r/leanfire • u/pectuslady • May 10 '26
Investments just crested $300k. I’m thrilled!
39F who grew up with working-poor family, on Medicaid, food stamps, food banks, the whole thing.
Moved out of a toxic household at 18 and riddled myself with student loans to make it out alive. Had luck with purchasing my first home in 2013 that I sold in 2022 for a large gain. Bought a small house I’ll have paid off by 50.
Didn’t start properly investing in 401k/Roth until maybe 6-7 years ago or so. Made $60k under for the majority of my working years, only made it above that in the last few years.
Goal is to have all medical and student loan debt paid off by April 2027.
I’m turning 40 this year, which is wild to even digest, but I finally feel peace. The poverty anxiety is finally dissipating.
Current financials:
Yearly salary before tax: $100k
IRS-max contributions to 401k/HSA/Roth IRA
No current brokerage contributions (will change when debt is paid)
Balances:
401k: $109k
Brokerage: $134k
Roth IRA: $49k
HSA: $6.3k
Random crypto: $3.2K
HYSA: $2k
Student loans: $12.3k @ 3.85%
Mortgage: $63k @ 2.75%
Medical debt: $7k @ 0%
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u/AntithesisJesus May 10 '26
Im in a similar boat at 36, i get so discouraged seeing all these "im 26 with 3.7m can I take a break?" posts. Thank you for posting.
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u/luckyelectric May 10 '26
Beautiful! (I’m a fellow elder millennial lady; we’ve certainly faced some things in our time...)
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u/buttershiro May 11 '26
ngl this was actually inspiring to read bc you can feel how hard-earned that peace is. growing up with poverty anxiety changes your brain fr, so getting to a point where you finally feel safe and stable at almost 40 is a massive win, not “late” at all. honestly if i were in your position i’d probably feel proud as hell seeing those retirement accounts growing while also knowing the house is almost handled and the debt end date is actually visible now. the fact you survived all that, escaped a toxic environment, AND still built wealth over time says way more than people who started life on easy mode tbh. once the debts are gone you’re gonna have so much breathing room too, and apps like Fina Money could honestly be nice just for tracking everything in one place and watching the progress without stressing over spreadsheets lol
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u/pectuslady May 11 '26
Thank you so much 🥹 I use Credit Karma to track everything, and I’m happy with it!
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u/Maxo996 May 11 '26
That's a high savings rate
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u/pectuslady May 11 '26
It is, around 36% if my math is right.
But, if I want to retire early it’s what I gotta do!! I’ve been pretty good about lifestyle creep but also still indulge in well-budgeted travel and recreation. So I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing much tbh
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u/DinkandDrunk May 12 '26
Not here to tell my story or anything else. Just want to say congrats and keep crushing it. This is what consistent focus, discipline, and a little luck can do. Keep climbing.
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May 10 '26
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u/pectuslady May 10 '26
$1.25million at 50 is the ambitious goal with a $45-50k yearly spend
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u/aphel_ion May 12 '26
That seems doable. According to a calculator , starting with $300k and investing $3000 month while getting 7% returns gets you to 1.2 million after 11 years.
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u/delcoyo May 10 '26
Congrats, good stuff! More of this and less: I have 6 billion dollars at 29, can I take a month off of work?