Absolutely.

I spent my 20’s and early 30’s trudging in a job where I was mistreated, vastly underpaid and struggling. I also have mental health problems and visual impairment that persist to this day, so I’m exceedingly fortunate that I was able to find a better path in life.

I landed a better job in my late 30’s and in the years since I’ve paid off my car, my student loans, bought a condo, and saved a fair amount of money.

Being poor for so long taught me to live cheaply, which I still do even though I could spend more if I wanted to.

The major turning point was March 2020. When some oil stocks dropped below a dollar in value I took every spare dollar I had, bought shares between 30 and 75 cents, and then a few years later sold them for $12 a share. That paid off my student loans and funded the down payment on my home.

But even when I was poor I never didn’t save. It was better to be eating mac-and-cheese and have money in the bank if I needed it than to be surrounded by the latest stuff and have nothing to fall back on.