Growing up, Lauren Perraut learned many money lessons from her dad, including “never spend more than you’re making” and “always pay off your credit card balance.”
The 32-year-old now makes $122,000 per year as a pathologists’ assistant. She lives with her husband, Dylan, who makes $60,000 as an academic advisor, and son, Reed, in Lexington, Kentucky. The only debt the couple has is their mortgage.
Among the biggest lessons Perraut’s father taught her was the importance of saving. “If I got money for birthdays or holidays, he would encourage me to save it in my bank account,” she says.
It’s a lesson she took to heart. These days, the Perrauts have about $524,000 put away, split across cash savings, retirement accounts and other investments.
They set aside a total of $3,900 in June 2025. Here’s where it went:
- Dylan’s 403(b): $245
- Lauren’s 401(k): $1,404
- Dylan’s Roth IRA: $500
- Lauren’s Roth IRA: $500
- Shared brokerage account: $1,000
- 529 college savings plan for Reed: $250
Both Perraut and her husband are taking advantage of their respective employer matches on their workplace retirement accounts. They’re also maxing out their Roth IRAs.
Saving up ‘enough to have the flexibility to retire when we want’
In addition to saving for retirement, the couple prioritize funding their son’s college savings account. They make sure to put $250 into his 529 plan every month and had about $11,500 saved as of June.
“We’re making sure to save up money for him to go to school, to go to college, if that’s what he chooses,” Perraut says.
Another goal is to reach $30,000 in their high-yield savings account — enough to cover six months’ worth of expenses. As of June, the account had around $18,000 in it.
Here’s the total amounts their various accounts held as of June 2025:
- Dylan’s 403(b): $52,960
- Lauren’s 401(k): $235,280
- Dylan’s Roth IRA: $37,570
- Lauren’s Roth IRA: $72,960
- Shared brokerage account: $95,460
- High-yield savings account: $18,120
- 529 college savings plan for Reed: $11,500
Ultimately, “our goal is to save up enough to have the flexibility to retire when we want,” says Perraut.
But she doesn’t feel they’re making big sacrifices to do so. They’re not big spenders and are comfortable with the life they’ve built. In June, they only spent about $274 going out to eat and just $13 on entertainment, like going to the movies.
“Dylan and I are both relatively frugal people,” says Perraut. “We both enjoy our jobs and we enjoy our routine.”
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