Hello everyone,
I (29, M) wanted to share a personal milestone with the FIRE community that I don’t really get to talk about with family or friends. Last week, I officially crossed the half-a-million net worth mark at age 29! 🎉
I come from a lower-class family, and my parents were never in a position to contribute financially to my education or investments. I also did not have a good GPA in high school and didn’t receive any scholarships coming out of it. Everything I’ve built since then has come from informed choices, consistency, and a lot of sacrifice.
My first job as a teenager was working in custodial services, followed by an administrative assistant role while studying mechanical engineering in college. I started at a community college to keep costs low, and during my first year, I made a plan: I researched transfer scholarships and found one that could cover most of my tuition at a nearby university. I even reached out directly to the program coordinator 1.5 years in advanced and told her, “I’m going to have a high GPA and plan to transfer on this date. What do I need to do to earn this scholarship?”
That planning paid off. I graduated with my A.S. in Mechanical Engineering (3.9 GPA), transferred, earned the scholarship, and finished my B.S.M.E. with a 3.8 GPA. Between multiple other scholarships, paid internships, and tutoring jobs, I managed to graduate debt-free and even had a net worth of around $20K by the time I finished school.
To save money, I lived with my parents through college and commuted daily on a motorcycle, rain or shine. It was cheap on gas, and in my state, I didn’t even need insurance for it.
After graduation, I joined a Fortune 100 aerospace company and continued to live below my means. Since 2019, I’ve been maxing out my Roth IRA Vanguard account every year, contributing to my 401(k) up to the company match, and investing the rest personally. I rent hacked a 2 bed / 2.5 bath townhouse, I rented out the extra room to a couple, which covered most of my rent.
That extra savings allowed me to invest aggressively during the COVID market dip, which gave my portfolio a huge boost. Last year, I bought my first investment property, a 4 bed / 4 bath duplex. I live in one side and rent out the other, and the rental income covers most of my mortgage. I’m even considering renting out a room on my side to eliminate the payment entirely and create some cash flow.
Over the years, I’ve also had to overcome major setbacks like layoffs, and at one point I had to completely rebuild momentum. But each challenge taught me something new about resilience and adaptability.
Fast forward to today, with Tesla’s recent stock rally, my net worth officially passed $500,000! It’s been a long, challenging, and incredibly rewarding journey.
That said, I’ve never believed in total deprivation. I’ve always kept a “fun money” fund from each paycheck to enjoy time with friends and travel occasionally. FIRE, to me, isn’t about missing out. It’s about being intentional with your choices and aligning them with your goals.
To anyone out there grinding it out, it’s 100% possible. You don’t need a trust fund or a perfect background, just curiosity, discipline, and consistency.
Thanks for letting me share my story. This community has always been a huge source of motivation, and I hope this inspires someone who’s just getting started. My goal is to hit $1,000,000 by the time I turn 35!
For those who asked, here’s a breakdown of my compensation over the years:
• 2019 (First job out of college): $73K
• 2023 (Before leaving first job): $87K
• 2023 (Started new role): $110K
• 2025 (Before layoff): $122K
• Current role (landed a few months after layoff): $106K
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