Let's build your plan
Five quick steps. Rough numbers are fine, and you can change any of them as you go. Your personalized PDF is waiting at the end.
Know your real number
Most high earners can name their salary but not what they kept. Taxes, retirement deductions and lifestyle all sit between the two. Your earning power is your biggest financial asset, so start by looking at it clearly, with no judgment.
Find gross pay on your W-2 or tax return. Take-home is the total of your paychecks after taxes and deductions.
That's $186,000 to live on and build wealth with. The question isn't whether it's enough. It's where it goes.
See how much you've already grown
Raises feel small from one year to the next, so they quietly disappear into lifestyle. Over five years they add up to far more than most people realize, even if they were only cost-of-living increases.
Rough numbers are fine. Your gross income from Step 1 fills in the most recent year.
Where did it go? If you can't say for sure, you're not alone. That's exactly what the next step fixes.
Adopt the half-and-half raise rule
The goal isn't a smaller life. It's letting your lifestyle grow a little slower than your income. Spend part of every raise, save the rest, and you'll enjoy more every year while wealth builds in the background.
Spend $7,500 on a better life this year. Save $7,500. Repeat with every raise. No budget required.
Automate it so you never decide again
Willpower fails; defaults don't. Paying yourself first (automatically, on payday, before you ever see the money) is what replaces a budget. Set it once and it runs without you.
See where the system takes you
Small, automatic amounts compound into life-changing numbers. Here's what happens if you follow your split with every raise from now on, while your lifestyle keeps getting better, too.
| Horizon | Extra spent on lifestyle | Total you saved | Saved value at 7% |
|---|
Here's your plan
What that lifestyle money buys
You've got the system. Want help making the most of it?
Book a free Clarity Call with Blake Townsend and we'll walk through your actual numbers together.
Important: Projections are hypothetical and for illustration only. They assume a constant raise and a constant rate of return, which will not occur in practice, and do not reflect taxes, fees or inflation. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. This guide is educational and is not individualized financial, tax or legal advice. Banking Your Legacy. See our Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Terms.