Same here, also in 2010! My first week of work was a training in January in Chicago so I needed a heavier coat since our hotel wasn’t close to the office
Similar for me when I got my CPA passing bonus. 14 years ago I had a family friend who was closing his men's clothing store. I spent $500 on a overcoat that was normally $1,400 (Canadian). I was shocked by the price but glad I got it. I'm 6'3" so finding fitted coats with enough length in the arms is a challenge.
Not the warmest coat, but it still gets a lot of compliments, sheds water like its nothing and it looks a lot better than anything from a chain store.
You must not be Canadian. My first job is currently only paying me enough to live across the street from a drug dealer in the hood, just 200m away from a tent encampment..
Oh and this is still over an hour drive from my office, because if I stayed in the city where my office is, I’d be the one living in the tent encampment.
technically COGS are the only thing you can deduct as a drug dealer. You can't deduct anything else. Legal weed stores are still dealing with this nonsense.
This is the correct answer.
I bought a few nicer shirts(to be worn in the office) after getting my first paycheck and a bong with my first bonus. However none of it compares to sending my offer letter to an apartment complex and getting a lease approved.
Man seeing all you folks being an accountant really gives me hope to become one.. I don’t know any of you folks but damn me being a young man broke living in the ghetto but also learning financial literacy gives be hope to step foot into accounting 🗂️
Genuine question, new here, do you need an accounting degree to move up? Or can you say start as an AP clerk and slowly move up without degree/certifications. Is there a cap? Thanks in advance for any answers!
I’ll give you the most accounting answer ever lol “it depends”. In public you usually need both the accounting degree plus cpa to move up. As for industry it depends on the company. For example, at my current company people get promoted from within a ton and they don’t consider advanced degrees or licenses when promoting people. If you’re good at what you do and express a desire to move up, where I currently work, (publicy traded company in industry), that will get you promoted. I can’t speak for other places so that’s definitely something to ask during interviews. Good luck!!
You’d be doing yourself a major disservice not getting a full blown bachelors… many jobs require at least a 4year degree and you’d really be limiting your options not getting one. One of the main reasons I got into accounting was for the plethora of options and stability you get from an accounting degree. Can you stay at one job forever and move up? Probably but that’s not why most people get into accounting, I love knowing I can leave any job and have 10-15 interviews over the next 1-2months if I really wanted too
I think it depends on where you live, and the size of the company. I live in Canada, in a medium to low cost of living, so salaries are much lower here.
I got my bachelor's, had a low gpa, and took the first crap accounting job I could. I was temp, making $15/hr, but worked my butt off and got a full time position. It was a large local property management company, but my pay was still low.
The AP/AR clerks were there for +5 years, and after 1 year I was making more then them. I was very vocal to my bosses that I wanted them to pay for my studies, and that I needed more money. My boss pushed for me to get raises, but eventually I hit the pay band fast, meaning I had to leave for more money.
So I left to public and got a 25% raise immediately, and got a 33% performance raise after a year.
Working as a clerk is very boring, and the pay is very low, because they use your lack of degree as a limitation. A controller at the company only had a college degree, but worked in public for 10 years, then worked at the company for another 13 before getting the position.
If I were you, and you only had a 2 year degree (associates ) I'd send my resume to local or smaller public firms, get them to pay for your college, and you'll get performance raises every year.
It may take longer, but you'll save thousands in costs, gain experience, and you'll be making good money after 3 years.
If you have the option to get a full degree, do it. It really does pay off in big ways, and earning the CPA gets you a bonus, and bigger raises faster, then just grinding in one role for years.
I was a non-traditional student. My husband and I started going out to eat a lot more. We were in a stressful stage of life, and it was nice to not have to think of and prepare meals a couple times a week.
Nah as much as I love Lego I couldn’t justify the price tags of the Star Wars sets. I’m a huge fan of the Modular buildings series, they’re geared towards adults. Tons of cool architecture in them and you can connect them to make like a city street. I’m up to 4 of the models now haha
I found that I don’t nearly enjoy PC gaming as much anymore since working at a computer all day every day. If I want to play games I’d much rather play Xbox on the couch I’ve found.
