Live data from Hacker News

How I live and how I work

alexwarren.co.uk

41–50 of 89 posts

Re: How I live and how I work

#41

Someone gave me this financial advice once: "Keep your lifestyle 3 to 5 years behind your growing income." I followed it and have had a similar experience. Since my first job, I went and got an MBA, paid off the student loan, bought a house and at 31, I still have enough savings to last me 3-4 years at my family's current lifestyle. Frugality is powerful.

"bought" a house or taken a loan?

Re: How I live and how I work

#42
post #15
post #5

...and another one simply living single, with no outside responsibilities and lucky to be healthy, claiming this lifestyle as somehow superior (others complain!) but not realizing that there is nothing special about it. nobody dependent on you? no kids, no employees, no sick parents? you not dependent on anyone? no accidents, no clients not paying, no disease or disablement? living in a safe, rich, area of the world?…

I believe that there is something special about not needing to spend large amounts of money on fleeting entertainment. It's something that none of my peers have managed; they all still spend their income on drinking, cigarettes, tattoos, holidays and so forth. I don't particularly look down on them for it as they're obviously happy in their world doing it. I just think there's more enjoyment to be had outside of a 9-…

I don't particularly look down on them for it as they're obviously happy in their world doing it.

You quite clearly do:

I believe that there is something special about not needing to spend large amounts of money on fleeting entertainment.

Re: How I live and how I work

#43
post #28

I completely agree with the OP. Let's be honest - you don't NEED a 100 k car right after graduation, even if you're earning a 100 k a year(I've seen this happen). What he's trying to say is that there's a huge difference between NEED and WANT that people often mis-perceive. If you only buy shit you NEED, you can save up, then quit your job and do things that you WANT to do, without having to worry about job security,…

What if that car is a real chick-magnet though?

Re: How I live and how I work

#44
post #5

...and another one simply living single, with no outside responsibilities and lucky to be healthy, claiming this lifestyle as somehow superior (others complain!) but not realizing that there is nothing special about it. nobody dependent on you? no kids, no employees, no sick parents? you not dependent on anyone? no accidents, no clients not paying, no disease or disablement? living in a safe, rich, area of the world?…

It's all relative. Take a bunch of people of a similar background as Alex, education, opportunities. Then choosing the lifestyle he has is pretty rare. And if you can cope with the tradeoffs, it is awesome - especially the long term payoffs of freedom.

Re: How I live and how I work

#45
The removal of all responsibility from my life would leave me dissatisfied. For me a rich life involves interconnectedness with other people - families, kids, friends, colleagues. That interconnectedness gives rise to responsibility. And that's the way I like it.

Re: How I live and how I work

#46
post #23
post #19

"You can enjoy your life right now. You just need to spend less money on shit that you don’t need." But it's the shit I don't need that ads to the enjoyment of my life.

In the short run, but for every dollar you spend, you give a bit more of your own freedom away.

That's an entirely reasonable trade-off. Freedom may be the destination but there's no reason that the journey has to suck.

Re: How I live and how I work

#47
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's not looking down on anyone or comparing himself with people who are disabled, he's looking at people who have the same responsibilites as him, but rather go for short term gratification than for creating their own freedom. Growing up doesn't mean getting a job and saving money, but getting out there all by yourself and doing awesome shit. I wrote about that more in detail http://appreneur-diaries.com/its-time-to…

> "but rather go for short term gratification than for creating their own freedom." How come starting a family is a "short" term gratification?

I've often seen the choice of having kids or getting married being used as a 'quick fix'. Usually for a failing relationship, insecurities or poor financial choices (benefits++). It's not always, but it can be.

Re: How I live and how I work

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many? Besides kids and employees, which ones?

Often disease, disability and accidents are caused through poor lifestyle choices. Sometimes lots of little things add up and it's hard to see the true cause. I've not driven for 4 years so I'd say that's put me at a significantly less risk of car related accidents than someone that does.

You example is easily understood, but I think it is an error to think that if you have an healthy and cautious lifestyle, you won't be affected by any disability. There are many environmental factors that are outside of your control like being exposed to some nefarious substance while you were in the womb, with long term effects. And many debilitating diseases like Alzheimer, Parkinson or MS don't have a very clear cause.

Re: How I live and how I work

#49
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's not looking down on anyone or comparing himself with people who are disabled, he's looking at people who have the same responsibilites as him, but rather go for short term gratification than for creating their own freedom. Growing up doesn't mean getting a job and saving money, but getting out there all by yourself and doing awesome shit. I wrote about that more in detail http://appreneur-diaries.com/its-time-to…

> "but rather go for short term gratification than for creating their own freedom." How come starting a family is a "short" term gratification?

That's not what he's comparing himself to, he's not comparing himself to people with sick parents, disabilities or a family to take care of. He's comparing himself to young and educated indulging the life of well-earning bachelors buying shit they don't need.

If one has started a family and doesn't have one's own successful business yet, it's very likely to be forever stuck in the "job-limbo", because one does have responsibilities. Family is the most important thing.

Speaking for myself, I just couldn't start a family without having my own successful startup before, because otherwise I could never give myself and my children the freedom that I consider to be necessary to make a life worth living.

Post reply on HN