Business & Investing
Sponsored by

millionaires

484,536 Views | 2083 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by jamey
Madmarttigan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
This thread makes me feel poor as hell
Formerly tv1113
Cyp0111
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I'm right around $5.5MM, of that, about $2MM is liquid and not in either retirement accounts, home equity or a piece of land we're not willing to sell. I think and often explain to my wife that net worth and cash flow or two different things. Obviously, situation is great but I've always looked at cash flow or potential cash flow vs. net worth. I have my exit number which I hope to hit by 50, granted that is a ways away and sure a lot will change.
Gordo14
How long do you want to ignore this user?
QBCade said:

$3M net worth usually doesn't = $3M cash/liquid. Many people have lots of net worth tied up in illiquid investments - property, retirement (before 59.5yrs), etc. my net is almost $7M, liquid is way less, like 1/4th of that.


I'm aware, but it doesn't change the fact that you can probably pretty safely pull 120k a year out and still be fine (likely some part of it is liquid). And that's besides the point he's still making a paycheck.
$30,000 Millionaire
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
There is so much good advice on this thread. Allow me to be the person that says balancing enjoying the now and saving for later is important. In my own case, I got there with working hard, making good decisions, and delayed gratification. Consistently investing too. You only get one life though, and the main goal of life is to enjoy it, not to accumulate wealth. Accumulating wealth will help you enjoy life. Get rich to enjoy your life, don't make your life getting rich. The point that really matters is the one in which you aren't stressed about money, debt, or spending too much. This includes the ability to retire comfortably, ideally sooner than later.

There are many paths to getting there, the one that you control the easiest is what you spend, in particular the amount of fixed recurring debt that you take on. This may sound crazy to some of you, but making more money is actually the easiest part. Keeping your lifestyle in check is the hardest. Make quality decisions with how you spend your money, especially the big purchases. Always think about the worst case and what you would do if it happened. For most people, there are 3 huge drivers of expenses: housing, transportation, and educating their children. There's a reason I live in Texas instead of California. Think about the people you know making $300-$400K that are choosing to spend $75K a year on private education and what that money would do for them in investments. In my observation, when people get to the $400K/year mark, they choose one of two paths - they live like people who make $1M+ or they live a little bit more comfortably but dramatically increase their savings rate. Most people fall into the first bucket, but wealth is made in the second. Most millionaires I know, even the 9 and 10 figure people, are extraordinarily careful about protecting their downside and preserving capital. They don't make YOLO bets.

Something else I've learned is to be the best at whatever it is that you do, and if you are, the money will show up. Being the best requires putting in the work to get there. Think about it - the best singer, youtuber, engineer, lawyer, banker, doctor, architect all crush it while an average person in these professions does OK.
ORAggieFan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
This is why we mostly live how we do. I live where it is expensive, but I bought a modest house at the perfect time. Got in for $580k and could sell for about $1.2M now. Frankly, I could upgrade. Our house is only 2100 sq/ft and I can afford much more. But, a bigger house won't make us happier. Traveling, eating well, golf, those things make me happy. I'd much rather shoot for retirement or part time work when in my 50s. Knowing I can go years without work should I have to is also nice. Even a lot of what I splurge on is pretty liquid should I need it. I likely have more Cuban cigars than I can smoke the rest of my life, but I can sell them for far more than I paid. I'd rather splurge on that than cars.
ATXAggie05
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Late 30s and sitting at about 10MM right now.

Started a company shortly after graduating from A&M and was able to build it into a multimillion dollar company over 15 years. I kept re-investing primarily into my business. When I sold the company, I only had about 100k in retirement or investment accounts. I was confident I could grow that money fastest with what I could control: my company.

Also been fortunate riding the Austin real estate wave. Moved every 3-4 years to capture the gained equity and roll it into something that could appreciate even more than where we were at. Definitely house mercenaries. It's always for sale for the right price.

It took many years for the company to give us a "comfortable living" so we lived modestly for many years but have indulged in the last few years as the business started throwing off solid cash.

