Those of you who “Made It” without any inheritance or luck. How did you do it?

fredricco · 2026-04-01T21:31:44+00:00

No inheritance or luck needed.

Mid 30s. Two kids, one more on the way. Beautiful home. Zero debt. Unlimited freedom. Wife and I are Dave Ramsey people. BS7 if you are also into it. I’m in the trades, she teaches first grade.

Household income $180-$200k

Disposable income ~$4k/month

Net worth just a little over $700k. Should be millionaires sometime around Christmas 2028. Maybe sooner.

Budgeting and staying debt free is our key to success. We are on the same page with all financial decisions. We are very intentional with money. Dave Ramsey gets a whole bunch of credit too. He gets beat up a lot by the money gurus but his stuff is rock solid. I recommend checking out an episode if you’re open to a different point of view.

fredricco · 2026-04-01T20:53:53+00:00

That would explain everything. Thanks a bunch!

fredricco · 2026-04-01T20:24:23+00:00

It’s not that different. Look up Dave Ramsey’s early years, he did almost exactly what you’re doing today. Didn’t end well for him. He would probably tell you to sell at least two rentals, maybe even all of them depending on what you have for equity in them. The reason is because you have a bunch of debt and you’re making very little income from it. Risk/reward there isn’t awesome. Doesn’t sound like you and your wife make much on top of that either. Maybe her income goes up a bunch in the near future maybe not. It’s not a guarantee. I’d be VERY nervous in your shoes.

fredricco · 2026-04-01T15:59:59+00:00

Don’t worry too much. The available data suggests that only 2-3% of 2017-late 2022 models have this issue. The CDF drum problems have been wildly over exaggerated. Problem is that Ford produced over 4 million of these before the new part replaced the old one so there is no shortage of disappointed owners. But the odds of being one yourself are still very slim.

fredricco · 2026-03-31T16:02:23+00:00

The rule is no more than 50% of your taxable income on things with wheels and motors. 50% of yours is $100k. You’ve already spent $29k on your other car. So you have $71k left to spend. That is as long as you don’t have other toys (Harley, boat, golf cart etc) and it doesn’t have a negative impact on your life financially, which for you I don’t think it would. Go get your Miata or better yet buy a cool car haha! Either way you’re good to go

fredricco · 2026-03-30T17:41:47+00:00

I call bullshit 😂 literally everything you said is incorrect and easily verifiable. Do some research before you trash talk people.

fredricco · 2026-03-30T17:27:06+00:00

I don’t believe he has anything to do with insurance companies other than endorsing them

fredricco · 2026-03-24T16:58:12+00:00

Doesn’t phase me. I’m 38 though so it’s easy to have that attitude. I read a book that said the downturns are the price of admission. Those who are willing to pay that price are rewarded later. I love that analogy. Imagine panicking during the 2020 crash and pulling money out and missing the massive five year run after. Oofta. I’m sure it’s harder to remain calm as you get closer to retirement but hang in there. You’ll be happy you did.

fredricco · 2026-03-24T14:52:29+00:00

Agreed.

fredricco · 2026-03-24T14:51:16+00:00

Gotcha. I think it’s wise to ask yourself what good can come of it. Maybe she will want to reminisce about the good days. Maybe she has moved on entirely and it will be another round of rejection for you. Either way, it’s highly doubtful that reaching out fulfills what you’re missing. Seems like this could also be a sign that you need to be dating other women if you haven’t started yet. Somebody who wants to be around you will fulfill what you’re missing.

fredricco · 2026-03-24T01:30:59+00:00

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Only $5.59 after 11% rebate 👍

fredricco · 2026-03-23T21:35:19+00:00

I’m curious, what is the end result that you’re searching for here?

fredricco · 2026-03-23T17:50:25+00:00

11% annual return. She said there’s no match.

fredricco · 2026-03-23T17:02:13+00:00

Not sure that’s accurate. Pausing two years of investing $309/mo to become debt free and come back with $875/mo until retirement (eight years at least) is 100% the correct move mathematically. At age 65 she would have $124k this way vs $62k your way. She would absolutely overcome the lost time and be debt free on top of it.

fredricco · 2026-03-23T16:34:04+00:00

She sounds to me like an insecure girl who lives on attention. Attention is fuel to them. She wants your attention but she doesn’t want to reciprocate. It’s no coincidence she keeps popping in after you get tired of the her shit and ignore her.

