- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Marking financial milestones
Posted on 7/24/25 at 12:52 pm
Posted on 7/24/25 at 12:52 pm
Any of you have a method to mark or celebrate financial milestones? I just hit another big # and realized again that we just move right on. I might mention to spouse and she is unfazed. Seems like we could leverage these moments better to inspire momentum, spark joy, and plan/dream about how we'll use it.
Once said to each other a vacation was to mark a big one but we both knew we'd have gone anyway.
Once read about a guy that kept corks from wine they celebrate with every $100k, champagne for each million or something like that maybe beer bottle cap for each $10k. Think he wrote a date on them and may have had them displayed somehow no one would have guessed the significance.
Once said to each other a vacation was to mark a big one but we both knew we'd have gone anyway.
Once read about a guy that kept corks from wine they celebrate with every $100k, champagne for each million or something like that maybe beer bottle cap for each $10k. Think he wrote a date on them and may have had them displayed somehow no one would have guessed the significance.
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 1:00 pm
Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:08 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
quote:
Any of you have a method to mark or celebrate financial milestones? I just hit another big # and realized again that we just move right on. I might mention to spouse and she is unfazed. Seems like we could leverage these moments better to inspire momentum, spark joy, and plan/dream about how we'll use it. Once said to each other a vacation was to mark a big one but we both knew we'd have gone anyway. Once read about a guy that kept corks from wine they celebrate with every $100k, champagne for each million or something like that maybe beer bottle cap for each $10k. Think he wrote a date on them and may have had them displayed somehow no one would have guessed the significance.
I don’t do anything. Hell I can’t even pinpoint when I hit 100k because I never looked at that stuff until my mid 30’s.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:21 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
We never did, but I support the idea. We are only now starting to realize some of the rewards of our saving.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:23 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
No, never even thought about spending money to celebrate a financial milestone. Seems counterproductive but I'm uber conservative financially at heart so I may be in the minority.
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 1:24 pm
Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:31 pm to TigerTatorTots
When I opened an investment account i viewed it as somehting I dont need now. If I put money in I planned on not needing it. I havent taken any out at all. When it hits a mill Im seriously considering retiring early.
Im debt free and can live 25 yrs off that easily with a small growth.
? is will I have the balls to do it.
Im debt free and can live 25 yrs off that easily with a small growth.
? is will I have the balls to do it.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:53 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
Pre covid I was obsessed with milestones. After I saw how they butchered the dollar I feel nothing when I hit one.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 2:00 pm to I Love Bama
I get happy inside for a minute and then set my sights on my next one. First one was a net worth of 500k second one was a net worth of 1 million. My current one is a net worth of 2 mil. Never thought imagine I would hit 1 million in my life when I was 20. 500k seemed unrealistic too. My retirement benchmark is 15 million net worth. I never plan on moving so my house will increase my net worth minimal compared to my 401k and investment accounts. It is amazing how easy 500k was once I hit 100k and how easy 1 million was once I hit 500k. They say the toughest benchmark is 100k and it snowballs but you don’t fully understand it until you see it happening
Posted on 7/24/25 at 2:02 pm to I Love Bama
After I saw how they butchered the dollar I feel nothing when I hit one.
---
They sure whacked the end off the dollar.
---
They sure whacked the end off the dollar.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 2:32 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
The difference between $1,000,000 and $999,999 is $1.
Both are just numbers. Keep moving forward.
Well done, though!
Both are just numbers. Keep moving forward.
Well done, though!
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 2:35 pm
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:41 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
quote:
Any of you have a method to mark or celebrate financial milestones? I just hit another big # and realized again that we just move right on. I might mention to spouse and she is unfazed. Seems like we could leverage these moments better to inspire momentum, spark joy, and plan/dream about how we'll use it.
I've never done this, but plan to someday. But I was listening to some podcast about watches and was expecting for the guest to just start listing a bunch of the "it" watches that he had but instead he went through his collection and had a story about every single watch and what part of his life it was celebrating. Most memorable were the watches from his kids weddings (which I believe he bought them the matching watch).
Just added so much meaning to a moment with an object. Pretty cool.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:53 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
We have some friends that allow themselves $1000 to spend on “extra” things every time they save $10,000. They have done this for 25 or so years. They are a little too “all debt is bad debt” for my tastes, but I respect their plan and their discipline.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:35 pm to auwaterfowler
quote:
allow themselves $1000 to spend on “extra” things every time they save $10,000.
