Your Financial Roadmap Starts Here

Your financial roadmap starts where you are

If the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, then knowing where you want to go is only half the equation—you also need to know exactly where the hell you’re starting from. Here’s how.

X always marks the start of your financial roadmap

We’re Sci-Fi nerds. When we’ve exhausted every last sci-fi movie on Netflix—yes, even the low-budget ones with questionable CGI—we pivot to space documentaries. And, if we’re feeling particularly adventurous (or if it’s 2 AM and we’ve had one too many snacks), we might even dive into a space alien conspiracy doc. You know, for science.

Now, we’re not precisely stable geniuses when it comes to astrophysics. We’re not out here solving equations like Neil deGrasse Tyson or plotting interstellar wormhole jumps. But space? Space is just incredible—both in a “black-hole-mystery” kind of way and in a “there’s-literally-no-heat” sort of way. We’re fascinated by everything that is, was, or might possibly be out there.

Last night, we nerded over a solid documentary on NASA’s Voyager (aka V’Ger) Program. Officially, Voyager I and Voyager II were sent out to study Jupiter and Saturn. That’s the nice, digestible version that NASA fed to the public to pique our interest—and the version they told Jimmy Carter so he could put his Johnny Hancock on the project.

But on the DL, a few ambitious NASA scientists had a bigger, more mind-blowing mission: send a spacecraft to the outer edge of the Milky Way. If they timed it right, using the rare planetary alignment over the next few decades, they could slingshot Voyager past Pluto (which at the time was a planet, then wasn’t, then was, and now… we just let Pluto be Pluto) and eventually escape our galaxy altogether.

Well, fast forward to 2012, and Voyager I actually entered interstellar space. Meaning: it officially left the Milky Way. And now? It’s just out there, cruising through the void, on a cosmic road trip that won’t pass another star for another 44,000 years—roughly as long as homo sapiens have existed.

So why am I nerding out over this? Aside from the sheer holy-sht-that’s-amazing* factor, there’s a more significant takeaway:

Voyager I made it farther than even the brightest NASA scientists initially expected, but one critical factor made that possible—they knew exactly where they were starting from.

Without a precise starting point, there was no way to align Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in a way that would give Voyager the boost it needed to reach interstellar space. NASA didn’t just guess and hope for the best; they calculated every trajectory down to the tiniest fraction of a degree.

Moral of the story? If you want to get somewhere prominent—whether that’s financial freedom, early retirement, or, you know, leaving the galaxy—you need two things:

1. A clear destination.
2. A rock-solid understanding of where the hell you’re starting from.

Otherwise, you’re just floating in space, hoping for a gravity assist that’ll never come.

X marks the start of your financial roadmap

Alright, let’s get real for a second.

How much money do you actually make in a year? No, not that plump, round figure your boss enthusiastically mentioned during your annual review—the one that made you feel momentarily rich before reality set in. I’m talking about the actual number. The one that lands in your bank account after Uncle Sam, your benefits, and your 401(k) contributions take their cut.

Let’s be honest—we all know that our quoted salary and take-home pay are about as similar as a filet mignon and a fast-food burger. But somehow, we still live and spend as if that shiny, pre-tax number is what we get to enjoy.

Reality check: before you even touch your money, the tax man takes his share, healthcare premiums nibble away like an overzealous office potluck, and—if you’re smart—your future self grabs a slice via your 401(k) contributions.

So, let’s break it down:

• After federal and state taxes do their thing…
• After Social Security and Medicare take their cut (you know, for future you)…
• After your medical, dental, and vision insurance siphon off a chunk…
• After your 401(k) contributions (because you do want to retire someday, right?)…

What’s the actual number you bring home every paycheck? The smaller, less glamorous, but far more real number?

Because that’s the number that determines whether you’re thriving, surviving, or wondering why your credit card bill looks like a crime scene.

Your current financial roadmap is more than your paycheck

Alright, let’s have a little financial reality check.

How much money do you actually make in a year? No, not that plump, round number your boss confidently threw out during your annual review—the one that made you sit up a little straighter and briefly consider upgrading to oat milk without guilt.

I mean the real number. The one that lands in your bank account after Uncle Sam, your benefits, and your retirement contributions take their well-deserved (or at least mandatory) cut.

Let’s Be Honest…

We all know our quoted salary isn’t what we actually bring home. We know taxes exist. We know healthcare isn’t free. And yet, we still live and spend as if that nice, fat, pre-tax salary is what’s at our disposal.

It’s like ordering a full-sized meal at a restaurant, but by the time it reaches your table, the waiter’s already eaten half, the chef took a bite, and the government swiped a few fries—yet you’re still pretending you got the whole plate.

So, What’s the Real Number?

Let’s break it down:

• Federal and state taxes swoop in first, taking their share before you can even blink.
• Social Security and Medicare will step in next (because apparently, you will need money in the future, too).
• Healthcare premiums quietly drain a chunk, making sure you can afford a doctor if you ever take time off to go see one.
• 401(k) contributions (hopefully) take a piece because one day, you’d like to retire before you’re 97.
• Maybe you’ve got HSA or FSA deductions or other benefits that nibble away at what’s left.

So, what’s left? What’s the actual number in your bank account every paycheck? The smaller, less glamorous, but far more real number?

Because that number—the one you take home—is the only number that matters when it comes to budgeting, spending, and avoiding the “how-the-hell-did-my-credit-card-balance-get-this-high?” panic spiral.

So, go ahead. Check your pay stub. Face the number. Embrace it. And for the love of your future self, start planning your life around it—not that fantasy salary your boss dangled in front of you like a golden carrot.

Get more tips for rocking your money: