You didn't build a nest egg, you saved for a down payment.
You didn't rebuild your nest egg, you created a sinking fund for your home.
You praise yourself for not treating your home as a credit card, but your left hand is still borrowing money from yourself.
You've recognized there's an issue, but don't fool yourself into thinking you've done anything about it
GP built an emergency fund, which is important, but then drained it twice for non emergencies.
A nest egg is a much larger tax advantaged holding that you don’t want to withdrawal from because you’ll have a massive tax hit. It’s also far more than a down payment, hopefully. GP had some low interest “savings” account at his bank. Poor wife, no pun intended :(
I have a 401(k) that I contribute to. I intend on contributing the yearly max starting next year.
Should I have contributed the annual max when I started working? Yes. I chose instead to pay off our student loans instead and enjoy life. I'm not a frugal person.
Yes, I have a ways to go.
You're also right that these aren't nest eggs. I spent them on what I saved for!
Regardless, it's a start, especially for someone who never had a habit of saving before.