Poll

What was your net worth at 30 years old?

Negative, I was still in debt!
$0-50k
$50-100k
$100-200k
$200-300k

Author Topic: What was your net worth at 30 years old?  (Read 148424 times)

Acg

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 102
What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« on: October 29, 2015, 03:52:30 PM »
Just curious how I'm doing.

seattlecyclone

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7254
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Seattle, WA
    • My blog
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2015, 03:55:37 PM »
Should married Mustachians report their combined net worth, or divide it by two? Also, some people might need options above $300k.

BBub

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 773
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Deep South
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2015, 04:14:42 PM »
Yeah you definitely need to modify the poll.  I know 30 year olds on the forums with $1m Net worth.  MMM was at $600k (or maybe 800 with the house?  can't remember exactly) when he FIRED 30.

HPstache

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2858
  • Age: 37
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2015, 04:30:42 PM »
Pretty easy answer for me since I turned 30 this year.  A little trickier since it's right at $200K...

rantk81

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 905
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Chicago
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2015, 04:43:56 PM »
Looking at my monthly "balance sheet" spreadsheet for the relevant month, it looks like I was at about 435K net worth when I turned 30.

honeybbq

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
  • Location: Seattle
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2015, 04:44:33 PM »
Yeah you definitely need to modify the poll.  I know 30 year olds on the forums with $1m Net worth.  MMM was at $600k (or maybe 800 with the house?  can't remember exactly) when he FIRED 30.

I just picked the highest one, though I was worth more than 300k.

*High income earner, no dependents at 30, not married, living in a state with no income tax*

Cookie78

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1888
  • Location: Canada
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2015, 04:58:32 PM »
Had paid off student loans by then and bought my first house at 30. Positive net worth, but barely.

mr_orange

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5611
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Round Rock, TX
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2015, 05:19:54 PM »
About $600k. 

NewStachian

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 216
  • Age: 40
  • Location: DC
    • VarsityFinances
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2015, 05:20:14 PM »
$556k at 30.
$831k at 32.

Cornbread OMalley

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2332
  • Location: Kansas
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2015, 05:57:15 PM »
I was barely $200K at age 30.

spud1987

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 356
  • Location: SF Bay Area
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2015, 05:58:41 PM »
No option for me in the poll.

24: 50k
25: 200k
26: 400k
27: 600k
28: 775k

I predict I will be around 1.1-1.2M by 30.

Tom Bri

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 689
  • Location: Small Town, Flyover Country
  • More just cheap, than Mustachian
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2015, 06:20:58 PM »
About $20K. I had the bad habit of saving a good stash, and then going back to school, spending it to zero and starting over. Since I was single and a fairly good job, no car and a cheap apartment, I easily saved, but it was always with a spending goal in mind, never for retirement. Getting married to a very conservative lady changed that, and we started putting away about $50K a year.

Tjat

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 570
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2015, 06:21:45 PM »
$379,000 - didnt vote as 300+ wasnt offered.

This calculator tells you your percentile http://www.shnugi.com/networth-percentile-calculator/


okits

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 13017
  • Location: Canada
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2015, 06:28:18 PM »
I guessed, don't really remember and can't be assed to dig out the paper records.  Somewhere in the five figures.  My 30s have been a better decade for growing NW.

(Wow to some of the seriously badass answers!)

One Noisy Cat

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 227
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2015, 07:25:58 PM »
maybe $7,000

regulator

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 469
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #15 on: October 29, 2015, 08:29:28 PM »
Positive 6 figures, but no idea other than that.  I was working full time (commuting 90 minutes each way), racing through the tail end of business school at night, studying for the CFA exams and then taking care of a pregnant wife.

Mr_Eric

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 17
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #16 on: October 29, 2015, 08:39:30 PM »
No option for me in the poll.

24: 50k
25: 200k
26: 400k
27: 600k
28: 775k

I predict I will be around 1.1-1.2M by 30.

Care to elaborate how you got there? That's quite impressive if it wasn't inherited.

WildJager

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 440
  • Age: 37
    • Can't complain.
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #17 on: October 29, 2015, 09:27:45 PM »
No option for me in the poll.

24: 50k
25: 200k
26: 400k
27: 600k
28: 775k

I predict I will be around 1.1-1.2M by 30.

Care to elaborate how you got there? That's quite impressive if it wasn't inherited.

I'll speak from basically the same position.  DINKs with decent incomes.  We are able to save about 10k a month, which is absurd I know (~85% savings rate FWIW).  The real absurdity is that our peers continue to be in debt through frivolous spending, but I digress.  The bull market the last 5 years has made those savings substantially more significant, even through missteps while learning the ins and outs of investing.