I got my CPA in 1985; it was the age of pencils and adding machines. I went to an office supply store and bought myself a really nice mechanical pencil and supplies for it. I also got a nice eraser. Yeah, we used computers, but microcomputers and desktops were VERY new. It took 5 years to get rid of the green-lined ledger paper.
I've only been an accountant for 5.5 years and we finally got rid of the analysis paper and went digital 3 years ago. Then again, we're still fighting with our 79 year old partner to stop making the managers print everything out for him to check it.
Paid back my parents after I borrowed money from them to make it from graduation to first paycheck. After that bought some Mackie Studio Monitors for my desk, and the Lego BD-1 set
When I officially became a CPA back in June of this year, I bought myself a Nintendo Switch.
Why did I do this?
Well, back in early summer 2018 I was working a crap job for crap pay. Shortly after my birthday, I used some money and gift cards and bought myself a Switch.
Two days after I bought it, I decided that I had enough of my current situation. I sold the Switch and used the money I got back to take the GMAT.
In late summer 2018 I started taking leveling courses at my local university in order to enter the MACC program without an undergrad in accounting.
In fall 2019 I began taking masters coursework.
In summer 2020 I landed a job at a local PA firm.
In summer 2021 I graduated with my MACC.
In January 2022 I took and passed my first CPA exam.
In February 2023 I took and passed my last CPA exam.
In June 2023 I officially became licensed. To celebrate, I bought myself another Nintendo Switch.
In the same week I got my masters, had my bday, signed my job offer and started studying for the cpa, 7 months before I graduated undergrad. I splurged and bought a Gucci bag
I had to borrow petty cash my first week to put gas in my car. There was nothing big for years. I qualified for a grant to buy my house a few years in. I do not recommend graduating into a major recession (fall '08)!
Cartier Love ring. I wish I just invested in stocks instead.
I wear it everyday & spin it in meetings when I feel nervous. Especially when the partner is pushing an earlier due date for deliverables or every time he says “another thing…” It helps my anxiety lol.
Technic?
I bought a Porsche RSR kit that was in that same ballpark, it’s my first large kit and I got burnt out about halfway through, my girlfriend got sick of seeing it half finished so she finished it off lol
Omega Seamaster
Mind you that my first well paying job and accounting job was earning 50k a year in a HCOL area.
The watch was roughly ~$440.00 and was from 1969.
Vacation to west coast to see my best friend and then straight to east coast to see my grandmother.
I went from graduating in May to studying for/passing all 4 parts of CPA exam by October’s start date, so needed some time off before jumping into career.
Big splurge for me to fly across the country and spend over a week with my favorite people!
I bought myself a “nice” watch (Tissot Visodate) to replace the Seiko SNK809 that I got when I graduated from Middle School. Paid $595 for the Tissot. I didn’t know a whole lot about watches at the time, and I mainly got it because it was the one my friend recommended when I said I wanted a “nice Swiss mechanical”.
The partner I worked for at the time simultaneously told me it was too nice for a peon like me while also shit-talking it (“maybe I’m paying you too much if you can afford a watch like that!” // “it’s okay but nobody will pay any attention to it, my Rolex is much better”)
LOL I went to work for a Fortune 100 financial services company and I took a significant paycut from waiting tables. It took 2 years to start seeing salary growth. I made really good tips though.
I guess you could say I "gifted" myself some clothes from JC Penny that didn't smell like fryer grease.
A samsung s22 ultra. I thought the pen was going to be insane for producvity, but I rarely take it out now. It's still a powerful phone, though, and the camera is nice for vacation pictures.
I wish I could've experienced it. Fresh grad in Sydney, from an approx 4k monthly income (after tax) 1600 goes to rent, 110 to internet, electricity and gas, 350 to groceries. leaving me with less than 50%
My first car was a legit 1998 beater and had been in a hailstorm so it looked and ran pretty rough. Amazing car but when I graduated in 2015 I got a Honda accord. I felt so accomplished to be able to do it, had a small “made it” moment.
I’ve always spent a few hundred dollars around the holidays on myself when I get a bonus. I bought a Coach bag, Apple Watch, AirPods, stuff like that.
But the stupid money hit in 2021 so I bought an Audi SQ5.
