Open your notes app right now and search for anything you wrote about money a year ago.
A goal you set.
A number you wanted to reach.
A plan you weren’t sure you’d actually stick to.
A habit you started and hoped would make a difference.
You might not even remember writing it. And if you do find it, you might be surprised by how much has changed since then.
That’s exactly what happened to three members in the Don’t Go Broke Collective accountability group. None of them noticed the shift while it was happening.
From $20k to $70k in a single year
One member shared a comparison they made this May, looking back at exactly where they were a year ago.
Let’s call them R.
In May 2025, R’s investment portfolio had just crossed $15,000. Their student loans sat just under $17,000, and their net worth was about $20,000.
A year later, in May 2026, their investment portfolio was over $40,000. Their student loans were down to less than $2,500, and their net worth had grown to just over $70,000.
The numbers changed dramatically over the year, but R didn’t necessarily feel that progress happening day to day. R put it this way:
“I haven’t had much time to breathe. That said, I’ve continued to make steady progress towards my goals, which feels somewhat ironic considering my words for this year were ‘steady’ and ‘satisfied.'”
The money systems R had put in place the year before kept the progress moving, even when there wasn’t much time or attention to spare.
That’s what makes a system valuable. It keeps you moving toward a goal even when life gets busy.
From pennies to $165 in dividends
Another member has been reinvesting dividends for a while now.
Let’s call them D.
When they started, the payouts were small enough that they barely felt worth checking. A dollar or two here, a few cents there.
Recently, that same habit brought in about $165 in dividends in a single week, which D automatically reinvested in more shares.
D didn’t change their strategy to get here. There were no riskier bets or attempts to time the market. D just kept reinvesting and let the habit compound over time.
That’s the part that’s easy to underestimate: how much those small amounts can add up to over time.
Reaching $100K in net worth
The third story comes from a member turned friend who’s been with us since the early days, back when the Don’t Go Broke Collective accountability group was much smaller. She first stumbled across my content during COVID and has been part of the community ever since.
Let’s call her M.
When we first started working together, M was already saving and investing. She wasn’t earning a huge salary, but she had already built the habit of putting money aside and investing consistently.
Over the years, she became even more intentional with her money, and her income increased too. But what stood out to me is what she’s done with it.
M recently shared that she’s now 119% above the savings and investing goals she set for herself in January.
She also reached the emergency fund goal she’d been working toward for three years and eleven months.
And then there was the milestone she had mentioned once before in a 1-on-1: crossing $100,000 in net worth.
Looking back now, M mentioned that she’d heard it usually takes around seven years to reach a milestone like this.
She got there in under four.
That’s what staying committed to a financial goal over several years can look like. There isn’t always a dramatic change from one month to the next. You keep making progress, keep adjusting as your circumstances change, and eventually you get to the number you’ve been working toward.
Here’s what M had said:
“Thank you for all that you do, for creating such a safe space, sharing Finance Dad‘s wisdom, making us aim for more and showing us what can be done.”
What R, D, and M have in common
These three stories look completely different.
One person grew their investments while paying down debt. Another watched small dividend payments grow over time. Another reached a savings goal and crossed a major net worth milestone.
There isn’t one number that tells you whether you’re making progress.
It might show up in a growing investment account, a shrinking debt balance, or finally reaching the emergency fund you’ve been building for years.
The hard part is that progress can feel pretty invisible while you’re in the middle of it. You keep making the deposits, paying down the debt, reinvesting the dividends, and most days, it doesn’t feel like much is changing.
Then you look back months or even a year later and realize how much has changed.
Is there a version of R, D, or M’s story that sounds like where you are right now? Maybe it’s the account you haven’t checked in months, or it’s the emergency fund that still feels far away. Hit reply and tell me. I read every single one.
Join the accountability group
What connects R, D, and M is that none of them were doing this alone. They had somewhere to bring the update, even on the weeks when there wasn’t much to report.
Inside the Don’t Go Broke Collective, members have a place to bring their questions, share their progress, and stay accountable even when nothing feels particularly exciting.
There are weekly prompts, monthly Ask Me Anything sessions, and live sessions on investing, taxes, and real estate for when you’re ready to go deeper.
Over 200 members are already doing that work alongside each other.
You don’t need a dramatic financial breakthrough to belong there. You need a place to keep showing up.
A year from now, you may be surprised by how far you’ve come. The progress starts with the decisions you make today.
CTA: Join the Don’t Go Broke Collective
For my Nigerian community: You’ll need a VPN to access Skool. Make sure you have one set up before you join so you can get straight in.
Until next time,
xoReni
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