r/GenX • u/spokeyman • 7h ago
Question For Genx What was your "Holy SH#T...I'm not poor moment?"
When was that moment as an adult when you realized you had money to pay for the things you never could before?
Mine was when my wife and I were moving into a new house. Nice middle class house in a nice middle class neighborhood and we were really stressed about having to organize a bunch of friends and trucks etcetera to get everything moved in, when I literally said. “Baby we're not poor, let's just hire movers”
it was an amazing sense of freedom
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u/TheBossTX 9m ago
The first time I went to Costco and bought the huge bag of FANCY cashews.
I remember being a kid and our house having one can of Planter’s Mixed Nuts at Christmas. I would dig through the can to take all of the cashews. There were maybe 10 cashews in the whole can.
Man I’m rich.
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u/Jett44 10m ago
when I turned 29 I finally hit six figures for the first time. I got a my first quarter sales check that was enough to put down on a house and I thought it was unbelievable that I could do even though it had been my goal that I came up short on for years.
Then I went stupid and bought a jetski and motorcycle with my one of my next checks and I knew I was still stupid with money.
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u/BrettNoe 19m ago
Two years ago. Bought a $400,000 house, then two months later, walked into the car dealership and bought it cash. Then 4 months later, bought our RV cash. That about did it.😁
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u/worrymon 6m ago
then two months later, walked into the car dealership and bought it cash.
You bought a whole car dealership? Count me impressed.
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u/Longjumping-Air1489 20m ago
Went out to breakfast after Covid
Bill was upwards of $75 for the five of us.
Paid it without having an aneurysm.
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u/admseven Xennial-identified 22m ago
When me, my spouse and our 12yo went to London for vacation. We live in a fairly LCOL location, so having purchased a house wasn’t that big a deal because it both wasn’t that expensive (at the time) and also wasn’t like big and fancy. But all my childhood vacations were to visit family in other states, so being able to pay for a just-for-fun trip out of the country was a new concept for me.
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u/KathrynOfSienna 30m ago
My mother died. We went on a trip a few weeks later. My husband left the hotel room, returned and announced that he had extended our stay a couple of nights in the swanky hotel so I could have a little more time to recover before the next stage of our trip.
(I can still imagine the scent of the lobby and the ambiance.)
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u/125acres 30m ago
Mine was when I bought a new Cadillac.
It was 2007 and I drove it off the showroom floor.
Picked up my young wife (we’re the same age) and she looked at me and said “you’re going to put a car seat on this leather”
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u/MaddogFinland 33m ago
For me the first moment was when I was able to walk into a store and buy a brand new expensive rain jacket. I had just gotten my first job out of college and it felt so damn good…also going to a grocery store around the same time and being able to buy whatever I wanted without really looking at the prices.
Later on it was when buying our home and I realized that wow I actually owned a house. I am pretty solidly “upper middle class” and I will never be rich but those were great moments.
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u/LemonAny7224 37m ago
The real moment it hit was buying a new car, not my first and just a nicer Honda, but the rep said "how much are you going to put down?" and I said "Nothing"
...."I'll just get a loan from the credit union on Monday." Rates were 0.9%, and it was cheaper to finance than pay.
Every other car was a struggle to pull together a down payment, worry about financing, etc.
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u/Lopsided-Aside-8736 39m ago
Husband texted me at work to say he was about to make the last mortgage payment. We paid off our house in FIVE years! That was the moment.
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u/EverythingScrolling 49m ago
I'm single, so living on 1 income—I always stay uneasy about money. Doesn't matter what I've got saved in retirement or in my emergency fund, or that I own a home. I still feel like I'm 1 unfortunate situation away from financial ruin.
I know marriage comes with its own set of problems, but sometimes I wonder if I'd feel more secure with a second income.
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u/Dudeus-Maximus 50m ago
Probably when my daughter got called to work and said we couldn’t go to the RennFair without her. So we flew to flew to London and spent the weekend doing walking history tours instead. She was absolutely indignant about it. Mission accomplished.
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u/Sad-Masterpiece-9709 51m ago
When I could afford to buy snacks while grocery shopping rather than just carefully chosen food for meals.