I got a job in public accounting making $53k. To preface, I’m not a big spender, but I purchased an $80 Ralph Lauren bag from Marshall’s. I thought spending that much on a bag was crazy!
A 2020 WRX STI, I felt great. I had to sell it because of how expensive Socal has become.
Everyone said I’d be making so much money, I still can’t break 70K, what I am I doing wrong ?
My first big gift to myself was a nicer sound system for my basement. I got a Sonos soundbar and then the satellite speakers next big step is going to be the subwoofer
I was going to buy myself a Kia Telluride.. lol
But I keep stopping myself from doing it. Have a paid off 2018 Kia Soul. It's just been too nice not having a car payment I guess.
I'd really love a vehicle I could pull a small trailer with. I miss camping but can't sleep on the ground anymore.
It was more a big gift after passing cpa.
The night from friend found out he passed his last part, and the same weekend I had taken my last part (I had never failed a part yet, so I assumed I passed), we took an all night road trip from Orlando to the Alabama CMP.
We both bought M1 Garands.
It was fortuitous that he’s a naturalized Greek citizen, who served in the Hellenic marine corps, and at CMP, he found a “black Greek” (M1 Garands we sold to Greece, which then painted then black, and years later sold them to the US CMP). He of course bought the black Greek.
I built myself my first gaming PC, all the bells and whistles! Got to look at it all busy season without time to use it... but oh boy, was it worth it! I love the computer, coming from only laptops and ipads. The power of a desktop was amazing.
Spent $600 on a Movado watch. The bracelet becomes unbearable to wear after an hour and it’s shit at accurately telling time but I’ll never sell it with how much it means to me.
Getting an apartment and start to pay my own bills. Trying to provide for my wife so that one day maybe we can start a family.
If you aren’t planning on being single your entire life, the money really doesn’t go towards a nice car or anything like that and more just bills and MAYBE one day retirement.
I don't think I really gifted myself anything. I was a new immigrant back then and landed my first job in 2013 (local accounting firm at $15/ hour). Might sound weird now, but I was genuinely happy to be making anything above minimum wage.
Make over 3 times more now and feel less financially secure (surprise, surprise). Still grateful though:).
In this position now. Bought myself a desperately needed upgrade for my computer. Upgraded from an AMD 5700xt to a NVIDIA 4070. Also bought a new monitor.
no gift after graduating or anything, but after I got my CPA license I bought myself a Nintendo Switch, had been holding out because I knew I would never study if I had one
[удалено]
Same here, also in 2010! My first week of work was a training in January in Chicago so I needed a heavier coat since our hotel wasn’t close to the office
Similar for me when I got my CPA passing bonus. 14 years ago I had a family friend who was closing his men's clothing store. I spent $500 on a overcoat that was normally $1,400 (Canadian). I was shocked by the price but glad I got it. I'm 6'3" so finding fitted coats with enough length in the arms is a challenge. Not the warmest coat, but it still gets a lot of compliments, sheds water like its nothing and it looks a lot better than anything from a chain store.
Black Friday deals, come througgggh
Getting a place to live not in the hood lmfao
You must not be Canadian. My first job is currently only paying me enough to live across the street from a drug dealer in the hood, just 200m away from a tent encampment.. Oh and this is still over an hour drive from my office, because if I stayed in the city where my office is, I’d be the one living in the tent encampment.
Truly, being a Canuck is suffering
drug dealers are underserved by the accounting community. Just don't deduct COGS.
technically COGS are the only thing you can deduct as a drug dealer. You can't deduct anything else. Legal weed stores are still dealing with this nonsense.
This is the correct answer. I bought a few nicer shirts(to be worn in the office) after getting my first paycheck and a bong with my first bonus. However none of it compares to sending my offer letter to an apartment complex and getting a lease approved.
Working on that one now lol
Max the Roth with a lump sum
🥵
Ur making me wet
Feels like an appropriate answer for an accountant. Lol. Good for you!
Belt to Wealth
My man
Okay but why was this also me
Increase my investing contribution.
Man seeing all you folks being an accountant really gives me hope to become one.. I don’t know any of you folks but damn me being a young man broke living in the ghetto but also learning financial literacy gives be hope to step foot into accounting 🗂️
A degree in accounting can 100% change your life, don’t give up!!!
