Smiling at Progress
I had no financial literacy up until I was about 25. Credit card interest up to my knees, living paycheck to paycheck with a decent paying job at the time ($75K), and barely investing with 401K not even being actually invested (I was never taught there was a Pt 2 of the equation, fun). Dove head first to teach myself all the things, started with Ramsey, graduated to Money Guys.
Just turned 31 and new job is $125K with around 40% being saved. Live well under my means but extremely comfortably, maybe just from how I grew up. Bonus came in and immediately put into my savings. I would've spent that 5 years ago in a heartbeat, so I'm smiling that it's more indicative of a mindset shift.
Started net worth tracking Feb 2025, and more than doubled it in 1 year through these new habits and discipline. Long way to go, but I'm SMILING.