What was your net worth at 30 years old?

[PathToFI]

I'm envious of some of the replies from people who are/were stacking it pretty deep by age 30.  I had to think back 13 years to recall where we were at 30. 
I guesstimate 150K. 
Our combined earned income was <75K but we started trickling money into stocks at age 25 and were able to buy our own modest house and 2 duplexes as rentals with 20% down payments.

The 13 years since hitting 30 have been full of ups and downs (lost job, lived abroad 3 years, sold the rentals) but I like to think we are back on track.

[Chuck]

This thread is motivating the hell out of me.

Currently 27 and ~175k

Wife just started making real money for the first time ever and I think the next couple of years are going to be great for us savings-wise.

[onlykelsey]

you need more options!

I'm turning 30 this year, should be ~360K (including my apartment). Just found MMM this past winter but have been relatively frugal and high earning regardless.

[randommadness]

I'll be 30 this year, and while I could get away with inflating my #'s I think by $30-60k based on some supposed Redfin/Zillow estimates, I'll leave them be.

I'm in between $130-$140k.

[SyZ]

Legitimate question: is there a point to this thread other than to brag?

I'm curious what knowledge I'm meant to glean by chain reading how people had $432,152 NW at 30

[Kaspian]

I'm envious of some of the replies from people who are/were stacking it pretty deep by age 30.

Me too!  At age 30, I was worth MAYBE $10K?  And that was even after stashing away 10-15% of my pay (as common advice dictates) like a good, little squirrel for my whole working career.  This thread pisses me off so much, I don't ever want to see it again!  ...Not because of you folks, you're great, but because I was stupid enough to follow "common advice" until I found this site in 2012.  I'm a total free-thinker, good at math, and still can't believe I didn't come up with the 50%/retire early thing on my own.  While I know the world was looking out for my best interests by saying to save 15%, their advice sucks donkey balls.

[trashmanz]

You will be happier if you don't compare yourself to others.

[Sailor Sam]

Legitimate question: is there a point to this thread other than to brag?

I'm curious what knowledge I'm meant to glean by chain reading how people had $432,152 NW at 30

I view this thread as people writing down their origin stories. It would be different if people just listed the number, but most people responding type up at least a sketch of a story.

[Fishindude]

North of $1 mil at 30, but it was mostly business and real estate assets, not much liquid.

[onlykelsey]

You will be happier if you don't compare yourself to others.

Fair enough, but I think there's value in reminding yourself you're not the only one who hasn't bought in to the education at all costs, consume everything, you deserve it lifestyle.  When I hang out with my colleagues too much, I start thinking that I too can afford a car/should go out to dinner more often/deserve a trip to Japan/etc.

[Warlord1986]

I'll be 30 on May 7. I have $500 in my savings account, $1,422 in savings, and $36,614 in various investments. Not great, but not terrible.

[Spork]

Legitimate question: is there a point to this thread other than to brag?

I'm curious what knowledge I'm meant to glean by chain reading how people had $432,152 NW at 30

If you scroll back to my post, I said near zero.  Not sure that was bragging. 

I'd say the point is "Look at the folks that had almost nothing (or negative) at 30 and look where they are FIRE many years later.  This is totally doable.  You've got this."

[boarder42]

Legitimate question: is there a point to this thread other than to brag?

I'm curious what knowledge I'm meant to glean by chain reading how people had $432,152 NW at 30

If you scroll back to my post, I said near zero.  Not sure that was bragging. 

I'd say the point is "Look at the folks that had almost nothing (or negative) at 30 and look where they are FIRE many years later.  This is totally doable.  You've got this."

its also a good post to show new people that may be starting in their early 20s what they could have by 30.  Its not really bragging, its also a poll of the site to see where people are

[TheAnonOne]

Being 25 with a NW of around $300k (200k being cash/investments) I think I will be nearing a million when I turn 30. Adding around 100k/year assuming 0 growth I will hit 800k...

I didn't vote for that reason.

[SyZ]

If I don't screw up life in the next year, I can probably be out of debt, at which point I'll be 32.5 years old, have maybe 25k in my 401(k), and roughly 3k in savings. If I don't find something amazing, I'll still be in CA with an average apartment in my area costing $1,300. Quick math off the top of my head without doing any actual numbers shows that if I continue to live exceptionally below my means, I can maybe have 500k at 40?

