I Built A 6-figure Net Worth By 25 Thanks To A Simple Savings Trick From My Parents

The offers and details on this page may have updated or changed since the time of publication. See our article on Business Insider for current information.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate banking products to write unbiased product reviews.

Sarah Sharkey

• Growing up, my parents always made me save 50% of any money I received.
• I didn't love it at the time, but the advice stuck: Save a little every time.
• Thanks to my parents' advice, I've saved over $35,000 in cash and have a six-figure net worth.

Saving money isn't always easy. But regularly tucking away funds is critical for a stable future.

Luckily, I learned this lesson early on from my parents. Although I wasn't a fan of the advice as a child, it has helped me build a stable financial picture.

My parents made me save 50% of everything I received

My parents started teaching me to save money at a very young age.

As an incredibly lucky child, I often received money as a present for my birthday or around Christmastime. My parents used this opportunity to teach me the importance of tucking away funds, even if you don't want to.

They taught this lesson by requiring me to tuck away half of any money I received into a savings account. Each birthday, I would add up my gifts. And my parents would drive me down to the bank to put half of it into my very own savings account.

Essentially, the lesson that's been drummed into my head since I was 5 years old is to save money. Regardless of where I received the money, half of it always went into a savings account until the day I turned 18.

Their advice: Save every time you receive money, even if you don't want to

Saving money is great in theory. But in reality, saving money means that you have to give up the option to buy something. So at first, I was excited about the idea of saving money. But around age 10 or so, I wasn't always pleased with the arrangement.

Since I wasn't allowed to spend any of my childhood savings until I turned 18, I often tried to negotiate for a reprieve from the 50% savings rate. After all, I had toys and games that I wanted to buy along the way. But my parents helped me stick to a savings plan. Without fail, we'd head to the bank to deposit half of any money I received as a child.

How I save as an adult

Throughout my childhood, I got used to the idea that saving should be a priority. Although it took some time to sink in, I'm grateful that my parents helped me establish a savings habit.

By the time I left home, saving a portion of my income was something deeply ingrained in my way of thinking. So, I carried that idea forward into my adult life. Although I definitely wasn't always able to save 50% of my income, I always made sure to make saving a priority.

Along the way, I've always made an effort to save at least some of my paycheck or freelance income that comes my way. But without the early guidance I received from my parents, I'm not sure that saving would command such a high-priority spot in my budget.

Get Exclusive Savings with Raisin: Open one of the best savings accounts with a no-fee Raisin account in minutes and spread your savings across an exclusive network of over 30 FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions. Earn top savings rates and manage it all with a single secure login. Read our Raisin review for more details.

My savings strategy is working out so far

My savings strategy of saving something each and every payday has opened the door to a bright financial future.

Here are a few things that my savings mentality has helped me accomplish:

• My first financial priority when I graduated from college was to build a robust emergency fund. And with my savings habit in place, I was able to build up a $35,000 emergency fund.
• The next goal was to buy a house. In 2020, my husband and I were able to buy our first home with a 20% down payment.
• We built a six-figure net worth by the time I was 25, and my husband was 31. This was possible by shifting some of our savings into an investment portfolio with a long-term outlook.

At some point, I realized that if I wanted to save more, I'd have to earn more. So, I put a focus on building a new career as a freelance writer. Although it took some time and diligent budgeting, we are now able to save 50% of our income.

I can honestly say that meeting these savings goals wouldn't be possible without the strong savings habit I started developing as a child. Without my parents guiding me to prioritize saving, my financial life might look completely different.

No Penalty CDs

The best no-penalty CDs are a good way to lock in higher rates on CDs without facing penalties if you need to withdraw funds before the maturity date. CIT Bank CD rates and Raisin are popular no-penalty CD options.

This post was originally published in May 2022.