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I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

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Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#151

Post by derfabianpeter »

floor2 wrote: post #145
mewpmewp2 wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would be an extremely sad thing for me at least. Knowing that I would have no way to become truly free. Free as in I don't owe anyone my time. Maybe others can accept it or are forced to accept it. I just can't. But people of course are different. Currently I just can't wait to reach that state. Sometimes I'm counting days even. I could never be happy/relaxed as long as I am forced to work, or forced to work und…

If you had millions of dollars, you'd still need to brush your teeth. And sleep and eat and shower and use the toilet. Would those things mean you're not truly free? You'll always be 'forced to work' even if that work is just keeping your body alive and well. Perhaps it would be worth trying to find happiness now, rather than hoping it's hidden behind the next achievement.

His main point was about not owing his time to someone. Not something. I can totally relate to that perspective. I value my time over anything else and it is apparent that money, if you have enough of it and use it wisely, gives you power over how that time is being used. Especially if you’re looking to the future.

It’s a matter of perspective though, as always, and to me, happiness lies in being able to set my agenda and share power over it with whom I choose, not with whom I’m forced to share it with.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#152

Post by mewpmewp2 »

derfabianpeter wrote: post #151
floor2 wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you had millions of dollars, you'd still need to brush your teeth. And sleep and eat and shower and use the toilet. Would those things mean you're not truly free? You'll always be 'forced to work' even if that work is just keeping your body alive and well. Perhaps it would be worth trying to find happiness now, rather than hoping it's hidden behind the next achievement.

His main point was about not owing his time to someone. Not something. I can totally relate to that perspective. I value my time over anything else and it is apparent that money, if you have enough of it and use it wisely, gives you power over how that time is being used. Especially if you’re looking to the future. It’s a matter of perspective though, as always, and to me, happiness lies in being able to set my agend…

It's odd to me how some studies say that above 70k income there's not much difference to happiness.

I've definitely got happier, more hopeful and more confident in myself as I've started to make enough to see that there's a possible way for me to escape this routine and still have decades of life left to live where I can spend time on whatever I want while still having youthful energy.

And I do feel like focusing on getting to that point as early as possible should be my main goal right now. The more money I make in present the more I can invest to achieve that point even earlier (as money makes money) as opposed to being half in, half out.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#153

Post by username90 »

mewpmewp2 wrote: post #152
derfabianpeter wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

His main point was about not owing his time to someone. Not something. I can totally relate to that perspective. I value my time over anything else and it is apparent that money, if you have enough of it and use it wisely, gives you power over how that time is being used. Especially if you’re looking to the future. It’s a matter of perspective though, as always, and to me, happiness lies in being able to set my agend…

It's odd to me how some studies say that above 70k income there's not much difference to happiness. I've definitely got happier, more hopeful and more confident in myself as I've started to make enough to see that there's a possible way for me to escape this routine and still have decades of life left to live where I can spend time on whatever I want while still having youthful energy. And I do feel like focusing on…

Almost everyone just scales up their spendings though, there is no scenario where they can retire early.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#154

Post by wait_a_minute »

floor2 wrote: post #145
mewpmewp2 wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That would be an extremely sad thing for me at least. Knowing that I would have no way to become truly free. Free as in I don't owe anyone my time. Maybe others can accept it or are forced to accept it. I just can't. But people of course are different. Currently I just can't wait to reach that state. Sometimes I'm counting days even. I could never be happy/relaxed as long as I am forced to work, or forced to work und…

If you had millions of dollars, you'd still need to brush your teeth. And sleep and eat and shower and use the toilet. Would those things mean you're not truly free? You'll always be 'forced to work' even if that work is just keeping your body alive and well. Perhaps it would be worth trying to find happiness now, rather than hoping it's hidden behind the next achievement.

There is certainly a difference between needing to give someone your time and needing to maintain your body/health.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#155

Post by drobert »

People are objective driven so I guess money is an easy objective to have. It's easy to measure, boosts social status, gives you freedom, etc.

