Author Topic: Hit the 500k mark!  (Read 7671 times)

acroy

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Hit the 500k mark!
« on: July 11, 2014, 09:53:20 AM »
...well, $497k in 401k/checking. This does not include a couple paid-for cars, and about 50k in home equity. Close enough!

Thanks for the inspiration ya'll!! brief bio below

Graduated with a BS Chemical Engineering in 2000; zero debt, about $5k in assets. Worked my ass off to pay for school; parents provided room & board over the summer, but I financed tuition, car, books, dorm, food, the works, with the help of a couple small scholarships. Mowed 45 laws a week during the summers!

Working in the food industry since then. Not the best pay for an engineer but steady work, good people, reasonable hours. Saved nothing but $10k/yr in 401k till about 2007. Started investing in the market just before the big crash. Oddly, when oil hit $145/barrel (sticks in my mind) I though Wow, this is stupid, and sold everything. Very lucky!

Maxed out 401k, investing, and been living fairly frugally since then. Around $100k/yr salary, we live on about $35k including mortgage, insurance, homeschooling expenses, etc. God bless TEXAS and cheap houses!! If only the scenery was nicer & the produce tasted good ;)

Dear Wife (and 5 kiddos) are on-board with frugality, DIY, etc. Job is an entertaining 40-45hrs a week, 25min bike ride away (for which they pay me $2.25/day), 5 weeks paid time off a year. Very close to SWAMI.  Life is great.

The website & forum has been an inspiration to examine life choices through a cleaner lens, tighten things up, absorb some great ideas, groom the 'Stache more than I would otherwise over the last couple years. Thanks again to you all!!

Numbers Man

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2014, 10:02:31 AM »
Congrats!

TheNorwegianGuy

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2014, 10:05:39 AM »
AWESOME! :D

Congrats and thank you for the inspiration! :)

wild wendella

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2014, 10:09:21 AM »
Awesome job!  Congrats!

WannabeDone

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2014, 10:20:13 AM »
Way to go!  Very impressive!

Exflyboy

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2014, 10:41:07 AM »
Excellent, well done!

Frank

EarlyRetirementGuy

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2014, 11:33:47 AM »
Dear Wife (and 5 kiddos)

Thats the REAL story here! 500K whilst raising 5 kids?! Totally badass.

FIreDrill

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2014, 12:13:46 PM »
Congrats!

acroy

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2014, 01:28:31 PM »
Dear Wife (and 5 kiddos)

Thats the REAL story here! 500K whilst raising 5 kids?! Totally badass.
Thanks! Kids aren't all that expensive ;)

EarlyRetirementGuy

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2014, 01:51:06 PM »
Dear Wife (and 5 kiddos)

Thats the REAL story here! 500K whilst raising 5 kids?! Totally badass.
Thanks! Kids aren't all that expensive ;)

Maybe not, time consuming I bet though? Explains why so many people end up having kids and getting cleaners in or professionals for simple DIY jobs.

acroy

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2014, 03:04:29 PM »
Maybe not, time consuming I bet though? Explains why so many people end up having kids and getting cleaners in or professionals for simple DIY jobs.
Nah, Not bad at all
Stay at home Mom, and we run a pretty organized household. Chores & school are normally done by 1pm; we keep the house organized and fairly clean etc. Kids are expected to contribute labor & behave like small adults ;) Keeping on top of it is a lot easier than forever having a mountain of stuff to do. Reduce, simplify, add routine, bam! Done!

Lots of parents make it more complicated than it is, and let their house/schedule/stuff own them instead of the other way around. We have close friends with 2 kids who are always frantically busy & running around places in clown-like fashion. They outsource yard work, car maintenance, cleaning... and seem frantically busy anyway.

We (wife and I) have less 'us' time & hobbies but we have lots fantastic family time. The concept of a lot of 'us' time now strikes us as rather immature and selfish.

I'm gonna leave work now, bike home, do a few chores, sweep the pool, go swimming while enjoying a fresh Mojito with mint from my own yard, toss the kids around in the pool, and have a blast of a weekend! See ya'll on the other side!

grettman

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #11 on: July 11, 2014, 05:54:39 PM »
Absolute Badass!!

Congrats.

Davids

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2014, 06:23:10 PM »
Congrats, next stop $1M.

TrueWhitt

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #13 on: July 12, 2014, 11:39:01 PM »
Badass brother acroy! Congrats!

bobmarley9993

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2014, 09:28:48 PM »
I thought I hit the 500k mark today.   I went through all my accounts, tallied it all up and it came out to $497.5k!   It's funny that when I first saw the number I was disappointed because it wasn't officially the $500k I was hoping for.  Then reality set in and it has occurred to me that for all intents and purposes I have just hit (about to hit) a major milestone.   Hope next $502.5k is easier!

ADV_CJ

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #15 on: August 16, 2014, 01:55:20 PM »
This is total inspiration man! Congrats to both you and your family.

sleepyguy

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #16 on: August 16, 2014, 06:14:08 PM »
BOOM!  Flawless victory :)

Great job (and with 5 kids!!!!)

I'll race ya to 1 Million :)

Bateaux

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Re: Hit the 500k mark!
« Reply #17 on: August 19, 2014, 01:47:12 AM »
It won't be long till you join the 1M $ club.  At the speed your wealth is rising 5 years or less in my opinion.  Outstanding!