[SheaButter]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i understand what you're saying, but i hate the term "lucky" when used in this context.
i have been told i'm "lucky" in the past because of what i have chosen to do with my life. i always correct the person and let them know it is not luck, and in fact, hard work.
semantics, i know, but i get mildly annoyed.

Oh BELIEVE me, I am familiar with your exact feelings. I lost almost every monetary related thing back in 08' and literally didn't go out a single time for 2 years while I was rebuilding. I decided to bust my ass until I was back on top. So yeah "lucky" isn't the best terminology, you're right.

[ciaranob]

+1

Originally Posted by carve

Saving for that high ROI when you're old is definitely not without risk- if you die before you enjoy it, your ROI is negative as you didn't get to enjoy much of the money you made.

[M3Bimmer77]

When your young you want to travel but no money and no time. Then you start to work and you have no time and no money but lots of "want to". Then you work, work and work and you retire. Now you have time, a little bit of money (at least) but your exhausted. So when is the best time to travel? Go figure that one.

[Mr Tonka]

I have a friend who worked for Pixar. She lived WELL within her means for the several years she worked there. Toy Story 3 came out and after she got her bonus (based on gross revenue generated at theaters) she quit and travel for about 2 years.

Spent 3 moths crossing country from Oakland CA to NYC. Went from NYC to Berlin. A few months in Berlin, and went to Australia. A few months in Australia, and went to New Zealand. A few months there and went to Hawaii. Then back to a different part of Australia, then took a job in New Zealand as a contractor for the company that made the Lord of the Rings. As expected, she loved it. She still travels about 3 months of the year.

[MiddleAgedAl]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i understand what you're saying, but i hate the term "lucky" when used in this context.
i have been told i'm "lucky" in the past because of what i have chosen to do with my life. i always correct the person and let them know it is not luck, and in fact, hard work.
semantics, i know, but i get mildly annoyed.

I totally get what you are saying here. I agree, and it bothers me also, especially when I think back to the times when I went years without any vacations, busting my ass working crazy hours, and I don't recall feeling very "lucky" then.

I had an interesting philosophical discussion at a party (after a LOT of scotch, so keep that in mind). A gentlemen posed an argument that seemed surprisingly sound at the time. What if the internal motivation, the drive, the ambition to get off our ass and do what it takes to build something; what if that is simply an attribute like being able to sing in tune, or whatever, and it's something you were either born with or you weren't?

Essentially, what if being lazy is not always a choice, but sometimes, an innate personality attribute? Yes, success is a result of hard work, not luck, but the inner fire or drive to sustain that hard work in the first place, is the result of being lucky enough to be born with a Type A Gene ?

Some very successful people I know are so intensely driven, even once they have enough to enjoy themselves, they keep working on a Saturday instead of actually enjoying their new boat. They couldnt turn off the fire and relax even if they wanted to.... by the same token, maybe the outliers on the opposite end of that spectrum can't turn ON that fire even if they wanted to ?

Not saying I entirely agree or disagree, but it's interesting food for thought....


Apologies for the thread-jack.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by MiddleAgedAl

Some very successful people I know are so intensely driven, even once they have enough to enjoy themselves, they keep working on a Saturday instead of actually enjoying their new boat. They couldnt turn off the fire and relax even if they wanted to.... by the same token, maybe the outliers on the opposite end of that spectrum can't turn ON that fire even if they wanted to ?

Not saying I entirely agree or disagree, but it's interesting food for thought....


Apologies for the thread-jack.

i don't know what causes the ignition of the "fire" you are talking about, but i know exactly what you mean. i knew what i wanted when i was young. when i started making good money at 19, i blew it on the things that motivated me to work hard (built a desert truck, bought my first bmw [325ci]). then i realized this was not how people do it. i paid everything off in about a year, saved as much as i could in about six months, and bought my first house at 23.
i still lay in bed sometimes thinking about the five years of my life (ages 19-23) that i could have been using that money to make money and just squandered it like a fool. i'm 28 now and have three properties, but i could have had 5-8 properties by now. i think for this reason i'll always feel like i'm "behind" on my personal goals. personal success and hard work becomes an enjoyable habit and develops momentum. i think some people just happen to fit into that personality type that doesn't want to stop that momentum.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Delta0311

Pretty cool. There are only two types of people in this world.. You have those who live their lives and those who simply exist. This guy is actually living life.

I think people in this world are divided differently:
Those who are in a position that they can afford it and those who cant...
Most people dont 'simply exist', but struggle to exist. And you don't have to travel a lot to see that.

[Whostheboss]

I'm doing this starting late this year.

[MiddleAgedAl]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i still lay in bed sometimes thinking about the five years of my life (ages 19-23) that i could have been using that money to make money and just squandered it like a fool. i'm 28 now and have three properties, but i could have had 5-8 properties by now.

