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Notes -
do you see 75k as "you now have enough money to avoid living wildly inefficiently, you can now start putting the extra into the market" or as "if you've already saved up to this point, 75k compounding with everything in VTI will keep you safe for the rest of your life. even if you're incapable of picking stocks"
A combo. The efficiencies that come from never paying interest, always being able to wait for your moment, having money to cover whatever happens when it happens instead of letting it become more expensive with time add up.
On top of that, once you get to a big floating cash pile, you have developed the mental habits that help you not lose it.
Also Also, the missing stress from knowing that if three big problems happen back to back you won't be on the street is worth any amount of money. You don't know the weight of that monkey till he's finally off your back.
Blessed is he who can avoid lifestyle inflation
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