Which also completely forgoes having a wife, children, vacationing, spending anything on luxuries, or really having a purpose in life. But I suppose if that trajectory continues I can retire by 50 at the latest? So there's that

[Classical_Liberal]

Since we don't want to compare ourselves to others.
http://www.shnugi.com/networth-percentile-calculator/?min_age=20&max_age=85&networth=360000

50th percentile:
@20 $3,500
@30 $19,950
@40 $38,500
@50 $133,710
@60 $142,580
@70 $234,500
@80 $191,000

Oh, and this is household net worth, last I checked the average household size in the US was around 2.5 people.

I was about Zero, but after going back to school in my early 30's ended up about -48K by 36.  Pretty impressive, I know.

[onlykelsey]

The jump between 40 and 50 is interesting.  Is it specific to that generation?  Or maybe it's something about the average age of kids during that time?  (too old for presschool/baby sitting, but not receiving support for college?)

[boarder42]

I came from a frugal family. We never ate out. Parents taught me how to save. They let me use a car for 2 years. Then gave me 2k towards whatever I wanted to buy.  I got ~10k from them for college and the rest was scholarships and working in the summers. I'm an engineer so low cost state school and high earning potential.

[gliderpilot567]

We were six figures in the red two years ago when I was 30. Now we're five in the black, on track to be six in the black early next year. Turned that shit all around

[EscapeVelocity2020]

A thing not much mentioned in this thread is that if you were doing well at 30 anytime in the past (like let's just say you were positive at 2009's conclusion and had anything invested) then you are doing really well right now.  Let's just say I was 135k in mid 2009 and 30, but staying the course, I am easily 500k+ now.  This is MMM's case, his success spreads like wildfire since the market has consistently rewarded savers since then.  If you invested in March 2009 and held until today, you are up 3+ x, which is huge for 7 years.

I only say this because bonds used to be a 'loser alternative' at 5 - 9% safe (e.g. moderate inflation).  CD's gave a good inflation adjusted return too.  But, not anymore.  So I don't understand why folks think that  equities will continue to yield outsize gains going forward if safe or fixed assets (the alternative) are zero expected.

TL;DR  So, if you are 30 just today, I'm telling you that your NW is skewed high vs. MMM had his 625k at 2008/9 timeframe (S&P at 667 + low Real Estate valuations).

[Mmm_Donuts]

I believe I was at about $200k net worth at 30, including home equity. I had help from parents in that they got me part time jobs at the companies they worked for, and those jobs carried on through college. I moved out when I went to college and paid for all living expenses and college fees myself, by working those jobs. I started working at 14 during the summers, and in college worked summers and two days a week at those jobs till I got my first "real" job at 23.

My parents also thought me fairly good money skills - basically, save a bit and never go into debt. I had no student loans, and didn't even have a credit card until I was 23 or 24. I remember feeling very adult about it, like in a "with power comes responsibility" kind of way. My mom talked me into opening an rrsp at 19 when I had 2k saved and wanted to go on a trip. The mmm side of me approves of this choice, but looking back, maybe the trip would have been good too.

[Fishindude]

It's hard to build net worth if you're battling debt.
The notion that everyone has to go to college is a bad one.  Going straight out of high school into college and burying yourself in debt to pay for it starts you off at a serious disadvantage. 

[ender]

This is an older thread, but it sure would have been nice for it to have requested "net worth at age 30 in 2016 dollars."

Plenty of folks on this forum are 50+ and their net worth at 30 could very well be lower in absolute dollars and higher in purchasing power than anyone recently turning 30.

[onlykelsey]

This is an older thread, but it sure would have been nice for it to have requested "net worth at age 30 in 2016 dollars."

Plenty of folks on this forum are 50+ and their net worth at 30 could very well be lower in absolute dollars and higher in purchasing power than anyone recently turning 30.

Fair. NW numbers also don't adjust for pensions (which you have to value somehow, and probably much higher 30 years ago then now, given solvency issues abounding everywhere) or the possibility of SS payouts (i'm 29 and am discounting SS to 25%, which I don't think is unnecessarily bearish.

[arebelspy]

This is an older thread, but it sure would have been nice for it to have requested "net worth at age 30 in 2016 dollars."

