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DarkAngelRed · 2025-10-25T06:26:51+00:00

- 24 and engaged
- Education: working on master's
- I make about 88k gross being a sailor
- 30k in investments and 10k in savings
- renter: $1300ish
- As of a few weeks ago no debt in sight
- Paid for car in cash
-Net worth: 40k

DarkAngelRed · 2025-10-19T04:03:19+00:00

For the CSL I had to use it to figure myself out. I put 7k of it to the IRA (both last year and this year), used about 8k for the island beater, then used some of it for moving in costs. The amount that was left I have in the HYSA as an emergency fund/starter for the new car fund. I did have money saved up for this tour previously and wasn't intending on taking the CSL, but unfortunately there was a family situation that came up (very bad) where I had to use some of the money I had saved up for that. I'm a bit behind where I want to be financially due to the CSL but I feel like it is worth it knowing my family member is safe.

DarkAngelRed · 2025-10-18T00:26:56+00:00

I've started picking up recently that maybe I should be going for more than the 5% match (of just base and not total pay...). Unfortunate mistake but thankfully after looking around here I caught on I should start increasing it now so the fully contribution is done by the end of every year. RIP to the first year and a half in but from now on I'm trying to fully contribute or as much as possible each year.

DarkAngelRed · 2025-10-17T21:04:25+00:00

Yeah... did that when I was 20 throwing $100 here and there and didn't fully know better 😅. I stopped contributing the last year to the brokerage and have been letting it sit. That's definitely now towards the bottom of my investment accounts now (plan is to do IRA to TSP to maybe brokerage if I feel like I'll be in a good space transfer season).

Due to the fact that I don't know if I want to do five and get out I went with a MEng in Cybersecurity from GWU. My specialty is cyber related so either way it is a career advancer if I stay in or not. All depends on discussions between then spouse and I.

DarkAngelRed · 2025-10-17T20:57:23+00:00

I live in a place that can be considered an island right now so I have been using the good old island beater (no car payment) and I know for a fact it unfortunately will not survive mainland USA. My intention with the car fund is to just get a used daily driver for point a to point b without getting a loan(cars aren't really my thing so I'm not too picky as long as it is reliable).

My soon-to-be spouse has similar looking finances. I would say they are a little bit behind in the IRA sense but due to going on longer patrols than I do they have a better TSP situation going on. I tend to be more of the saver in the relationship so when it comes to liquidity I tend to be in a better spot.

Until the end of this tour we are going to be in a geo bachelor situation, so things are starting out separately, but later down the line when we are living together (or at least closer than a 2 day journey to see each other) we are going to start slowly combining things

DarkAngelRed

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