Started in the US on an H1B in October 2013 at age 26 making $70K as a software engineer with an $8K company loan just to settle down. Today at 38, I crossed $1M net worth and reached CoastFIRE. Here's exactly how I did it, the painful mistakes I made, and what I'd do completely differently.

The Numbers (Raw and Unfiltered)

Income Progression:

• Oct 2013: $70K (first job, Atlanta, software engineer)
• Jun 2014: $85K (switched companies after 8 months)
• 2015-2019: $85K → ~$100K (standard 2-3% annual raises)
• 2020: $115K (internal project switch)
• 2025: $144K (current)

Industry: Software engineering / telecom

Net Worth Breakdown (Age 38, 2025):

• 401(k): $350K
• Taxable Account: $325K
• Roth IRA (combined): $90K
• Home Equity: $85K
• HSA: $30K
• Crypto: $100K (gradual DCA since 2017, not a moonshot)
• 529: $16K
• ESPP: $10K
• Cash: $20K

Total: ~$1,026,000

Important context: This was built on a SINGLE INCOME. My wife stayed home with our daughter (born Dec 2018). Everything you see here came from one H1B salary supporting a family of three.

CoastFIRE Target: $2.5M by age 60. At 7% growth, my current $1M should get me there without adding another dollar. That's the freedom.

Savings Rate: Started at 30-35% on $70K (supporting a family of 2), jumped to 25-30% after our daughter was born in Dec 2018 with added expenses, now back up to 45-50% as income increased. All on a single salary – my wife stayed home from 2018 onward.

The Strategy (What Actually Worked)

2013-2016: The "I Thought I Was Smart" Phase

• Saved aggressively: $1,000-1,500/month from day one (just me and my wife)
• Rent: $805/month in Atlanta (lived below means)
• Never bought expensive cars – kept driving used reliable vehicles
• Only contributed enough to 401(k) to get employer match
• Kept everything else in… Bank of America savings at 0.01%

Yeah. You read that right. I had almost $100K sitting in a savings account earning basically nothing while the S&P 500 was going up 30%+ some of those years.

2016-2021: The "Immigrant Priorities" Phase

• Bought a flat in India for ₹50L (~$80K at the time)
• Paid it off in 2 years by sending money every month at 50-62 INR/USD
• Still mostly saving in cash because "I needed down payment for a house"
• Our daughter was born in Dec 2018 – expenses went up, wife became stay-at-home mom
• Slowly increased 401(k) contributions as salary grew
• Finally started learning about investing (way too late)

2021-Present: The "Finally Got It Together" Phase

• Bought first home Dec 2021: 5% down, 2.875% rate, PMI only $100/month
• This was huge – I thought I needed 20% down to avoid crazy PMI
• Invested the other 15% I would've used for down payment
• Still driving the same reliable used cars – avoided the luxury car trap
• Started maxing HSA (last 3 years)
• Started maxing Roth IRAs for wife and me (last 4 years)
• Maxed 401(k) (last 2 years only!)
• Poured everything extra into taxable account (built $325K in ~4 years)

Investment Allocation: Pretty simple index fund approach once I finally figured it out. Mostly total market index funds in 401(k) and taxable accounts. Some international exposure. Keeping it simple was key – especially managing everything solo while my wife focused on raising our daughter.

H1B-Specific Reality Checks

Emergency Fund: Maintained 8-10 months. You can't mess around with visa uncertainty. Job loss = 60 days to find something or leave the country.

The India Obligation: Sent money home to buy and pay off property. This delayed my US investing by years, but it was important to me and my family. No regrets on this one, even though the math says I should've invested here instead.

Job Changes: Only 2 job changes in 12 years. First one after 8 months (good move, $15K raise). Second one after 6 years. H1B transfers can be stressful, but knowing your market value is important even if you don't switch. In today's market, I'd focus more on internal mobility and negotiation rather than external moves.

Immigration Costs: My company covered H1B transfers and green card application costs (a huge benefit – know your worth and negotiate this). If you're paying out of pocket, budget $10-15K total.