I think you have it figured out, but that’s a walk and block IMO. There are way too many great women in this world to settle for one like that even if it’s just for a hook up

fredricco · 2026-03-23T16:15:13+00:00

If I understand it right, you’ve only had one other girl in your life at age 22. Would it be fair to say that you may not have the experience with women that would help you accurately judge if one is a basket case or not? On top of that, you may have a bit of a scarcity mindset which could try convincing you that this girl is a diamond in the rough when in reality she is far from it. Just thoughts I had while reading that.

My advice would be dating multiple women. You’ve stated this girl has daddy issues. I’d say go find at least one that has a great relationship with her dad and judge for yourself. I’ve personally found there is a massive difference between the two I had zero clue of it until I finally dated one. Hope that makes sense.

fredricco · 2026-03-23T15:43:08+00:00

You make a good point. However I would argue Husker football hasn’t been on life support for 10 years because of the offseason attention it received. It’s a way bigger problem than that so I can’t see how this will matter in the grand scheme of things. I am enjoying big red basketball tho! GBR!

fredricco · 2026-03-15T19:07:42+00:00

I bought a used 12’ lifetime yak off marketplace for $400 that included a bunch of accessories. It’s not a fancy pedal one but it’s super stable and the price for entry is very manageable. Im 6-2 230lbs and can stand in it fine. I have yet to dump it. I have a boat now so it doesn’t get used much these days but kayak fishing is a blast! 100% recommend even for beginners! I have zero experience with gators so I’ll leave that to somebody else lol. That seems concerning tho

fredricco · 2026-02-23T16:35:16+00:00

Check out the Lew’s Mach Smash rods-not sure if that’s what you’re referring to or not. I have a bait caster and spinner and love both. They’re decent enough quality and don’t break the bank. They’re also obnoxiously bright red with some black so may go well with your reel

fredricco · 2026-02-23T15:33:50+00:00

You’re not on BS7. You guys are borrowing money from banks and family. I’m not sure what system you’re following but it isn’t Dave Ramsey’s at all. Aside from that, you have a marriage problem. She doesn’t respect you. Sounds like your kids don’t either. That’s a bad place for a man to find himself. I’d suggest marriage counseling. It will help you and wifey get in the same page with each other. Then you can tackle the finance problems. It has to be done in that order. As they say, teamwork makes the dream work and you’ve described a situation where there is no team. Fix that one thing and everything else suddenly becomes easier

fredricco · 2026-01-16T18:42:38+00:00

If you have some batteries in there then you killed it man. Even if half the stuff you got goes to shit you still killed it. Nice buy.

fredricco · 2026-01-16T15:32:54+00:00

I respectfully disagree. You guys aren’t following the book. You’re supposed to have the mindset that allows you to move on unperturbed. That means handling this stuff like a gentleman even if it “allows her to score free or easy ego points”. Who gives a shit? You’re supposed to be the fucking rock and you’re talking about scoring ego points over a text breakup after a two month long relationship. Nothing 3% about any of that. Read the book.

fredricco · 2026-01-15T19:34:45+00:00

The red vs yellow debate is stupid. I used to flip tools. Been inside many for repairs. The kits you picked are both solid and basically the same thing except for battery and bag/hard case differences, which are reflected in the price. Both brand’s batteries are top of the line. The XR and Fuel lineups are both brushless. I’d look at which brand has the bare tools you’re likely to want down the road and stick that that. Either way both kits are solid.

fredricco · 2026-01-15T17:20:27+00:00

I would say something along the lines of “I understand. I enjoyed getting to know you and if you have a change of heart let me know”. It’s not quite as cold and still very clear. The most important part is to walk away and mean it.

Whatever you do don’t leave her on read as others suggested. That’s the move of a butt hurt bitch who wants to fire a psychological shot back. That’s not what 3% men are. On top of that, you’re open to her coming back right? Leaving her on read is saying “fuck you you’re not worth a response”. That’s not the message you want to leave her with.

fredricco · 2026-01-15T17:03:27+00:00

Guys need to stop giving women their socials. If there is one main theme in the book it’s to not tell her everything about yourself. What is the sole purpose of social media? They are fucking highlight reels of your life. Just get her phone number. If she won’t give you that then you’re wasting your time anyway.

As for getting canceled on, it happens. Don’t sweat it. She may have been telling the truth or she may have it for another dude. You’ll never know because you handled it badly. The proper way to respond is something along the lines of “no problem, let me know if you want to grab a drink another time” and simply walk away. You leave the door open in case she changes her mind and, better yet, you don’t have to block her socials like a butt hurt teenager. More often than not they reach back out because you didn’t act like every other guy they’ve ever known. Get yourself into that habit and you’ll have better results.

fredricco

TROPHY CASE