NNs who escaped poverty, how did you do it?

Background: I am late 20's. Grew up lower-middle class in a suburb near Ft Worth. Currently upper-middle class. So I wasn't in "crushing poverty" but I know what it feels like to have a can of spam for the entire family for dinner.

I didn't go to college. Instead I self taught myself some skills on my days off while I was working at a convenience store and delivering pizzas at night. I then worked my way up a company (getting the first job was the hardest since I was lacking a degree) and then upgraded my income by doing job switches within my field every 2-3 years. Lived within my means, saved money and bought a house. I am not "rich" by any means.

Since I work in a field where quite a few of the people doing my job do have college degrees, I have come to learn that the only difference between us at this point is that they are still paying student loans and I am paying a mortgage.

So I guess my advice don't get in a bunch of debt and don't have a kid before you are married. I also listened to Dave Ramsey a lot and took most of his advice. I would suggest his show to anyone with money problems.

Growing up in the environment I grew up in showed me a lot of things. The most important one is the one I use the most in adult life: Don't buy stupid shit. I see a lot of people I work with do the same thing my parents did. Which was be broke until you got paid, then immediately spend all of it. Anything that isn't a necessity has to go if you are poor or in massive debt, you do that for a few years and you will set yourself up in a position where the bills don't worry you anymore.

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