Green Card Status: Still waiting in the queue like millions of others. Been on H1B for 12 years. This is the reality for many of us – you can build wealth while waiting, but the visa uncertainty never fully goes away until you have that green card in hand.

My 3 Biggest Mistakes (Still Haunts Me)

1. Keeping $100K in a savings account for 5 years (2013-2018)

If I had invested that $100K in the S&P 500 in 2013, it would be worth $300K+ today. Instead, I "earned" maybe $50 in interest. This one mistake probably cost me $200K in opportunity cost. I was scared of the stock market and thought I was being "safe."

2. Not buying a house sooner with 5% down

I waited until 2021 because I thought I needed 20% down to avoid PMI. Turns out PMI was only $100/month, and I locked in 2.875%. If I'd bought in 2016-2017, I could've potentially had a rental property by now. Instead, I paid $100K+ in rent waiting to "save enough."

3. Not pushing for bigger raises and promotions earlier (2014-2020)

I got standard 2-3% raises every year and thought that was fine. I was comfortable and thought I needed to "prove myself" before asking for more. The H1B visa made me extra risk-averse – I was afraid to rock the boat. I should've been more aggressive with asking for promotions, seeking high-impact projects, and at least exploring what else was out there. Even if I didn't switch jobs, knowing my market value would've helped me negotiate better. That internal move in 2020 that gave me a 15% bump? I could've pushed for something similar years earlier.

My 3 Best Decisions (What I Got Right)

1. Saved aggressively from day one, even while earning $70K

We had a budget from month one. Even with $8K company loan to repay and $805 rent, we saved $1,000-1,500/month. The habit mattered more than the amount. My wife and I were aligned on this from the start – that was critical.

2. The 5% down house purchase strategy

Everyone said "wait until you have 20% down." I finally ran the numbers in 2021 and realized PMI was only $100 and interest was 2.875%. Bought the house and invested the remaining 15% I would've used. That invested money has grown way more than the PMI cost.

3. Finally educating myself on tax-advantaged accounts

Once I understood the power of HSA (triple tax advantaged), Roth IRA (tax-free growth), and actually maxing 401(k), everything accelerated. I went from just getting the match to maxing everything in the last 2-4 years. Wish I'd learned this in 2013.

What CoastFIRE Feels Like Right Now

Honestly? It's weird. I still work my $144K job, but the anxiety is gone. I don't worry about H1B politics anymore. If I got laid off, I could take a $80K job doing something I actually enjoy and still hit my retirement number.

My 6-year-old daughter has a small 529 started. It's not fully funded, but between CoastFIRE and some ongoing contributions, she'll have options for college.

I'm now focused on:

• Helping friends in the H1B community understand what I learned (most are making my 2013 mistakes)
• Deciding if I want to optimize for more money or more time
• Maybe taking a sabbatical in 2-3 years

The freedom isn't about quitting. It's about choice.

For My Fellow H1B Friends

You're playing financial independence on hard mode:

• Can't easily switch jobs without visa transfer stress
• Need bigger emergency funds
• Immigration costs and uncertainty (I'm still waiting for my green card after 12 years)
• Often supporting family back home
• No job = no visa in 60 days

But it's absolutely doable. I wasted years being too conservative with cash and too scared of the stock market. Don't make my mistakes.

The key insights:

1. Time in market beats timing the market (learn this early, not at year 5)
2. Tax-advantaged accounts are your best friend (HSA, 401k, Roth IRA – max them all if possible)
3. 5% down on a house is totally fine if the math works (even at today's rates, run the numbers)
4. Know your market value and negotiate (even if you don't switch jobs – in this market, internal growth and negotiation matter more than hopping)
5. Avoid lifestyle inflation – we never bought expensive cars, kept living below our means
6. You can support family back home AND build wealth here (just start investing earlier than I did)
7. Company-sponsored immigration is non-negotiable – negotiate this before accepting offers

The biggest lesson? I reached $1M not by taking huge risks or finding a secret strategy. I did it by starting early, staying consistent, and finally learning to stop being afraid of the stock market. If I can do this on a single H1B income while supporting a family, making massive mistakes, and still waiting for my green card after 12 years, you absolutely can too.

Happy to answer questions in the comments.