I started off with several thousand in the hole in 2015 and became debt free in 2021. I took a position in 2019 I was qualified to do 20 years prior because I wanted less stress and more time to myself for $68k/year and I stayed at that position for 4 years. I paid $11,800 cash for my sailboat (29 feet) and $1000 cash for my car. I currently have less than $20k in cash and savings.

All of the big money I had was wasted on the right car, the right clothes, the right watch, the right girl, the right condo. All of it of course was a waste, at least for me. I lived like an average American, wracking up debt so I could ’ live the life '.

[edit] I am a highschool drop out, having only made it though 10th grade. No college, no tradeschool, I self taught how to use a computer (1994) and moved forward from that. I hold no degrees, no certifications. I ended up in System Engineering and Infosec.

Now I repair laptops and phones for people who live in the water, and sometimes do manual labor in a boatyard.

If that doesn’t clear it up please let me know what I’m missing in details.