I hit 40k in savings after three years of not being in school.
I left a state university in 2021 and started working full time at a print shop. I just checked my bank account and the number really hit me. I was putting away about a grand a month by living with roommates and not having student loan payments. It matters because for the first time, I don't feel behind my friends who graduated. Has anyone else hit a money goal that made dropping out feel okay?
Used to think ppl were crazy for making emergency funds a priority. Then lost my job out of nowhere last year and that savings buffer @the_dakota is talking about literally kept me from losing my apartment. Changed my whole view on what "security" actually means.
Nice! Honestly, that feeling of catching up is huge (way bigger than any diploma on a wall, sometimes). You built real security, and that's a win no one can take from you.