After posting a series of bad news items like Americans have low net worths, way too much credit card debt, and are terrible at money management, here's finally some good news.
Here's a family who is bucking all the trends. They are sending 13 kids to college, are debt free, and plan to retire early. Good for them!!!
So you're thinking "they must make a pretty hefty salary, right?"
Nope. Here are the details:
Rob and Sam Fatzinger, lifelong residents of Bowie, Md., lead a single-income family in one of the country’s most expensive regions. Rob’s income never topped $50,000 until he was 40; he’s now 51 and earns just north of $100,000 as a software tester.
So how did they do it? They simply spend a lot less than they earn:
Frugalism is often about math, determination and thinking a bit differently. A few key principles: How much you save, as a percentage of your paycheck, will foretell when you’ll be able to build your own business or retire. Small financial changes can make a big impact. And it’s not really about your income; it’s about your savings.
Then they invested the difference between what they made and what they spent. And their investments grew:
And then there’s the “miracle” of compounding interest, the gift that keeps giving as your investment’s interest spawns its own interest, time and again.
And by paying off debt, they have been able to save even more:
Since the mortgage was paid off in 2012, Rob and Sam have turbo-charged their savings rate, now investing about $3,000 a month.
It really comes down to the basics of good money management:
So if these people can do it with...
- An average income most of their lives
- 13 kids and all the associated expenses
- Living in an expensive area of the country
...don't you think most Americans could as well?
Of course they could -- if they just had the discipline these people have.
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