Starting Net Worth: $246,040
January 2026 marked another major milestone in our financial journey as we officially crossed a $250,000 net worth. This growth was driven by two main factors. First, we continued to aggressively pay down debt. Second, the stock market got off to a strong start to the year, which provided a nice tailwind for our investments.
When we took time to reflect on how we reached this point, one thing stood out clearly. There were no extreme strategies, risky bets, or improbable maneuvers involved. Progress came from consistently making good financial decisions over a long period of time. That included being willing to make sacrifices early on in order to start adult life on solid financial footing. This milestone reinforces an important lesson. Wealth building is often far more about behavior than brilliance. Steady saving, disciplined debt repayment, and staying invested through market ups and downs tend to matter much more than trying to find shortcuts.
Looking ahead, our next major goal remains unchanged. We are continuing to aggressively pay off debt, with the specific objective of becoming completely debt free outside of our mortgage in 2027. Hitting that goal would create even more flexibility and security as we move into the next phase of our financial plan.
This post also represents another transition point for the blog itself. The series has now officially caught up to the present day. Going forward, the format will shift from weekly historical updates to a monthly post that reflects real-time, up-to-the-minute commentary on what is happening in our financial lives. As always, we hope this series provides transparency into a subject that is typically considered taboo, although having open and honest conversations is the best way to ensure everyone is headed down the right path!
Ending Net Worth: $263,958
None of the above information is a recommendation. This blog is purely intended as commentary on things that have happened along our financial journey.