Currently ~$795,000 (household, no real estate).  Little under a year till 30.

webguy

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 302
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #18 on: October 29, 2015, 09:28:13 PM »
Just turned 30 and at $750k. $500k investments, $100k house equity, $150k cash. Should hopefully hit $1million though while I'm still 30 which is my goal!!

sirdoug007

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 585
  • Age: 43
  • Location: Houston, TX
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #19 on: October 29, 2015, 09:37:36 PM »
I had $160k in my 401(k) and maybe another 50k in home equity so about $210k.  This was well before I ever heard of MMM.

frogger

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 327
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #20 on: October 29, 2015, 09:51:13 PM »
This thread makes me sad. I'll be the first to cop to a negative net worth, and five figures at that. If by 60 I get to some of the numbers people here had at 30, I'll be ecstatic.

Frugal D

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 235
  • Age: 38
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #21 on: October 29, 2015, 10:02:00 PM »
Started at -$50k when I joined the work force at 23. Now at $846k with 2 months to go before 30.

okits

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 13017
  • Location: Canada
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #22 on: October 29, 2015, 10:28:17 PM »
This thread makes me sad. I'll be the first to cop to a negative net worth, and five figures at that. If by 60 I get to some of the numbers people here had at 30, I'll be ecstatic.

A thread like this can easily turn into a dick-measuring contest.  You can take something different away from it, though. Be inspired by what some have been able to achieve at a young age and set a goal for where you want to be in 5/10/20 years.

Frugal D

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 235
  • Age: 38
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #23 on: October 29, 2015, 10:33:24 PM »
This thread makes me sad. I'll be the first to cop to a negative net worth, and five figures at that. If by 60 I get to some of the numbers people here had at 30, I'll be ecstatic.

A thread like this can easily turn into a dick-measuring contest.  You can take something different away from it, though. Be inspired by what some have been able to achieve at a young age and set a goal for where you want to be in 5/10/20 years.

Great point. It was definitely these types of displays that got me motivated when I graduated with what seemed like endless student loans.

TheMadRussian

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 28
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #24 on: October 29, 2015, 10:46:23 PM »
Age 30: $100K
Age 40: $1M

mastrr

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 349
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #25 on: October 29, 2015, 10:49:54 PM »
Some of these figures are insane, well done.  Just shows I have much room to improve at 27 with a NW of $135k

pdxvandal

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 501
  • Location: Earth
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #26 on: October 29, 2015, 10:52:07 PM »
Probably about 175k back in 2005, 100k of that due to real estate. And this was never earning more than 33k in a year. Income has doubled since, so at about 600k at age 40.

Monocle Money Mouth

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 719
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #27 on: October 30, 2015, 04:23:32 AM »
I was one of the negative net worth people at 30. I pretty much sleep walked my way through my 20's with my personal finances. The foolish decisions I made in my 20's are haunting me now. I never participated in my old employers 401k's, I didn't get a credit card until I was 25 so I didn't have much credit history, and we took on a 30y mortgage instead of a 15 or 10 year one. I also left my emergency fund money in a money market account that was paying essentially nothing. I'm behind 10's of thousands of dollars on my net worth because of some short sighted decisions in my youth.

The only bright side of my 20's mistakes is I was pretty debt averse. I never had any student loans, I paid off my first car well ahead of schedule, and have never paid a penny in credit card interest. I've tried to rectify some of the mistakes. I refinanced to a shorter term lower interest rate mortgage, put my emergency fund in an online savings account that actually pays some decent interest, and I'm contributing enough to my employer 401k to get their match. Once I get past some other financial goals, I plan to bump that up significantly.  I'm not a high enough earner where I can throw $17500 a year at my 401k and not have it dramatically impact my quality of life.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2015, 04:25:25 AM by mies »

Squirrel away

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1041
  • Location: United Kingdom
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #28 on: October 30, 2015, 04:31:32 AM »
It was about $140,000.

Squirrel away

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1041
  • Location: United Kingdom
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #29 on: October 30, 2015, 04:33:18 AM »
I hasten to add that I didn't know what my net worth was when I was aged 30 or even what net worth meant! Lol.


Monocle Money Mouth

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 719
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #30 on: October 30, 2015, 04:49:06 AM »
I hasten to add that I didn't know what my net worth was when I was aged 30 or even what net worth meant! Lol.

I didn't know my net worth at 30 either. I'm still not sure what it was at that time but I know it was negative :D

Squirrel away

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1041
  • Location: United Kingdom
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #31 on: October 30, 2015, 05:07:14 AM »
I hasten to add that I didn't know what my net worth was when I was aged 30 or even what net worth meant! Lol.