Retirement sounds miserable. The business didn't require much of me the last few years and I feel like I devolved with too much time on my hands. Currently I'm a sr exec in the new private equity backed venture that purchased my company and hoping over the next 5 years to double that net worth and have a shot to CEO a $100+MM company before 45 to prove to myself I can do it. Executive coaching sounds like fun after that until I kick the bucket.
permabull
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
OasisMan said:

hypeiv said:


I have never heard an old millionaire tell me he regrets not spending more when he was younger.

You have never heard an elderly person regret not doing something as a younger individual that they no longer have the physical capabilities to do???



I have... But I have never heard one tell me they wish they dined out more often, or bought a new car every 3 years, or spent more on their wedding, etc. These are the things I am accused of cheaping out on and not living it up.
TXTransplant
How long do you want to ignore this user?
hypeiv said:

OasisMan said:

hypeiv said:


I have never heard an old millionaire tell me he regrets not spending more when he was younger.

You have never heard an elderly person regret not doing something as a younger individual that they no longer have the physical capabilities to do???



I have... But I have never heard one tell me they wish they dined out more often, or bought a new car every 3 years, or spent more on their wedding, etc. These are the things I am accused of cheaping out on and not living it up.


A wedding is about the stupidest thing someone could spend money on, if you ask me. I cringe when I hear people talking about how much they spent.

I'm not big on eating out. I do like to eat well, and our grocery bills are high, so that probably makes up for what we don't spend at restaurants.

I'm on the fence about cars. The car I'm driving now (which was a hand-me-down from my parents) is probably the "oldest" car I've ever driven. I got in the habit of upgrading every 5-ish years (only when the car was paid off, though).

Went from a 2001 Honda Accord to a 2007 CRV to a 2012 BMW X3 to a 2017 Infiniti QX50. The QX50 is 3 years old, and I gave it to my son. Hopefully it will get him through the rest of high school and college. I'm driving a 2015 Boxster. If I hadn't gotten it from my parents, I probably would have bought something cheap for me to drive.

I see some people who have really fun cars that are totally a splurge, but when that's your passion/hobby, I completely understand. I have one friend with a Porsche and he races it and does a lot of his own maintenance. It's not unusual to see him in his garage tinkering with it on any given weekend.

Now, people who lease a luxury car and then "trade it in" when the lease is up - that's throwing money away. And I definitely know people who insist on only driving a certain luxury brand car for the "status". I just can't take those people seriously.

Petrino1
How long do you want to ignore this user?
What this thread has taught me is that most millionaires on here are married and I'm assuming have dual income households. Also, I imagine most on here had some help from their parents (college paid for, allowances, inheritance, down payment for their home etc). It's much harder to get there when you're young, single, and no help from parents lol.

Im single and have about $700k net worth in my mid 30's. Assuming the stock market doesn't crash anytime soon, I should break the millionaire mark in two years or so.
QBCade
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
True. My parents paid my way thru TAMU. Wife worked until kids, financial contrib of ~ $100K to savings/retirement. She wants to go back to work, I want to retire at 50 and move back to Texas. We'll see where this goes.
AggieFrog
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
You're on track. Only help I've ever had was having my 4 years of undergrad taken care of. I'm married but we had 3 kids in two years early on and wife stayed home for years. When she did go back to work it mostly paid for private school. About to have two of the three back in public school next year so we'll finally get to pocket most of her salary.

We hit $100k net worth when I was 30 and broke $1m about the time I hit 40. At our savings and spending rates I can probably retire in my mid to late 50s. Ideally I want to work as long as it's enjoyable and be secure enough to walk away on my own terms when I've had enough.
TXTransplant
How long do you want to ignore this user?
ea1060 said:

What this thread has taught me is that most millionaires on here are married and I'm assuming have dual income households. Also, I imagine most on here had some help from their parents (college paid for, allowances, down payment for their home etc). It's much harder to get there when you're young, single, and no help from parents lol.

Im single and have about $700k net worth in my mid 30's. Assuming the stock market doesn't crash anytime soon, I should break the millionaire mark in two years or so.


I'm single with a kid. Not so young anymore, as I'm 42.

I had scholarships that paid my entire way through undergrad and grad school (and back then, you could get a refund check for any excess).