Until you have FU money it takes a change of attitude to forget money. The people you surround yourself are as well important. Just spend some time with some artists and you'll be more like them.

Parts of me feels the same since I moved to a big city where in order to own a house I need to pay mortgage until I'm 60 even if I'm in top ~3% of earners. I guess it's the stress, the uncertainty of our world, the competition, the ego.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#156

Post by mewpmewp2 »

username90 wrote: post #153
mewpmewp2 wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's odd to me how some studies say that above 70k income there's not much difference to happiness. I've definitely got happier, more hopeful and more confident in myself as I've started to make enough to see that there's a possible way for me to escape this routine and still have decades of life left to live where I can spend time on whatever I want while still having youthful energy. And I do feel like focusing on…

Almost everyone just scales up their spendings though, there is no scenario where they can retire early.

I guess maybe I find the situation more unbearable than others, I couldn't live with myself if I used up my escape plan resources.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#157

Post by pc86 »

bumby wrote: post #144
pc86 wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Future returns could certainly be less. But all we have to go on is what's happened so far. In the past even the worst entry+exit points are acceptable for retirement if not astounding, if you've saved something like 15% of your income for age 30-65 (I forget the exact numbers but that's more-or-less close to it). Yes, some people have to choose between cutting their standard of living and retiring on time, and retir…

Your point is well taken on future returns and how starting the compound interest cycle is a major contributor to success. > that has never happened This is the part that I disagree with. Talk with anyone who planned on retiring around 2008-ish. As a hypothetical, if the market is the proxy measure they lost around 5-8 years of retirement because they had to have "more time in the market" to re-coup losses. If they a…

You make a good point that I tried to address but didn't do so very eloquently. My "never happened" was to a sustained period (12, 15+ years) of returns where your contributions weren't worth much more than they were when you put them in. That would destroy an entire generation's retirement. Your point about losing 5-8 years in your goal was to retire in 2008 is well taken. Folks in that position, assuming they had massive market exposure (which like you said is a mistake and extremely risky), had to either take a standard-of-living cut in retirement, continue working, or draw down principle and risk running out of money early.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#158

Post by tiborsaas »

mellosouls wrote: post #88
taneq wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know how old GP is but their life sounds like it's pretty enjoyable and not what we generally picture when we think "a life whose main focus is money". I think what they're saying is that it's important to focus on money early on if it's achievable for you to reach this level of independent wealth in a reasonable time frame.

They should probably phrase it better then - as it stands it's terrible advice.

It's not a terrible advice. I'm still trying to but my first apartment at 38. It's essential to have a some financial ability (or willingness to plan ahead at least) to succeed in life.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#159

Post by piva00 »

mewpmewp2 wrote: post #156
username90 wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost everyone just scales up their spendings though, there is no scenario where they can retire early.

I guess maybe I find the situation more unbearable than others, I couldn't live with myself if I used up my escape plan resources.

Very likely, from my perspective I can't live my life saving all my monetary resources to only enjoy my life when I'm on my 50s or 60s. I'm not born in wealth or in a wealthy country, I had to work a lot to get out of the initial hand life dealt me, including getting out of my home country.

I won't sacrifice another 10-15 years of my life while I'm young to have a possibility to have all the time in the world when I'm 60.

It's a matter of perspective as you pointed out.

Re: I Feel Like I Have No Real Interests; My Only Interest Is Making Money

#160

Post by mewpmewp2 »

mewpmewp2 wrote: post #156
username90 wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost everyone just scales up their spendings though, there is no scenario where they can retire early.

I guess maybe I find the situation more unbearable than others, I couldn't live with myself if I used up my escape plan resources.

@piva00

Yes that would be way too late. I am hoping to achieve this by the time I am 32 or 35 at the latest. If I get lucky, by 30.

I won't have enough from career likely by 30, but I should have enough to start some side project that would hopefully garner enough passive income.

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