I didn't know my net worth at 30 either. I'm still not sure what it was at that time but I know it was negative :D

Haha. :)

Nudelkopf

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 897
  • Age: 32
  • Location: Australia
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #32 on: October 30, 2015, 05:13:52 AM »
Bah, I'm not 30 yet so I can't answer. I love polls.

REAL WORLD EXPAT

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 78
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #33 on: October 30, 2015, 05:27:47 AM »
Though I did not keep detailed records back then I would estimate our net worth (I just got married and moved to the US a few months before turning 30) was about negative $100,000 mainly driven by student loans. At 40 we were positive $700,000.

andy85

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1060
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Louisville, KY
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #34 on: October 30, 2015, 06:17:27 AM »
30 this year, right around 40k

edit: single, income in the 40k+ area. just started getting serious a year or so ago.

zephyr911

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3619
  • Age: 45
  • Location: Northern Alabama
  • I'm just happy to be here. \m/ ^_^ \m/
    • Pinhook Development LLC
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #35 on: October 30, 2015, 06:34:07 AM »
Just curious how I'm doing.
Don't fall into the trap of measuring success by how well your achievements compare to those of others. The Stash is just a means to an end, and the end is for YOU to decide.
This thread makes me sad. I'll be the first to cop to a negative net worth, and five figures at that. If by 60 I get to some of the numbers people here had at 30, I'll be ecstatic.
There are kids who got a record deal or a sports contract and were instant millionaires. If I got sad every time I thought about it, I'd be miserable. It's not what you have, it's what you're doing with it and where you're headed that count.

*************************************************

When I say I wasted my first decade of adult life, financially speaking, I mean I really wasted it. Came out of college with an engineering degree, $1K on a credit card, a few thousand on a car loan (payment only ~$150/mo), and a commission in the USAF. Despite those advantages, and not really having expensive tastes, I managed to blow virtually all my disposable income on... hell if I know. Let's just say general curiosity and lack of focus meant I bought lots of random little things in my efforts to find what I really cared about. Getting divorced twice meant that whatever I accumulated was blown away, and the only thing I really acquired for keeps was a little bit of maturity and investing knowledge.

30 was my absolute low point - divorce #2, depression, flat broke, nearly went under and was saved only by a total deus ex machina in the form of a lucrative overseas job that fell in my lap. Soon after that, I realized I didn't want to live that way anymore.

dude

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2369
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #36 on: October 30, 2015, 06:42:04 AM »
I'd just started law school at that age, and was on the hook in year one for @$25,000.  Had no other assets, no other debts.  But oh, by age 35, I was about $92,000 in the hole . . .

Now, at 50, net worth is well over $1million.

Apocalyptica602

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 280
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #37 on: October 30, 2015, 06:51:57 AM »
Not 30 yet, currently 27 and @ ~$260k-ish.

My (our) net worth has been increasing pretty rapidly since graduating school and paying off our loans. I'll echo what some others have said here, relatively high income DINKs coupled with MCOL and frugal living.

In my offline life we are hundreds of thousands of dollars ahead of even my most successful friends. Glad to see people on this forum kicking way more ass and keeping me humble and motivated.

2Birds1Stone

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7916
  • Age: 1
  • Location: Earth
  • K Thnx Bye
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #38 on: October 30, 2015, 06:58:01 AM »
Baring any huge life changes I will be around 225k at age 30.

This doesn't include SO'd NW. Combined ~$300k

YTProphet

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 228
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #39 on: October 30, 2015, 07:03:11 AM »
This thread makes me sad. I'll be the first to cop to a negative net worth, and five figures at that. If by 60 I get to some of the numbers people here had at 30, I'll be ecstatic.

A thread like this can easily turn into a dick-measuring contest.  You can take something different away from it, though. Be inspired by what some have been able to achieve at a young age and set a goal for where you want to be in 5/10/20 years.

Exactly. This board obviously self-selects for financial high achievers. And whether you're at the beginning of your journey now (still in the red) or near the end (almost feeling the FIRE), financial independence is going to be a reality for everyone here assuming no catastrophes.

EricL

  • Guest
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #40 on: October 30, 2015, 07:03:49 AM »
I was in college debt and sinking into credit card debt. Things are much different now.

Gone Fishing

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2916
  • So Close went fishing on April 1, 2016
    • Journal
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #41 on: October 30, 2015, 07:11:29 AM »
This thread makes me sad. I'll be the first to cop to a negative net worth, and five figures at that. If by 60 I get to some of the numbers people here had at 30, I'll be ecstatic.