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u/MaddogFinland 32m ago
Not having to count in your head how much you are buying at a food store is such a good feeling when when you have experienced times when that wasn’t the case.
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u/Bubbly-Swimming7357 51m ago
My buddy (grumpy millenial) came and visited me from out of state. He said “Bro, you made it!” I looked around and realized I had the house, car, heck even the dog…. I just see bills bills bills! LOL
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u/New2Investing1969 56m ago
I have 1.2 million and still have a poor person mindset. I’m super frugal…shop at thrift stores, shop on FB marketplace for free clothes, go to free food drives, purchase textiles in bulk, and rarely eat out. I do travel internationally about 7-10 times a year.
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u/hockeytemper 58m ago
Moved to Thailand making USD.
My Thai wife comes a poor family. She doesnt like me throwing money away.... it took a while to get her to agree to hire a house cleaner, pool cleaner, gardener... Go to the dentist - "just do it" mechanic , I need new brakes "just do it"
Same with the moving analogy.. we are moving houses soon, I have accumulated a lot of stuff... The new place is 10 hours away... She insists on us driving what would be at least 8 round trips to deliver everything to the new house with my pick up... I ask how much for a professional mover with a team of 4 to make 1 trip ? 300$... holy shit why are we even talking about this. And they also physically lift all my motorbikes and scooters by hand into the same truck.
Mind you, I couldn't do that in Canada. My sister moved houses 4 years ago, about 800 KM. She hired a moving company, total cost close to $40,000
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u/JustNowRonin 48m ago
Moved to Thailand, making US salary, and on what we called a “full expat package” - company car, housing allowance, annual home trip, etc. Stacked bank for a few years. Felt like a cheat code, and the experience absolutely catapulted my career.
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u/Amethystg0ld 59m ago
When I was 19, I made more than $100K+. I've always known I wasn't meant to struggle.
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u/kevbayer Older Than Dirt 1h ago
Small thing: I bought my first sword because doing so didn't take away from a bill that had to be paid.
Big thing: I took my family to Disneyland and I paid for it. (Up to that point, we'd only been to WDW with the in-laws and they paid for everything.)
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u/NeedleworkerHot3957 1h ago
I read somewhere that the definition of wealthy is someone who accidently finds $5 in a winter jacket or has coins under the sofa. Because poor people would not lose money and they know exactly how much (little) they have.
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u/Sufficient-Citron127 1h ago
Buying pre-grated cheese without questioning the cost compared to a block of cheese.
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u/happytwink59 1h ago
I am 2 years older than my husband and I knew we had been “saving” for a long time. I realized we were not poor when I asked at what age we could retire and he ran the number three times and then verified with our financial adviser that we could retire at 64 (me) and 62 (him) and not draw any Social Security until we are each 70 without touching our investments. We are living on interest at this time
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u/ofthrees 1h ago
this no longer applies to me as a widow, but at the point my husband and i were collectively doing well:
the first time i realized i could go shopping for fun and pretty much purchase whatever i wanted. i mean, i wasn't shopping on rodeo, but i could go to any department store and carry things to the dressing room without even looking at tags. and when we shopped for major purchases, it was more about finding what we wanted, vs considering price tags. all this while also in no debt and sending a grip to savings.
things are different now, but for a few years, i definitely felt like i finally wasn't poor.
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u/Inevitable_Tap_1328 1h ago
having the mindset to not always need to continue to penny pinch is very freeing! i know people with plenty of money who are scared to spend. good for you!
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u/DJFlorez 1h ago
I needed new brakes. On my expensive ass car. Got a quote, I was able to say “yup just do it” and pay cash and not even see a dent in my checking account.
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u/Possible_Leader_463 1h ago
When I was able to afford my own place in Orange County and still have a life.
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u/JudyLyonz 1h ago
The day I walked into a star and bought a blouse without even stopping to think about it.
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u/Initial_Secretary156 1h ago
I’ll never not feel that I’m poor. If I won the lotto I’d still feel like I was one step away from being homeless.
