I bought a $550k house at 23 years old but what did it really cost me?

I did not grow up rich and wealthy.

I had a mediocre education.

I have an average job.

My parents were not white-collared individuals. They barely earned minimum wage to survive but my parents were the most hard-working individuals that I have ever known and that trait passed down to me.

Witnessing the lack of money at a young age made me value every dollar and the impact it has on my standard of living.

Since I was 15 years old, I was hustling and bustling out there. Working jobs I can do to increase my wealth, to provide a better future for my family and me. I’ve been saving money and only recently, I learned about investing, compound interest and appreciation. Not long after that, I decided to purchase a house.

I worked really hard to get where I am now.

However, this did not come without any sacrifices. It was never easy. There were several opportunity costs if not one.

I did not attend prom when I was in high school because that meant money allocated to a prom dress, prom ticket, prom photos, prom limousine and other great money expenses that would end up in the drain. 10 years later, I do not regret it one bit. I saved $999 and I could care less about the significance of prom because it was meaningless to me.