Where were you, financially, 15 years ago?

[Ima saver]

I just came across some paper work, dated 1989. I only learned about mutual fund investing in 1988. I opened my first fund on July 7, 1988. Back then you could open a fund at American Century for any amount.
I started keeping track of my mutual funds, stocks, IRA's, and savings in 1989. I had a grand total of $25,418!!

[lucasrd]

15 years ago I was only 10 years old...but I think I had about 4000 saved up for college

[Ima saver]

Wow, that is pretty good for a 10 year old. We moved to the mountains in 1984 and lived on our savings for over a year. We pretty much had to start all over! Jobs were impossible to find, I finally got one after a year making $3.15 an hour.

[Snoopy2645]

well 15 years ago I was 14 I know I had alot saved to for a 14 yr old not sure of exact amount but I was babysitting alot back then saving for a car so I could have a way to get to a real job at 16 so I could buy a house & move out!!! LOL!! And I thought my life was so hard back then ROFL!!

[PrincessPerky]

Yeah 15 years ago I was looking at how to get a job, and a car and get out!

[Ima saver]

You all are so young!! It is good that you are thinking about money at a young age!

[kealina]

i would have been 9 yrs old... we all lived in an apartment until the next year, when my parents bought their house... i had some savings bonds given to me but no personal money as my parents took any birthday and x-mas money and i was never given any allowance or anything...
lucas, that is so cool... i wish i could have had that much saved up...

[getforfree]

15 yrs ago. That's more than half of life ago.
I was in elementary school. Had an allowance everyday for a snack at school, we didn't have lunch there, but we could buy snacks. But often I would take a snack from home or not buy anything to be able to save my money. Then I remember, when my parents found out that I am saving the money, they stopped giving me allowance and then one day my stash was gone when my parents needed the money. That day I learned that if I save any money, hide it and don't tell anybody.

[Ima saver]

Isn't anybody on here over 30??

15 Years ago was 1991 - I am not sure how much I had precisely. In October 1989, I had $16,000 in savings, because I had to buy a car at that time and thought, if I had to pay cash for this it would practically wipe me out. It was my wake up call.

So I got a 2nd job to pay the car off faster and paid it off in 9 months and then put that money towards investing. I haven't been as astute as IMA saver, cause I have only grown about 250,000. I did also purchase a home in that time frame with I am estimating a net worth of approximately the same. In all honesty, though, I did inherit approx. 110,000 which went towards the house. The house, though, did slow down my investing considerably.

I really wish I had woken up 5 or 10 years earlier - but shopping for clothes at the mall was my calling then. (never let myself get in any debt though).

[asmom]

15 years ago I was a fresh college grad and I had just started my first nursing job for a whopping $12.34/hr! But after working for $4.25/hr while in school I thought that I'd hit the big time. My hubby and I were enjoying this new life (pre-kids) when things were financially easier for us, we were able to pay our bills in comfort and lived in a nice apartment. *sigh* Unfortunately saving and investing was not on our radar, so we had no money and really no assets unless a 1989 Dodge Shadow counts. (I know, I know it doesn't).

[BCHGRL]

At 12, I babysat all summer. Can't say that I did anything frugal with what I made. Perhaps I bought my own back to school clothes that year.

[baselle]

Originally Posted by Ima saver

Isn't anybody on here over 30??

I am.

I was in grad school finishing my doctorate, living on 625/month, but my tuition was paid for. I had $1000 in savings, about $1,500 in credit card debt, and my undergrad student loan ($15,000) was deferred. Man, was I underwater! I figured that I spent about 5% of my income on coffee..which tells you more about my income rather than my coffee drink.

[jodi]

Another twenty-something here...I would have been 13, a year and a half away from my firt "real" job, but making some money babysitting and helping on my parents' farm. I had a small savings account - probably a few hundred.

[abowers]

I was a couple weeks shy of 8 years old. I did chores around the house for a small allowance and had a savings account which I put all my birthday or christmas money in.

[WellManicuredMan]

I was 11 years old. The only money I had was from birthdays and other holidays which I put into a savings account. But the money usually didn't stay there long because there was always a video game I wanted to buy. Hardly any responsibilities, ah, those were the days.

[Diolla]

Only old person here? I was 30 and my DS was 2. We lived in a crappy house in a crappy neighborhood and I was on WIC. I don't think we had any savings and the in-laws paid to have new carpeting put into the house.
I had about 4 years in my first good job and my DH was touring with a childrens theater company.

Fast forward 5 years and we were doing much better.

[lillyb]

I was 20 and my dd was 2. Barely squeaking by, ex and I both working low paying jobs. That was when I worked just to pay the babysitter. Investing? We were happy just to pay the bills. Ahhh... such stupidity.

[Ima saver]

My husband was building houses, charging $10.00 an hour. I was making $2.01 as a waitress . A good day in tips was $20, a top night on Friday was about $40 in tips. I went home every night and put 10% of my tips in a tiny cedar chest. Once a month, I sent the tips off to the mutual fund that I had just opened.

[DivaJen]

15 years ago...summer between junior and senior years of college. I probably had a job that summer, but my parents were still paying my tuition as well as room and board.