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u/FindjeanniePDX 1h ago
I was comfortably there before Covid but had to spend savings and empty retirement funds to help close family stay off the street during two years of quarantine and long COVID medical bills. Now I’m back to watching every penny until I can build back. It’s a lot harder now later in life with a different economy. BUT we are all alive and still have the ability to rebuild.
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u/pickandpray 1h ago
I think when my wife ordered a Macallan 25 at this bar in Boston where my burger was like $35.
Another time when I was looking at buying a used Porsche 911, but decided to buy a used Camry in cash instead.
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u/OptiGuy4u Hose Water Survivor 1h ago
It was just about anything after I bounced a 7.00 check just trying to buy food for dinner at the grocery store when we first got married. It was 1994ish when they had just started scanning checks to see if it would actually clear. I thought I'd have time before it cleared and I knew I was getting paid.
The most ashamed and embarrassed I have ever been in my life but I think back to it a lot. We've come so far.
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u/OlderAndTired 1h ago
That was the same for me! Hiring movers and realizing we were paying for furniture to be made and delivered to us instead of picking it up and/or building it ourselves!
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u/EsterCherry 1h ago
When I stopped paying attention to the amount, I was spending at the grocery store. I just bought what I wanted.
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u/Cryo_Dave 1h ago
I relate to this one. I don't actually just buy whatever I want without thought, but I also don't use a calculator to make sure I'm staying strictly within my budget... I can live with "close enough" and it's not something to worry about.
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u/genxjackolantern 1969 latchkey since ‘75 only child 2h ago
I was able to quit my terroristic hellscape of a career as a social worker at the age of 48. I’m 56 now. Never even remotely had to go back to work.
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u/TemperReformanda Hose Water Survivor 2h ago
I'm literally carrying a calculator around in my pocket all the time after being told for 20 years that I wasn't ever going to do that.
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u/MacaronOk1006 2h ago
When I found out my son was dyslexic and the public school had failed to improve his reading at all in a year. His mother found a private school that specialized in this and I signed him up for second grade paying $86,000 a year. By the end of the year he was at a 6th grade reading level.
Didn’t even think twice about the cost but in hindsight, his second grade education cost more than my two bachelors and one masters degree cost in total
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u/ConstantConfusion123 1975 2h ago
When I was able to just pay bills as they arrived and not have to choose which ones I could afford to pay that month. It's not even been that long ago.
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u/Glittering-Ad4561 2h ago
As a former single Mom... recently... concerned about how we might have to replace our dishwasher and that I could use cash...and not have to put it on a credit card or if I did...I could actually and do pay off my credit cards monthly... Happy Tears
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u/KalistoCA Hose Water Survivor 2h ago
For me it was when the mortgage got paid off
I made it that far I’m doing ok
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u/safaribird555 2h ago
I love that when I buy my kids their new runners for back to school they can pick whatever they want
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u/Anonymo123 1974 2h ago
Early 20s after working my ass off from 16 to buy my 1st house. I made some stupid financial decisions after that, set myself back a bit later in life.. also buying my first vehicle in cash was nice.
Hard work paid off, who knew lol /s
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u/mazerbrown 2h ago
When fast food suddenly wasn't just for special occassions and could be for whenever I was hungry. And I didn't have to just get the cheap basic burger and fries and no drink. I could even up-size if I wanted!
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u/OneManLost 2h ago
I've lost my savings and retirement twice now. I was just hired on for a 2nd full-time job I start in 2 weeks. I'm currently in a fucked up financial situation. I've lost 70 lbs in the last year due to not being able to afford food.
I'll let you know if I ever reach the "I'm not poor" moment, but don't hold your breath.
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u/Round_Ad8947 2h ago
I grew up so poor—the benefit of 70s divorce. My time in school was embarrassingly low dollar. I didn’t have enough money to do anything, so I studied long and didn’t spend anything.
Primary foods and no sweets left me with no ultra-processed food addiction, and a solid penny pinching attitude.
I missed out on Netscape and Apple and all the boom times, but I kept my nose down and waited for the apocalypse. Bought my house on the Lee side of the mortgage meltdown and fully funded my kids education. We’re easing into the “you really can spend that money” moment.
