What was your big break in life ......??

[Cap_Scarlet]

Moving to Germany

[AmandaS1989]

Being born to parents who actually cared whether I succeeded or not. Having a mother who sat down with us at age 2 to teach us the alphabet, basic colors and shapes, counting, and writing our name. Having a Dad who, even though he's basically illiterate, still encouraged me to learn in school but also to learn life skills such as changing my own oil and fixing a leaky faucet. Having a grandmother who taught me to take no shit and never let someone disrespect me. Actually having a good relationship with my own brother, when both my parents have very contentious relationships with their own brothers.

My Dad wiped out his savings to help me pay for my last year of college so I wouldn't have to take out a variable interest loan. Finally finding an accounting firm that was willing to take a chance on me even though I had no experience.

I've been pretty damn lucky throughout my life. And I thank god every day for it. Let's hope the next 26 years are even better.

[clarkfan1979]

As a 21 year old in college, I realized how much money the landlord was making. Instead of complaining about the high cost of rent like my peers, I set out a plan to become the landlord.

Around the same time my mom gave me rich dad poor dad to read. He spoke highly of real estate rentals in the book and I saw evidence with my landlord at the time. I was sold.

My "big breaks" are changes in mindset.

[clarkfan1979]

My second big break was finding this blog. It doesn't really provide anything new to me, it just reinforces my previous attitudes and gives me motivation to do more.

[TravelJunkyQC]

• Being born in a family which valued education (with two Masters, I am the least educated)

This - Mother with a PhD in astrophysics, father with a PhD in Mathematics, sister with a Masters in Environmental Policy, my BA in Anthropology and Archeogenetics is downright wimpy in my house. But my family is by far my biggest break and greatest win ever - they've pushed me to believe I can do anything and that I SHOULD do everything in my power to become better.

Also, the fact they they have been grooming the most epic mustache ever for the past 35 years, even living in a HCOL area and with two scientists' salaries. They taught me how important it was - pretty big break for me.

[Fishindude]

Being raised by capitalistic parents with hard core work ethics.
Money was never given, but always available to be earned via hard work.

[Trimatty471]

My break came from my ninth grade English teacher who placed me onto the college track in high school.  I knew that I wanted to go to college but as the first in my family, besides getting good grades I did not know what classes I needed to get there.   

All that I did was paid attention in his class (some of my classmates were disruptive).  He placed me in all the honor classes.  For the remainder of my high school years I was took classes with people on the same track.  We encouraged one another and even had a friendly competition.  We all graduated at the top of the class and most of us went onto college.

The rest is history.

this is awesome! Did you get to go to college?

I had never heard of these "tracks" until one say my mom started telling me how badly she wanted to be a nurse and go to college.  There were two tracks at her Catholic HS- college track and "business " track (which really meant learning secretarial skills). She had practically perfect grades, smart but she got placed on business track and even her dad coming in to say his girl was going to college did nothing to change tracks.  She so badly wanted college, she joined the convent because many nuns were sent to college to be nurses or teachers and she was also religious. Again, her track seemed to be floor mopping and ironing, despite having asked Mother Superior if she could please become a nurse (big deal back then to even ask). She quit.  Got married and never got to college.  That makes me so sad. 

what a difference today

. Yes I did.  I went for my Bachelors.  Graduated in 1997.    I did not realize that kids got placed into tracks until I few years after high school graduation. 

[Chuck]

Professionally: The United States Marine Corps

Socially: The United States Marine Corps

Romantically: The United Stat... just kidding! Really it was okcupid.com. That website changed dating for me. Now instead of pretending to be extroverted at bars and failing at it, I could meet people I knew I matched ok with beforehand.

[Eric222]

Big break?  LOL no such luck for me.

What's the opposite of "big break"?  Whatever that is it was meeting and marring my ex husband.  Financially (among other things) it destroyed me, or rather kept me from building any kind of financial security whatsoever.

I feel like my big break was escaping my ex wife intact and sane.  Sure, I may be in debt up to my eyeballs for now - but there is no longer an anchor holding me down.  I did get two adorable kids too, so there is that...

[Cap_Scarlet]

Moving overseas.

[cbr shadow]

My big break was the extreme motivation/ambition that my wife had hidden inside of her that we didn't know about when we met.  When we met in early college neither of us was motivated in school, she had some pretty significant depression issues and I was lonely so we spent a lot of time together.  At the time she was impulsive (with money and otherwise), skipped classes and seemingly didn't care, slept a lot, ate poorly, drank heavily and smoked very heavily. 

