💰 The Biggest Purchases I Made in My 20s: A Reflection on Money Management
As I approach my 30th birthday, I can't help but reflect on the biggest purchases I made in my 20s. From buying my mom a house to clearing out my student loan debt, renovating my kitchen, and purchasing a new car and home, I've made some significant financial decisions over the past decade. As someone who grew up with very little and now finds herself in a position of abundance thanks to e-commerce and selling on Amazon, I've learned a lot about money management along the way. In this article, I'll share my experiences and insights on how to make smart financial decisions, even when you're faced with a windfall of cash.
🏠 Buying My Mom a House
The first big purchase I made in my 20s was buying my mom a house. At the time, I was making more money than I'd ever seen in my entire life, thanks to my online business selling products on Amazon. The house itself wasn't super expensive, but it was a huge investment for me, especially at an age where I didn't think it was even going to be possible for me to own a home. I put about 5% down on the house, which came out to around $10,000, and spent anywhere between $17,000 to $20,000 on purchasing it. Looking back, I'm very happy with that investment, especially now that we're in 2023 and house prices are just through the roof. My mom still lives in that house to this day, and it's been incredible to see the benefits of homeownership from a younger age.
💸 Clearing Out My Student Loan Debt
When I graduated college, I had about $38,000 worth of student loan debt. I was paying off the loans, but the amount that I owed was not going down because of the interest rates. So, when I was making all of this money from Amazon, I decided to clear out my debt. I paid off about $10,000 of my student loans, but the number was still the same because of the interest rates. So, I decided to pay a big lump sum of about $37,000 and some change all in one transaction. I also owed some money to the IRS, which I paid off at the same time. It was a very significant amount of money, but I felt relieved and lighter after doing it. I don't use my degree, so to have that $38,000 hanging over my head was very stressful. I'm happy that I was able to pay it off and move forward in my life without that debt weighing me down.
🍴 Home Renovations
I live in Las Vegas, and when I first moved here, I was living in a different home than I am now. I had the whole entire house painted, which cost about $5,000. But what I really want to talk about is the cost of redoing the kitchen. I had the cabinets spray-painted, changed out the hardware, changed out the lighting, and got quartz counters, which were very expensive. The countertops themselves were about $6,000, and I paid about $2,000 to have them installed. Spray-painting the cabinets all came out to about another $10,000, so all of that put together was about $22,000 to $25,000 spent on updating the kitchen and renovating it, along with painting the entire house. It was a lot of money to spend on something that was confined to one room, but for me, kitchens are very important. I fall in love with the house by the kitchens and the bathrooms, and I just hated being in there cooking and feeling like it wasn't what I wanted.
🚗 Purchasing a New Car
Business was booming with Amazon, and I decided to buy myself a car. This was the first time that I ever purchased a vehicle for myself. I never had one in high school, I didn't have one in college, and when I graduated, I was working for a company that provided me with a company car. I was making great money, and I wanted to feel excited about the car that I was driving. I was shopping for all types of luxury vehicles, but on a whim, I decided to go to the Porsche dealership. The second I test drove it, I knew it was the car that I was going to get. It cost about $70,000, but it is a business expense, and I am able to write off the expense on my taxes because I use it for business purposes.
🏡 Purchasing a New Home
At the end of 2022, I decided to buy a new house, which is the house that I am currently living in. This is the single most expensive thing that I have ever bought. The house cost close to seven figures, and I had to get a jumbo loan because of how expensive it was. I put about 10% down on the house, which came out to around $100,000, and with that being said, I put about 3% down for the earnest money deposit, which came out to close to $30,000. When it came time to close on the house and send the final wire transfer, that was $96,000. All together, I spent $120,000 to purchase this home, and my mortgage right now is about $5,000 a month.
🛍️ Enjoying My Money
After making all of these significant purchases, I started to become more comfortable and enjoy my newfound wealth a little bit more. I spent a lot of money on shopping, bags, shoes, and all of that in 2022. I spent about $30,000 on shopping, but I've cut back significantly in 2023 and instead spent money on travel. I've spent around $40,000 on hotels and flights, and it's for the experiences. I'm happy that I'm getting to see the world, and I'm in a place where I'm able to do that. It is expensive to be traveling two times a month or even sometimes three, but it is me getting to enjoy my life, and I no longer live in a scarcity mindset. I'm all about abundance, and I know the money will come back.
🤔 Reflections and Regrets
Looking back on my financial decisions in my 20s, I don't have many regrets. I think that I maybe did a little bit too much with the spending on material items, but at the end of the day, we all decide what is important to us at the time. It's what I needed, it's what made me feel good, and honestly, I can't say that I regret it. I just think that you gravitate towards doing different things for your happiness and different seasons of your life. I'm very happy in this current season of travel and experiences and treating the people in my life, and that's a huge blessing.
📝 Highlights
- Buying my mom a house
- Clearing out my student loan debt
- Home renovations
- Purchasing a new car
- Purchasing a new home
- Enjoying my money
- No regrets, just reflections
❓ FAQ
Q: How did you make all of this money from Amazon?
A: I started an online business selling products on Amazon.
Q: How did you pay off your student loan debt?
A: I paid a big lump sum of about $37,000 and some change all in one transaction.
Q: How do you afford all of these big purchases?
A: I make passive income from my online business, and I'm able to write off some of these expenses on my taxes.
Q: Do you regret any of these purchases?
A: I don't have many regrets. I think that I maybe did a little bit too much with the spending on material items, but at the end of the day, we all decide what is important to us at the time.
🌐 Resources
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/
- Navient: https://www.navient.com/
- Porsche: https://www.porsche.com/usa/