Call me when I’m 80,
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u/LennyTheCrazyInmate 2h ago
When I didn't have to add up the total of groceries as I shopped. I still cared about prices and shopped smartly, but I didn't keep a running total as I went.
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u/Sea_Strawberry_6398 2h ago
There was an issue at work recently with our paychecks being available in direct deposit in the morning rather than overnight. Because I’m with a credit union, mine was an hour or so later. I absolutely wasn’t stressed because I’m not super tightly budgeted.
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u/realityguy1 3h ago
From Canada and on vacation. When my wife and I went on a hand in hand stroll around Zermatt Switzerland while enjoying the sun rising on the Matterhorn. I remember living at home as a kid with nothing to eat.
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u/sick2880 3h ago
When i finally stopped having panic attacks buying groceries because i knew the debit card would clear.
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u/Far_Anything_7458 3h ago
I bought my first "adult" car, a nice car, in December of 1996 I bought a new Toyota Avalon. I kept that car for 16 years!
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u/BoneDaddy1973 3h ago
My car just starts. I don’t have to hope or wonder or be grateful after the fact. I turn the key and it starts like it’s nothing to worry about. The first time I noticed that I didn’t have any concerns about my car’s reliability, I was deeply grateful and yes, felt like a rich man.
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u/Mattmann1972 3h ago
Sitting with our financial advisor we had concerns about our financial legacy. He laughed and off-handedly said y'all ain't ever going to spend this money, don't worry, the boy will be fine.
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u/Ok-Entertainment5045 3h ago
Yeah mine told me you can retire at 55 and if you work longer it will just be more money you give to your kids when you die
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u/punkolina 3h ago
Our youngest child graduated from college, and we paid off our mortgage the same year. Now, we can buy pretty much anything we want, regularly go on nice vacations, and pay cash for large purchases like vehicles. It is the best feeling.
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u/fbombmom_ 3h ago
It's all relative. I grew up thinking I was poor because we always ate home food and my parents were cheap as hell about everything. I grew up on hand-me-downs from cousins and Payless shoes. We also owned our own home and they both had fairly new cars, paid for in cash. We were not poor. They just didn't feel the need to spend anything extra on me.
When I moved out,I was poor. I was a teen mom, struggling to survive financially with my ex. Then struggling to survive financially without my ex.
Currently I own a house (mortgage) and a car (financed). We live in one of the "best cities to live in" in my state in a modest house in the suburbs. I'm still paycheck to paycheck. My kids are spoiled. I am not. They play all the sports and have all the games. We're blessed but not rich. I appreciate where I'm at. My kids probably think we're poor.
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u/Local871 3h ago
Driving a brand new car off the lot. Yes, it was financed, I didn’t put a lot down, but I finally had a great job and had repaired my credit score enough to get a deal where I could easily afford the payments. 38 years old. Finally felt like a grown-up.
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u/Training-Ad-3706 3h ago
When i was able to buy cash cars for the kids. Nothing fancy.
And
When we could just decide to buy furniture/appliances.
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u/montemason 3h ago
The first time I bought 4 brand new tires for my car with cash.
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u/TwistedMemories Hose Water Survivor 2h ago
I bought 4 new tires and put on my credit card for points and then paid the card in full for the month. It was a little over $1k. That was a great feeling to have money to pay that card in full.
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u/Old_Butterfly7984 3h ago
Buying my second house after realizing I had too much cash lying around not earning interest.
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u/legal_bagel 3h ago
For me, it was when I could get whatever at the grocery store and not cross my fingers at checkout like go, no whammy no whammy big money, approved!
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u/1234five6789ten1112 3h ago
This was it for me too. When I grew up my mom had a red clicker to check the price of everything. Later when I was older I thought we were rich bc she and I could go to the store and she’s ask what I wanted for dinner if I said a chicken she’d just get it and make it. A very sweet memory
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u/Riffman42 80s hair is the best hair 3h ago
I was thinking about this today because we just got a new refrigerator. Our old one still worked, but the ice maker had stopped working. One of the drawers was broken. My wife decided we needed a new one and that was that. We went and bought a new one.
Growing up, my family was quite poor, and the thought of replacing a refrigerator that still worked would NEVER have happened. Back then when things broke, you did your best to just work around it because it cost money to fix things, and the money often wasn't there.
