Very well-positioned for an emergency, to include the outlying catastrophic circumstances, and I have a structured ‘go-to-Hell’ financial plan well-resourced. And…yeh…life has kicked me hard-in-the-ballz a few times along the way.

And Come six-twenty-six-twenty-twenty-six (6/26/2026 - I do have logic behind this chosen date ) I’m out of the race at the age of 62, full-stop. My plan to bail at that age will not require me to tap SS until the age of 70 should I so choose, I’ll self-fund until I apply (I have never relied upon SS as part of my financial modeling for a host of reasons but if the money I was forced to contribute over the decades is there…that’s gravy).

There’s two things I’ve always scratched my head about when it comes to people and specifically, fellow Americans. The first is the constant degradation of society and collective and individual behaviors we exhibit that seem to get rewarded since the 60’s (“its ok, or good even, to be an obnoxious, selfish f***-head in everything we do these days versus tracking towards the greater good.” – Topic for another thread). The second, I’m stunned at the absolute ignorance, carelessness and extremely poor financial management capabilities that the greater percentage of individuals wallow in. It blows my mind when I read the statistics (pick any) and observe financial behaviors in-practice. I just ask myself “how can one be so foolish and make such poor decisions, or make no decisions, and not control their destiny?”

In 1984 I showed-up on the door-step of Fort Dix New Jersey with $17 in my pocket and the clothes on my back. A little over 3 decades later I can write the above, I feel pretty good about that. No magic to it. I sold my soul, busted my ass (still doing both of those things), made sacrifices, made some mistakes, made some good career & life decisions, etc. but the one specific thing I did do at an early age was educate myself about managing financials and building wealth. I can’t emphasize that enough, and that education never stops. Every day I make it a point to learn something, revisit something, monitor something that either protects or improves my net wealth. Not fanatical, no rash moves or shifts in position, just step-improve every day.

I’m not going to lay out what I do or what others should do, doesn’t matter as everyone’s circumstances are unique, but the bottom-line is the fundamentals under-pinning building wealth never change. Apply them, “toss in some financial management finesse” as the world ebbs-n-flows year-over-year, use common-sense and sound decision-making and as was said earlier in this thread…be in it for the long-haul. You don’t have to start rich, you don’t have to make huge money (that certainly helps), you don’t have to hope for a wind-fall, just be plan-full, consistent and well-informed. You’ll look-up in 30 or 40 years and say…"holy-s***…I did pretty good!" Or, if not, like many you’ll look at the financial carnage around you, think about the lost opportunity/time, probably blame somebody else for your pathetic situation you are responsible for creating and shuttle-off to a job ya’ hate until the day you die.

Very good thread, glad to see this. My hope is that the younger members here take serious stock in some of what you read (and ignore s***-house lawyers everywhere) and apply it. Be financially savvy for yourself and the benefit of those you are responsible for.

I’ll never hit the 1%, I’m a workin’ dog, but I’ll never find myself where the vast majority of people slot on the scale.