Further to my point, are the active members of your ward an accurate cross-section of the US generally, or do you suppose that they are outliers as well? I consider most active members to have their stuff figured out, relative to the average American adult. And even then, in most of the wards I've been in, there are a relative handful that "get it" and a bunch that do not.

It sounds like you're making good decisions with your money and advancing professionally, and you have my personal respect. But you have my respect because, in my experience, it seems that you are atypical and worth emulating.