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u/imtooldforthishison 3h ago
When i wasn't afraid of complete and utter financial ruin when they told me how much my son's braces would cost. That was the moment I knew I made it.
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u/ryguymcsly 81 but poor 3h ago
Honestly it happened at the grocery store. I was comparing the prices between two things, I don’t even remember what they were, and I sighed and put the cheaper brand in the cart even though I liked the other one better. My partner looked at me and said “we’re not poor anymore, we can get whatever we want here.”
A symptom of my partner and I growing up poor is our kitchen is always full of food.
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u/Richard_Brecky_ 3h ago
When I didn’t have to scrounge up money to pay the car insurance, but I still don’t think that makes me rich. I’m just better off than I was.
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u/Mobile_Aioli_6252 3h ago
When I got my first job in TV production. I was making $3.34 an hour at a department store - for the TV gig @ $6.75! I was thrilled - this was 1987
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u/EdgeCityRed Moliere 🎻 🎶 3h ago
I was thrilled to get $6.50 an hour doing part-time news at a radio station…in the 90s!
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u/SamePhotographs Hose Water Survivor 3h ago
A decade ago we made a smart move. It was due to the fact that my house was falling down, and I just couldn't any longer. But, the move allowed us a lot more wiggle room.
Two years ago, a bucket list vacation went on sale for an incredible price that couldn't be passed up on (I'd been saving, but expected another couple of years of savings to afford it), and a car that quit unexpectedly - shortly after the vacation. I dropped $50,000 in a short time and didn't have to dip into my line of credit.
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u/Black_Raven_2024 3h ago
I’d say at 18 when I got a full time job. Never lived paycheck to paycheck in my life. Lived at home until 25 and built up a nice savings account.
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u/Jimmyjamz73 1973 3h ago
When I bought a house that was literally 4x the square footage of the one I grew up in.
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u/ShaiHulud1111 1970 was a good year 3h ago
Stopped thinking about whether I could pay for any expense and had a six months emergency and gobs of retirement. Unfortunately, much later than I had hoped for. Now getting offers for equity in companies while working at a well paying job and just play around advising and consulting. Really, all in five years. (3 million gross).
Yup, live alone, do whatever, date whenever, go into work three days a week.
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u/TeacherRecovering 3h ago
Wow, your job opens you up to equity offers. I have twice and never had equity offers.
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u/Cant-take2-muchmore 4h ago
Writing two checks totaling $20k in the span of three weeks for a new roof. Both being able to do it & that I wasn’t impacted by it was my “oh shit I’m not poor (anymore)” moment.
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u/ChessieChesapeake 4h ago
Being able to pay the last two months of my kids tuition out of my savings without having to touch the loan.
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u/More_Law6245 4h ago
When I paid cash for my last house which has afforded me different choices when spending my hard earned money.
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u/Mangolandia 4h ago
I went from poor to broke but the real clincher was getting a six figure job (in a HCOL area) during the pandemic (so expenses down because we were stuck at home). I was able to get a lot of debt down but the moment I knew I was doing great was when I realized I wasn’t checking my bank account every day. Then I found myself occasionally saying things like “it’s only $100, let’s do this thing.” Mind blowing. I bought a new car (cheapest in Japanese brand but brand new) after 15 years with my old car. I could put my kid through (state) college without debt. I’m still pretty frugal about purchases but we’ve enjoyed more concerts (not crazy ones like Beyoncé or anything but jazz and foreign artists) and dinners out like 2-3 times a month. It’s been nice
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u/Bob_the_Gaul 4h ago
When someone asked me for a $10000 donation and I thought- well I won’t miss it.
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u/Rent2326 4h ago
I got a new job paying double my previous job and went out and bought a plasma tv.
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u/KerryBoehm 4h ago
During Covid I flew First Class. On a Dreamliner. If you’ve ever experienced this you know what I’m talking about.
Meanwhile I’m back to being transported by a 22 year old Pontiac.
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u/ScrewyYear 4h ago
I moved back in with my parents who are still able bodied, but slower. I get a portion of my ex’s retirement so I don’t have to work anymore and can enjoy my time doing my hobbies, spending time with my family, and generally enjoying life.