My parents gave me the $20-$25k they had saved to pay for college (can't remember the exact amount) when I turned 21. And about 1/2 of that amount was an inheritance that was actually left to me by my grandmother, my parents just had control of the account.

I'm on career #3, since the first two didn't work out so well. I've never worked for a company that had stock options. All I have are an old 403B, my Roth, my 401k, and a pension.

I do think that only having one kid was a good financial decision. I love mine, but he's expensive.

As far as having a spouse - there are pros and cons to that. Not having one means I have not had to worry about anyone else's financial irresponsibility, and my assets are my assets. No worries about ever having to give 1/2 of it away in a divorce.
ATXAggie05
How long do you want to ignore this user?
We've always been single income. The first few years in business until it was profitable we lived on her teacher's salary. The first year of profitability we also had our first kid and we were used to living on a shoestring budget so she started staying home.

She had no debt but I came out with ~$50k in student debt. Someone gave us Dave Ramsey's book as a wedding present, which influenced us to pay off $20k by 25 and then seemingly as fate would have it when my grandma passed she left me $30k. We went to a "nice" dinner at Texas Roadhouse then sent the rest of the inheritance straight to pay off my student debt so we were clear of that by 25 through discipline + good fortune.

Post removed:
by user
Petrino1
How long do you want to ignore this user?
SoupNazi2001 said:

ea1060 said:

What this thread has taught me is that most millionaires on here are married and I'm assuming have dual income households. Also, I imagine most on here had some help from their parents (college paid for, allowances, inheritance, down payment for their home etc). It's much harder to get there when you're young, single, and no help from parents lol.

Im single and have about $700k net worth in my mid 30's. Assuming the stock market doesn't crash anytime soon, I should break the millionaire mark in two years or so.


My wife has been a SAHM pretty much since we had kids early on. No help from parents other than paying for college. High income and lived below means but still spent on experiences more than things.


Paying for college is still a pretty big expense lol. I had to take out loans and graduated with a negative net worth + credit card debt. Took a few years to pay all that off, when I could've been adding to my net worth.
YouBet
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Cyp0111 said:

I'm right around $5.5MM, of that, about $2MM is liquid and not in either retirement accounts, home equity or a piece of land we're not willing to sell. I think and often explain to my wife that net worth and cash flow or two different things. Obviously, situation is great but I've always looked at cash flow or potential cash flow vs. net worth. I have my exit number which I hope to hit by 50, granted that is a ways away and sure a lot will change.
Yes, and I have to remind myself of this sometimes looking at the total number. That number looks great on paper compared to 98% of our peer group in the USA (yet probably in the bottom half of peers just factoring this thread - lol).

80% of ours is in retirement accounts so it's not like we can just start drawing down on it free and clear. My wife keeps making noise about not working and, um yeah, she can't. Need that cash flow. I left my corporate job and still in the infancy of a consulting career, so I have a ways to go get replacement cash flow up and running. If I can get somewhat consistent cash flow going out of this experiment then maybe she can considering down grading her own job. Until then...suck it up buttercup!
TXTransplant
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Yep...that's where I am. Retirement accounts and emergency fund/investments are at a place where I can give myself more cash flow and not have to worry quite as much about saving or fluctuations in the market.

But I'm still very much living like the average upper-middle class suburbanite.
YouBet
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
TXTransplant said:

Yep...that's where I am. Retirement accounts and emergency fund/investments are at a place where I can give myself more cash flow and not have to worry quite as much about saving or fluctuations in the market.

But I'm still very much living like the average upper-middle class suburbanite.
We've cut back so much on spending it's incredible how much waste there was so we are definitely living our best average life. Living completely off of her salary at this point with room to still max all annual investment goals.

I would recommend everyone take a scythe to their budget. Incredible amount of opportunity in there most likely.
TXTransplant
How long do you want to ignore this user?
My recurring expenses aren't what get me. It's the one off stuff - whether it be medical (kid had ingrown toenails last fall), house-related (A/C coil failed last year), or even just the kid has grown out of his shoes/clothes.

Most months there is something that's a least a few hundred. Sometimes more.
agdaddy04
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
We're married but wife hasn't worked since our 7 year old was born. She's a dental hygienist so I think she'll go back eventually when our youngest is in grade school.