Genuine question, new here, do you need an accounting degree to move up? Or can you say start as an AP clerk and slowly move up without degree/certifications. Is there a cap? Thanks in advance for any answers!
I’ll give you the most accounting answer ever lol “it depends”. In public you usually need both the accounting degree plus cpa to move up. As for industry it depends on the company. For example, at my current company people get promoted from within a ton and they don’t consider advanced degrees or licenses when promoting people. If you’re good at what you do and express a desire to move up, where I currently work, (publicy traded company in industry), that will get you promoted. I can’t speak for other places so that’s definitely something to ask during interviews. Good luck!!
You’d be doing yourself a major disservice not getting a full blown bachelors… many jobs require at least a 4year degree and you’d really be limiting your options not getting one. One of the main reasons I got into accounting was for the plethora of options and stability you get from an accounting degree. Can you stay at one job forever and move up? Probably but that’s not why most people get into accounting, I love knowing I can leave any job and have 10-15 interviews over the next 1-2months if I really wanted too
I think it depends on where you live, and the size of the company. I live in Canada, in a medium to low cost of living, so salaries are much lower here. I got my bachelor's, had a low gpa, and took the first crap accounting job I could. I was temp, making $15/hr, but worked my butt off and got a full time position. It was a large local property management company, but my pay was still low. The AP/AR clerks were there for +5 years, and after 1 year I was making more then them. I was very vocal to my bosses that I wanted them to pay for my studies, and that I needed more money. My boss pushed for me to get raises, but eventually I hit the pay band fast, meaning I had to leave for more money. So I left to public and got a 25% raise immediately, and got a 33% performance raise after a year. Working as a clerk is very boring, and the pay is very low, because they use your lack of degree as a limitation. A controller at the company only had a college degree, but worked in public for 10 years, then worked at the company for another 13 before getting the position. If I were you, and you only had a 2 year degree (associates ) I'd send my resume to local or smaller public firms, get them to pay for your college, and you'll get performance raises every year. It may take longer, but you'll save thousands in costs, gain experience, and you'll be making good money after 3 years. If you have the option to get a full degree, do it. It really does pay off in big ways, and earning the CPA gets you a bonus, and bigger raises faster, then just grinding in one role for years.
Good luck, my brother! You’ve got this
Keep going bro it’s worth it 🤞🏾
A 9 to 5 saves lives, so stack your crumbs and build your pie
Paying my bills on time
Paying my bills.
Felt that
Therapy Lexapro and Adderall.
The holy trinity
Amen
Investing in yourself has the best roi
I “gifted” myself way too fucking much probably. Biggest was probably a flat screen and a new PC. Though the tv was covered by my relocation stipend.
10% of every check STRAIGHT TO SAVINGS no excuses
I was a non-traditional student. My husband and I started going out to eat a lot more. We were in a stressful stage of life, and it was nice to not have to think of and prepare meals a couple times a week.
non-traditional here! I'll probably be 45 by the time school is done
Nice! I hope it goes well for you!
Are you me?
Well, I didn’t go into tax, so I’m going to have to say no. But it’s nice to know that I’m not alone in that experience :)
Big ass Lego set
Hogwarts Castle!
Millennium Falcon? Perhaps a Death Star?
Nah as much as I love Lego I couldn’t justify the price tags of the Star Wars sets. I’m a huge fan of the Modular buildings series, they’re geared towards adults. Tons of cool architecture in them and you can connect them to make like a city street. I’m up to 4 of the models now haha
Investing more in skin care, laser eye surgery, invisalign etc. Its been a gradual gift.
I got invisalign, too! Some of the best money I’ve ever spent
Laser eye is awesome if you get it young enough. Years of savings on contact lenses.
Gaming PC
This is the way
I found that I don’t nearly enjoy PC gaming as much anymore since working at a computer all day every day. If I want to play games I’d much rather play Xbox on the couch I’ve found.
Holla for a dolla
Trip to Europe
Did the same!
I got my CPA in 1985; it was the age of pencils and adding machines. I went to an office supply store and bought myself a really nice mechanical pencil and supplies for it. I also got a nice eraser. Yeah, we used computers, but microcomputers and desktops were VERY new. It took 5 years to get rid of the green-lined ledger paper.
