Hello all from lovely Oregon!
Great to be here. I'm sure I'm very far away from being done but I'm inspired by the stories.
My main problem has been a lot of education and student loan debt. (down from 170 to 100) fixed at 8%. I'm almost at the point where I can take care of it with a lower interest (and deductible) second mortgage.
My first 5 years out of residency I worked for a large corporate hospital. I had a lowly 401k at Fido I duitifully maxed out. The company contributed to a second retirement that I had to cash out when I left (457f). All in all I was left with 100k for my efforts.
The turning point was starting my own company. I ve seen the saving, but the most beautiful thing I bought was my freedom. I don't work nights, weekends, or see 40 patients a day anymore. I love long bike rides and maintaining my one extravegance (my garden, below). I rediscovered a passion for life that had seemed a drudge before.
This year, my third I discovered a funny thing. Because my company was contributing all the retirement money (avg 3k/mo SEP IRA at Vanguard) I was grossing less but taking home almost 2,000 more!
I have a net worth of 300k and would like to grow that to somewhere around 800. I've lived overseas and enjoy it (a year studying in W. Germany and part of my residency was in an Coronary Care unit in Northern Thailand). I speak the languages of the countries I'm interested in and hope to become fluent wherever I land.
Anyways, I'm rambling. Either too much coffee or not enough. I appreciate all the thoughts here. I'm going to enjoy going through them.