My mistake was being young and dumb in my 20's. I started making 6 figures at 25 but spent just about every penny except for 401k. Met wife at 29 and married at 30. That made everything real and changed habits.
94chem
How long do you want to ignore this user?
If I had $4 million socked away in non-liquid assets, I would put immediately begin SEPP payments of some kind. If you've got enough to retire, but you need the cash flow because you're too young to get to the funds, you can do a SEPP plan at any time. Even with half of it rolled into an IRA, you could easily skim off $65K/year without touching principal. More than enough to pay for college, or allow wife to stop working, etc.
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
T Durden
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
What job did you have at 25?
Aggie369
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I was at 6 figures at 23 as a pharma rep
agdaddy04
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Hydraulic sales.
T Durden
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Nice. Awesome stuff.

I screwed up and didn't get in to sales until much later in my career. Trying to figure out a 5 year plan to eject from the corporate rat race.
OasisMan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
hypeiv said:

OasisMan said:

hypeiv said:


I have never heard an old millionaire tell me he regrets not spending more when he was younger.

You have never heard an elderly person regret not doing something as a younger individual that they no longer have the physical capabilities to do???



I have... But I have never heard one tell me they wish they dined out more often, or bought a new car every 3 years, or spent more on their wedding, etc. These are the things I am accused of cheaping out on and not living it up.
RightWingConspirator
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
ea1060 said:

What this thread has taught me is that most millionaires on here are married and I'm assuming have dual income households. Also, I imagine most on here had some help from their parents (college paid for, allowances, inheritance, down payment for their home etc). It's much harder to get there when you're young, single, and no help from parents lol.

Im single and have about $700k net worth in my mid 30's. Assuming the stock market doesn't crash anytime soon, I should break the millionaire mark in two years or so.


My wife is a stay-at-home mom. We've always just lived off of my income. To further the point, I didn't start my professional career until I was 28. I worked for three years before quitting to go back to school full time for another two years for grad school. My point is delaying gratification can pay dividends as far as building wealth. Most people like me that got started late would not have amassed what we have, but we adjust our wants to a more reasonable level. Will i one day regret it? I don't think so. I'm happily married and have fond memories of our more modest vacations. I'm happy as long as I'm with my wife and kids regardless of the location.

To each their own...
TXTransplant
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I didn't start mine until I was 26. And I spent 6 years in higher ed with nothing but a very small 403b to show for it. I wasn't maxing out my 403b at that point because I'd just had a baby, and I had (what felt like) a really high mandatory contribution in my state retirement plan.

Thankfully, I was fully vested in the 403b, but those were tough years to be in the stock market. I might have gotten $10-$15k out of my state retirement, but it was only my contributions that were returned. Took 10 years of service to be vested in that.

Seeing your posts, I'm setting a new goal for myself by age 48. I really don't have a good feel for how much my money can grow now that I've hit seven figures, but I've noticed it is growing much faster.

$3 million in 5 years would be just a bit more than double what I have now, not including the equity in my home. And I hope to have my home paid off in 7-ish years.

Thanks for sharing your story. It's been really helpful and given me a new perspective.
OasisMan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
i didnt start my career until 34 -- also started with a net worth of ~ -500k

wife is SAHM now for the last 3yrs
initial goal was to hit the milestone by 40, should be there earlier (technically have unrealized assets that would take us quite a bit over the edge, but we arent counting those yet)

we eat out a decent amount, but overall live below our means and def well below our colleagues
MyMamaSaid
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
What a great thread. Thanks to all for contributing here. I hope my story inspires others and am compelled to share.

I am simply blessed. By all accounts, I shouldn't be where I am financially. Both parents filed bankruptcy while I was at A&M and were terrible with money. Scared straight and net worth of negative $22k out of A&M 27 years ago, I read several personal finance books to get smart. Always lived beneath my means, saved a good portion of every single paycheck, kept healthy habits, used insurance vehicles wisely and worked hard. I always vowed that my money would work harder than I ever did.

I'm now 50 and crossed the 7 figure point when I was 35, then divorce at 37 divided a $1.4M net worth in half. Crossed over 7 figure mark again at 39 and recently crossed another major milestone. I can say that I can now retire at any time I want and be incredibly comfortable. All the while, I strive to make a positive impact in my community.

