 4 years and 10 months ago with 371k in debt, now <100k. Its all happening!

[HappierAtHome]

Congratulations everyone.

Its been a while since I posted on this thread. But today's the day, my mortgage is 99k, i.e. below 100k. Its been a milestone I've been looking forward to. Started MMM 4 years and 10 months ago with 371k in debt, now <100k. Its all happening!

Yaaaaay!!

[arebelspy]

Started MMM 4 years and 10 months ago with 371k in debt, now <100k. Its all happening!

Nice!  You must be happy.

...I'll be here all week.

[DeskJockey2028]

Woo hoo! I've just reached my coast rate for 60 years old. Meaning, if I don't contribute another dollar to my retirement accounts I can still retire at 60 with my planned post-retirement withdrawal rate! And that's if the market performs with only an average 5% return. I'm of course still contributing but my coast rate a few years back would have had me working until nearly 70, so that's a vast improvement!

[onlykelsey]

Woo hoo! I've just reached my coast rate for 60 years old. Meaning, if I don't contribute another dollar to my retirement accounts I can still retire at 60 with my planned post-retirement withdrawal rate! And that's if the market performs with only an average 5% return. I'm of course still contributing but my coast rate a few years back would have had me working until nearly 70, so that's a vast improvement!

Congrats!  How do you calculate that?  Just take current saving, assume 5% growth and 4% withdrawal?

[DeskJockey2028]

Pretty much that, yes. And also figure in my wife's little pension and 70% of our currently projected SS benefits (to be in the safe side).

[TravelJunkyQC]

Bought my first ETFs in a non-registered account this morning! Yay!

[Orvell]

My cat's heart murmur is innocent!!!
I'm incredibly relieved. :)

[arebelspy]

My cat's heart murmur is innocent!!!
I'm incredibly relieved. :)

YAY!

[dougules]

My cat's heart murmur is innocent!!!
I'm incredibly relieved. :)

That's good to hear.

On an unrelated note, October was our second lowest spending month in the two years that we've been tracking. 

[Migrator Soul]

I have finally been selected, confirmed, and cut orders for a fairly competitive and selective assignment in the White House. I know some of you know I had been planning on doing it for quite some time, but it is not real until there are orders in hand. I'm pretty excited to be honest.

[plainjane]

I have finally been selected, confirmed, and cut orders for a fairly competitive and selective assignment in the White House.

Wow!  Congratulations.

[Migrator Soul]

I have finally been selected, confirmed, and cut orders for a fairly competitive and selective assignment in the White House.

Wow!  Congratulations.

Thanks! I have more or less known it is going to happen for quite some time, however, it isn't real until you are cut orders. I am pretty stoked.

[nereo]

Hey, check out my new 'scratch!

Level up!

[Inaya]

Woo, just hit net worth of $100k ahead of schedule!


15.2k in Roth IRA
33.6k in 401k
8.5k in HSA
26.1k in taxable investments
15k cash emergency fund (currently sitting in my husband's Chase account for the $200 opening bonus, then I will do the same when his waiting period is up)
1.7k misc cash


I'm on year 2 of accruing $50k+/year.

[dougules]

Woo, just hit net worth of $100k ahead of schedule!


15.2k in Roth IRA
33.6k in 401k
8.5k in HSA
26.1k in taxable investments
15k cash emergency fund (currently sitting in my husband's Chase account for the $200 opening bonus, then I will do the same when his waiting period is up)
1.7k misc cash


I'm on year 2 of accruing $50k+/year.

Nice.  You've got the snowball rolling now.

[hucktard]

I just roughly calculated my net worth, and I think the wife and I combined are a little over 500K. I think we will need a NW of about 1.5M to FIRE and I think we can get there in maybe 5-7 years. It keeps happening faster than I thought it would though so I might be pleasantly surprised, I hope. Spending less money is awesome, but I have to say that making more money is awesomer.

[Slinky]

Total Balance of Retirement Accounts: $100,046.93

Made it into 6 figures! Yeah!

[KMMK]

I made my first revenue at my new business!

[Le Poisson]

So much good news!! So happy for all of you guys!!

[rachellynn99]

Today is my official first day of MMM stuff, but my husband and I made a decision NOT to go out to eat after church today. We have went out for probably 5 years, either with my parents, another family or just our family. The kids were a bit confused, but we had a very nice lunch, using deer meat my 10 year old daughter harvested about 2 weeks ago, salsa I had canned from our garden, and various others yummies that made nice tacos. So day 1 ( or at least half of it) has been a success.

[Cannot Wait!]