Don't sell yourself short! Once you get things moving in the right direction, the growth becomes almost explosive (well, exponential if you want to get technical).  Just look at Zephyr911's chart.  If you had asked me ten years ago where I would be today, I would have probably guessed 50% or even less of where I have ended up.  Amazing how much easier it gets, too!   

zephyr911

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3619
  • Age: 45
  • Location: Northern Alabama
  • I'm just happy to be here. \m/ ^_^ \m/
    • Pinhook Development LLC
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #42 on: October 30, 2015, 07:23:47 AM »
I'm 30 now, my net worth is negative 225K. Medical school was very expensive. Remember me the next time someone tells you doctors get paid too much.
Position, direction, distance, time. The four components of the kinematics equations. You may be low right now, but you have the ability to rapidly ascend, acquired through the same exchange that put you in your current position. Enjoy the climb. ;)

rubybeth

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1390
  • Location: Midwest
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #43 on: October 30, 2015, 07:40:21 AM »
I had to refer to Mint since I couldn't recall. In April of 2011 when I turned 30, DH and I had a shared net worth around $14,000--we still had about $31,000 of my student loan debt, but we also had some retirement savings (IRA, 401k) and cash saved as an emergency fund that put us in the positive net worth realm.

But for anyone reading this thread, keep in mind the adage that comparison is the thief of joy--for ultimate happiness, you should probably only compare yourself to your prior self, and keep envisioning your future self. If you have a lot of debt, consider what you are doing to eliminate it. If you have a smaller net worth but no debt, consider what you've done right and keep doing it. If you have a larger net worth than many here, be grateful and keep plowing ahead.

WildJager

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 440
  • Age: 37
    • Can't complain.
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #44 on: October 30, 2015, 07:56:05 AM »
I had to refer to Mint since I couldn't recall. In April of 2011 when I turned 30, DH and I had a shared net worth around $14,000--we still had about $31,000 of my student loan debt, but we also had some retirement savings (IRA, 401k) and cash saved as an emergency fund that put us in the positive net worth realm.

But for anyone reading this thread, keep in mind the adage that comparison is the thief of joy--for ultimate happiness, you should probably only compare yourself to your prior self, and keep envisioning your future self. If you have a lot of debt, consider what you are doing to eliminate it. If you have a smaller net worth but no debt, consider what you've done right and keep doing it. If you have a larger net worth than many here, be grateful and keep plowing ahead.

Once you're on the positive side of the interest curve (no more debt) you're doing better than most people in the world.  It's all downhill (uphill?) from there.  Be proud to be kicking ass on set on the right track.

Tetsuya Hondo

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 503
  • Location: 1960's Tokyo on the Bad Side of Town
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #45 on: October 30, 2015, 07:57:41 AM »
At least $100k in the hole (student loans, car payment, credit cards). Those were dark days and long before stumbling on MMM.

I'm just amazed by how much some of you have been able to accumulate so early. That's frickin awesome. I wish I would have received the Holy Writs of MMM earlier, but better late than never.

bottlerocks

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 21
  • Location: Magicant
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #46 on: October 30, 2015, 08:05:52 AM »
I'm 30 now, my net worth is negative 225K. Medical school was very expensive. Remember me the next time someone tells you doctors get paid too much.

Is it fair to think doctors get paid too much but also that medical school is insanely (inanely) expensive?

I'm 27, NW ~135K.  Likely taking pay cut and moving geographically next year, I'll be ecstatic if I hit 200K by 30.  Very inspiring seeing 85% SRs and >1MM NWs at such young ages.

MrMoogle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1136
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Huntsville, AL
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #47 on: October 30, 2015, 08:11:01 AM »
~400k (lots of market swings this year)

Started engineering job just before I turned 22 at 55k/year in a LCOL area with a NW of 0 (thanks Mom and Dad!).  8 years later 80k/year in same LCOL area.  Also, I was able to put in a ton after the market crash, which helped a lot.  I've always been frugal, even before finding MMM, but I still bought a lot of crap those first few years (while still saving >50%) while trying to figure this new work thing out.  I really wish I had thought to bring my lunch and cook dinner more often.  I'm doing better on that, but still have room for improvement.

Wandles

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 8
  • Location: Alabama
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #48 on: October 30, 2015, 08:44:33 AM »
I'm ~$250k @30.5

Petuniajo

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 94
  • Location: Southeastern US
Re: What was your net worth at 30 years old?
« Reply #49 on: October 30, 2015, 08:45:22 AM »
I'll admit to having a negative net worth at 30 (but probably close to 0 by then). DH and I had only just finished school the year before (both got PhDs, so we were in school and earning VERY little income until then, and had two children as well). But we were able to quickly turn that around and now, at age 33, have a NW of about 100k if you include home equity. We worked hard to pay off our student loans as quickly as possible, and since we'd been so poor before, it wasn't hard to keep living frugally even after we got jobs--and I promise we don't earn nearly as much as some people assume folks with a PhD earn :)