Some points to consider from my personal experience:
- Financial literacy is a foundational life skill. Read books like MND and listen to Dave Ramsey. Get it today.
- Disciplined investing and pay cash for everything except where cheap financing is available. I've used 1-month interest-only LIBOR mortgages on houses since 2003, with an average interest rate ~2.5% and currently at 1.875%. From '94-'15 I bought 6 cars, paid cash for 3 and used seriously low interest rates (0.9% - 2.5%) on the other 3. I profess that I'm a car guy and I've paid cash for 2 expensive weekend cars since 2016. Both have actually *appreciated* since purchase and I still own. Go figure...
- Compound interest and delayed gratification can't be emphasized enough. Starting early in life has now set me up in an incredibly comfortable position.

I've been beyond blessed in that He gave me resilience to overcome all obstacles. I have a significant physical disability that I have refused to impede my personal growth. The wealth that I've been blessed with has enabled me to care for my very ill mother for more than a decade and my mentally disabled younger brother forever. God has a plan for every single one of us.

Take it from a kid who will always be ascending, financial independence is attainable.
Dr T and the Women
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
ATXAggie05 said:

Late 30s and sitting at about 10MM right now.

Started a company shortly after graduating from A&M and was able to build it into a multimillion dollar company over 15 years. I kept re-investing primarily into my business. When I sold the company, I only had about 100k in retirement or investment accounts. I was confident I could grow that money fastest with what I could control: my company.

Also been fortunate riding the Austin real estate wave. Moved every 3-4 years to capture the gained equity and roll it into something that could appreciate even more than where we were at. Definitely house mercenaries. It's always for sale for the right price.

It took many years for the company to give us a "comfortable living" so we lived modestly for many years but have indulged in the last few years as the business started throwing off solid cash.

Retirement sounds miserable. The business didn't require much of me the last few years and I feel like I devolved with too much time on my hands. Currently I'm a sr exec in the new private equity backed venture that purchased my company and hoping over the next 5 years to double that net worth and have a shot to CEO a $100+MM company before 45 to prove to myself I can do it. Executive coaching sounds like fun after that until I kick the bucket.
What industry are you in? Congrats on your success! I love self made stories
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
ATXAggie05
How long do you want to ignore this user?

Thanks, Doc! For the sake of anonymity, I would rather not say.

I can tell you our first year revenue was under $5k and it took many years to hire our first employee. If you believe in your idea, don't give up too early!
BlackGoldAg2011
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Thread bump to say we just crossed the 7 fig mark last month on a post tax basis (if you include the equity value of our cars, which i obviously did to push us over the mark). I turn 33 next month and my wife does in November. In the spirit of the OP, I would say the biggest contributor for us (outside of being a petroleum engineer who has avoided layoffs so far) was some advise my wife and I got from a mentor couple of ours just before I graduated. The advice was "don't try to keep up with the jones's". They said all of our peers would be running out to buy nice new cars and houses and other toys with their new big paychecks, but to take it slow and don't worry about trying to keep up. As we moved into our careers and began to have a higher and higher household income that advice has continued to ring in our ears and helped keep us from over-extending financially. We haven't lived like we were poor by any stretch (except our first 6 months when we were poor), but we have also mostly avoided extravagance. Now I won't try to lie and say this milestone was entirely our own doing through our own cleverness. There was definitely an element of luck and/or providence involved as well. For instance, the year my wife quit to first run a non-profit without pay and then to stay home with kids, I landed a job that essentially made up entirely for the lost income. As previously mentioned, I've also managed to avoid layoffs so far in an industry full of them, and I know far batter than to attribute that to my own cleverness.


Since i've seen the question come up here is our current breakdown of assets on a post-tax basis:
  • 25% Cash savings
  • 18% brokerage account
  • 36% 401k
  • 15% home equity
  • 2% college savings funds
  • 4% car equity
(cash is currently higher due to pulling out a chunk of home equity in anticipation of a home remodel, the percentages before were 13% cash and 27% home)


JamesBREI06
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Fun thread.
Whoop!
BoerneAg11
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.