Pardon the noseyness, but how on earth did you do it?
First, I'm old. This is my 31st year teaching so I've been at this a long time. Second, I learned to live within my means from my parents.
I doubt my parents ever made more than $30,000 a year. They had to be money smart and figure out how to provide for our needs and a few of our wants without going into debt. It was a good thing too because my dad died in the 1980's so it was just my mom left to finish raising the kids and keep it all together. She told me that after she paid for my dad's funeral she had less than a few thousand dollars in the bank. She had the two jobs and picked up a third doing the books for a small water company. She worked school lunch until she was 72 and did the water books until she was 84. That tells you what kind of example I had growing up.
I've never had extravagant tastes, that helps a lot. I bought homes that did not stretch my budget to the edge. I saved up for the renovations I wanted to do and paid cash for them. I enjoy sewing so I make probably half of my clothes and most of the things I give to family and friends. I shop the weekly sale ads and eat what's on sale. I stock up when I find a killer deal on things that I use. When I went back to school for a masters I paid off the student loan in just a few years and invested the raise I got rather than inflating my lifestyle. I keep the AC around 82 in the summer with a fan and the heat around 62 in the winter with a sweater. I do all my errands one day a week to avoid unintended spending. Most of my furnishings and home decor are from the scratch and dent store, yard sales, and thrift stores. I do my own yard work and house cleaning. When something breaks I'm pretty handy at figuring out how to repair it rather than buying new. I don't have cable TV or fancy speed internet. I buy decent used cars and drive them until it doesn't make sense to fix them anymore. I set financial goals every year and track my spending so I know where my money is going. Weekend entertainment is a drive in the mountains with the window down, good music, and a lunch to eat when I find a quiet spot with a gorgeous view. I get a new phone when the old one stops working and since I don't use it much I'm on one of those less than $20 a month plans. Being able to delay gratification helps tremendously. I wait before I buy things. Many times the desire to acquire will go away if I sit on it for a few days. All these things work for me and over time have added up. Like everyone I have my indulgences. I definitely have too much fabric. I spend too much on things for my students and classroom. I like to be generous when I see a critical need that I can help with. I like good ice cream and buy it a couple of times a month. Everyone has something right?
Some people at work give me a hard time and tell me that I'm too tight. They go on cruises a couple times a year, buy season passes for everyone in the family to Disneyland, and take month long international vacations over the summer. They spend their money how they want and I do the same. Yet I've lost count of the number of times I've listened to them complain about their debt and that they can't seem to get on top of their finances. I used to offer suggestions or share MMM with them, but I've learned that most of them really aren't interested. I imagine myself now just listening quietly with a slight smile on my face with the knowledge that I'm a member of the two comma club. Life is good.