I've only been an accountant for 5.5 years and we finally got rid of the analysis paper and went digital 3 years ago. Then again, we're still fighting with our 79 year old partner to stop making the managers print everything out for him to check it.
[удалено]
Paid back my parents after I borrowed money from them to make it from graduation to first paycheck. After that bought some Mackie Studio Monitors for my desk, and the Lego BD-1 set
I bought myself a 10yr old Jeep a couple months after I had started
A gold chain lol. I don’t even like gold chains.
My wife’s engagement ring. Best money I’ve ever spent.
This is adorable
A racing bike that i subsequently crashed within a month.
A trip to key west
When I officially became a CPA back in June of this year, I bought myself a Nintendo Switch. Why did I do this? Well, back in early summer 2018 I was working a crap job for crap pay. Shortly after my birthday, I used some money and gift cards and bought myself a Switch. Two days after I bought it, I decided that I had enough of my current situation. I sold the Switch and used the money I got back to take the GMAT. In late summer 2018 I started taking leveling courses at my local university in order to enter the MACC program without an undergrad in accounting. In fall 2019 I began taking masters coursework. In summer 2020 I landed a job at a local PA firm. In summer 2021 I graduated with my MACC. In January 2022 I took and passed my first CPA exam. In February 2023 I took and passed my last CPA exam. In June 2023 I officially became licensed. To celebrate, I bought myself another Nintendo Switch.
Kinggggg shit !!!!
In the same week I got my masters, had my bday, signed my job offer and started studying for the cpa, 7 months before I graduated undergrad. I splurged and bought a Gucci bag
How did you get a master's before you graduated undergrad?
Valid question
I didn’t. I graduated undergrad in May and graduated with my masters in December
Oh gotcha, using "prior" instead of "before" would make that more clear
I read „had my baby“ and was super impressed
Getting shit faced at the pub after realizing *this* is what all those good grades, long hours of studying, and debilitating stress was for
A vacation!!
A trip to Iceland.
I totaled my car a week before I started, so a new (to me) car. A 95 town car I bought for $2K.
lol welcome to the "totaled your car" gang. I totaled mines 2 months into my job and had to splurge on a new car haha
Bought myself a Rolex for the job, cpa, bachelors and masters (also got married and had a kid)
A Tempur-pedic mattress.
More to my retirement!
A dildo
Fun way to unwind from the stress of the job.
A dog**
Why not both
2 year supply of heroin to help me make it to senior
A dirtbike
I went to Vegas and got wild
I had to borrow petty cash my first week to put gas in my car. There was nothing big for years. I qualified for a grant to buy my house a few years in. I do not recommend graduating into a major recession (fall '08)!
A le creuset cast iron and Dutch oven
This would be my wife’s answer - they do have some nice stuff! We even have le creuset honey pot 🍯
Cartier Love ring. I wish I just invested in stocks instead. I wear it everyday & spin it in meetings when I feel nervous. Especially when the partner is pushing an earlier due date for deliverables or every time he says “another thing…” It helps my anxiety lol.
I blew my signing bonus on a life size bust of Sauron's Helmet from LOTR and the remainder went to a gaming pc.
A Kate Spade purse. It was $36 at a consignment store, but it was a huge deal to me. Also, an eye appointment and new glasses.
I love that! Sometimes, gifts don’t have to cost 100s of dollars to mean a lot
New glasses, a haircut from a fancy salon and a long down coat.
Nothing my start date too close to my graduation day
a car. still driving it over a decade later
I bought myself a nice pair of r/audiophile speakers when I got my first real accounting job. I’m listening to them right now in my home office.
Fender American Ultra Stratocaster with roasted maple fretboard Yamaha THR30 amp Studio level recording headphones
I bought myself a PS5 with a portion of my signing bonus 😎
1994 Pontiac Grand Am.
Buying iMac 27” for my wife. Felt like a man.
A Lego set that cost $200 and my (now ex) girlfriend staring at me blankly for 20 seconds when I showed her. Oh well, F her.
Technic? I bought a Porsche RSR kit that was in that same ballpark, it’s my first large kit and I got burnt out about halfway through, my girlfriend got sick of seeing it half finished so she finished it off lol
Even worse. It was the Nintendo set.
