I think that’s reasonable. I grew up lower middle class and basically went to college thinking of it almost like a trade school in some sense. I do my 4-5 years here and I’ll leave with a degree that’ll land me a good job. I went to an engineering school and they were constantly showing data by dept on % of grads who had a job before graduating and median/avg starting salaries.
And yes, I had to take some loans even though I did get a lot of scholarships, I think I had $27k of debt when I got out. I don’t know, maybe I would have still made reasonable financial decisions without the debt. My wife and I got really lean for two years and paid off everything except the mortgage, and that sure was a valuable lesson in personal finance.
At least 30k (before employer contribution) put into 401ks - on track to be about $36k
Pay $12k extra on the mortgage - right on track
Add $20k to our HYSA - HYSA hovers a bit over $20k with excess going to better use. A couple other accounts handle the monthly bils
Add $11,700 to taxable brokerage - $10,210 added so far, recently increased my $450 biweekly deposit to $500
Build pergola - complete
Blacktop driveway - maybe next year
Trip to Japan - being planned, budgeted for
Any remaining cash - throw into Roth IRAs. (Having gone traditional on 401k) - One filled. One not opened yet, but expecting to.
Added a godchild into the family mix, but they’re not a huge financial strain. We’re getting the last parts of her FAFSA submitted today, hoping for good news.
Edit: Wasn’t an original goal, but:
Opened a 529 with $3,000, adding $100/month. Has appreciated about $230 so far to be about $3,630. Adoption is on the horizon.
Just hit about 1x my salary in nonretirement brokerage last week. Only my salary, but I make 70% of the money. Still hoping that retirement in my 50s is in the cards, using my brokerage to carry me until 59.5.
I’ll backtrack a bit: while I don’t disclose my personal financial condition, I’m fine. I just like calling others out for achievements with backbiting commentary, just so they stay a little grounded.
My kids are 26, 23, 20 and 20. In the next 2 months, they’ll all n=n+1.
No, it’s a different company, I’ll be an independent contractor 20 hrs per week remote with lots of flexibility with which hours, as long as I can make a few meetings per week, obviously more early on. It’s planned for about six months with the possibility for more.