We ended up falling in love and motivating each other to get through school and find jobs.  Her depression became better (through light medication and healthy lifestyle) and she quickly got through school and into a good career.  10 years later my income is probably average, but hers is very high (roughly 3x mine).  She's very low maintenance and is good with a mustachian lifestyle.  She even pushes for LESS spending.  Those are great qualities, but I really won the lottery w/ her.  She's thoughtful, smart, easy to talk to, in good shape and motivated to exercise, and attractive.  Even though we were both "late bloomers" (graduating college in mid/late 20's) we're on track for a very early retirement, no debt, high incomes with stable careers, and still manage to do a LOT of travel.

In her case I think her depression was enough to keep her from moving forward.  A light medication and supportive environment removed that roadblock and she became a completely different person.

[Axecleaver]

Great thread! A common theme in these stories is "you make your own luck," even if not a single person here has said it yet. That means you show up every day, never stop improving, practice gratitude, and position yourself to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.

Tons of people have enjoyed the advantages these stories address; not everyone has the courage and grit to seize the moment and take advantage of the opportunity in front of them.

[Alex321]

Being born to parents who were married before I was born and remained married. Statistically, that's the big one, much more than race or class.

Then it was getting into a program where the military paid for my college education. Finally, meeting and marrying someone who has similar values about money.

[Alex321]

Changing careers from an office job to driving a truck.

I went way out on a limb for a chance at a career in which something like 70% of new hires wash out after the first year. I borrowed $5k for truck driving school, bringing my overall debt to over $50k, quit the office job, and jumped on a greyhound bus for a thousand-mile journey to orientation. Had I been dismissed from orientation (not uncommon) I would have been jobless and debt-ridden. It took me four years to pay off the debt and I am now debt-free (as of 9/11/15) and in a career on the open road that I love.

There is no way I could have endured that office job until FI, I hated it. Whereas now not only do I love my job but I can save 2/3 of my gross income because my expenses are so low (I live in the truck). I drove a piece of shit truck at first, paid my dues, and now drive a brand new 2016 with an automatic transmission and get paid to listen to audio books all day. Anyway it's not everyone's cup of tea but I love it and it's been the biggest event in my life regarding finances and emotional health.

I would LOVE to read a long, separate post about this, and what life is like now. Include plenty of details about the truck, the engine, the routes, the schedules.

[rantk81]

Two for me.

1. In high school, I applied for a particular scholarship at an in-state public university.  The scholarship, had I been awarded it, would have paid for all tuition expenses.  Unfortunately, I did not win this particular scholarship.  However, in the process of applying, the university liked the information so much that they automatically applied me for another scholarship (worth exactly the same amount in dollars), and awarded me that scholarship.  Woohoo!  Free tuition for a 4 year degree.  Graduated with no student loans!
2.  Got a decent paying job right out of university, and still at that company (or rather, what's left of that company after many mergers/acquisitions.)  The manager that initially hired me was recruiting specifically from the University I attended, because he had graduated from there too.

[arebelspy]

+1 to the "circumstances I was born in" answer.

And it makes me so happy to see so many people answer that as well--recognizing one's privilege is a good step towards empathy and charity towards others who may not have that birth privilege.

[iris lily]

That is funny that you, OP! Became responsible late in life, haha.

I was useless at 23, and responsible by 25. Who knows what happened in that year, but I did suddenly become excited about leading a completely self directed life. I stopped arguing AGAINST anything and started working TOWARD things.

Somewhere I there I figured out that I had to buckle down and get an A average in order to get into grad school. Somewhere in there I figured out what degree I really wanted.

bless the hearts of my parents, both with grad degrees, all of the occupations they thought suitable for me was WTF by me.

Certainly I was born well (middle class to,parents who were normal and who cared for their kids) but the thread asks the question: what was the turn point?pedited to,add: I see that the thread title is indeed " big break" so sure,,circumstances esp. bEing in the
USA is huge.

[reader2580]

My big break in life was building up a business in my 20s and selling it five years in for about $250,000.  It was a stock sale so I only had to pay capital gains tax rates.  I paid more in taxes that year than I made in the job I got after selling the business.  I made some good size charitable donations and used about $120,000 or so as a down payment on a $300,000 house.  I didn't have a huge amount left after all that, but I sadly spent the remainder on stupid things.

If I had not received that money it would have taken a lot longer to buy a house.  I didn't make hardly anything working for my business.  Without the business I probably would have had a high paying job sooner, but I probably wouldn't have saved $120k in five years either.