Is getting rich worth it? • Hacker News Board

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#21

Post by thoughtcriminal » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 4:58 PM UTC

GotAnyMegadeth wrote: post #7

My plan, if I ever manage to get rich, is to live like a student forever, without having to go to work. I don't really care for owning things, as long as I have got a bass guitar, a laptop and a cat, I'm happy.

So you think.

I'm just kidding. I'm the same way. What makes me happy is my four cats, making other people happy and having a great idea to work on.

But it's the idea part that can cause me problems. If I have a good idea I'll do nearly anything to make it happen. I'll spend my bill money to make it real. If/when I become money rich (I'm already rich in other ways) I may scale this risky behavior and still find myself in trouble (as I am now).

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#22

Post by phillmv » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:00 PM UTC

scarmig wrote: post #17

Can't most of these great injustices be solved by the newly rich person not bragging about it and living roughly on what they were consuming before plus 25-50%? Yeah, yeah, you just got this big chunk of change and you want to spend it on Tesla cars and the French Laundry and vacation homes! But when you engage in flagrant consumption people notice and start wanting in on the action. Figure out what the average amoun…

I'm entirely uninterested in these people's problems. The mere question in the title seems preposterous, verging on offensive.

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#23

Post by brador » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:01 PM UTC

I know a few rich and I haven't seen something mentioned here:

Everything becomes boring. Hobbies are awesome because you have to anticipate and wait to do them. Imagine doing nothing but your hobbies 14 hours a day. Then when you're bored of all your hobbies you have nothing else to do. So you hit up vegas. That lasts 2-3 years then you call it. Anecdotal? Yes, but I've seen it happen way too often.

Figure out something to do. Just something, start a cheap cafe and hire workers, a manufacturing plant for wallpaper, whatever. Just have something to do thats not all about you so you don't have to keep asking yourself what should I do now? Becuase that question will become a thorn in your side.

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#24

Post by malandrew » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:02 PM UTC

jpdoctor wrote: post #4

> Most people now want something out of you This is a common mistake, esp among the newly wealthy who are young: The last thing you want is for anyone to know that you are wealthy. There are many ways to make sure people stay ignorant of your wealth. For the people (and dates) that don't know your wealth, then you sure as hell don't educate them by words or bling. For people that know you had an exit, they never saw…

The other piece of advice I always here is that as soon as you have the money, put it away in some safe financial instrument (after you've paid any outstanding debts) for at about a year and keep living your life on exactly the same income you had before you became rich.

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#25

Post by mandlar » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:02 PM UTC

I don't want to be rich, per se... I'd rather simply obtain "financial independence" where I am sufficiently happy with what I have and I can do what I absolutely love to do for a living and not necessarily have to worry about money. Getting "rich" would just simply jump me quicker to this state of "financial independence."

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#26

Post by joshfraser » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:03 PM UTC

Money is the world's curse. May the Lord smite me with it.

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#27

Post by swombat » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:05 PM UTC

speeder wrote: post #8

I want to get rich. But I don't want to do it because I want stuff. I don't want a Audi, or a Maserati, or a fancy home, or the newest gadget. I have a objective, a plan, for me, and for future generations, and I know how much it will cost, and doing it will require me to be rich. And I know how much problems it will attract, how much relationships it will wreck, and how much danger it will bring to my life. But I do…

Not sure why you got downvoted... Seems like a very cogent, honest and down to earth comment.

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#28

Post by therobot24 » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:07 PM UTC

phillmv wrote: post #22

scarmig wrote: post #17

Can't most of these great injustices be solved by the newly rich person not bragging about it and living roughly on what they were consuming before plus 25-50%? Yeah, yeah, you just got this big chunk of change and you want to spend it on Tesla cars and the French Laundry and vacation homes! But when you engage in flagrant consumption people notice and start wanting in on the action. Figure out what the average amoun…

I'm entirely uninterested in these people's problems. The mere question in the title seems preposterous, verging on offensive.

I think you're illustrating the first point of the article quite well.

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#29

Post by nell » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:07 PM UTC

Don't give a loan to friends and family. Give a gift.

I'm not rich. But I do follow this one principle that I also strongly recommend.

Re: Is getting rich worth it?

#30

Post by codegeek » Thu, Feb 07, 2013, 5:08 PM UTC

He says "being rich is better than not being rich..."

So sure it is worth it. Totally understood that it introduces other complications or it may not be as fulfilling as you imagined.