It's less than six months old.  Have you seen that much inflation in the past 6 months?  I think people that used 2015 dollars, say, 5 months ago, are "close enough" to today.  It's not Zimbabwe here.  :P

Your point about asking people to adjust for inflation from whenever they did retire is a good one, but would be relevant whenever this poll was posted.

[Fishindude]

Fair. NW numbers also don't adjust for pensions (which you have to value somehow, and probably much higher 30 years ago then now, given solvency issues abounding everywhere) or the possibility of SS payouts (i'm 29 and am discounting SS to 25%, which I don't think is unnecessarily bearish.

SS & Pensions should not have anything to do with net worth.  They are income.
The only instance you would count a pension as net worth would be if it has a "cash out" value where you could take cash in lieu of the pension.

[onlykelsey]

Fair. NW numbers also don't adjust for pensions (which you have to value somehow, and probably much higher 30 years ago then now, given solvency issues abounding everywhere) or the possibility of SS payouts (i'm 29 and am discounting SS to 25%, which I don't think is unnecessarily bearish.

SS & Pensions should not have anything to do with net worth.  They are income.
The only instance you would count a pension as net worth would be if it has a "cash out" value where you could take cash in lieu of the pension.

Sure, but it seems like this thread is really asking what financial position you were in at 30.  if you paid in to a pension (or didn't but were expecting benefits anyway), that seems relevant, especially in light of arebelspy's discussion of differences between people hitting 30 in 2016 versus 1976.

[prognastat]

Well we aren't quite 30 yet, but me and the wife together are a little over 200k at 26. So it would be about the same as just over 100k individually.

I didn't vote due to the fact we aren't anywhere near 30 yet, but I would suspect it would be over 300k shared at least by 30 unless something unexpected happens.

[StarBright]

I love some of the numbers people posted on the difference from 30-40. So exciting to see the progress that can be made in those 10 years.

DH and I turn 35 this year and are probably at 215k or so but this is his first year in a real, salaried full time job with benefits after spending all of his 20s and early 30s as a professional student. On top of that one of the benefits is subsidized daycare so we could see our daycare bill drop by 10k next year!!!!

We'll never post the numbers that DINKs can, but I bet we can raise our numbers substantially by the time we're 36.

Thanks all for sharing your stories!

[SwordGuy]

At 18 I had a NW of about $3,000 from mowing yards.  That would be about $13,000 in today's dollars.

At 30 my wife and I were living on about 1/3 the median family income.  Our NW was whatever that $3,000 had grown to over the last 12 years because we didn't touch it.  I doubt it was much more than that because it wasn't properly invested.  I think it was in a savings account.

It wasn't until I turned 31 that I got a good paying job that got us to median family income.  At that point my wife quit work and went to college in her 40s.

She didn't have a good paying job for over a decade because she went on for a doctorate.   

We went over the $1M mark last December at age 58.

Had we known what we learned from MMM 28 years ago we would have millions.   Our NW grew by leaps and bounds over the last two and 1/2 years.

[FrugalFan]

Ten years ago when I finished my PhD at 29, our NW was -48k. I had 16k in student loans, and we borrowed 32k from the in-laws for a down payment on our first house (which needed a 6k new roof in the first year) and to furnish said house. We were both starting our first real (non-student) jobs with starting salaries of 65k. Fortunately, the previous decade of living as students taught us to be frugal and we paid off all debt except the mortgage in our first year of working. Ten years later at 39, our net worth is now ~950k. I frankly don’t even know how this is possible because we went through some pretty serious lifestyle inflation (bigger house, went from one car to two cars, and replaced our 12 year old car with a brand new one), we traveled to exotic locales, we had two kids who are both currently in daycare ($$$), and my salary was reduced to 30% during two yearlong parental leaves. I only wish I had discovered MMM 10 years ago instead of last year! Hopefully this can provide some inspiration to those who feel like they are starting late (cj25, SyZ?). Even with getting our first real jobs at 30 and starting with a negative net worth, we are doing reasonably well 10 years later.

[arebelspy]

MOD NOTE: Split off cj25's sidetrack on how it was possible to get a high NW by 30, and replies, to a new thread:
http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/cj25-compares-self-to-others/

[CodAlmighty]

Hi all,

I'm a new mustachian and I'm also new to this forum. (In fact this is my first post).

Although I've never had any large debts such as student loans, throughout my early to mid-twenties I had a couple of credit cards on which I allowed the balances to accumulate. I also wasted a fair amount of money leasing cars that I shouldn't have.

