My financial journey
How We Built Financial Security on Ordinary Earnings
The whole story: modest wages, family help, mistakes, work, investing, and a gradual move toward financial independence.
Read article →Personal finance & investing
Building wealth on ordinary earnings.
Real earnings, investing decisions, mistakes, help from family, and what I learned along the way. A first-person financial record meant to inform—not to promise anyone else's results.
November 2026 snapshot
$370,000Approximate value of four investment accounts1998–2025Documented annual earnings history
55Personal retirement target ageBalances change. These are my personal figures, not benchmarks or recommendations.
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Why I publish these numbers
I hope an honest account of what worked, what didn't, and the assistance our family received helps readers think more carefully about their own decisions.
Accounts tracked4
Children taught investing3
Years since first investment~18
My financial journey
Income & work
Income & work
What I Actually Earned, 1998–2025
A year-by-year record of my Social Security-taxed earnings, what those numbers do and do not measure, and why income context matters.
Read article →Investing & performance
Investing & performance
My First Investments: FundX, FLATX, and a Move to the S&P 500
What two inheritances, disappointing funds, dividend reinvestment, and occasional withdrawals taught me about the stock market.
Read article →Investing & performance
How I Went from the Minimum 401(k) Match to Saving 26% of Pay
My retirement contribution history, employer benefits, 2023–2025 payroll records, current holdings, and measured returns.
Read article →Living within our means
Living within our means
Tax Refunds, Old Cars, and the Reality of a Tight Family Budget
Why we sometimes waited for refunds, asked banks to waive overdraft fees, relied on relatives, and still tried to save.
Read article →Financial decisions
Financial decisions
Why We Bought Our Home in 2010—and Why I Financed a Car in 2026
Two decisions shaped by schools, interest rates, expected returns, monthly obligations, and opportunity cost.
Read article →Financial independence
Financial independence
My Financial Independence Goal: Retire at 55
A personal plan for living abroad on roughly $30,000 a year, maintaining a rental home, and prioritizing time.
Read article →Teaching the next generation
Teaching the next generation
Teaching My Children About Saving and Investing
Why we opened accounts for all three children and what I hope they learn earlier than I did.
Read article →About this publication
About this publication
How I Report Financial Numbers, Returns, and Disclosures
Definitions, sources, corrections, advertising disclosures, and the limits of what the numbers can prove.
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