How to Revise Your Financial Game Plan Post Multi-Millionaire Status

The only thing that changes in a good financial plan is perpetual change.

In August 2023, my household hit a net worth of $1,000,000. We were officially millionaires in an era when we were told it was impossible for people like us. My wife, in her infinite wisdom, said, “We aren’t millionaires until we both have a million.” While that didn’t mathematically make sense in any realm of accounting, I figured it might be best to push for the $2 million target.

On July 19, 2025, my wife and I reached our latest milestone of $1,900,000 in net worth. We are now just $100,000 away from $2 million. While my wife will likely sigh for no reason until we retire (early), we reviewed our numbers for the mid-year. They didn’t look good. Our household (like so many others) is currently carrying a credit card balance of $14,000.

To make matters worse, our bank savings are at a low of $1,250. With the rental property going through a tenant conversion, I’m not too pleased with our odds of closing out the year. It’s expensive, and our habits aren’t making things any better.

Here’s how we are revising our financial strategy. Be aware that the fundamentals still apply, from budgeting to investing and staying home when needed. Even millionaires have to track their spending. The overarching strategy breaks out in three parts: 1) “Secure the Bag,” i.e., Emergency Savings; 2) Master Debt Repayment; and 3) Bolster Investing (to the Max). Each of these elements plays off the other. This is the type of synergy needed to push us toward retiring early (in December 2032).

After working 31 years (since turning 16), it will be high time to clock out. I really can’t see why people willingly work until they reach 70. I’d rather aim for the $5 million net worth with at least $200,000 cash flow per year in retirement. How did I get that number?

Well, it’s a 4.5% annual withdrawal of +$3.5 million in investments [$157,500], plus Pension [$40,000], Social Security [~$50,000], and VA Benefits [$24,000]. When I make a plan, I lay the financial foundations thick. This is similar to how I play real-time strategy games; I have to cover all the bases. You can find the details in my How to Retire at 50.

The Financial Basics are still the Best

The U.S. personal saving rate is currently around 4.5%, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. This means that, on average, Americans are saving less than 4.5% of their disposable income. This rate is far below the recommended 10%. Unfortunately, most Americans are setting themselves up to work until they are 70, just to have a below-average retirement.

As of April 2025, the median household in the U.S. has $8,000 in bank savings.

Our (Emergency) savings pale in comparison to that number. We are clocking in a total of $1,250. This is not enough to cover our backs if we run into an emergency. Although we make more than enough to cover issues as they come up, I’d rather do something about this sooner rather than later.

The first goal is to push our emergency savings to $2,500 by year’s end. No need to adopt the Dave Ramsey doctrines. We can still get to our goals with a more adaptive strategy than a kamikaze approach. After that, we will have to supercharge our account to $12,500 for 2026. How will we do it?

We will withdraw $10k profit from the After-tax brokerage account in January. What good are profits if you aren’t using them to make your life better? With that said, we will have to consider the tax implications for CY 2026; however, this move will put us in a great strategic position. Why? We will likely have to replace the old water heater (<$10,000) in 2026 or 2027. Having a solid savings account takes the stress out of the equation. Beyond that, we will have to systematically ramp up to $250,000 in savings before retirement. That part will be easier said than done, but we will endeavor. The best part is that falling short would still mean that we are 90% better than our contemporaries.

By the start of 2033, we intend to have $125,000 in a high-interest savings account at +3% and the remainder as a floating $125,000 in our bank checking account (growing at a measly 0.01%).

Debt Repayment for Better Financial Cash Flow

Credit Cards and Car Loans

Based on the latest available data, the median household debt in the United States was $88,000 in 2025.

Consumers seem to be crashing out while trying to buy their way into faux happiness. Our credit, specifically our credit card, is the drug of choice. In May 2025, the median credit card debt per household is estimated to be around $11,000, according to a WalletHub report. 

The total credit card debt across all households is estimated to be $1.18 trillion, according to LendingTree. 

For our household, we were closer to $15,000 in June. To avoid nearly $250 per month in credit card interest fees, we need to knock out this debt by the first quarter of 2026.

