Hi all
I think I’m one of the “oldest” mustachian in Switzerland - I’ve started reading MMM blog in fall 2013 and registered on the MMM forum in march 2014. There I did contribute a lot before moving over to this forum around 2018 (see for instance this thread)
So around September 2012 my bank account was a whopping 2000 chf - I was fresh out of studies (actually officiallly I had my mechatronics engineering Master in 2013). I did part-time work and study in Zurich and lived on a tight budget but manage it.
I count everything in my wealth - I had basically 0.- in my 2nd pillar and no 3rd pillar.
Exactly 4 years later (September 2016), I had saved my first 100k. It took 48 months, and it was difficult to stay the course, being frugal etc. I had a daughter in the meantime, and I just changed job for the first time with good salary increase.
20 months later (March/April 2019) my total wealth reached 200k - so it took me less than half the time for the second 100k (but manage to get a second daughter)
Today, barely 16 months later, I cracked the 300k for the first time.
It’s meaningless - things are going up and down. People on various forums predicted a global crash since 2013, that never really happened. It’s possible now with Covid19 it will be tough, but we will see.
But is nice to see the “+100k” pace be always shorter - I wonder when 400k will come, I highly doubt market and my savings will propel me in less than another 16-20 months, but we will see.
This was meant as an encouragement to everybody at the beginning of their financial journey - you have the impression you are saving peanuts and nothing move. Is not true - you just need to be patient, which is incredibly difficult.
What helped me was to pick a really easy portfolio (I have only VT, and compensate therest of the world with VIAC), automate savings, and having a family. Once you have kids, you no longer stress over spreadsheet and market movements etc. Your days are so full (and fun, and sometimes angry/sad) that your attention shifts.
I basically went from 0 to 300k in 7 years, with an 80k salary in the first 3 years and ~110k avg salary in the other 4. My wife worked part time, so that helped but unfortunately is not factored in my calculation (~30k per year)
I could have done better, but I’m happy as it is. When the kids are finally out of child care and Kita I expect a boost in savings
Be patient
Grog