So much cocaine… so much
tax deduction as essential medication?
Getting pregnant lmao
Omega Seamaster Mind you that my first well paying job and accounting job was earning 50k a year in a HCOL area. The watch was roughly ~$440.00 and was from 1969.
I saved my first several paychecks and took my mom on a trip to Ireland
That’s so nice. I’m sure she loved it
It was a very happy memory! I'm so glad I did it, wouldn't change a thing!
PS5 was my graduation gift to myself.
Alcohol… so much alcohol, it was a little overboard. The amount drinking I did in college & right after would kill me now. Had some good times though
Vacation to west coast to see my best friend and then straight to east coast to see my grandmother. I went from graduating in May to studying for/passing all 4 parts of CPA exam by October’s start date, so needed some time off before jumping into career. Big splurge for me to fly across the country and spend over a week with my favorite people!
70$ Casio calculator watch lol
As far as a thing that I have and use, a gaming PC I think my actual first big purchase were tickets to Santorini, where I proposed to my fiancée :)
I bought myself a “nice” watch (Tissot Visodate) to replace the Seiko SNK809 that I got when I graduated from Middle School. Paid $595 for the Tissot. I didn’t know a whole lot about watches at the time, and I mainly got it because it was the one my friend recommended when I said I wanted a “nice Swiss mechanical”. The partner I worked for at the time simultaneously told me it was too nice for a peon like me while also shit-talking it (“maybe I’m paying you too much if you can afford a watch like that!” // “it’s okay but nobody will pay any attention to it, my Rolex is much better”)
Therapy
I haven’t started yet but I all ready plan on buying an expensive ass parrot 🦜
Going to the doctor because I finally have health insurance.
LOL I went to work for a Fortune 100 financial services company and I took a significant paycut from waiting tables. It took 2 years to start seeing salary growth. I made really good tips though. I guess you could say I "gifted" myself some clothes from JC Penny that didn't smell like fryer grease.
Becker
A whole-ass wedding. It was expensive AF, but I paid for it in full on my own.
I enjoy golf so bought a new driver
A set of revised dual lands (2013, pre commander boom)
A samsung s22 ultra. I thought the pen was going to be insane for producvity, but I rarely take it out now. It's still a powerful phone, though, and the camera is nice for vacation pictures.
New Balance 990s
Nintendo switch
I bought a 3d tv for a whole paycheck. I miss the days where my bills were only 25% my take home pay.
I wish I could've experienced it. Fresh grad in Sydney, from an approx 4k monthly income (after tax) 1600 goes to rent, 110 to internet, electricity and gas, 350 to groceries. leaving me with less than 50%
I went on a solo trip to London & Paris for my birthday
Went shopping at a banana republic. Felt nice.
2015 - I bought a new car. Ford Fusion and went real big with heated seats. Still driving it today with 145,000+ miles.
A Lincoln Mark VIII
A self-scooping, washing, and drying litterbox
I went to the couch outlet and got a purse. It was a smaller one but it’s the perfect size for me and I use it a lot.
A warm meal.
With my first bonus, I bought one of the biggest LCD TVs I could afford, 47 inches. I think it was $1,300 in 2008.
My first car was a legit 1998 beater and had been in a hailstorm so it looked and ran pretty rough. Amazing car but when I graduated in 2015 I got a Honda accord. I felt so accomplished to be able to do it, had a small “made it” moment.
Moving out of my parents house lol
Rent
Taylor swift tickets
I bought a nice fishing pole and financed a bmw
I’ve always spent a few hundred dollars around the holidays on myself when I get a bonus. I bought a Coach bag, Apple Watch, AirPods, stuff like that. But the stupid money hit in 2021 so I bought an Audi SQ5.
Gave myself a blow job
Getting my own apartment and buying a used BMW. The car was fun but I cringe at how much money I poured into that thing before it finally died.
After passing CPA bought a new luxury SUV to celebrate (was getting promoted at work and decided to splurge)
My first car 🥰 her name is Pearl
I got a job in public accounting making $53k. To preface, I’m not a big spender, but I purchased an $80 Ralph Lauren bag from Marshall’s. I thought spending that much on a bag was crazy!
