<prompt> Human: I just wanted to take a moment to share my financial journey, because after years of lurking and learning from others-- it has finally paid off.I live in a relatively low COL area. When I was 17, I got a prepaid credit card to build my credit. By the time I graduated college, I had a 740 credit score and only my car loan as debt.The week I got my first job which paid very well for the area, and was in a stable company, I also purchased my first house. The house was in decent shape, so the only thing that I did to it upon moving in was a bit of painting and replaced a janky sliding door in the back. I poured the rest of my money into my car note, and within 4 months-- my car was paid off. I wanted to continue to reduce expenses and invest in future returns, so after the car was paid off about December, I invested in solar. Pricing was okay. I took out 2 0 interest credit cards to pay for the system. In January, I found out that some of the parts that I sourced werent functioning, so we had to call the installers out to replace them. When the second set of contractors come out, they call me and said that the roof wasnt in a condition to have solar panels installed in the first place. After some back and forth with the installers, I decide to take the panels down to install a new roof. Out-of-pocket cost for panel removal: 806The roofers give me a fair price on the roof, but discover some additional work that needs to be done to the beams beneath the roof. Because it was pre-existing Note: neither the home inspectors or original solar contractors disclosed, insurance would not cover it. Total out-of-pocket cost: 6750Everything was going well until March. I turned the washer on, left the house, and came home to a flooded house. Plumbers come out and say that its a clog in the main sewer line due to a tree root. Insurance covers the interior but not the exterior: Total out-of-pocket Cost: 5,250To repair the yard that was torn up in the excavation of the sewer line, it was a total of 840. Luckily around this time, VW was buying back my car, so I used all the equity built up in my car to pay off all of the costly repairs and took a note out for a cheaper used car. On the solar re-install, I was able to haggle a 50 discount with the installing company. I expect the cost to reinstall to be around 800.So in unexpected expenses, the total for my first year was: 14,446At the end of the day, I am back to where I started the year. A modest emergency fund, but no other savings. I have a car note again, but a new roof, new sewer line, new flooring, and solar panels that are paid off. If I were to do it again, I would have hired someone to certify the roof before purchase, and held off on the solar until I had more savings built up. The idea of leveraging your assets can get a bit intoxicating, and this whole ordeal has caused me to re-evaluate my investment strategy. None of this would be possible if I didnt manage my finances. So for all of you who continue to give advice, thank you.  <response>: Thanks for sharing. This is also a great lesson for those that want to rush into home ownership because they think having a mortgage thats slightly lower or the same as rent is automatically better. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong and cost a shitload in a house. If youre financially prepared, these will be inconveniences. If youre not, theyre disasters. Glad it worked out for you, even if it were stressful. Live and learn! 