From $20K To My First $100K

This is one of the bigger hurdles as far as financial goals can go. The pivotal moment of reaching your first $100,000. They say the first $100K is the hardest and let me tell you it was not easy. I set out to reach this goal and I kept on grinding until I hit it.

This is really two milestones in my eyes.

• $100K net worth
• $100K in liquid assets

The Journey

This journey has been bittersweet so to speak. It all started in 2015 when I decided I wanted to get my shit together. At that time I had about $20K saved up. I did not know much except that I wanted to do better and have the freedom of options. So my journey of self-education began. Little did I know at that time that journey would change not just my finances but my whole life. I have learned a great deal in the last three years. You can find all of the books that changed my life and finances here.

Tracking My Progress

Unfortunately, I did not start tracking my net worth until Feb 2017. But as you can see below I literally added about $35,000. It might not seem like a lot to most people. But at that time I was only making $50,000 a year give or take. That is why progress is so slow for lower-income people at first. It’s due to almost all of your gains being your contributions and not compound interest. I love Personal Capital as my Free Net Worth tracking tool.

Few Principles

• Time in the market is more important than timing the market.
• Index funds are the bus ticket to wealth. They aren’t sexy. They aren’t fast. But as long as you get on board you’ll get to where you need to be (This was coined by Jermy Pelham).
• A high savings rate is needed not a high income.

Simplicity Is The Key

Simplicity in life is the golden rule. I have learned true simplicity and fully understand how much I value having a simple life. The more simplistic approach you have with money I believe the better off you will be. So just how did I tackle simplicity with money?

I have learned what my priorities are and what I value. I don’t spend on stuff that I don’t value or does not bring me long-term happiness. By doing this the byproduct is the ability to save even more money because you ultimately spend less.

High Income Is Not Needed But It Helps

I have come to realize that a high income is not needed to become wealthy. I will admit it sure as hell helps! Income has zero to do with our savings. Our choices have everything to do with our savings. I saved $100K in about 3 years and was never earning a six-figure salary. Of course, results will vary depending on your choices, location, and life situations. If you have debt weighing you down check out my Debt 101 Bluprint on a simple step-by-step method to get rid of all your debt.

I have $100K in liquid assets and the most I have made is $50.7K a year

The more wealth I build the less I want flashy things. I use to always want a nice car, house, phone, sunglasses, shoes, and clothes. Now that I can pay cash for any of those items I have no desire for them. I much rather buy a book now than the newest phone. I rather drive a used Honda or Toyota than a BMW and invest the difference.

I Must Have Got Lucky!

I did not find some kind of magic wand to create this wealth! I did not get lucky and build $100K over the last three years. I made the right choices consistently. I made mistakes on the way and adjusted and learned from those mistakes. I asked tons of questions from people that were where I wanted to be. Nothing about it was flashy or quick. In fact the people I asked advice from and learned from made a lot more than I did. When everyone else around me was upgrading their cars I was getting made fun of for my 12-year-old car. When everyone around me was getting the newest phone I was rocking an old phone.

There is nothing that I did that cannot be replicated.

My Investment Strategy

I must have had to Hustle my Ass Off? Nope, I really just stuck to a simple strategy of invest as much as I can as often as I can. Don’t sell even when things dip. Buy and Hold Low-Cost Index Funds and take the guesswork out of the equation. To my surprise, this strategy did the job. Again it was a slow process especially seeing others talk about their huge ROI’s with trading individual stocks. Check out my Investing 101 Blueprint for how simple it can be.

Can Everyone Do This?

No, and to think so would be dishonest, to say the least. Even though I never made six-figures I did make around $50.7K which is still higher than many American’s incomes. Many people have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. So I’m not saying everyone can do this. I am simply sharing what I did and how I tackled and achieved one of my goals that I worked hard to reach. Yet I think Financial Independence is for Everyone!

The Journey Ahead

I still have a long journey ahead of me. This was one huge milestone for many to come. I encourage everyone to follow my journey and reach out to me if you need a mentor.

Hopefully, everyone enjoyed reading this and has a great day!
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