When I was 26 my girlfriend and I bought our first house for £250k ($350k) with a 20% deposit, most of which I had saved myself over the last four years, and the rest I had borrowed from a relative. This house is now worth £370k ($520k). Combined with my small amount of savings and my girlfriend's pension contributions so far, I estimate our NW to be around $280k. So by luck more than anything else my NW is around $140k.

Since I started following MMM in September last year I have destroyed my two credit card debts and have almost saved up a decent emergency fund. My car lease terminated last month, and I am currently sharing what was previously our second car with my girlfriend. Once I've finished the emergency fund I'll be ready to start my 'stache. I'm 29 so my target for this time next year is to increase my NW to $170k ($340k combined).

[Metric Mouse]

Hi all,

I'm a new mustachian and I'm also new to this forum. (In fact this is my first post).

Although I've never had any large debts such as student loans, throughout my early to mid-twenties I had a couple of credit cards on which I allowed the balances to accumulate. I also wasted a fair amount of money leasing cars that I shouldn't have.

When I was 26 my girlfriend and I bought our first house for £250k ($350k) with a 20% deposit, most of which I had saved myself over the last four years, and the rest I had borrowed from a relative. This house is now worth £370k ($520k). Combined with my small amount of savings and my girlfriend's pension contributions so far, I estimate our NW to be around $280k. So by luck more than anything else my NW is around $140k.

Since I started following MMM in September last year I have destroyed my two credit card debts and have almost saved up a decent emergency fund. My car lease terminated last month, and I am currently sharing what was previously our second car with my girlfriend. Once I've finished the emergency fund I'll be ready to start my 'stache. I'm 29 so my target for this time next year is to increase my NW to $170k ($340k combined).

Congrats on the 'stache! Impressive NW Cod. And, of course, welcome to the forum!

[lampstache]

I'm 29, DW is 26. I make 75k and we've been single income household the last 2.5 years while the DW has been pursuing her RN degree. Two kids. We're in the red, but I feel pretty good considering where we're coming from. And, we'll be in a great position to tackle debt and increase investments when she's working.

The good:
30k in 401k, mutual funds, stock
30k in house equity
$60k assets

The bad:
167k mortgage

The ugly:
90k school loans when she graduates in December

Total
-197k! Yikes!

[Proud Foot]

Lampstache you are not doing as bad as you thought.  Unless the value of your house is only 30k, by your numbers having 30k in equity will mean its value is 197k.  This would offset your mortgage meaning your total net worth is only -30k!

It looks to me like you are in a great position to knock out your debt and invest once she starts working.

[andy85]

I'm 29, DW is 26. I make 75k and we've been single income household the last 2.5 years while the DW has been pursuing her RN degree. Two kids. We're in the red, but I feel pretty good considering where we're coming from. And, we'll be in a great position to tackle debt and increase investments when she's working.

The good:
30k in 401k, mutual funds, stock
30k in house equity
$60k assets

The bad:
167k mortgage

The ugly:
90k school loans when she graduates in December

Total
-197k! Yikes!

Proud Foot is correct...you are counting your mortgage twice in this calculation
You should calculate it like this:

401k - 30k
Equity - 30k
S. Loans - -90k
Total NW = -30k

---or, like this---

401k - 30k
home value - 197k
mortgage - -167k
S. Loans - -90k
Total NW = -30k

[spud1987]

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.

This is impressive.
Could you tell me how you accomplished it?

Nothing too impressive. My wife and I (combined figures are used above) spend quite a bit, but our savings rate is high due to our high salaries (law for me, medical device sales for her). Investments are all in equities/bonds, with the exception of a 150k rental condo that we used to live in but never sold because of the housing downturn. Our goal is to be FI by 33-34, which is early but it could be earlier if we spent less.

[2Birds1Stone]

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.

This is impressive.
Could you tell me how you accomplished it?

Nothing too impressive. My wife and I (combined figures are used above) spend quite a bit, but our savings rate is high due to our high salaries (law for me, medical device sales for her). Investments are all in equities/bonds, with the exception of a 150k rental condo that we used to live in but never sold because of the housing downturn. Our goal is to be FI by 33-34, which is early but it could be earlier if we spent less.

