I guess this post is mostly just to gloat/humblebrag, but also to give others some hope.
Like I said, a few years ago was bad. Starting in my late-teens, I had a solid decade of bad decisions, ignoring my mental health, and being a dipshit. I was either using heroin, drinking, or going through withdrawals. My performance at work suffered greatly and, since my income is largely performance-based, I was headed toward a cliff that would probably end in my family leaving me and becoming homeless. There were several times that I thought that the depression was going to get the best of me (I later discovered that I'm also bipolar). Eventually, everything broke down and I ended up in rehab. Also, I'm married and we have two little kids.
I slowly started to rebuild/recover - then quickly. My first year with my shit together got me out of debt and I started living less paycheck-to-paycheck. Then, in 2019, shit got real. My income from work increased by about 50%, I got a few side jobs which brought in another 20% of my previous income. Because I've learned to manage my time better, I've even had more time to spend with family (and play video games).
Just in 2019, I went from having $0 savings, $0 retirement to:
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Savings = $12k
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IRA = $6k
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401k = $3k
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Expected 2019 tax refund = $10k? (I over-withhold on purpose. Don't lecture me about it)
Honestly, I don't even know what to do with all this money?! I've grown so accustomed to a minimal lifestyle that I actually enjoy living cheap. Other than spending a buttload of money on PS4, my expenses haven't really gone up at all.
I suppose I should ask for some financial advice here... What should I do with my savings? My wife and I like the idea of continuing to rent cheap near where I work and also buy a house in an area that we really enjoy that we can live/vacation in part-time and rent out when we're not using it. In the area where we are looking at, the housing is $300k-$400k. My income has probably stabilized at $100k. My wife is going to start working in a couple years, probably at $30k - $40k for a couple years, and then doubling+ once she's done with her education. Also, my job is inversely tied to the economy, so if there's some kind of financial/housing collapse or recession, my income will most likely go up by 50% or so.
Also: using throwaway due to drug references and personal info.
Submitted January 06, 2020 at 06:54PM by mrturdman https://ift.tt/36wLtTp
