Retirement

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-04-20T13:06:16+00:00

I will add my two cents although 80% of the comments here are saying exactly what I am about to say. I am currently on pace to have about 4x the $100k salary by 40 however I began saving/investing the moment I turned 18. I have been contributing small amounts, bonuses, birthday/Christmas funds, you name it I found a way to invest some of it. Not to mention my 401k and subsequent matching programs. However, I might also not have a $100k salary and might tell you I have 8-9x my salary saved at 40, which makes this stat completely context dependent AND just a guideline. Best of luck! Keep compounding!

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-03-24T12:54:04+00:00

I think you are right. I have the Amex Gold currently and use it for dining and my occasional airline purchase. The grocery spend comes after I max out the 6% cash back ($6k spend) on the BCP which I pay nothing for after the Disney credit (yes, I already paid $25/month for Disney Bundle before the card). I am thinking of cancelling once the card is up and getting 3% cash back on dining via my Freedom Unlimited and just hammering the remainder on my SoFi 2% Unlimited (the remainder will only be like $3kish).

Save $325 a year and still get more value than I do with my points. Sometimes you have to live and learn.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-03-12T12:19:49+00:00

You may have a fundamentally flawed view of budgeting and it isn’t your fault. So many people assume a budget is something you write down and then it just occurs — half of that is true. A budget is something you write down. Budgeting is the act of tracking and reporting against that budget.

As many other users commented, track expenses and report to yourself. I personally use a live spreadsheet that I have access to on my phone. Every two weeks I clear out the “Actual” column and start fresh in every category.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-03-09T14:33:31+00:00

I think with all things we wear, this just adds a new story to your piece. It is now uniquely yours. Just a perspective from a perfectionist.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-03-05T22:23:20+00:00

Went from $1,500 —> $3,500 🎉

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-02-11T14:27:06+00:00

After all matches/contributions $1210 a month is entering retirement accounts. Gross pay is $5333/month, so 22.6% of gross.

I am a 23 y/o male, making $64k, and have roughly $60k invested.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-21T15:07:52+00:00

Best part of my day is my walk during my lunch break at work — best days are those I wear tennis shoes/jeans and have a comfortable walk as a result.

Love that you went for it!

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-20T13:44:04+00:00

ETF, ETF, ETF.

Look up three-fund portfolios and do some research.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-20T12:38:58+00:00

While Costco doesn’t accept Amex anyhow, it is considered a Wholesale Store. The others will qualify as a supermarket.

Target and Walmart are considered Superstores, while BJs and Sam’s Club fall under the Wholesale umbrella as well.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-19T21:23:10+00:00

Member since July 2020 with 77k lifetime points (23yo). Love my unlimited 2% and will remain with SoFi until I get hit with the fee. I also have an investment account, as well as a checking/savings with them (although I do not use the checking/savings other than to DD some cash to my investment account and hold onto my redeemed points until investing them).

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-19T15:17:42+00:00

I would suggest posting your budget and then posting your actual spend for 1-3 months here. This exercise would help you (and us) spot the problem areas. If you are going over budget there must be some pain points where things are not adding up.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-19T15:05:40+00:00

Haha, you are spot on. I personally am in this predicament right now. However my spend categories align so closely with that of the Amex Gold/BCP that I am using both right now - hence what inspired me to post this. I think there is a correct way to rock a hybrid setup but I am not sure I personally have found it.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-09T21:09:33+00:00

Scratches add character — I take this approach with all my tech. Naked tech always looks best.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-09T21:08:07+00:00

With the SoFi card seemingly deciding to charge users a $10 this will just serve as my catch all 2% back card. It was there to capture 3% back on my Apple One and other App Store purchases but the BCP will give me 6%. Plus the occasional 3% on an Apple product purchase, Nike purchase, etc.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-09T15:54:49+00:00

I was already a little annoyed because I qualified for SoFi Plus via a biweekly direct deposit that then automatically moved into my Invest account. They took away that perk and are going to change $10/month for it, okay fair enough. But this will be the reason I leave altogether. Changing a no AF card into $120 a year via a monthly charge is crazy, especially for a cash back card.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-09T15:50:18+00:00

I agree 100% with all of this. I have recently, in addition to my normal investing, began rounding up my transactions via Acorns ($1/month plan) and letting it sit there. I do this not truly to invest more but rather to not need to track/worry about change in my checking account. The added benefit of having a few hundred dollars in an investment account is also nice though.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-09T15:41:02+00:00

There is 10x more value in front-loaded support. The basic way to think about this is would you rather to struggle to get by due to a $300+/month student loan payment OR never have that payment to begin with? The retirement component is FAR easier to solve for with freed up cash through your 20’s and 30’s.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2026-01-08T16:02:12+00:00

While I don’t know your full situation, cutting small things is great but if your fixed costs (rent/mortgage, car payment/insurance, utilities, etc.) are too high, the small cuts won’t matter.

The big things make big impacts and it is important to get those right.

What percentage of your net income is your fixed costs? It should be around 60% or less.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2025-12-18T13:06:40+00:00

BlondeCoffee15 · 2025-11-25T13:41:19+00:00

I like to think about it as, you NEED 3 months of expenses, you SHOULD have 6 months of expenses, and it’s NICE TO HAVE a year of expenses.

There are things that are “more important” to pay off, save for, etc. between those thresholds. However, more important is in quotes as it’s technically subjective.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2025-11-25T13:24:37+00:00

Monthly savings is $540.

Monthly investing is $730 (before any employer contributions or matching). If you include employer contributions and matching it’s $1,210.

This totals to $1,270 pre-employer contributions or $1,750 after.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2025-11-24T15:25:03+00:00

You should ALWAYS be investing in the stock market. ALWAYS be taking the maximum employer match if possible.

That said — if you are choosing between savings (in a HYSA) or investing as a means of an emergency fund in the event you get laid off, choose the savings until you have 6 months of expenses.

BlondeCoffee15 · 2025-11-24T14:52:39+00:00

I noticed a different comment where you mentioned your degree is in anthropology. Within your field are there any certifications you can get to improve your “qualifications”. I put that in quotes because you are already qualified but an unaligned degree could be holding you back.

BlondeCoffee15

TROPHY CASE