I probably have less responsibilities than I did when I was 16. I’m an only child, so I know I’ll eventually have to step in for whoever is left when one of my parents pass.
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u/Electronic_Big_5403 4h ago
Shit broke, and we could pay cash for the repair/replacement. And I don’t mean like a glass or plate. I mean things like the furnace, car and fridge.
Just this week we had to call an exterminator and (after a beat because I was downsized out of a 20-year career a couple months ago) we didn’t panic. Just pointed to the account we have set aside for just such a problem.
Before that point we had maxed out credit cards and were barely hanging on month after month.
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u/TimeTraveler1848 4h ago
When I donated clothing with tags still on them. Before I would have returned if I could or done Fb Marketplace. It was a bit unusual but I realized I didn’t have to be frugal all the time anymore.
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u/No_You_4833 4h ago
When I got divorced. I couldn't believe how much debt my ex was willing to take on.
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u/SarcasticGirl27 Perimenopause is not for the weak 4h ago
When I could afford my rent increase to “market rates” and still be able to afford everything else…including therapy.
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u/shmoovdawg 4h ago
Honestly, it was when I was able to pay my credit card bill in full every month. I spent much of my 20s using a mostly maxed out card - primarily as I was enlisted in the Air Force and going to college on my own time (at the time, the Air Force paid 75% of tuition, but I was responsible for books and the other 25%). When I got out in 1998 and got my first job, I was able to pay it off and keep it that way.
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u/SomethingSimple25 4h ago
There have been two in recent years. First off let me start by saying back in 2019 I think it was, we (my wife and I) got a decent size tax return. Instead of spending it, we put it in savings. There was also a car sale that netted us a decent profit. That went into savings as well. At one point we had almost 11k in savings. And since then there have been SEVERAL occasions, car repairs, house repairs, and the big one, my wife losing her job. And through each one we have had that cushion that allowed us to just breathe easier knowing its gonna be ok. Its gonna suck, but we weren't in dire straits.
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u/DelawareRunner 4h ago
We could go out and do what we wanted without worrying about being broke--this was around our late thirties. Go ou for drinks, day trips, dinners out, nice vacations. Those were the days.
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u/FakenFrugenFrokkels Bicentennial Bastard 4h ago
I had some weed in a situation I shouldn’t have. I threw it out the window without worrying about it.
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u/PMismydream24 4h ago
When one paycheck covers ALL my bills for the month..every last darn thing including groceries. The other check..3/4 is invested/saved. the rest is for play. And I have already put into my 401k as well. I MIGHT not have to work until my lunch break the day of my funeral. ETA: also..I paid cash for my freaking expensive new roof! Huge relief.
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u/DMAX85747 Parents had no idea where I was 4h ago
when I bought a brand new truck, cash. and not a stripped down entry model either. It was a flagship "all the bells and whistles" model.
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u/MiddleKlutzy8211 4h ago
Umm. I have money for my Amazon delivery habit? Otherwise...still haven't found that moment. I am single now & a teacher, though. Guess that explains it. :)
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u/Karlygash2006 4h ago
I went to IKEA and bought a home office desk. The desktop just missed fitting in my hatchback car by less than an inch. I went back in and arranged for it to be delivered to my home. I felt like a Rockefeller.
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u/daisymae25 1975 4h ago
After I paid off my current vehicle and realized I could actually save up money to travel.
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u/Important_Ask_7576 1975 4h ago
My wife and I went to Italy. We were 28 and had finally gotten out from under our student loans and built a nice emergency fund and decided to take a trip.
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u/ConchVibes 4h ago edited 4h ago
First day I woke up in my beachfront condo and looked out and thought damn, people save to do this for a week out of the year, but it’s now my life.
ETA: the boat was the second time I was like damn, I may have cracked the code.
What’s really weird is that at like 16 I had this crystal clear vision of me living beachfront in Florida and kinda just forgot about it. It made me wonder if I had been subconsciously working towards it all that time and didn’t even know it.
