I’ll show you exactly how I saved 100k by 26. The truth is I worked a LOT! My high school and college income launched my journey to save 100k.
If you missed it here’s three reasons why I saved 100k in my twenties and eight things I did (and didn’t!) do to save 100k.
First, to clear the air, I know talking about money (especially your income) is taboo and awkward. I’ve had the idea to share my exact numbers FOR a long time. My hope is you can find inspiration to turn things around with money. If I can build savings with a regular income, then you can too.
Chances are you aren’t in college anymore, but it’s not too late to start saving! Your income now is probably a lot higher than mine was when I saved my first 100k.
Here’s My High School and College Income
High School Senior Year Income
My senior year in high school I worked at the church nursery for a couple hours each week earning $9/hour (or $14.40 in today’s dollars). It was decent money back then, but I had multiple babies and toddlers at once screaming and crying while their parents attended church.
I also babysat for individual families here and there. The worst paying babysitting gig was for $5/hour for FIVE kids! I did it once and never again. Occasionally I reffed soccer games earning up to $20 per game.
The last semester of my high school senior year I worked a couple shifts a week in the evenings as a waitress. Then this is where things get nuts.
The summer of my senior year in high school (right before starting college), I drove across the country to do a summer sales internship in Fargo, North Dakota. I worked over 80 hours a week with a direct sale and 100% commission position. I hit the pavement in scorching hot summer weather and got doors slammed in my face.
I earned $5,693 after my living expenses throughout the summer. This sounds like a ton of money for a college student to earn over three months, but it boils down to earning only around $5.90/hour.
Total Earned Senior Year in High School: Around $8,000
This was a LONG time ago. I don’t have my 1040 and tax forms this far back for exact numbers babysitting and waiting tables. But, I do know exactly how much I made in sales commissions.
Freshman Year in College Income
Working a lot over the summer gave me freedom to focus on school and enjoy college life. I did attend sales training to prepare for my next summer of sales, but I mostly wasn’t working from August -May.
The summer after my freshman year I had the same sales internship, but this time it was in upstate New York. This was quite the road trip! Again, I worked over 80-hour work weeks on commission only. My sales improved from the previous year.
Total Earned Freshman Year in College: $8,176
Since I didn’t babysit or do other work during the school year this was my only income during my freshman year.
Sophomore Year in College Income
Unfortunately, my last week in upstate New York over the summer, I got bit by a tick. Turns out, I ended up getting Lyme disease. I started my fall semester, but a few weeks in, I needed to take a semester off to get a hardcore IV antibiotic treatment.
Luckily due to receiving treatment early on, I was able to knock out the infectious disease (as opposed to having chronic symptoms).
I went back to school for the winter semester and took things easy. Instead of doing a summer sales internship, I ended up working as an office manager in Long Island. This gave me a chance to work and bring in an income, but I knew I could do 80-hour work weeks.
Again, I don’t have my 1040 and tax forms this far back and this year, I didn’t get a plaque. This is an estimate working as an office manager in the summer.
Total Earned Sophomore Year in College: Around $3,500- $4,000
Junior Year in College Income
I didn’t work throughout the academic year from August through May. This summer I went back to working long hours in direct sales. I started selling home security systems and earned a higher commission per sale.
My summer sales internship was in Denver. Then there was an extension program to sell around 10 additional weeks throughout the fall in San Francisco. I made the hard decision to take off the fall semester of my senior year.
All my previous hard work finally paid off! This was when everything clicked (or so I thought).
Total Earned Junior Year in College: $63,004
I’m super proud of earning this income as a college student working around five months of the year.
Senior Year in College Income
By the end of November, I returned to campus and felt like I was on top of the world! I was a top sales rep with an Inc 500 company and offered a car bonus to spend $500 on any car. Instead of paying off the student loans I had, I went out and bought a car. Not just any car, but a brand-new white Mercedes Benz!
The one catch was I needed to take out the car loan in my name. The car payments was going to be $560 and they’d paid me $500 a month. I thought, “What could possible go wrong?” I bought the car. Shortly after, the company went bankrupt.
This emotional and financial rollercoaster shaped me. I didn’t want to “look rich” and have fancy things. Instead, I wanted to build true wealth with a solid financial future.
I liked sales and believed in home security systems, so I decided to work for a different home security company the summer after my senior year in Kansas City.
Total Earned Senior Year in College: $47,010
This was less than last year, but I worked for three months versus five.
Coming up next, I’ll share my income, expenses, and net worth growth after graduating college in detail.
❤️ Carly
P.S. Best Money Class Ever, my signature live 4-week class starts November 14th! Check out the details and enroll now to bring a friend for free.