I would call $1.1-1.2M at 30 VERY impressive any way you slice it Spud =)

[Northwestie]

At 30 I had a nice Volkswagen, quite the load of climbing gear, and about $4,000, maybe.

[JrDoctor]

Sitting around the £110k mark at 26, got very lucky with the stock market circa 2008/9, have had more than a few stocks go up 600%.  So far in my first year of being a doctor I've saved £12k or my £24k post tax wage, made about £10k on the stock market.  Aim is for around £200k by 30, planning on filling my ISA consistently each year and moving into property.

[Hotstreak]

I just had my 30th, and Mint says my net worth is $26,000.  Mostly 401k with some cash savings, too.  In the past two years I've had my pay increased 45%, and become debt free.  I'm looking forward to a net worth of close to $50k by age 31, and continuing up from there.

[SwordGuy]

I'll be 30 on May 7. I have $500 in my savings account, $1,422 in savings, and $36,614 in various investments. Not great, but not terrible.

Do you realize that a very large percentage of Americans 60 to 65 do not have even $25,000 in savings?

Or that another very large percentage of Americans who are working could not come up with $2000 in cash (that is not owed for bills that month), even given a month to do it?

You aren't even 30 and you've already done better than a lot of Americans ever did by age 65!

[2Birds1Stone]

I'll be 30 on May 7. I have $500 in my savings account, $1,422 in savings, and $36,614 in various investments. Not great, but not terrible.

Do you realize that a very large percentage of Americans 60 to 65 do not have even $25,000 in savings?

Or that another very large percentage of Americans who are working could not come up with $2000 in cash (that is not owed for bills that month), even given a month to do it?

You aren't even 30 and you've already done better than a lot of Americans ever did by age 65!

Perspective, I love it!

[golden1]

Mine was actually a bit higher than the max of your poll at right around $350K at age 30.  At age 42 it is close to $550K.  That includes mortgage debts etc...  I'm projecting to hit 1M by around age 50 between my mortgage being paid off plus retirement accounts.  There is also a decent chance of a pretty big (low to mid six figure) windfall from my husband's business, but I don't count on that because there is a lot of risk there.  Basically, I will either retire around age 55 with enough money for a good lifestyle, or enough money for a ludicrous lifestyle.  :) 

[lampstache]

Lampstache you are not doing as bad as you thought.  Unless the value of your house is only 30k, by your numbers having 30k in equity will mean its value is 197k.  This would offset your mortgage meaning your total net worth is only -30k!

It looks to me like you are in a great position to knock out your debt and invest once she starts working.

Thanks for the correction and education Proud Foot! Well that makes me feel a whole lot better! I've been looking at it wrong for years...

[pjleonhardt]

Turning 30 this weekend; was $103k at the start of the month.

Started on my track to FI/RE about 3 years ago and had a NW of about $10k at the time, so I'm pretty happy the progress so far!

[Aus_Stashington]

26: -$50,000 (2 degree's)

I'll update in 4 years time lol. But holy god, who are some of you people who have accumulated 500k+ by 30, that is madness!

[Zoot]

At 30, NW was $0.

At 49, combined household NW (with husband) is just shy of $800K (including home equity).

It's fairly astounding to look back over that progression--I'd never really put those numbers together before, as I just really started tracking net worth in my "household dashboard" file in early 2015--but thanks to Quicken, I had the data available and was able to pull it together.  We'll be knocking on the door of the Double Comma Club in a few years, and if you'd asked me if I thought I'd EVER be there when I was 30, I'd have doubled over laughing. 

Gotta share the Four Yorkshiremen sketch at this point:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo 

[The Fake Cheap]

I was sitting at a net worth of about -30K at 30.  Since I was late getting my bachelor's degree, and it was all funded by student loans.  Currently late 30's and the net worth of my wife and I combined is now about 130K, not including our work pensions.  I guess I should add that her net worth at 30 was probably about -10K to be fair since I'm including her in the current net worth calc.

Going back to what someone had said on page 1 or 2 of this thread (sorry, did not read up to date posts) how someone was saying many people on here are talking about a nicely positive net worth at 30 of like 50K-100K, and how this isn't possible for most people without substantial help (parents pay for school, weddings..etc).  I agreed...at first.  Then I thought about it a bit more and realized that this forum is full of savers and  mustachians from birth so given that, I do see how a net worth of 50-100K would be possible at 30 for many here without the necessary help from parents.