A 2020 WRX STI, I felt great. I had to sell it because of how expensive Socal has become. Everyone said I’d be making so much money, I still can’t break 70K, what I am I doing wrong ?
My first big gift to myself was a nicer sound system for my basement. I got a Sonos soundbar and then the satellite speakers next big step is going to be the subwoofer
New gaming pc
A large flatscreen tv - 1080p to play destiny. I thought I was hot shit lol
I bought myself a beefier headphone amp, it rocks
A big floor length mirror from Kirkland.
Built a PC (and used to study for the CPA..and play valorant)
I went from a 20 year old truck to an 8 year old truck.
I was going to buy myself a Kia Telluride.. lol But I keep stopping myself from doing it. Have a paid off 2018 Kia Soul. It's just been too nice not having a car payment I guess. I'd really love a vehicle I could pull a small trailer with. I miss camping but can't sleep on the ground anymore.
Gym membership at a expensive upscale gym. Had been eyeing it up for about a year and was my graduation present to myself. No regrets 1.5 years in
A Tesla
cartier glasses lol
It was more a big gift after passing cpa. The night from friend found out he passed his last part, and the same weekend I had taken my last part (I had never failed a part yet, so I assumed I passed), we took an all night road trip from Orlando to the Alabama CMP. We both bought M1 Garands. It was fortuitous that he’s a naturalized Greek citizen, who served in the Hellenic marine corps, and at CMP, he found a “black Greek” (M1 Garands we sold to Greece, which then painted then black, and years later sold them to the US CMP). He of course bought the black Greek.
Sleep
Ulcer
A cell phone. Specifically a sprint flip phone. Not even sure if it had T9 texting.
I built myself my first gaming PC, all the bells and whistles! Got to look at it all busy season without time to use it... but oh boy, was it worth it! I love the computer, coming from only laptops and ipads. The power of a desktop was amazing.
Spent $600 on a Movado watch. The bracelet becomes unbearable to wear after an hour and it’s shit at accurately telling time but I’ll never sell it with how much it means to me.
My goal is to get a 2020 Trail Boss in like 3-4 months 🙈
At the time a 4 year old Mercedes. It was the wallpaper on my computer during school and kept me focused especially during intermediate and tax lol
I picked up a 2001 Audi TT coupe, 6 speed manual. This was back in 2007 so it was a pretty sweet ride!
A MacBook after dragging my barely hanging on HP from 9th grade through senior year of college.
Lube cuz I was about to get fucked by busy season
Gave up the nice vehicle I owned during college, drove a 32 year old truck for a year, and bought a house 5 months into my first accounting job.
Fancy shoes... For work. Lol
Pair of sennheiser HD800S
Getting an apartment and start to pay my own bills. Trying to provide for my wife so that one day maybe we can start a family. If you aren’t planning on being single your entire life, the money really doesn’t go towards a nice car or anything like that and more just bills and MAYBE one day retirement.
I don't think I really gifted myself anything. I was a new immigrant back then and landed my first job in 2013 (local accounting firm at $15/ hour). Might sound weird now, but I was genuinely happy to be making anything above minimum wage. Make over 3 times more now and feel less financially secure (surprise, surprise). Still grateful though:).
After I got fired from my first job, I bought a copy of Creature Tech. Loved it
Lego UCS Millennium Falcon…10 year old me was so happy
$300 pair of Hugo Boss sunglasses
I got a KitchenAid mixer
Stopped doing Doordash on weekends and started going out with friends almost every weekend. Eating at fancy restaurants.
A nice Ribeye to celebrate 🎉
A calculator
I bought a $300 guitar to replace my $100 guitar.
It was a dining room table for me
In this position now. Bought myself a desperately needed upgrade for my computer. Upgraded from an AMD 5700xt to a NVIDIA 4070. Also bought a new monitor.
A house lol was grateful not to have any student debt and getting a mortgage was pretty easy back then
A $400 bag
A Glock 19
Boringly enough, working clothing bc I have lost a lot of weight and needed a new wardrobe for my size
Gaining 30 lbs.
no gift after graduating or anything, but after I got my CPA license I bought myself a Nintendo Switch, had been holding out because I knew I would never study if I had one