From Red to Green: Our Financial Transformation in 2016

Seven years ago, I was drowning in red ink, living paycheck to paycheck, and weeks away from financial ruin. Fast forward to 2017, and our story has completely changed. We've traded red for black and green, thanks to hard work, discipline, and a fantastic partner. Our journey proves that just one year of wise money management can significantly impact anyone's finances. Let's dive into our financial wins (and a few stumbles) from 2016 that kept us on track to achieve FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early). Our Financial Victories Maxed Out Our 401(k)s and Roth IRAs: We front-loaded our 401(k)s and maxed out our Roth IRAs for both 2015 and 2016. Minimizing taxes is crucial for wealth accumulation—the less we pay upfront, the