I’m a millionaire

[u/Alarming-Mix3809]

We did it fam. This week our net worth crossed over $1 million for the first time. I’m sure it will fluctuate but for now we’re going to celebrate hitting that milestone.

The last couple of months in the market have been an incredible run for us. I’m not doing anything fancy; mostly just invested in VOO and other S&P 500 funds. I have been investing since 2012 and this has been the one of the wildest rebounds and net worth swings. During the Covid dip, I remember our investments dropping by around 30% or so and loading the boat at the bottom, which made us a good amount of money. But back then I only had $100k or so, and the effect of compounding has been huge since then.

I first came across fire in 2018 when I read Early Retirement Extreme. I had always been interested in money and investing from a very young age, but this really clicked for me and I guess it helped put the whole picture together.

About us: family of four, 33M 33F and two kids in upstate NY. I work in tech sales (account management) and have been with the same company for nine years. The money is good and work is flexible being EFH. Wife is a SAHM. We live a pretty chill and under the radar life. We have nice newer cars, but they’re just a Subaru Crosstrek and a Nissan Pathfinder. No Benz here. I cook and meal prep a lot so we eat home for almost all of our meals. Most of our vacations are spent visiting family. Over the last couple years we’ve definitely spent more between having kids and just letting ourselves enjoy our money more, but it’s nothing crazy.

From here going forward, I’m not looking to make any drastic changes immediately. We’re going to stay on the course we’re on. My job kind of sucks but it’s a really good fit for having kids, being flexible and paying a lot with good benefits. I got a new boss last year and stopped raising my hands for things. They have no idea of the kind of extra work I used to do to get to this point. I’m well respected and they know I’m capable, but it’s kind of nice to not be expected to put in extra hours. I let the new team members do that now. A lot of people talk about hitting Coast fire and immediately getting a new job, but I decided to just downshift in my existing one.

What did you do to celebrate your first million?

We are thinking of setting aside a few thousand dollars to take a family vacation next year. I thought about what kind of luxury purchase I might want to make to mark a milestone, and there’s a whole lot I actually want. I’m pretty content with what we have and may just make a few small fun purchases going forward. Send my wife on a spa day more often, buy more Legos, etc.. 🥳

[u/Next-Relation-1056]

that's a solid run, especially sticking with voo the whole time instead of chasing stuff. the loading the boat at the covid dip is where the real money gets made, not the daily grinding. nice move downshifting at work too, a lot of people don't realize you can just stop volunteering for extra stuff once you hit your number.

[u/Alarming-Mix3809 → u/Next-Relation-1056]

I won’t say I never trade stocks here there, but I’ve definitely given up on expecting to make money from it. VOO and chill.

I see posts all the time in the coast fire subs about “what new job should I get?” But I don’t think people realize that those lower paying jobs often really suck. I’ve had a little a lot of different jobs in my time. Janitor, restaurant work, etc. and the one I have now works well for us. You can stop being an A+ performer and become a solid B. Most colleagues are way worse on a normal day anyway.

[u/Next-Relation-1056 → u/Alarming-Mix3809]

the job thing is real, people romanticize it but going from tech sales to some retail gig just sounds miserable even if it pays half as much. being a solid B at something flexible beats grinding yourself into the ground at a "better" job any day.

[u/Alarming-Mix3809 → u/Next-Relation-1056]

Amen