What do you do for a living?

Police dispatcher for the past 12 years. How many years left is between 15-20, depending on how bad I want it.


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Senator, that's the way to go! I currently own 3 rentals and I want to get 3 more. My goal is to pay off all rentals in the next 15 years and be able to get approximately $9,000 a month of rental income. What do you think?
 
Respiratory Therapist for 20 years, worked night shift and slept all the time so I didn't do much other than work and sleep. Started and now run a business. Replaced my w2 income with business income and grew more than I could imagine. Now an employer and a student of life, money and tax code. Oh how life has changed from those first 20 years.

Young dreamers, always learn, ignore neigh sayers and keep dreaming and working toward your goal until you get it.
 
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Enjoyed reading how everybody arrived here.

-

IT

Started at about $12K in 1980. Ending salary about 10x. Loved my job till 2012. Quit in 2015. Now a happy stay-at-home-spouse, trying to give DW rest from the tasks in and around home. I am not as good as DW at many tasks but she is OK as long as she doesn't have to do the work.

We were always LBYM. In 1990 I made a plan to retire in 2016 but got out one year earlier. Serious saving started in 1990.

DW is a teacher in a Montessori school ($40+K), still working.
 
I'm a nurse and DH is a cook. I make 38k and he makes 30k. I know that's not much, but we live in a low COL area. Right now, we're only saving 12% of our income, because we are furiously throwing money at our debt. (We only owe on our house and one car. Another car is already paid off and we have no student loan or credit card debt. I'm very proud of this since I just celebrated my 28th birthday last week and DH is only 29.) After the car and house are paid off, which will hopefully be within 5 years, I plan on ramping up our savings to 25-40% of our income.
 
amyj05 said:
I'm a nurse and DH is a cook. I make 38k and he makes 30k. I know that's not much, but we live in a low COL area. Right now, we're only saving 12% of our income, because we are furiously throwing money at our debt.
Click to expand...

I think I could make an argument that paying off mortgage and car loan debt IS a form of savings. :)

Sounds like you are headed in the right direction!
 
amyj05 said:
I'm a nurse and DH is a cook. I make 38k and he makes 30k. I know that's not much, but we live in a low COL area. Right now, we're only saving 12% of our income, because we are furiously throwing money at our debt. (We only owe on our house and one car. Another car is already paid off and we have no student loan or credit card debt. I'm very proud of this since I just celebrated my 28th birthday last week and DH is only 29.) After the car and house are paid off, which will hopefully be within 5 years, I plan on ramping up our savings to 25-40% of our income.
Click to expand...

amy, Like your DH I was a cook in my early 20's. Started my 30 year career (retail sales) at 24 for $4.50 per hour. I never made over 79k in salary but have now crossed 1.5 mil in investments. LBYM and pay yourself first does work in the long term.
Keep at it and good luck.
 
Thank you, jrwinfla! And congratultions to you! That's quite a milestone and very inspiring!
 
Amy, nobody has to apologize for having a job, being responsible with their money and having a plan. I have a friend who makes twice your combined income in a low cost area, and I am sure he doesn't have anything more than you do....Except debt, as his money just falls in between the cracks and disappears... Congratulations, good things are headed your way!


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Started out as a "spoon goon" at 17 making 12 bucks an hour...eventually became a construction superintendent making 120k...married a smart, wonderful, woman who actually made MORE than me (and she is still working!)...saved, invested like mad for about 12 years.

Now I'm funemployed. :) That is the real quick version of my story.
 
Sea Kayaker said:
Started out as a "spoon goon" at 17 making 12 bucks an hour...eventually became a construction superintendent making 120k...married a smart, wonderful, woman who actually made MORE than me (and she is still working!)...saved, invested like mad for about 12 years.

Now I'm funemployed. :) That is the real quick version of my story.
Click to expand...


Hey no fair Sea....You were practically born with a silver spoon in your mouth starting out at $12 an hour. I started washing dishes for $2.30 an hour! :)


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Hey Mulligan, maybe he was just a better dishwasher than you! :)

I'd mention my $5 an hour first job, but I think it would bring on the Four Yorkshiremen from somewhere!
 
He may be better but not 5X plus better! :)
And Sarah, we cant bring on the Yorkshire Men until someone gets under $2.30. $5 an hour is half of a silver spoon compared to mine. :)That shouldn't be too hard as I think the minimum wage just got raised from $2.05 right when I started working in '79.


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REWahoo said:
Not yet...



My starting wage was $1/hr.



Now, bring them on!
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Ya but you could buy a soda, hamburger, and a gallon of gas to go buy it for a nickel. :) Try feeling peer pressured into buying a $40 Izod off of $2.30 an hour. Heck 30 years later the same shirt is cheaper now than it was then! :)


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jrwinfla said:
amy, Like your DH I was a cook in my early 20's. Started my 30 year career (retail sales) at 24 for $4.50 per hour. I never made over 79k in salary but have now crossed 1.5 mil in investments. LBYM and pay yourself first does work in the long term.
Keep at it and good luck.
Click to expand...

An inspiring story for anyone to hear!

Congratulations!
 
My current job is uncertified financial planner for one household.

BTW Sarah, my first babysitting job paid 50 cents an hour from the family across the street. The last time I sat for them was for 45 minutes and the mom prorated the time and carefully counted out 38 cents. (They weren't poor, just cheap). I am sure if we'd had half pennies she would have made it 37.5 cents. :)
 
After delivering newspapers, cutting grass and shoveling snow for a few years, my first real job out of technical high school was as a mechanical draftsman at a company that designed and built presses and rolling mills.

I was 17 1/2 years old at the time and was paid $1.25 per hour. A lot of money back then and it afforded me replacing my 1948 Plymouth 4 door sedan with a very used 1955 Chevrolet 150 sedan, bought from the Connecticut Light and Power auction. I was in high cotton, at that time. (Money + '55 Chev + Girlfriend!)

Then came Viet Nam and plans changed. I was then paid $70/month for a 24/7 monthly schedule.
 
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