Talk about an expense ratio!
Money psychology…whatever works for them.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:53 pm to Artificial Ignorance
Immediately spending 10% is too extreme for me. Just thinking some way to pause and mark the occasional success along the long road would have been a nice thing. Somehow we've stayed the course but seems like we should have deliberately enjoyed the occasion a few times.
I guess it's nice to know we're in good company as others here also just plod along. Also feels a bit sad that there is absolutely no one I can share this progress with but my wife. Plus, can't really tap into it much at moment because it's mostly capital gains, traditional retirement, and Roth (last thing we will touch). I "need" to start using the brokerage to pay tax on Roth conversions but little room to do so before triggering 15% LTCG and 22% income tax rate. Probably need to pay someone to help optimize withdrawal/conversion tax strategy.
I guess it's nice to know we're in good company as others here also just plod along. Also feels a bit sad that there is absolutely no one I can share this progress with but my wife. Plus, can't really tap into it much at moment because it's mostly capital gains, traditional retirement, and Roth (last thing we will touch). I "need" to start using the brokerage to pay tax on Roth conversions but little room to do so before triggering 15% LTCG and 22% income tax rate. Probably need to pay someone to help optimize withdrawal/conversion tax strategy.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:58 pm to tigerbacon
quote:
I get happy inside for a minute and then set my sights on my next one. First one was a net worth of 500k second one was a net worth of 1 million. My current one is a net worth of 2 mil. Never thought imagine I would hit 1 million in my life when I was 20. 500k seemed unrealistic too. My retirement benchmark is 15 million net worth. I never plan on moving so my house will increase my net worth minimal compared to my 401k and investment accounts. It is amazing how easy 500k was once I hit 100k and how easy 1 million was once I hit 500k. They say the toughest benchmark is 100k and it snowballs but you don’t fully understand it until you see it happening
No way I’m sticking around to hit 15 mil. I’ll be to damn old or dead
Posted on 7/24/25 at 5:51 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
We don’t celebrate the milestones, they’re just numbers as said above. With that being said, we’re closing in on a million dollars net worth, it’s not the end or the goal, but I will savor that for a minute when it happens.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 5:56 pm to Rize
Well I also love what I do so I don’t want to ever retire
Posted on 7/24/25 at 6:45 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
We don’t celebrate any milestones but I have a spreadsheet that goes back to the crash of ‘08 when I was so disgusted with the situation, I wanted to quit contributing. Thankfully my wife of only 3yrs at the time talked me off the ledge.
I’ve put both of our 401k balances in the spreadsheet every yr on Jan 1 and July 1 since 2008. I have a section where I list the date when we each hit a milestone. On big milestones, we both list a date when we think we’ll hit it and the person closest to it when we hit it gets their choice of which nice restaurant we go to.
The spreadsheet has been a very motivating factor for me to see things grow. Every raise I got, I’d increase my contribution % until 2014 when I started to max. Made 50yrs old last yr and barely missed the catch up max. My enthusiasm even influenced the wife to max hers since 2017. It’s been fun watching it grow. 4 more yrs until my projected end to being a corporate hoe.
I’ve put both of our 401k balances in the spreadsheet every yr on Jan 1 and July 1 since 2008. I have a section where I list the date when we each hit a milestone. On big milestones, we both list a date when we think we’ll hit it and the person closest to it when we hit it gets their choice of which nice restaurant we go to.
The spreadsheet has been a very motivating factor for me to see things grow. Every raise I got, I’d increase my contribution % until 2014 when I started to max. Made 50yrs old last yr and barely missed the catch up max. My enthusiasm even influenced the wife to max hers since 2017. It’s been fun watching it grow. 4 more yrs until my projected end to being a corporate hoe.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 6:50 pm to TorchtheFlyingTiger
I am along way off but I have a pretty nice watch in mind when we hit $10mm net worth,
Posted on 7/24/25 at 9:17 pm to GCTigahs
quote:
spreadsheet
Many brokerages will let you put all your accounts where you can see balances.
I know Schwab and Fidelity offer this.
I’m retired, but I probably won’t take RMDs for awhile.
Popular
Back to top


17