If you are only 28, then I'm not sure I'd use that term. If you were 48 instead of 28, still had no equity in anything, and had nothing to show for making good money except memories, then it would apply more. Sadly I know people like that.

I think there's something to be said for balance. You gotta make a living, but you also gotta live. Neither extreme of the scale is healthy, IMHO. People die in their late 50's, leaving a substantial financial windfall for their heirs, but if you go thru there personal stuff, and look at photo albums, you'd be hard pressed to find any pictures of them actually living life and having "fun".

If you take a year off to travel, yes that can be costly, but the experiences and fun can be something you carry for the rest of your life. If you do nothing BUT travel, live the life of a drifter, until you are 40-something, then you've basically fucked yourself and you'll be one of those seniors eating cat food in a 300 sq foot apartment in misery. If you do nothing but work, amass a fortune, but die before you can enjoy it, well you've lost out there too.

Extremes are bad, mmkay ? - Mr. Mackey

[mul1gan]

This is awesome, I would totally do this now if I was single without a mortgage.
10-15 years ago the funds just wasnt there.

[Whostheboss]

Originally Posted by MiddleAgedAl

If you are only 28, then I'm not sure I'd use that term. If you were 48 instead of 28, still had no equity in anything, and had nothing to show for making good money except memories, then it would apply more. Sadly I know people like that.

I think there's something to be said for balance. You gotta make a living, but you also gotta live. Neither extreme of the scale is healthy, IMHO. People die in their late 50's, leaving a substantial financial windfall for their heirs, but if you go thru there personal stuff, and look at photo albums, you'd be hard pressed to find any pictures of them actually living life and having "fun".

If you take a year off to travel, yes that can be costly, but the experiences and fun can be something you carry for the rest of your life. If you do nothing BUT travel, live the life of a drifter, until you are 40-something, then you've basically fucked yourself and you'll be one of those seniors eating cat food in a 300 sq foot apartment in misery. If you do nothing but work, amass a fortune, but die before you can enjoy it, well you've lost out there too.

Extremes are bad, mmkay ? - Mr. Mackey

Very good point. This i have been preaching. Extremes aren't good. I know people who "saved" a lot then got injured and never enjoyed the money.

Or people who save save save, with lots of $$ in the bank but living like a sad peasant.

My grandma is the same way, she has an underground dungeon in our village back home in Africa. My mom told me about it. When my mom went home a few years ago to visit, my grandma showed her the secret dungeon where my grandma stashed heap and heap and heap of cash.
Meanwhile my grandma is living a very hard life. kids and grand kids are suffering. So i'm like what's the point of saving all this money when everyone is living in torture?

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by MiddleAgedAl

...hard pressed to find any pictures of them actually living life and having "fun".

....

I realize my situation probably is not a common one, but I long ago gave up on taking photos except in the most critical of circumstances, and as I've aged, fewer and fewer occasions strike me as "critical."

The reason is quite simply because my tic makes it pointless for me to try to take a photograph when the camera isn't mounted on something stable. The photos below illustrate what happens when I try to take a pic with a handheld camera.



In the second image, you can probably tell that it's the Eiffel Tower, but which one? Vegas or Paris? Or perhaps it's the one of the ones in China or Mexico?



All the best.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by MiddleAgedAl

If you are only 28, then I'm not sure I'd use that term. If you were 48 instead of 28, still had no equity in anything, and had nothing to show for making good money except memories, then it would apply more. Sadly I know people like that.

I think there's something to be said for balance. You gotta make a living, but you also gotta live. Neither extreme of the scale is healthy, IMHO. People die in their late 50's, leaving a substantial financial windfall for their heirs, but if you go thru there personal stuff, and look at photo albums, you'd be hard pressed to find any pictures of them actually living life and having "fun".

If you take a year off to travel, yes that can be costly, but the experiences and fun can be something you carry for the rest of your life. If you do nothing BUT travel, live the life of a drifter, until you are 40-something, then you've basically fucked yourself and you'll be one of those seniors eating cat food in a 300 sq foot apartment in misery. If you do nothing but work, amass a fortune, but die before you can enjoy it, well you've lost out there too.

Extremes are bad, mmkay ? - Mr. Mackey

right, a careful balance. but the only time success, fun, and play come before work is in the dictionary.

i sustained an injury that required surgical correction in 2013. when i was recovering, i bought my dream car... a V8 M3. when i first got hurt, i was terrified that i would not be able to achieve what i wanted to build with my life and would be forced to shift priorities away from my previous goals and aspirations due to physical limitations. when i realized i was going to be ok, i pulled the trigger on my m3.
i didn't want to buy it just yet, but a slight scare forced me to live a little. worked out great in the end.