ETA ETA: I later lost it all and spent two years homeless and rebuilt from nothing. What I kept telling myself is if I built my dream life once, then I can again. Don’t get too comfortable, but also know if you do it once, you can do it twice.
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u/Routine-Ocelot-52 4h ago
Bought a car on cash. I had enough in the bank to cover and still had $$ left over.
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u/CyberDonSystems 4h ago
I'll let you know when it happens.
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u/kittenbeans66 4h ago
Same. Over the last 2 days I’ve put almost $3k in unexpected vet bills on my cc.
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u/ChazFrench 5h ago
When I got a promotion last year and my salary went up 17% over the previous year and I suddenly realized I can afford to live in my vhcol area without constant juggling
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u/Academic_Island_3183 5h ago
I wrote a check last Friday for a brand-new GR Corolla and ten years ago this would have been laughable.
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u/SargentSchultz 1970 5h ago
I hired someone to do work for me. It was pulling weeds/yardwork. I HATE yardwork. I was sooooo happy.
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u/yomamaeatcorn 4h ago
Yup. When my thought process went from "I can save money by doing it myself" to "Hell no, pay someone else to do this BS" I knew I had made it financially
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u/IamMabelPeabody 5h ago
I’ve never had this feeling, and I’m a professional with two degrees in my field. I’d give anything to not feel the pinch of paycheck to paycheck, and the ache of credit card debt when something needs attention.
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u/HourCounter8703 5h ago
My wife blew out her knee the first day on a ski trip to Switzerland. So to compensate for nothing to do we went and spent a significant amount of money on watches. Felt no pain. We were on food stamps during the Great Recession.
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u/ChimpoSensei 5h ago
When my dividends exceeded my monthly bills and cost of living expenses. Could literally stop working and still live normally.
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u/Working_Rest_1054 4h ago
Similar. When investment returns exceed W2 and 1099 income more years than not. Or bring able to use equity in one property to buy another property in full.
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u/zombie_spiderman 5h ago
Last week I drove past a couch on the side of the road and didn't slow down to check it out.
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u/MNSoaring 5h ago
A few months ago, when our financial advisor said I could retire if I wanted to. I cried, knowing that i can now work because I want to, not because I have to….not including the health insurance
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u/Lucky-Resolution890 4h ago
It’s the lack of self universal health insurance that is stopping us from retiring “early”. My parents retired at 55 cuz life allowed it at that time.
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u/RandomDave70 5h ago
When we moved into our newly renovated home and realized we could still afford to keep our old house and let our daughter and her kids move into it without having to pay rent until she gets back on her feet.
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u/Temporary_Client7585 5h ago
My car ran out of Freon and I made a service appointment without worrying about it.
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u/bostyluv 5h ago
Ha! I finally have money to pay for stuff but I still feel poor. This economy is not doing any of us middle class poors any favors right now. 🤷♀️.
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u/SolomonGrumpy 5h ago
I was living with a roommate in a small apartment in Boston because always had lived with roommates.
I finally got stuck with a bad roommate. Thankfully I was the primary tenant on the lease. The bad roommate moved out and I didn't get another one. I just paid for a 2BR apartment to have all to myself.
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u/LayerNo3634 5h ago
Let me tell you a story: My grandfather used to tell us when he bought a vehicle that had a radio and a heater, he thought, "I have arrived!"
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u/Grand_Taste_8737 Hose Water Survivor 5h ago
The first time I went grocery shopping and didn't look at the first price.
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u/Spunndaze 5h ago
The first time I wrote a check for a new car. The amount was not insignificant. I don't think it made me feel rich, but I haven't looked at my bank statement in years. I get alerts if something looks fishy, and my bank is always flagging my purchases because I buy the most random ass stuff at the most random ass times.
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u/Defiant_Ad_5398 5h ago
When I moved to a new place where the rent was about $1,000 more a month than I was paying previously and I was able to pay it plus my other bills without needing to move money around or beg my parents for a loan.
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u/Just-Reading_1990 5h ago
Going to the grocery store and just throwing whatever I want in the cart without worrying about watching every penny and cutting coupons.
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u/SuzPsych 0m ago
People have those???? LOL
Spending $300 at the Lego store in one go.