After that, the next priority will be to pay off the 2023 Rav4 Prime payment. We expect to close out the account with a massive $25,000 payment by YE 2026. This will improve our cash flow by $1,000 per month in 2027. That’s the amount we will use to bolster our savings in 2027 and beyond. This is one of the bigger wealth leaks. The average monthly car loan payments in the first quarter of 2025 were $521 (Used) and $745 (New). Luxury brands and EV models are taxing at nearly $1,000 per month.

The quicker the payoff off the better it will be for your wallet.

The Rental Property is next

I don’t want it to be the $1,000 per month noose that hangs over the property.

This is our 15-year Mortgage, it’s down to less than $45,000 (7.2025) from $125,000 (3.2017). With my mom and in-laws growing older, we will need all the money we can get to provide extra support when warranted. By the end of 2027, we will have improved our total cash flow by $2,000 per month. In 2028, we will be able to create a $12,500 Rental Retainer fund for emergencies. After that, we will reinforce it with an additional $5,000 per year until 2030. This amount should exceed $25,000, but it will give us some wriggle room for new appliances and unit face lift (est. $20,000).

Caveat: I always try to estimate higher.

The First Condo

At this stage, I feel that I’ve outgrown my first home. It’s been great and extremely beneficial to friends who matriculated to the DMV since they didn’t start off paying an arm and a leg. The tenure is coming to an end. While we are still considering renting it out at some point, we might ride it out through the retirement date. After that, we will sell ‘old fateful.’ We anticipate paying it off by the end of 2029 ($50k). Overall, this will give us a total cash flow of $3,000 per month in 2030.

As a bonus, my wife and I are keeping an eye on the family home in Orlando. We may need to pay off $25,000 if necessary by 2030. Either way, we will need to make improvements to the In-Laws’ cash flow. Additionally, we are taking steps to note major items, such as water quality, foundation, roof, and new appliances. Most people forget about those larger capital outlays in retirement. Also check out The Unexpected Expenses of Leisure Activities in Retirement You Need to Know by Rajeev Dhir.

Investing Like It’s All For Tomorrow

The final piece of this puzzle is the investment portion. We will keep pushing to see if we can contribute $100,000 in a year (if Possible). it feels inhuman for now but since we don’t have kids or other dire expenses, we can dare to try.

To do so in 2026, we are adding into 401ks (Est. max $24.5k each), ROTH IRAs ($7,000 each), and HSAs ($4,400 each) = [$71,800 + $10,050 Match Contribution], and After-tax brokerages ($22.5k).

Since we have two after-tax accounts, we will split the difference into $15,000 and $7,500. Don’t mind me, I like round numbers. Doesn’t matter if it works; again, you never know if you never try.

Bonus Financial Side missions

I play life like a role-playing game.

There are always side quests and bonus missions. For example, we would love to have an investment cash retainer of $125,000 or 10% of the Prior Year’s total investment portfolio balance. It’s a good opportunity to buy in when stocks are lower, like in April of 2025. It’s not luck if you just buy quality stocks when they are on sale. At this rate, I learned my lesson; we merely didn’t have any cash to buy back in.

What goes down eventually or hopefully goes back up again.

This means that we intend to stockpile (pun) up to $100,000 in our prime after-tax brokerage account by YE 2027. Beyond 2028, growth will be liquidated in January for the year’s expedited debt repayments and/or Travel Plans.

We can also push our dividend payouts to $12,000 or an average of $1,000. Give it time and let the investments cook.

Future investment contribution goals

In total, investments have been giving us a run for our paychecks. Since 2020, our investment growth rate has become the unofficial breadwinner of the family. In the coming years, we intend to keep up our contributions. The goal is to do more up front so that our dollars can do the rest until we pass away. We will likely leave more to our heirs and/or beneficiaries than we took into retirement. This amount will be seismic for our family.

Knowing that my father was a migrant farm hand when he got to the U.S. is an insane pivot in wealth class. The American Dream is still alive, but I don’t think you can get there without a great financial plan. But then again, I’m just some guy who was told it was impossible, I figure, why not play the game? Here’s to a better outcome than being poor, stressed, and without hope.

I’d rather take my shot even if others say it’s hopeless. You should also take your shots. I’ve been poor with only free lunch from school to cover me; it’s not great, and I will never recommend.

About Author