Air Force couple saved $500K in their 20s by investing nearly 25% of income: ‘We always pay ourselves first'

In their 20s, Air Force officers Quinn and Brittney Sturgis amassed close to $500,000 in savings by investing nearly a quarter of their income.

"We always pay ourselves first," says Quinn, now 30 and still, along with his wife, a diligent saver. The couple automate monthly contributions to military retirement accounts, Roth individual retirement accounts, a taxable brokerage account and a 529 college savings plan for their 1-year-old son, Theo.

Both are stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California, where they earn a combined $263,000 annually, including base salaries and paid military benefits like housing and food allowances. These perks — amounting to roughly a third of their total income — help them put aside just under $6,000 into investments each month.

Graduating without student debt through scholarships from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps — a college program that trains students to become commissioned military officers — also allowed them to start saving and investing early.

"The benefits we receive really help us save more than we otherwise could," says Brittney, 27, a Medical Service Corps officer who helps oversee a hospital of 2,500 personnel at the base. 

Their savings have them on track to retire in their 40s, when both would qualify for pensions worth 40% of their base salaries.

"We're not necessarily focused on trying to hit a certain number by a certain age to completely retire," says Quinn, a pilot. But financial independence "is a major goal of ours — to be able to not work if we don't have to."

Investing early and consistently pays off

Quinn learned early on how starting young allows investments to grow exponentially. "My grandmother showed me a graph of how much more you could save if you started investing at 20 versus 30," he says. That lesson introduced him to the concept of compound interest — earning returns on both your original investment and the growth it generates over time.

"A big takeaway from our story is the power of compound interest," Quinn says. "Even if it's just $50 a month, that money will compound [over time] and pay you very well," he says.

Using Quinn's example, even a 10-year difference in regular contributions can have a dramatic impact in total savings. Investing $50 a month in your 20s would grow to $132,006 over 40 years at a 7% annual return, according to CNBC Make It's compound interest calculator. Starting just 10 years later cuts that amount nearly in half, reducing it to $61,354 in earnings over 30 years.

Taking advantage of compound interest is why Quinn and Brittney have prioritized maximizing their investments while still young. "Because we have so much time to let the money grow, it's really allowed us to have great peace of mind knowing that we'll be taken care of in the decades to come," says Quinn.

While they haven't decided what's next, ample future income from their investments and pensions has put them on track toward financial independence, freeing them from the need to rely on a traditional paycheck. Whether they pursue new careers outside the military, spend more time with family or focus on personal interests, any future work will be on their terms.

"Being done with the military doesn't mean stopping work entirely," says Brittney. "It's about finding something fulfilling without the financial pressure to earn."

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