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Show HN: I made a sandbox game to help with financial planning

simulator.money

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Re: Show HN: I made a sandbox game to help with financial planning

#92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you vastly overestimate consequences of not spending money on things beyond necessities. One might argue that by spending money on concerts, nights out and dating you buy more damage to your health and well being than benefit. You can have friends without money. And you can keep healthy for free.

Most people feel the need to have friends. We're social animals. For a minority of people that's not the case and keeping up with relationships is a chore - even then, keeping some friends can be desirable, given we anyway live in a society of other human being. In both cases, generally you spend more money with friends, for one reason or another.

OP is not arguing that you don't need friends. Instead: You don't need to be constantly spending money in order to have a social life.

Re: Show HN: I made a sandbox game to help with financial planning

#93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mine charged me rent (once I was finished highschool and was working), saved it, and then gave it all back when I moved out.

Similarly, when I did post-secondary, my parents paid for all of my books but made me pay for my own tuition. When I graduated, they wrote me a cheque for the amount of all my tuition combined.

Wow! That sounds like my experience, except minus the part about the check. I feel like my parents did as well as they could for me though, and they taught me to save money in a healthy way after college.

Re: Show HN: I made a sandbox game to help with financial planning

#95
post #58

I played for around 10 minutes, quite fun. Some comments: - how would you get 4% gains in real life? it makes a massive difference, but you're unlikely to reach this unless the money is put into the stock market - was unable to sell my property (the "request valuation" button does nothing) - the university option never showed up - there were no further jobs after ~12 years of career (stopped at something like enginee…

It starts out set in 2002. You could absolutely get 4% on a savings account in 2002.

That's not what I remember. I couldn't find data for 2002, but this[1] shows that savings accounts paid 0.6% at the end of 2003. Savings rates also generally track short-term Treasury rates, and those were below 2% for all of 2002. [2]

Edit: Never mind, OP said this for the UK (which, nice rates btw). Leaving this comment for the links to US comparisons.

[1] https://www.ncua.gov/analysis/cuso-economic-data/credit-unio...

[2] https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/i...

Re: Show HN: I made a sandbox game to help with financial planning

#96

This is exactly my type of game. I love the concept. There are a lot of bugs though. Do you have an issues page or anything? And are you open to working with other developers on it?

Not really open to working with anyone else on this, I prefer to work alone.

No issues page but I'm going to work through all the bugs highlighted in the comments.

I think my email is in my profile if you want to report anything specific / request a feature.

Re: Show HN: I made a sandbox game to help with financial planning

#98
post #23

This reminds me a bit of "The game of life" back in the 90s Optimizing life for filling the savings account as fast as possible at the expense of everything else has consequences and your game should reflect this. You should have stats including your characters age, health, happiness and social skills and have some kind of social media app with your friends constantly trying to invite you out for concerts, nights out…

I think you vastly overestimate consequences of not spending money on things beyond necessities. One might argue that by spending money on concerts, nights out and dating you buy more damage to your health and well being than benefit. You can have friends without money. And you can keep healthy for free.

In a simulator, I can live with my parents forever. In real life, I might get about a day or two.

Most people want to date and find a spouse. Most people want friend groups they have a connection to. Most people want hobbies that are interesting and fulfilling.

Being healthy is not free. Socializing, reasonable physical fitness, food variety.

Sure you could live in the mountains socializing with squirrels and doing pushups all day which would save you a lot of money - but it would not be the life most people want.

Re: Show HN: I made a sandbox game to help with financial planning

#99
post #8

It simulates real life pretty well: - I have an unread email in the inbox but I can't find it - The banks send me emails with no content in the body, some email glitch on their side - I tried to buy a property, lost my solicitor's fee but never got the property - There are no good jobs available except one underpaid junior position - I pay way too much in tax compared to what I make

The list goes even further: - I paid off the mortgage, but the bank just kept taking money from me every month - After some time, I noticed that there's again rent to mum in addition to the mortgage. The property is still there.

I have two properties, still live at home with mum since I'm paying her rent and both my properties sit empty while the bank keeps taking money from a fully paid off mortgage.

Just like real life!

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