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$1,003,000 net worth (Age 33)
Momentum - At age 33, a married manufacturing engineer and parent of two celebrates reaching $1M net worth (96th percentile for their age) after growing up in a low-income neighborhood and starting at -$36,000 in student loan debt just nine years ago. The key lever was real estate: $771K in equity across five properties (acquired mostly as fixer-uppers), alongside $148K in a 401(k) and $84K in a brokerage. Household income is $132K (wife stays home), and the family drives old Hondas, lives well below their means, and at one stage lived in a one-bedroom to maximize savings and investing. Big job moves and up-skilling in robotics pushed his salary from $65K to $132K. Cash flow from rentals now runs $4,000–$5,200/month, and the hope is to retire comfortably in 15-20 years.
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“I managed to save up ~12k a half year after graduation and used an FHA loan to get my first duplex. Lived in the lower unit for free because the upper was servicing the mortgage. Small progress really does add up.”
TAKE-AWAY:
Relentless frugality, job hopping for higher pay, focusing on skill-building, and overcoming early debt through house hacking are a powerful combination for wealth-building without windfalls or high salaries. The hardest part is the beginning, but “small progress really does add up”. The journey to your first million will be the slowest, but compounding speed increases as you go.
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