I'm not asking what your job is. I have a job too. And so far as I can see, not too many people's jobs are enough.
At least mine isn't. I was told to go to college. So I did. I'm halfway through and I'm no further to being self sufficient than when I started. In fact I'd like to wager that I'm even further behind my goals.
I've spent years trying to think of a product/service that I could market. Everything seems to already be taken. Somebody beats me to the punch. It turns out to be a laughable ordeal.
All I want out of this life is to have my own little piece of land and enough stable income that would allow me and my family to survive. Comfortably, that is.
At this point in my life, close to thirty now, I have given up on childish dreams of ever becoming rich. I don't think I'm smart enough to be a tech mastermind making and selling startups. I don't think I have anything worthwhile when it comes to investing. And I seriously doubt my ability to continue on into University at the rate I'm going.
Is a mediocre life of fast food and retail all I'm going to get? I know I'm preaching to the choir here....
From a few conversations I've had with you Phuks, it seems like a lot of you are older men who have been very successful in your endeavors. Many of you have large properties and a lot of cash on hand. You guys have wives and children and several vehicles and big boy toys.
How did you get all that, though? How do I get to where you guys are...legally?
This post is bullshit. I know nobody is going to give away their secret nest egg. I just need some fucking pointers on what not to do.
I can already see a popular comment making its way here : "Don't complain on Phuks, retard!"
Well dipshit I don't have anywhere else to complain and I don't have friends to talk about this shit with. And say goodbye to any relatives who ever gave a shit. Cuz they don't.
I'm a high school dropout with autism, PTSD and a long drug use history. I have no college. I make a little bit less than a teacher's salary doing professional work in offices, sometimes customer facing, sometimes not. I don't have much to show for it...I'm kind of starting over. I start over a lot...I get a lot of false starts and have had more than my fair share of second chances. But I can always seem to start over, and I can always make enough to cover everything I need. You probably don't have a several hundred dollar a month drug habit to deal with, so you'd be doing even better if you were me. And I've got a decade on you, so I'll toss my advice in here. :p
If I told any of my high school teachers where I ended up, they'd laugh at me. Be prepared to look in places and in industries you'd never considered. Maybe temp for a while and try out different things. Cash handling is a pretty major skill that no one wants to let you try if you haven't done it before. Is there something you enjoy in your free time? Think about the core skills doing that thing requires, and then find a way to do something that uses those skills or improves them somehow.
Once you've figured out the job and you have money coming in, pay yourself first! Before you spend money on things like bills or food, look at your budget and decide what you want to save. That's your cut. Put that away - pay yourself first. THEN pay your bills. Your job have a 401k with matching? That's money on the table if you don't take it. Once you get going really strong, you can pay yourself to an IRA account or buy some EE or I series bonds. I'm not a fan of the stock market - though that's probably where your 401k is hanging out. The risk is fairly minimal if you're only putting like 3-6% in.
Money is nice and all...but don't forget that you can always make more money. You have a finite amount of time. Time is your most precious resource - so always look to balance time and money wherever possible. Don't waste an hour to make a buck when you can hold off and make two in half an hour.
That's all I got for you. Good luck.