Anybody else with young adult children that you've tried to influence to embrace the MMM way?  I'm just THRILLED that my kid just sent me this text:
"My investment portfolio made 6$"
OMG! She was listening!   😆

[Le Poisson]

Today is my official first day of MMM stuff, but my husband and I made a decision NOT to go out to eat after church today. We have went out for probably 5 years, either with my parents, another family or just our family. The kids were a bit confused, but we had a very nice lunch, using deer meat my 10 year old daughter harvested about 2 weeks ago, salsa I had canned from our garden, and various others yummies that made nice tacos. So day 1 ( or at least half of it) has been a success.

This is a big step! in 6 months you'll have a conversation along the lines of "Remember when we used to go out after church? Why did we do that!?!?!"

Have fun with it - get the kids planning lunch before you head to church, do some picnics, take lunch to shutin. No reason not to make it an important part of your weekend routine!

[rachellynn99]

Today is my official first day of MMM stuff, but my husband and I made a decision NOT to go out to eat after church today. We have went out for probably 5 years, either with my parents, another family or just our family. The kids were a bit confused, but we had a very nice lunch, using deer meat my 10 year old daughter harvested about 2 weeks ago, salsa I had canned from our garden, and various others yummies that made nice tacos. So day 1 ( or at least half of it) has been a success.

This is a big step! in 6 months you'll have a conversation along the lines of "Remember when we used to go out after church? Why did we do that!?!?!"

Thanks for your encouragement. It actually is a bit shocking how much money has been spent through the years, just on that one meal per week. For a semi nice sit down meal for the 5 of us it would easily be $50. We are planning a chili lunch next week for ourselves and another couple at our home. We have the stuff for chili, they are bringing a dessert and crackers.
Have fun with it - get the kids planning lunch before you head to church, do some picnics, take lunch to shutin. No reason not to make it an important part of your weekend routine!

[DeskJockey2028]

Yay! $100,133 in the 403(b)! 

Of course the market'll change that by tomorrow but I'm counting it! I'll be back to that with my next check even with a bit of a downturn.

[Archivist]

I'm going to make my final student loan payment this week, and just to make it poetic, I'm going to do it on my birthday, which is this Thursday. That's 40k paid down over 13 months! I can't wait to be debt free and able to see past this hurdle.

[zephyr911]

I did my 100-250K race based on total NW, but just noticed we hit 250K just in TSP/IRA the other day... closer to 350 in total and adding faster than ever.

But the real celebration today is, we just decided DW can quit FT work and go freelance whenever she wants. She will probably do it in mid-Jan. Ultimately this could delay me for a few months, but it's a rounding error in the grand scheme. She's been miserable and I even encouraged her to do this a couple of times recently... I'm incredibly happy to be able to support this move, and look forward to joining her as a PT guy in 6-8mos.

[Cannot Wait!]

I'm going to make my final student loan payment this week, and just to make it poetic, I'm going to do it on my birthday, which is this Thursday. That's 40k paid down over 13 months! I can't wait to be debt free and able to see past this hurdle.

Awesome!  And Happy Birthday!

[givemesunshine]

Just signed the dotted line for another pay rise - up 8.5K per annum. Happy days. May even get another 2-5K in January. Savings rate can now shift up to 47.5%.

[driftwood]

Just passed two years of bike commuting... which lines up with me finding MMM about two years ago.

Since then - out of debt, maxed IRAs this year and last year, investing in taxable accounts, and while not really on the path to FIRE any time soon what I've learned here will give us freedom to pursue things we are passionate about doing while still being able to spend time with our kids during their younger years.

[dougules]

Just passed two years of bike commuting... which lines up with me finding MMM about two years ago.

Since then - out of debt, maxed IRAs this year and last year, investing in taxable accounts, and while not really on the path to FIRE any time soon what I've learned here will give us freedom to pursue things we are passionate about doing while still being able to spend time with our kids during their younger years.

I miss bike commuting.  I used to at my last job, but I still haven't psyched myself up to getting up earlier and braving white-knuckle traffic for the 8 mile commute here. 

[chloe1733]

As of today, our total debt (75% is our mortgage, 25% is student loans at a very low rate) is now under 100k!!! We carry no credit card debt or car payments.

At our current rate, we'll pay off the house in a little less than two years, and the student loans shortly after that. Very excited :)

[onlykelsey]

As of today, our total debt (75% is our mortgage, 25% is student loans at a very low rate) is now under 100k!!! We carry no credit card debt or car payments.

At our current rate, we'll pay off the house in a little less than two years, and the student loans shortly after that. Very excited :)

Congrats.  where do you live that student loan interest rates are cheaper than mortgage interest rates?

[Dollar Slice]

I have a few different financial accounts (trad IRA, Roth, brokerage, checking acct) and one of them just crossed $100,000 for the first time ever. :-)

[multi-vitamin]

Just paid off my car!  Now I can focus on building my emergency fund up to 6 months.